Teclast T59 concept design looks vaguely familiar

Meizu apparently isn't the only Chinese manufacturer courting concept designs from its users -- and ripping off the iPhone with vigor while it's at it. Teclast's actual upcoming T59 might very well look nothing like these concept renders here, and obviously some of the stylings and specs here are a bit far fetched. But if Teclast can indeed deliver a Windows CE-based 3G device with GPS, WiFi and FM, along with a VGA screen, neato secondary display and other assorted hawterness -- all while dodging Apple legal, of course -- then we promise not to get too hung up on certain familiarities to other products on the market.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

[humpty @ Feb 17th 2007 6:09PM]

Give it a break engadget.. so, every slate style phone is now an ipod ripoff? Thats fanboy talk.

[LittleJoe @ Feb 17th 2007 6:11PM]

Is it even possible to make a full-touchscreen cell phone without it looking like the iphone?

I'm an Apple fanboy, but this is ridiculous.

[greg @ Feb 17th 2007 6:26PM]

and no this does not look like the iphone!!!

[sparta.rising @ Feb 17th 2007 6:28PM]

Jesus Christ, lay off with the drooling fanboyism. This looks nothing like the iPhone except that it has a full screen touchscreen. The interface looks nothing like Apple's. For Christ's sake. In my opinion this improves some of the design faults of the iPhone (like the curved rear). Its stylish, I like it.

[Casey S @ Feb 17th 2007 6:25PM]

I don't think it looks even vaguely similar to the iphone. it's just a full touchscreen phone. if you think that apple is the only company that imagined this in the last few years you're sorely mistaken.

[Sam @ Feb 17th 2007 6:27PM]

Oh COME ON. He is talking about the glossy black finish with a chrome wrapping. It looks very much like the iPhone, we didn't see anything like this until the iPhone came out, if you don't like hearing about the iPhone don't click on the articles. They are clearly labeled.

[riggs @ Feb 17th 2007 8:57PM]

i guess you have never seen the prada phone? youre as much of an idiot as the author of the article.

[Ellianth @ Feb 17th 2007 7:43PM]

Teclast T59 = iphone now? Because that's what the label of this article said...

[dehydorn @ Feb 17th 2007 6:27PM]

how is a rectangular phone with a full touch screen an Apple rip off? did they patent the rectangle also? Apple wasnt even the first with that set up! the LG Prada phone was announced before the iPhone with the same design

[Finite @ Feb 17th 2007 6:38PM]

Yes, I have to say that this does indeed look much more like it was inspired by the LG Prada than the iphone, unlike the meizu.

However, though it could very well be a knock-off of the LG Prada design, I would say it has enough originality to stand as a product on its own without attaching "rip-off" or such label to its name.

[Kev50027 @ Feb 17th 2007 6:37PM]

Seriously? Now that the iPod is out, everything looks like it according to Engadget. I'm sick of this. Come on.. Apple isn't the ONLY design company out there, and believe it or not, they're not the best either.

[Adam @ Feb 17th 2007 6:52PM]

Paul, buddy,

chill out.

[kibets @ Feb 17th 2007 6:56PM]

If you look at the specs on the Chinese site - I don't think it is even a phone.

I want one though! Who needs touch screen iPods when we have t59!

[dave @ Feb 17th 2007 7:01PM]

Good GRIEF, do you HAVE to make a feature about every crappy bit of Photoshop that passes your desk?????????

Please, please, please FOR ONCE edit yourselves, Engadget.

There's no need to vomit this junk onto your website. No need to come across like two-bit tech ho's.

[Wolfticket @ Feb 17th 2007 7:26PM]

imho The iphone looks a bit like every full screen pda ever. Just sayin is all.

[Mac Filmmaking @ Feb 18th 2007 7:06PM]

Looks like the iPhone
---
www.macfilmmaking.blogspot.com

[Stuart @ Feb 17th 2007 7:42PM]

I don't think it's really much of an iPhone rip off, but do you really think this would come out if it weren't for the iPhone?

That said, I'll buy one if it's out before the Meizu M8...

[Goebbels @ Feb 17th 2007 7:48PM]

If that's a knock off the all TV manufactures are ripping each other off. Let's see my sony looks abit like the toshiba, wait or is the pioneer..no it's more like the LG a f it I'm looking for a tv that doen't look like a tv.

