Xiaomi clones Kickstarter project for its new one-button Android controller (update)
Last October saw Pressy -- a one-button Android controller that plugs into your device's headphone jack -- eclipse its initial Kickstarter goal of $40,000, ending with almost $700,000 in its coffers. Apparently Xiaomi was paying attention, because the Chinese firm has teased an eerily similar product of its own that follows Pressy's look and functions almost to a "T." The metal cylinder plugs into a Xiaomi headset jack, and the button's function can be configured to perform 10 different tasks (taking a photo or dialing a specific contact, for example) based on 10 different click types. The major similarities stop at price and availability. As Tech in Asia reports, Xiaomi's version is called the MiKey, costs 4.9 Yuan (or $0.79) and will launch abroad this April 8th. Stateside, it doesn't appear to have a name or release date just yet, and Hugo Barra is asking Google+ users to name the domestic version.
The Pressy, in comparison, is $27 and its promised March shipping window is now in the rear-view. Considering that its developer Nimrod Back has mentioned legal action against clones before, we've reached out to the company for a statement and will update this post if we hear back.
Update: Pressy got back to us this morning with the following statement: "Though the knock-off versions were anticipated, we did not expect to see it from such a respectable and known company ... We have IP rights for the design and functionality of Pressy, and are considering our next moves to handle the situation."
