Keepin' it real fake, part LXIV: 2G Shuffle goes dark

Some folks just don't know when to call it quits, and yes, we're looking directly at the Chinese knockoff factories responsible for all of these shameful attempts at ripping the iPod. Of course, this isn't the first time the Shuffle (first-gen or second) has been duped, but this iteration certainly raises the opprobrious bar. Pulling the oh-so-prestigious black color scheme over to the Shuffle side of things, this clone was somehow designed in California but "Assombled" in China, but what else would you expect for a mere $14? More comedy, er, pictures, after the jump.

[Joe Smith @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:07PM]

finally, a ripoff i might actually buy.

[MalaysianMafia @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:11PM]

where can I order it?

[nojok3 @ Jun 29th 2007 1:38AM]

http://cgi.ebay.com/SHUFFLE-1GB-BLACK-MP3-PLAYER-G-B-GB-w-IPOD-EARPHONES_W0QQitemZ320131528249QQihZ011QQcategoryZ86541QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

[Jonathan @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:20PM]

It's not comedy, it's awesome.

And I want it.

[BrettB @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:28PM]

seriously, that's a pretty good fake and attractive to boot. Apple should follow suit. As long as it actually works, $14 isn't a bad price either. I'd take one. Why not?

[Chimuel @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:28PM]

I want it, though I'm worried that it's "Assombled in China."

[Marius @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:34PM]

I have actually bought one of these, paid $20 for 1GB of "extremely shuffle-like appearence", which were the webshop's exact words. It works very well, but the earbuds were... less than satisfying.

The shop, dealextreme.com, only sold them for a couple of weeks. Wonder why.

[tekdroid @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:35PM]

no doubt it doesn't use itunes and allows drag-n-drop from and to the device for music. Win.

You can "assomble" me in China anyday. At least the prices are honest.

[Carbonize @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:37PM]

Isn't the real iPod 'assombled' in China anyway?

Anybody got any specs on this?

[papasurf @ Jun 23rd 2007 8:03PM]

Carbonize, you are correct. The real iPod 2G Shuffle is assembled in China. I have the box right here and this one I got from an Apple Store.

[Bigsby @ Jun 23rd 2007 8:06PM]

http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/13/chinese-workers-reportedly-toil-in-ipod-city/

Yes, they are assombled in China, just like these fakes. The reason we have to pay extra for a real Ipod shuffle is because Apple uses translators that can spell.

[tekdroid @ Jun 23rd 2007 8:10PM]

everyone knows assombling is superior to assembling

[Rocket Scientist @ Jun 27th 2007 7:50AM]

"Apple uses translators that can spell" LOL, that's funny Bigsby. Hey, and they also don't use indian (india) call centers. It's so nice to be able to understand what the Apple rep is saying.

[citizen @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:46PM]

these have been on ebay for ages.

i bought a silver one, the knockoff players are really nice and solid, only problem are the cheap earphones that brake nearly instantly.

still good value for money, strongly recomended.
just get better earphones, maybe a nice pair from sony.

[phil @ Jun 23rd 2007 11:11PM]

"...maybe a nice pair from sony."

Er... what? Sony makes some of the most expensive trash out there. The frequency response on their canal-buds are terrible. They "boost" the bass in the hope you might notice the muddled midrange and tinny high end.

Do yourself a favor, spend at least $150 or more on some shure or etymotics phones. You will not be sorry.

[Jamar @ Jun 24th 2007 4:31AM]

Audio-Technica and Elecom are good too.

[Len @ Jun 26th 2007 1:34PM]

Seriously, we're talking about high-end earphones for this fake iPod? You could plug it into a $20K stero and it would probably still sound lame. Get the cheapest phones you can buy man.

[Patrick @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:47PM]

That thing is sweet, I'll take 10.

[ark_v2 @ Jun 23rd 2007 7:59PM]

Apple should learn from these Chinese, finally, real value for your money.

[Ryhan @ Jun 23rd 2007 11:45PM]

Dude, apple has to pay it's staff who created/designed the device (engineers, designers, etc..), marketing, and of course profit for sellers and apple itself. But remember, the profit made goes back into designing new products. Since the chinese get most of this for free from apple, and make it (probably) lower quality while making HRW scream, they can charge far less. Though apple does overcharge a tad... :)

[Antonio Lopez @ Jun 26th 2007 6:04AM]

Actually Apple had already learned this from the Chinese long time ago, same as the other multi national like Microsoft, Intel, Dell and others.