If the next generations of phones are to be touch phones with wide screens what in shape can they possible be, let's see.. a cube, sphere, big fat rectangular shape round a thin like a pizza..wtf i'm sick of this iphone rip offs articles. Someone build one sub 200 bucks and i'll by it and I don't care if it's made by k tel. We need compitition to bring the prices down. None of the monopolistic crapola.

Rant over I feel better now..

[Goebbels @ Feb 17th 2007 7:53PM]

so what i can't spell or write proper sentences!

[M @ Feb 17th 2007 8:11PM]

Its statements like these that I have been reading less and less Engadget.

Most other business that grow hire more professional people, here we get fanboys because they know how to hit a post button...

Personally, I feel Engadget it trying to stir the pot with obvious pokes of Idiocracy, but I would rather try to find a new website for my news.
M

[ASTROBOT @ Feb 17th 2007 8:13PM]

My goodness. Where did you see that this is a phone??? I see Music(mp3,wav,wma ect.,), Time, GPS, FM(radio), Movie(mpeg,rmvb, ect.,) GPS, WIFI(internet,msn)with a 4gig, 8gig to 16gig running on WIndows CE. It's a concept. More like an mp3 player.

[ASTROBOT @ Feb 17th 2007 8:29PM]

By the way. This is just a fanboy design and Teclast made mp3. It's a fanboy concept that probably will never see the light of day.

http://www.teclast.com/topic.php?channelID=70&topicID=140&pid=4

[Ayle @ Feb 17th 2007 8:59PM]

Wow those look way better than some mp3 I've found at my local Bestbuy.....

[Josh Romine @ Feb 17th 2007 9:12PM]

I'm so sick of everyone talking about how every company is ripping off the iphone design. If you're going to have a phone, with a full touch screen, that has multimedia functionality, it's going to be a rectangle!!! So does Apple have a patent on the rectangle now?!!

[Rex @ Feb 17th 2007 9:45PM]

Seriously, there prolly is no other way to make another touchscreen phone that will end up looking just like the Iphone... It's just like saying that laptops look just like each other and that the first people that made them should've patented every design aspect of the laptop and gotten big bucks. And if that's the case, and no one can make a touchscreen phone without it being reminiscent of the iPhone then it's like Apple is running a Monopoly on the market.

[Ryan @ Feb 17th 2007 10:12PM]

That is patently ridiculous. My Tungsten T3 is an iPhone rip-off?

[zsyco @ Feb 17th 2007 10:21PM]

It's funny how this was forgotten about:

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/01/11/iphone-and-lg-ke850-separated-at-birth/

It's on your site!

Why isn't it called a Prada ripoff, because that's all the iPhone is using this logic.

[joe @ Feb 17th 2007 10:26PM]

LG PRADA STARTED IT. ENGADGET NEED TO STOP ABOUT IPHONE.

[daliminator2000 @ Feb 18th 2007 12:33AM]

I'm wondering whether this is even a phone...it seems more like it's a PMP with GPS and WiFi. In which case it's not anywhere near an "iPhone ripoff" (if such a thing REALLY were to exist...)--More like an Olympus M:robe ripoff.

C'mon, Engadget. Stop dropping the ball so often. I used to respect you guys.

[Giltronic @ Feb 18th 2007 1:29PM]

i was looking forward to read the flood of people talking about the title of the article...

[Bloobie @ Feb 18th 2007 3:01AM]

Wow. I knew that an article mentioning Apple (or any of their products) would generate at least one response from the Windows/Linux crowd with the word "fanboy" in it, but not this many...

[thomasvda @ Feb 18th 2007 7:48AM]

M, I second your post. Same here: it's articles like this that make me read Engadget less and less. If there is ONE blog you'd expect to be informed (read: LG was first) and take a proper stance on the ridiculous supposed-iPhone-ripoff stuff, it's Engadget. Yeah, of course it generates traffic and comments, but in the long run you lose your authority, and readers, Engadget.

Do better fast.

[Surur @ Feb 18th 2007 6:51AM]

fanboy !!!

[Joe @ Feb 18th 2007 9:39AM]

I am tired of seeing people complain that every new phone looks like the iPHONE. Look at all the phones that look like the RAZRS! This is just how phone designs are going, these phones were also in the pipeline well before the announcment of the iPHONE, so... maybe Apple doesnt keep secrets on there upcomming products like they should.

