Here's why Chinese smartwatches like the Oppo Watch X3 are rarely sold in the US

The Oppo Watch X3 is a damn solid Wear OS smartwatch. With long battery life, a durable design and zippy performance, it's a worthy alternative to the Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch. But there's one big catch: Folks in the US can't officially buy it. What gives? Well, as you may guess, the answer has less to do with the watch itself than with the market surrounding it.

The reason you can't buy one here is simple. Oppo doesn't have an official consumer hardware business in the US. Its phones, tablets and wearables aren't officially sold stateside, so neither is the Oppo Watch X3.

So, why doesn't the Oppo brand tap into the lucrative US market? Because selling connected devices here is more complicated than just setting up an online store. You need distribution, compliance work, warranty service and software support. Then there's the tangled web of carrier relationships if you want a cellular version. If a company isn't willing to invest in that infrastructure for its phones, it probably won't do so for a niche smartwatch.

There's also the overlap with Oppo's sister brand, OnePlus. The Oppo Watch X3 is broadly the same device as the OnePlus Watch 4. The global versions have identical specs, from battery estimates and Snapdragon W5 chip to dimensions and design. And with OnePlus now pulling out of the US and Europe, it's hard to imagine Oppo swooping in with the same device under a different name.

Competition is another factor. The North American market is dominated by the Apple Watch, leaving a relatively small slice for everyone else to fight over. Any newcomer would have to compete with Samsung, Google, Garmin and others for the non-Apple market. It would take a huge marketing push just to make a tiny dent — something OnePlus already failed to do.

The political climate isn't helping, either, with Huawei serving as the clearest precedent. The FCC blocked new approvals for "Covered List" companies in 2022, and the environment has only tightened since. Although Oppo hasn't faced a Huawei-style ban, any Chinese tech company trying to disrupt the US market has reason to worry about getting hit with debilitating regulations.

The good news is that the truly dedicated can still get their hands on one. Head to eBay or AliExpress, find the global version of the Oppo Watch X3 from a reputable seller and import it. Just know that there are trade-offs, and they don't end with possible tariff-related fees. The global version's specs don't list eSIM, so you'd be limited to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Imported devices also typically don't offer easy returns, local support or assurances of long-term updates.

So that's it in a nutshell. Launching the Watch X3 here would be expensive and risky. The hardware is ready, but Oppo's business isn't. And hey, if you can live with some compromises, there's nothing stopping you from getting one anyway.