- OnePlus Watch 3 now costs $ 499.99 in USA
- It was originally set to cost only $ 329.99
- Watch ‘Meda in China’ is probably just the first of many technical price increases
While the US government’s attitude towards import tariffs is softened in many regions (at least at the time of writing), it is still full steam ahead with large import duties imposed by China-made goods. This is perhaps the reason why the new OnePlus Watch 3 costs $ 499.99 – $ 170 more than $ 329.99 the price tag, previously revealed for Smart Watch.
OnePlus has not yet confirmed whether the price increase is customs -related, but we know that goods coming from China to the United States are currently facing a duty of 145%. This amount has only risen as China and the US appear to be locked in a trade war and neither wants to come back from.
We know it’s made in China after a now notorious writing error on the back that declared that Smart Watch is “Meda in China.” This actually caused Watch’s full release to be delayed so far – perhaps unintentionally led to this price increase when introducing major new tariffs.
What’s more, while the device has had a price increase in the United States, in other countries this is not the case. E.g. In the British store, it still only costs £ 319.99, suggesting that this cost increase is actually an American customs problem.
A sign of what is to come
Unless the US government’s attitude towards customs changes soon soon, you can expect prices to rise for your other favorite gadgets. While smaller import tasks might have been eaten by brands that want to remain competitive in the US market, 154% hiking is impossible to ignore and they will be transferred to consumers.
You simply cannot keep prices the same if products that previously cost say $ 100 to manufacture in China now must as a minimum be sold in the US for $ 254 – and that is before you explain any kind of margin of profit.
It will be particularly frustrating for people who want to pick up more budget-friendly tech like OnePlus Watch 3. You will feel the pressure of tech that costs a few hundred dollars extra more than people who were already happy to spray a lot of cash on high-end gadgets.
I wish we could offer some healthy advice on what to do to try to ward off price increases, but apart from hurting you to buy before you start feeling their stabs, or hope they go away again, there is not much you can do. And it doesn’t help that the US government’s attitude towards customs rates seems to change every day-to predict what will happen next, almost impossible.
Our best advice is that you need to be prepared to make your existing technique last longer – or to buy used or renovated tech that will not be subject to import duty because it is already in the United States. Because the clear future new technology will feel even more like a luxury than it did before.
