'Pregnancy wi-fi' router causes controversy in China

The new wireless router offers a "reduced radiation" option for pregnant women

Two Chinese tech firms have clashed over a new wireless router with a special setting for pregnant women.

Qihoo 360 unveiled the device, an upgrade to an existing product, which has three settings it describes on its website as wall penetration, balance and "pregnant women".

The third setting reduces radiation emitted by the router by 70%, the firm claims.

However, tech giant Xiaomi has accused Qihoo of scaremongering.

"The so-called pregnancy mode is just a marketing tactic. Wi-fi usage is safe, so please rest assured when using it," Xiaomi said in a post on social media site Weibo.

The two firms are fierce rivals, and Xiaomi has also recently launched a new router product, which offers six terabytes of storage and high-speed connections but does not include this setting.

Zhou Hongyi, Qihoo's chief executive, said at Qihoo's P1 launch event that the firm was "targeting people who are afraid of radiation", reported the South China Morning Post.