California man buys 'illegal' tech gadgets from AliExpress and what turns up is absolutely wild

This tech guru from California bought eight ‘illegal’ tech gadgets from AliExpress, such as invisible earphones and a modded Nintendo console, and what turned up was equally as horrifying as it was brilliant.

AliExpress is renowned for its ‘dodgy’ items, often being hailed for its mega-cheap prices, but scrutinized for not always delivering what is described on the tin.

But there are a number of hidden gems on the marketplace, especially in the tech realms, which can transform your gadgeteering experience.

In a bid to uncover some of the wildest tech gadgets from AliExpress, this Californian man bought eight items and tested whether they could be used by the everyday cyber-geek.

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Tech gadgets from AliExpress leave this man baffled

While Alibaba has thrown up some weird and wonderful items, such as the BMW X5 Supercar Blondie bought, its retail sister site AliExpress has become quite a goldmine for creating solid tech items.

One person even built their own iPhone 13 Pro with parts sourced on the site, and it’s an almost perfect recreation of the Apple product with the performance to match the aesthetic.

But when it comes to whole items, YouTube personality Austin Evans had to meander through the minefield of wacky items to find some gadgets he described as borderline ‘illegal’.

Of course, they weren’t, but the loose term rather described the black-market-esque variants of normal items.

In the same vein as this recent tech haul from Xiaomi, there was a lot of choice.

After dodging items like a ‘heterosexual watch’ and a whole food truck, he soon settled on a list of savvy tech exploits.

Weeks later, the shipment was in, and he took to a new upload on his channel to showcase the bizarre, miscellaneous mess.

Modded Nintendo 3DS – Great value

Last time we saw a Nintendo console from a second-hand site, it went terribly.

But this AliExpress 3DS actually turned out to be a bargain.

Despite some quirks with its Japanese background, the modded console had a range of free games to play, such as LEGO Star Wars, and allowed users to back up their own games through a software program.

Comparing the price to the brand-new Nintendo 3DS consoles – roughly $329 – this half-price modded kit was described as ‘the best deal on the face of the planet’.

Roulette Mechanical Watch – Fun but Dumb

While luxury watches are often duped on the Chinese site, this Roulette mechanical watch was like nothing you’ve seen before.

With a working spinning table on its watchface, it was an entertaining gimmick, but its practical side suffered.

“After a little bit of adjustment, we now have the watch ready. [But] you could save yourself a couple of hundred dollars and just not buy this at all,” the YouTuber said.

Linsoul IEMs – solid for its value

Cranked up with the Spotify sound equalizer, the Linsoul IEMs – sound-canceling wired earphones – were one of the best tech gadgets from AliExpress that he could have found.

Evans claimed that the $135 product was actually value for money with its sound output, which is rare for something on the site.

‘Invisible’ Earbuds – barely worth $2

Speaking of rare earphone quality, the next item was ‘invisible’ earbuds, and it’s safe to say that the $2 he spent here was still a bit of a rip-off.

The AirPod-esque look was far from opaque, with the white shell being visible from Evans’ ear, while the sound quality was ‘poor.’

Mobile Phone Second Screen – useful but ‘sketchy’

As one of the most outlandish tech gadgets on AliExpress, this second screen for a phone was something we’ve yet to see in the Western market.

Showing a replication of what was happening on your iPhone, for example, the second screen could show FaceTime calls, messages, app usage, and even password-typing.

Striking the fear of god into Evans, the dystopian feature was riddled with latency issues and permission pop-ups, though.

Paper Watch – surprisingly accurate

Dressed up like one of those bands that you get for all-inclusive bars or parties, the paper watch is exactly what it says on the description.

For $3, you get your item, but that’s about it. The time is surprisingly accurate on the digital interface, but after one walk home in the rain, your watch is swimming in the sewers.

Micro Game Boy-style Console – the ‘best item’

Quickly crowned as the ‘best item’ in the haul, this Micro Game Boy was so small that it could easily be closed in the palm of your hand.

But its performance was incredible, with Space Invaders being played as easily as it would be if it were full-scale. Pocket-sized, pocket-priced, but it was a whole bagful of fun.

PS4 Jailbreak Blu-ray Disc – Shockingly effective

Finally, the last of the tech gadgets from AliExpress is a PS4 Jailbreak Blu-ray disk that allowed players to bypass the firmware and unlock a plethora of films on the marketplace.

Jailbreaking is notoriously touch-and-go, but for one single US dollar, this Blu-Ray disk opened up a world of streaming possibilities.

The entire haul showcased exactly what AliExpress is all about.

Much like the Roulette Watch itself, the site can be a gamble, and often you get stung with some strange products, but there are a number of gadgets that are worth every penny.

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