Half of the engineering effort and expertise are provided by the Chinese team, Apple do the design and functional verification, all the test and quality test. Then pass the end design back to the Chinese for mass production.

Which is why you will see that it is easier for the Chinese to knock off Apple product, but can not duplicate the quality both in product and ease of use that Apple have the edge.

The Chinese engineering expertise may be in par with the American company, but it will take the Chinese another 20 years (not a wild guess or number pull from the air) to match the quality and creativity of the American companies.

[papasurf @ Jun 23rd 2007 8:03PM]

You can buy a re-certified (aka refresh) G2 Shuffle from Apple for $50. Along with that you get the one year warranty. If you happen to get a re-certified G2 from an Apple walk-in an find that you want the newer headphones they will let you trade them in right at the counter. Just open the box right there and let them know you don't like the older head phones.
PS: I do like the black colored knock off though! Maybe I'll have to skin mine to match it :)

[Jody Vining @ Jun 23rd 2007 8:50PM]

I saw these on sale at the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Ft Lauderdale, FL at one of those kiosks in the middle of the place. Except they were like $89 which I think is actually more expensive than a real shuffle.

But it was DEFINITELY the exact same thing. They also had a pretty bad iPod Nano knockoff. It was weird to come home and see it on here because I was REALLY wondering where it came from since it's such a good knockoff.

[Joe @ Jun 23rd 2007 9:36PM]

I see the same people who complained that Chinese workers making the real iPods were not paid enough and had poor living conditions now want them to cut the price over 70 percent. Ummmm.... okay. If you thought conditions at the factory making the real iPods was bad wait until you see the conditions at the factory making these knock-offs. Can you say slave labor? Can you say hypocrite?

[myPMPhand @ Jun 23rd 2007 11:00PM]

you really think that apple's version cost MORE than these? both are probably made at the same place. apple just marks it up ridonkulous to its sucker herd of sheep. at least these folks are being fair and upfront with consumers by taking a reasonable profit for themselves.

[charlie @ Jun 24th 2007 12:50AM]

hypocrito,

nope!

[KC @ Jun 23rd 2007 10:03PM]

The mark up to pay for marketing and give Jobs his stock options are just so high. Can you imagine that the knock-offs are still profitable at $14, with shipping and handling?

[AirStrike X2 @ Jun 23rd 2007 10:07PM]

Wow it looks awesome in black.. Im getting one when it's out

[AirStrike X2 @ Jun 23rd 2007 10:10PM]

anyone notice how the Play/Pause mark is printed on the button? or is it just how it's supposed to be..?

[nojok3 @ Jun 23rd 2007 10:25PM]

I'm honestly interested in one of these. If someone knows of an eBay auction/seller, IM me at baseballmanxc

[Aaron @ Jun 23rd 2007 10:38PM]

Wow I want one.

[Timerider @ Jun 23rd 2007 10:38PM]

@#$%^*@#!! I hate ripoffs! Especially the ones that steal the logo, name, and design. All you wanting one should know that its crap.
This is what copyrights and lawyers are for.
The people that make this stuff should die.

[ninad pandit @ Jun 25th 2007 10:42PM]

Is it just me, or is this guy *reeeally* funny?

[Trooper @ Jun 24th 2007 5:33PM]

Hmm, Apple assembles these in China so they can make them cheap and make more profit. Maybe they are just getting what they deserve for not having them assembled in a country that they can enforce their patent/trademark even though it would cost them a couple bucks more to make?

[andy @ Aug 8th 2007 7:46PM]

well ripoffs serve these companies right. They outsource, they lose intellectual property rights.. thats how it should be.

[geoff Mitchell @ Jun 23rd 2007 11:33PM]

I bought one and would not recommend it anyway. Although it does ‘function’, there’s little ‘fun’ to the functionality, and the limitations have become clearly apparent through usage. Industrial design aside, there’s a great deal more to be said for the quality and feature set of the actual Apple product over this or any other mock effort. Although this cost less then half the price, it would have been well worth paying the extra for all that it buys you.

