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Published in Mobiles

iPhone clones are now the new problem

by on29 December 2008

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Multiple Southeast Asian sources have them in stock

It seems that more confusion is brewing in the land of iPhone, with news that multiple sources in southeast Asia are stocking new homegrown iPhone clones. The clones come in a smaller size, which has led to false rumors of sightings of the iPhone Nano.

While work is likely continuing on an iPhone Nano project, these clone iPhones are not the iPhone Nano, while some less-than-honest retailers are trying to pass them off as such. What is interesting is that the silicone cases that we have seen from sources such as XSKN do not fit these cloned smaller iPhones, so it is possible that they could actually be right.

As far as the cloned iPhones go, they offer quality that is about average, according to our sources, with icons that are ripped right off the original iPhone. The features seem to be very close to existing phones with not all of the bells and whistles of the iPhone, but the interface is said to be rough on the clone in places.

The clones do a pretty fair job in making them look like an iPhone, down to the Apple and iPhone logos on the back of these cloned devices. While the prices are less than that of a real iPhone, they are still said to cost more than the average cell phone.

Don’t look for these iPhone clones to make their way out of Asia, as we suspect that Apple is already in the process of clamping down on these clones and looking to put the cloners out of business; but with the relative lack of recognition and enforcement of patents and copyrights in some parts of the world, Apple could have its work cut out for it to stem the tide of the cloned iPhones. We don’t look for these units to show up in any great quantity in the North American market, as our sources tell us that supplies are tight on the clones just to keep Southeast Asian retailers stocked.

Last modified on 29 December 2008
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