Ridiculously Cheap Fake iPhones Come to the West

[Paul Daniel Ash]

China has long had a burgeoning market in knockoff iPhones, since the genuine article wasn't available in the Middle Kingdom for years after its launch, and even now is so expensive in legitimate outlets that it is out of the reach of most Chinese workers. Evidence is beginning to emerge that copycat iPhones (called shanzhai in Mandarin) are coming to the Western world... and bringing their low price tags with them.

Steve Cassidy at PCPro received a call from a friend who said that someone had sold him an iPhone at a pub for £25, or the equivalent of $38 US. The phone comes in a case identical to the iPhone 3GS right down to the Apple label on the back, with a few telltale differences - such as the mute switch bring a pushbutton rather than a slider - and an oddball screen display, with an iPod icon that looks like a CD and an Internet Explorer logo in place of the Safari icon. Other than that, according to Cassidy, this phone is "good enough to fool those who haven’t used the real deal."

The fake - which commenters on Cassidy's blog think is a SciPhone i68 - has two batteries and supports dual SIMs, all of which are accessed by lifting the back plate, which is removable on this device. The touchscreen allows access to an array of workalike apps, including a "Java" icon and a porn app... which clearly marks this phone as a copy, as Apple would clearly never allow such a thing.

Most shanzhal phones - such as the micro-mini CECT m188 - differ significantly enough from the genuine article so as not they will not incur Apple's wrath. This copycat tries hard to look just like an iPhone, though, and the fake label would be something that Apple's legal team would attack with a vengeance should this item ever be legitimately offered for sale. While the quality almost certainly falls short of the original. should these devices ever come to the West in greater numbers, it may start putting price pressure on Apple's products. For now, it's hard to see this as more than just a curiosity.

image via PCPro.uk

[Carlos]

Uno, I'd be so upset to receive one of these as a gift!! lol

[hitman10]

yeah...

why would you even want that.

[holdemdogg]

I agree why would some one want one?

[Melech518]

They are all garbage phones, I have seen just about every fake iPhone to hit the market. The best is the cheap graphics and chinese music on the phones.

[ShadowDXDragon]

Id get this as a gift for someone

[sami4021]

And the usb ports which dont even use an apple cable to charge !!!

[Xenthor]

God, it makes me cringe every time I see these ugly knockoffs!

[yahoowizard]

Well, compared to like, a plain Nokia phone, you might go for this one, eh? Looks like an iPhone, has a camera, dual SIM's, porn app xD....Ofc, it's not the iPhone, but when you take it as "just another phone," for 38 bucks, it's pretty awesome. Even an unlocked plain Nokia or Razr or something costs three digits most of the time, so yeah, this is a really good deal here.

[lolcats1]

how well does it work? does it have illegal access to the app store? how smooth does it run?

[Melech518]

how well does it work? does it have illegal access to the app store? how smooth does it run?

They run like crap, the UI is garbage, and NO YOU CANNOT STEAL ON THEM. Jeez, why is there always someone who has to bring up pirating and theft?

[Rescuer]

wonder if it has flash

[niqolas619]

I think it's funny that everyone is trashing this knockoff so hard. With all of Apple's shady business practices (why does a site like this even have to exist...?) and the $160 price difference between the knockoff and the real thing, I would definitely give this thing a shot.

Apple is pissing me off so bad with how they release their products that I'm willing to do just about anything to dent their profit margins.

[awesomeSlayer]

Is it possible to install Linux?

[mikerlx]

These phones are on eBay just type in the names mentioned from the OP.

[adp]

They've been selling these on Craigslist in South Florida ever since I can remember. Nothing new here...

[steve-z17]

I guess people will do anything to make a buck, and in this case..save one. Crappy pieces of plastic.

[jdyates]

i would buy this, then break it and take it to an apple store, asking for a refurbished iPhone for a reduced price, LOL!But seriously, i DONT CARE if it's a cheap knockoff, i'd LOVE to have this along with my iPod Touch, and it's better than my MotoRazr V3xx (which DOESNT have 3G [i'm T-Mobile]), i mean? Dual-SIM? Dual-Batteries? MicroSD support up to 8GB? PORN? I LOVE IT! (just kidding about the porn, though.).... i wonder if Win7 Mobile or AndroiD were possible on this BIZZNITCH???

[ikesmasher]

if you look at it as a phone, instead of an iphone knockoff, if it works well thats sweet. (cause its a great price) i wonder if its multi-touch?

[lolcats1]

NO YOU CANNOT STEAL ON THEM. Jeez, why is there always someone who has to bring up pirating and theft?:

no you idiot. stop running off with wild assumptions. i mean does it have access to the app store. i was asking because a non apple device should not be able to download from the app store. i was not insinuating piracy. you just wanted an excuse to feel all righteous.