[Stranger @ Feb 18th 2007 8:01AM]

The iPhone is a ripoff of this phone which was previewed in november last year.
http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Image:FIC-neo1973_small.jpg
http://images.techtree.com/ttimages/story/78379_bigiphoneinhand.jpg

Both with polished borders and black plastic, both with a large virtual keypad. Yupp, a clear case of ripoff! Shame on you Apple, can't you be one bit original?

[barrett @ Feb 18th 2007 1:42PM]

it seems that this is kinda like the iphone concept but one thing better...gps. i will buy this over the iphone becaue i bet it will also be cheaper....apple does like to overprice...dont get me wrong i am an apple whore

[L.Rawlins @ Feb 18th 2007 11:35AM]

In other news, Ford is suing Chrysler for using round wheels.

...

Get a grip Engadget.

[guohengzhao @ Feb 18th 2007 1:54PM]

This "ripping off" thing is really getting old, find some new angles to report news, stubborn engadget, or say bye-bye to your readers.

[Ari @ Feb 18th 2007 2:16PM]

Ok, you guys, this is starting to get ridiculous, stop the APPLE MADNESS!!!! NOW

[whiskey @ Feb 18th 2007 4:38PM]

WTF? When did Apple patent Gloss, Black and Chrome?

If anything you people should stop being so bitchy about products that clearly do not resemble the apple phone.

First, is it a phone? It runs Windows CE not mobile... or am i missing something?

You guys should start working on something else, because this subject is getting pretty boring.

[whiskey @ Feb 18th 2007 5:00PM]

Let's see how many times Mr. Paul Miller might have noticed this was not a phone (i just went to engadget cn and hit the read button then used the babelfish translation).

First one:

The Taiwan Telegraphic Transmission forum welcome your -> product discussion center -> [ digital player discussion area ]

This is at the top...

Second one:

"Today before dawn 0: 43 minute, have finally completed my t59 design. Hoped everybody likes. I do very laboriously, hoped has looked the people all may go against! ! Like this I only then can have the warm continuation to consummate him! ! "

Which to me seems like somebody made a design made by somebody who has professional skills but does not work for Teclast. He got it right on the title (i mean, it is a concept design).

The third one:
http://www.teclast.com/bbs/index.php?showtopic=32070&hl=
includes this image
http://bbs.psp-xo.com/attachment_E60F36/9_1248_ce8c9d18ee1180c.jpg
which fails to procure (AFAIK) any information on ACTUAL PHONE SPECS.

The only thing i see there that you could tell would really infringe on patents (with a big MAYBE) is the autoscreen rotation...

To me this seems more like another version of one of those mockup renders people made for the "new fullscreen ipod".

[Kev50027 @ Feb 18th 2007 5:39PM]

OH MY GOSH!! My bread is totally an iPod rip off.. get this.. it's WHITE!!

[Josh Mahan @ Feb 19th 2007 4:44PM]

It looks better than the iPhone...

[Asher Pat @ Feb 18th 2007 6:16PM]

Actually, this is an LG Prada ripoff, with the ApplePhone being Prada ripoff too!

Engadget, why dont you change your name, after all, it can be mistaken with the "Gadgets" applications of your beloved cult.

[toe @ Feb 21st 2007 6:51AM]

Find it funny... why is everybody copying iphone?
btw did'nt Iphone copied LG PRADA? and also Nokia (Nokia 6300 and many more...)
zzzz stop the comparing already :P iphone ai'nt out yet..

[Randavance @ Feb 18th 2007 9:58PM]

Dear Engadget,
SHUT UP! Stop talking about the product looking like a iphone and start talking about the product for Christ sake! Evidently Apple copy righted rectangular objects with touch screens because it seems that that's the requirements to be an iphone rip off! Evidently my 1999 PDA is an iphone rip off! And that tablet PC over there, thats not a tablet PC, it's just an iphone rip off in bigger size. So engadget, I know you Apple fanboys, and I respect that you defend your company, but dammit this is getting old.
Love, Randavance

[PeteC @ Feb 19th 2007 6:07AM]

So you're basically saying anything that is all screen is now an iphone rip-off? I hope you just put that in for humour Engadget to rile a few people because if you actually think that's true you're either so far up apples arse you can taste the pips or just mother fcuking stupid.