One of my favorite places to visit in China is Shenzhen . build in 1979 , the small fishing village north of Hong Kong has turned into the trounce inwardness of China ’s applied science scene , and nowhere is this more epitomized than in Huaqiangbei .
A district in Shenzhen , Huaqiangbei , has become the go - to destination for exploring the latest engineering . However , it ’s much more than this : it ’s also where you ’ll line up the craziest and wild kitchen stove of technology twist , accouterment , and components .
require acheap pair of AirPods Pro ? It has you cover . An Apple Watch move Android ? Also covered . A Modern concealment at a fraction of the price your local phone repair shop charges ? This is where to be .
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
As part of my trip to China , I just return to Huaqiangbei for the first time in six years . I bought a range of product , including both cheap and prescribed items , as well as others . Here ’s a closer feeling at the craziest tech market in the world .
A melting pot of the best companies
It ’s notable that every major smartphone ship’s company , as well as many non - smartphone companies , has a large presence in Huaqiangbei . Many of the former have multiple presences , as they each aim to best one another and sell their wares to every client passing by .
Take Huawei , for example . There is a flagship Huawei store on the corner by a large mall , and several doors down in either direction , there are other prescribed stores . Or Xiaomi , which has at least four store that I could count within a 5 - minute paseo . This only accounts for two blocks of Huaqiang Road North , but the street extends much longer .
Then there ’s DJI , which has at least three store that I could see in the same radius . The same applies to Oppo and Vivo , although the former has less front than the latter . Conspicuous in that it only has one store of note ? Samsung , and its store is a regular - sized storage , with Samsung less focused on this market than its competition .
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
What about Apple ? There is at least one prescribed store , as well as a multitude of smaller retailer that advertize themselves as prescribed resellers . This does n’t account for the market and stalls as well .
The third-party retailers
Once you move past the official stock , you ’ll find a host of third - political party retailers and resellers with store front straight off onto the street . or else of smaller , fairly kosher retailers tucked away in the center , these resellers are more kindred to your neighborhood phone store than a mart stall .
Here , you ’ll detect most sound brands under one ceiling , along with some heavy bargains . While the prescribed stores have ready prices – although they ’ll still have deals and you may occasionally snag a price reduction – these resellers will essay your bargaining power , at least within grounds . If you ’re wait for 30 % + off the tardy phone , you wo n’t rule it here , but if you ’re looking for a small rebate on the newest cogwheel or a adult discount on older tech , this is where you should go .
Most of these resellers wo n’t have the late phones within sidereal day , but rather within a month or two . price are negotiable , but unless you speak Mandarin , it ’s advisable to have a version app handy on your telephone set . You ’ll also want to know the actual economic value and retail price of a appliance , especially as some of them will by design start at a higher price , and your purchase may not be the deal you think it is .
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
By far the big presence in Huaqiangbei is the malls and markets . This is where you ’ll encounter the gems and the threads that make this street and area the crazy market in the world .
The Huaqiangbei malls are a tech lover’s dream
If you ’re like me and love gadget , you ’ll either need a sizable billfold or strong willpower . Failing either of those , you ’ll end up bribe far more than you bear , especially if it ’s your first time in Huaqiangbei .
Walk into one of the many market place on Huaqiang Road North and you ’ll find 100 , if not chiliad , of belittled carrel owner with millions of products as far as the center can see . This is where your used phones end up , and while there are many imitation products – some of which are completely outrageous – many of them are unfeigned .
The legal age of stall are heavy with Apple products , and virtually every stand with mobile products has AirPods on showing to influence you to part with your money . Beyond Apple , foldable speech sound are also aplenty , and while you wo n’t find the verybest folding earpiece , you will find many that are one or two generations old . These can be purchased at a considerably dispirited cost than in a traditional retail store , and unlike other stores , negotiation is part of the experience .
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
Every stalling has a calculator , and this is how you ’ll put across and jibe on a price . Never accept the first price , but do n’t expect to knock 50 % off their price either . Some products are price fairly dispirited , so there ’s little margin , but anything up to 15 % could be look at fairish and has a strong possibility of the trafficker agreeing to a deal . There are some latest gimmick – both novel and used – and you ’ll make unnecessary up to 20 % off the retail monetary value . For exercise , several stalls will mirthfully sell you a new iPhone 16 Pro Max 256 GB for between $ 950 and $ 1,100 , whereas it costs $ 1,300 from Apple .
Once you accord on a price , you ’ll want Alipay or WeChat Pay quick to go ; both apps are cardinal to pay and accessing services in China , and both also bear alien cards . There are dealings limits , and they ’re secure ; in fact , they ’re so secure that my Alipay account was parry when I essay to purchase aXiaomi 15 Ultrain an prescribed stock , and I had to go through several entreaty steps to be able-bodied to charge anything with Alipay .
These markets are a technical school lover ’s dream , but astonishingly , Huaqiangbei is more than just devices .
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
Looking beyond devices
Many of these booth offer a panoptic range of products , from hairdryers to cables , and everything in between . Then there are integral markets dedicate to drone , gadgets , and other tech items that any technical school enthusiast will likely bootlick over . Some of these products are far too tempting , and it takes strong willpower to take the air forth .
These are n’t name brands , but they offer a similar experience ; for example , several drone were nearly monovular in appearance and functionality to those made by DJI , and these were listed for under 25 % of the price of DJI - branded product .
China is a res publica that squander a significant amount and a grocery where every company wants to shew a presence , not just technical school company . Opposite a string of shops selling technical school , you ’ll determine shop for Gucci and other lavishness retailers , and in good order next to them is a menswear store that sells everything from thyroxine - shirts to suit .
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
There are also vast mall with five to ten floors dedicated to selling factor for every twist . If you ’ve ever wanted to acquire all the parts and ramp up a phone , this is where you ’ll find them . If you ’re look for a supplier for your gadgets , this is where you may find them .
Huaqiangbei is vast , so you ’ll likely never see it all . Across two visit sweep more than ten 60 minutes , I barely expunge the surface . Not only will it use up a significant amount of your time , but you may also quickly spend a substantial amount of money . As far as tech market place go , it ’s one of the craziest , raving mad , and most various places I ’ve ever seen . Every alley also has lots of stalls , and a small doorfront can go you to large malls veil behind construction . When you find a product you want at a price that you like , you should buy it ; otherwise , you ’ll drop countless hour trying to rule the same trafficker .
The miscellanea of stalls and products is a will to the overall impact of Shenzhen on the technology market place . Now , if you ’ll apologize me , I take to buy some more gadgets to take home with me .
