Is Sony Ericsson Trying To Rip Off The iPhone?

[Michael Essany]

This week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, an old but still familiar (if not largely irrelevant) name in the smartphone business resurfaced. Regaining some attention in an industry that has largely moved beyond the abilities of the flailing cell phone manufacturer, Sony Ericsson made a pledge that turned some heads. It seems the company is aiming to give US consumers "want they want."

What do they want, you ask? According hints from Sony Ericsson, cheap iPhone knock offs.

While comparisons to the "comeback kid" known as as Motorola go without saying, here's what we know for certain about Sony Ericsson's ambitious plans. Last fall we learned that Sony Ericsson has in the works its first Android phone - the Xperia X10. At the Mobile World Congress, however, Sony Ericsson revealed another pair of Android phones. No carriers have yet been confirmed, but there are suggestions that AT&T would likely play "let's make a deal" and do business with Sony Ericsson.

The X10 looks like a touch-screen iPhone knock off. The X10 mini looks similar, but smaller. The X10 mini pro is the most different, offering a slide-out keyboard.

Although prices were not announced, Sony Ericsson is hinting at competitive but affordable pricing for their new smartphones. With the company's revenue in the dumps, it's anyone's guess if these iPhone-like offerings will give the company a boost, or effectively pound one more nail into its proverbial coffin.

Image via The Associated Press

[troyhertzog]

Don't you mean "what they want?"

Why is everyone worried about people "ripping off" the iPhone? Other companies are just late on great technology, Ford didn't get "ripped off" by Chevy, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, etc.

P.S. First!

[henners123]

First!

Second

[confucious]

How is this different from any other Android phone? There are many cheap touchscreen phones which could be called 'iPhone knock offs'
- what makes this so different?

[LSZ33]

That's like saying Messany ripped off whoever you stole this article... Oh wait, you did.

[BlaqkRoxstar360]

^^ lol at the comment above mine

[jevarner]

I don't know what phone you're seeing, but the one pictured looks nothing like an iphone. The only comparison is it's a phone that has a touch screen. Please put the kool aid down.

[Gajet]

lol so with this logic, iPhones are just cheap knock off windows mobile copies, because they had touch screens first?

[robisaks]

When this article came up in my RSS feed, I came here to tell you how stupid you are to call the X10 an iPhone rip-off. I see this has already been done by the other posters.

[M4tt Dam0n]

Sony are experts in that department. They copy everything that's successful.

[whereswaldo]

Give me an iPhone, I will thank you
Give me this, I will say "what the he'll is this knockoff!"
no one does apple like Apple

[Jahooba]

Hey, the more competition the better! You seem to be threatened by this phone, Messany... why else lash out at it as you do?

Personally, I'm looking forward to the Windows 7 Phone. It looks like a Zune, which is pretty awesome. The Zune is like the cool older-brother of the iPhone little sister. If that makes sense.

[tfd1978]

WTF??? X10 a knock-off????? WTF???? That's a great phone!!! Stop comparing everything you see around you with Apple, and iPhone, and iPad, and......

[CaptainChaos]

The Xperia stands on it's own. That phone is pretty sweet. I haven't seen the X10. iPhone schmyphone. All majors brands are going to touch screens. Apple just happened to get it right straight out of the chute.

[RonHC]

That's like saying Messany ripped off whoever you stole this article... Oh wait, you did.

lol "Oh no he didn't"

[DirtyDan]

I've always been of a fan of Sony Ericsson phones... previous to my iPhones I've owned two of them. I would be very interested in an android based Sony phone on AT&T if Apple somehow cracks down on the jailbreaking.

[rkswat]

P.S. First!

First moron.

Second

Second moron.


I wouldn't go as far as calling this an iPhone rip off but it does seem a lot of phones are moving to touch screen only type phones. So much for every one wanting a physical keyboard.... Apple showed what you can do when you're not limited to buttons.

[Gsr_Hatch]

First moron.


Second moron.


I wouldn't go as far as calling this an iPhone rip off but it does seem a lot of phones are moving to touch screen only type phones. So much for every one wanting a physical keyboard.... Apple showed what you can do when you're not limited to buttons.

16th moron.


I don't think this is an iPhone rip off, just because a new phone comes out with a touch screen doesn't mean that they are trying to be like Apple. It's simply called competition. Which is good for us consumers. Although I really don't know if this phone would be competition for the iPhone since I haven't seen any specs for this new phone yet.

[Armored]

man, leave it to sony to make a rip off. too bad they weren't just satisfied with an iphone killer. i hate it when other companies try to compete with others. p.s. to the mods, that's sarcasm

[chordmasta]

It's absurd to say this is an iPhone rip-off. It's an ANDROID phone with an 8mp camera, higher resolution, a faster processor, etc. It's just ignorant to call it another iPhone rip-off. The only iPhone rip-offs I know of are sciPhones, and they are terrible.