Illegal iPhone Clones are Here

Posted on 15 May 2009 by Norm Rose


This image is an iPhone, right? Look again. This is an illegal iPhone copy made in China that I found was being sold in Dubai. A client of mine bought this from a vendor in Dubai about a week ago while I was there. Apart from the obvious legal ramifications of this device (I’ll leave that to Apple), the impact on the market will be significant. My client bought this iPhone copy for 300 Dirhams (about $82 USD).
In our report for PhoCusWright, we predicted a flood of smartphone copies in 2009. This clear ripoff of the iPhone is characteristic of what will be common phenomenon throughout Asia. As long as the wireless carriers go along, illegal copies like these will flourish and significantly increase the penetration of smartphones in the market. It is unclear if this phone would access an app store. BTW if you didn’t notice, the key difference between a real iPhone and this illegal copy is that it only has four rows versus five on the main screen.

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  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/09544219669687716646 Maurice Brand

    Hey Norm,

    That’s funny! Is your client still happy using it or did he throw it away?

    regards,
    Maurice

  • http://www.delhibudgethotel.com/ Rocky

    Interesting text. You have a nice blog. Keep it up!

  • http://www.blogger.com/profile/14984385032899456676 Karthick Prabu

    Hi Norm,

    Could you please let me know if there are any certifications for Travel and Transport domain / industry? I am interested in taking up a certification in T & T domain.

    Regards,
    Karthick

  • Anonymous

    I wouldn't say it's "illegal". They are just Chinese alternatives to the iPhone, which sometimes even have more features such as Java.

  • Anonymous

    I wouldn't say it's "illegal". They are just Chinese alternatives to the iPhone, which sometimes even have more features such as Java.