Without going into laborious details, here’s a summary of fallbacks and failings around this device, and all the related reasons you should buy an iPod.

The original unit was defective and required a return and replacement that took about 6 weeks.
The battery life is dismal. 3 hours at best, compared with 12 on a true Shuffle.
This only shuffles. It does not play continuously.
A real Shuffle pauses when you remove the headphones, while this continues playing and runs out of juice.
Loading it required finder file copies, not the smooth iTunes integration of an iPod, and that’s a bit cumbersome and off-putting once you’ve had that luxury before.
There’s no volume 'balancing' feature like the Shuffle, so song volumes raise or drop depending on their original encoding.
The copying of files is drastically slow. I don’t believe their connection hardware utilizes the faster options. It's likely USB 1.0.
So, although I’ll likely use this for the occasional needs or pass it along to my wife for her running, I won't cut corners like this again. You get what you pay for and this is no threat to Apple's quality and feature set.

[Simon @ Jun 23rd 2007 11:51PM]

Hey Geoff, do you work at Apple???

you sound like a rep!

[SomeOne @ Jun 24th 2007 3:57PM]

Jesse: How is Geoff an "idiot"? Because he dares to clearly indicate the shortfalls of a cheap ripoff product, and delineate examples of problems which users WILL encounter when using it?

Or, that to has the nerve to imply that the perceived Apple "hegemony" in music players might actually be due to thought going into the design of the product, a focus on build quality, and award-winning tech support? i.e. "You get what you pay for"

Keep buying cheap imitations of brand-name products if you'd like (thereby proving to such criminals that their efforts are financially viable); but don't complain - or even be surprised - when such knockoffs are next-to-impossible to use, don't function as advertised (if at all), spontaneously combust if you look at them the wrong way, etc.

[geoff Mitchell @ Jun 25th 2007 3:58PM]

No, i'm not an Apple Rep, just somebody who's bought one of the fake ones and documented the failings here, hoping to help others at least be aware of the tradeoffs they'll face. How that makes me an idiot, i'll never understand, but thanks SomeOne for defending me.

[Dan @ Jun 23rd 2007 11:37PM]

Here where you can buy them. Great company to deal with:

http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/upgraded-clip-mp3-digital-music-player-4gb-usb-port/

[Chuckles McGee @ Jun 24th 2007 9:31AM]

Hey yeah, it's available in Red too! Up to 4 gigs? Heh, just tricking someone that you have a black/red shuffle makes it worth the 20 something bucks.

[Constable Odo @ Jun 24th 2007 12:07AM]

Aren't they supposed to call it the iPood Shufull or something similar. To rip off the actual name is sheer blasphemy. Does it work with iTunes or did they turn it into a drag and drop audio device? Well, it looks nice and if it plays music well, what the hey.

[Mike @ Jun 24th 2007 12:15AM]

Probably USB 1.0 and poor battery life. I wouldn't be surprised if the thing sounded like an AM radio.

Do the Chinese have any original throught in their heads?

[Carbonize @ Jun 24th 2007 12:56AM]

Do then need to when the West has them make nearly all our electronics?

[Argot @ Jun 24th 2007 10:32AM]

So it's just like the real thing!

[Mike @ Jun 24th 2007 11:27AM]

Manufacturing (putting something together) is not the same as actually Engineering it from scratch.

My point is that it's annoying to see Chinese ripping off every commercial brand under the sun instead of coming up with something original on their own.

[Eric @ Jun 24th 2007 2:48PM]

Maybe when the rest of the world pays back royalties on gunpowder and all of its derivative products and acquisitions, China will stop copying stuff that we ask them to make for us.

[Kyle @ Jun 24th 2007 1:49AM]

One of these days we will see a Wal-Mart brand iPod just chillin' on the shelf by the other mp3 players in the electronics section.

[StandardAI @ Jun 24th 2007 2:01AM]

I'd buy one simply because It's 4GB. I also see not having to use itunes and making sure apple doesn't get my money as two big plusses. I just wish they had more detailed specs though.

[Adam @ Jun 24th 2007 3:21AM]

F-ing A. Knockoffs rock. There are no copyright laws in china you tool. I wouldent buy one cause its prolly crap quality like the real iPod or my fOakleys and my mRolex watch.