Photo: Layers.shop
The Layers Anarc Watch, a smartwatch that has captured significant attention on social media, is now under scrutiny. Allegations have emerged that the product might be a rebranded version of an existing Chinese smartwatch.
Tech analyst Pawan Kumar shared a detailed breakdown of his findings on X, sparking debate about the authenticity of Layers Watch’s claims of innovation.
Kumar’s analysis began with examining the Layers Watch companion app, revealing several red flags. Despite external modifications, the app’s internal codebase suggests it is derived from a pre-existing Chinese APK.
Kumar pointed out that:
- Chinese codebase: The app’s logs and comments were written in Chinese, indicating its origin.
- Outdated development practices: While the company claims the app was built from scratch, it relies on Java instead of the more modern Kotlin. The app lacks Jetpack Compose, Google’s recommended toolkit for modern Android development, and uses older XML layouts instead.
- Clone identification: The app’s source refers to a Chinese app available on the Play Store,
com.dongxin.watch_app. This connection further undermines claims of originality.
Additionally, the ‘About this app’ section of the Layers Watch on the Google Play Store is identical to that of ApexWear, with only the product name changed.
Kumar also highlights discrepancies in Layers Watch’s purported success. Despite claims of high sales volumes, its Play Store app has only 1,000+ downloads, with an abysmal average rating of 1.5 stars from 218 reviews. Meanwhile, the alleged sale figures are about 4200 watches going for three crore rupees within the first 24 hours.
Most reviews about the app are negative, and users have complained about bugs, connectivity problems, failed firmware updates, and syncing woes.
In a recent video, the co-founder of Layers, Shloka Srivastava, more popularly known as Tech Burner, announced that the company is working on fixes for ongoing issues. Two updates are scheduled for December 2024: one on the 11th and another on the 25th. Shlok assures viewers that many of the problems will be addressed in these updates.
The analysis revealed that the app extensively uses Chinese software development kits (SDKs), raising pressing questions about data privacy and security. It is still unclear where Layers Watch users’ data is stored and whether it is transmitted to servers in China.
Although, the watch’s hardware seems promising, without robust and reliable software, even the best hardware becomes obsolete. Furthermore, reliance on a third-party company — especially one from another country — poses challenges in maintaining software agility and addressing users’ concerns promptly.
This isn’t the first time Layers has faced such accusations. In 2022, the company found itself in trouble when another company, Capes India, accused it of copying its designs and product renders.
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