Apple Watch on sale in China Friday
蘋果智能手表在中國出售

Apple's smart watch goes on sale in China and eight other markets Friday. It is the company's first new type of device in years, and China is a crucial battle ground for companies producing wearable technology.

It has been available for pre-order since earlier this month. Now, the Apple Watch is set to go on sale in China.

The new device lets users make calls, check emails and get fitness readings. In China, the world's largest consumer market, potential buyers are curious.

"I think it looks good. I might try a mid-range one, but I can't consider the most expensive one," consumer Li Yiqing said.

"I already have an i-Phone, so if I get a smartwatch, I prefer to stick to the same system... But I heard Huawei just released one and it's not bad. Plus, it should be a lot cheaper. And as Chinese, we should consider the Chinese brand," consumer Zhao Manli said.

"I need to check the price, before I consider it," consumer Gang Ziyu said.

There are various models, from gel to gold. But even the basic version doesn't come cheap.

After ranking as China's top luxury brand in a recent Hurun report, Apple is widely seen as the best brand to show off with in China. But at roughly 2,500 yuan, (US$400), Apple's new smartwatch is slightly more expensive in China. And that is providing an opportunity for other companies' wearable devices.

Samsung launched its rival Galaxy Gear smartwatch in China more than a year ago. But while timely, it lacks email and other 'smart' functions.

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is set to release its Android watch later this year, after releasing a 'talkband' last year, with a bluetooth headset and USB plug .

Then there's the mi-band, developed by Huami, a subsidiary of Chinese phone-maker, Xiaomi.

It sells for just 79 yuan (about US$12). While it has fewer functions than a smartwatch, it is developing more.

"We're working with Alibaba by incorporating Ali-pay. We cooperate with Tencent on Wechat, so users can upload and compare fitness data. We have a very different position to Apple's watch. The mi-band is a 24-hour body ID, for sport and health. We've sold more than 4 million Mi-bands in China since last August," Huang Wang, founder & CEO, Huami Co. Ltd, said.

The company declined to comment on whether it is working on a smart-watch, too.

But given the fast adoption of mobile technology here, IDC China predicts more brands will.

"When you look at China, the adoption of smartphones is actually very fast. We predicted that in 2018, 1 billion Chinese people will have a smartphone. So when you have 1 billion people who have a smartphone, the second devices become very important," said Kitty Fok, managing director of IDC China.

The firm expects more smartwatches to hit the Chinese market this year.

And it is likely their functions, price and timing will be key factors in whether consumers can be swayed from Apple.