Friendship Star knocks off iPod nano, then makes it ugly

For intents and purposes, we're thoroughly numb to iPod nano knockoffs at this point, but when some company goes beyond the call of duty to uglify its copycat attempt, we can't help give credit. Friendship Star International Limited, which earns major kudos on name alone, has created the nano-inspired FD-1888P for those adamantly against click wheels (and products of authenticity). The unit features a 1.8-inch color display, integrated speaker, FM tuner, rechargeable Li-ion, support for MP3, MP4, MTV and AMV file formats and a totally bodacious D-pad control scheme. Pricing information is reserved for those willing to buy hundreds at the time, so who knows how long that will remain a mystery.

[Via PMPToday]

[Alex Padilla @ Nov 16th 2007 12:31PM]

silly engadget, the new nano was ALWAYS ugly!

[JosephMohmed @ Nov 16th 2007 12:38PM]

I thought so too, but when you see it in person it's sexy as hell.

[AlexP @ Nov 16th 2007 12:42PM]

I'm still sad they reverted back to the chrome backplates, but as Joseph said... oh lawd secksay in RL.

[Trey @ Nov 16th 2007 12:43PM]

I saw it in person and laughed.

[Joe @ Nov 16th 2007 3:11PM]

This thing was ugly to begin with... and the click wheel is awful, no matter the size. Give credit to China tho, even though their button scheme is wacky, at least it has features.

[Nubaeus @ Nov 16th 2007 12:54PM]

...poptarts are sexy?

[Alex Padilla @ Nov 16th 2007 2:23PM]

they have a ton of these at my campus computer store, so I know fine and well what they look like in person, unfortunately.

[jessy @ Nov 16th 2007 12:43PM]

yes, its not the fact that its a knock off that its ugly. its that its the new nano why its ugly.

[Andrew @ Nov 16th 2007 12:55PM]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[kurt.tappe @ Nov 16th 2007 1:06PM]

Are you all on crack? The new Nano was so sweet I ran out to get one the very first day it was on sale; I got the first charcoal-colored one sold in Delaware. Everyone who sees it loves it. Oh, wait, I get it. This is just more Apple hating. Sorry to have fed the trolls.

[4honor @ Nov 16th 2007 1:10PM]

Indeed, my sister has the new Nano too, and I envy her. However, this one has built-in speaker and FM! I doubt the quality is any good, but know, they tried... :)

[McGinley @ Nov 16th 2007 1:26PM]

Are people not entitled to an opinion without being branded haters anymore?

Ugly is a subjective term.

And youre not REALLY sorry to have fed the trolls are you?

[Mel @ Nov 16th 2007 1:10PM]

Shouldn't the title be "Friendship Star knocks off iPod nano, makes it uglier"

[Ryan J. @ Nov 16th 2007 1:31PM]

I wonder if Friendship Star can put the screens in straight... Apple sure can't. Just about all of the 3G Nanos have tilted screens!

[Blacknimbus @ Nov 16th 2007 1:57PM]

Uglier...but I think that's already been covered in the comments.

[holycow @ Nov 16th 2007 2:16PM]

atleast this has soccer players on it ^_^

[willzager @ Nov 16th 2007 2:43PM]

When are companies going to start realizing that copying Apple's product's isn't the recipe for success? Apple products sell well because they're innovative. When you copy it you've lost that and gained nothing.

[jessy @ Nov 16th 2007 3:24PM]

innovative? no. apple products sell because they are the only products heavily advertised.

ive never seen a sansa commercial, and creative and cowon being foreign based i never see them advertised along with what other products, sony samsung????

sorry, innovative is not at all what apple is, its more like lets make 1 thing and keep updating it with useless features such as album art and oh i cant think of anything else.

[willzager @ Nov 16th 2007 3:31PM]

Sure their 'new' nanos or updates and things like that aren't innovative but they don't have to be anymore.

The original iPod was what started the whole mp3 player everywhere craze.

Don't get me wrong I'm not a big apple supporter. I don't own a mac and probably never will nor do I have an iPod or any other Apple product for that matter.

But for some of their products, like the iPod, they were very innovative. Regardless of whether that innovation has gone stale by now or not. (Which I completely agree it has)

[Tiptup300 @ Nov 16th 2007 3:38PM]

Apple products only sell well because they're popular. Nothing more. In order to combat that, the other companies really have to dish out extremely overwhelming amounts of useful features or NOBODY will take down this popularity contest.

For sales, popularity > value

[mdcollier @ Nov 16th 2007 5:00PM]

Only sell because they are popular? You've got it bassawkwards. Sales = popularity.

[willzager @ Nov 16th 2007 5:04PM]

Of course popularity would be based mostly off of advertising but wouldn't you say at least some of the popularity would stem from Apple being the first to make the mp3 player incredible simple?

[Mark Richardson @ Nov 16th 2007 2:45PM]

"For intents and purposes"
I think that's supposed to be "For *all* intents and purposes". It really doesn't make any sense without it.

[HyperHacker @ Nov 16th 2007 4:24PM]

Well, the only reason I stopped using my Muvo N200 was that 1GB wasn't enough for me. Great little player there, only real flaw is lack of file format support.

[HyperHacker @ Nov 16th 2007 4:25PM]

Wait, how did that get here? This was supposed to be for the next comment. :-/

[KC @ Nov 16th 2007 2:48PM]

Wait... squarish DAP, screen on the top, controls at the bottom... must be an iPod knockoff!

[tom @ Nov 16th 2007 8:33PM]

I agree: Innovation is not one of Apples strong points. They make sexy looking electronics that people trying to be trendy buy.

[AlexP @ Nov 16th 2007 4:08PM]

Oh please, like the rest of the music player makers are anymore innovative than Apple.

By the way, anyone that thinks their Creative player is superior to everything haven't tried anything else. Trust me, I loved my Zen until it started crapping out and when I noticed it was f'ing huge compared to competing products. Only feature I could deem interesting or worthy about it was the OLED display, which was anything but battery-friendly. :S

[js @ Nov 16th 2007 4:42PM]

I would like to say, after purchasing 2 different iPods, iPods have the shittiest sound of any DAP.

[Luis @ Nov 16th 2007 7:20PM]

lmao man so many people r trying to jack apple's ideas

that thing looks so f ugly too

[jd @ Nov 17th 2007 12:04AM]

you mean "uglier"

[Johan Ronnestam @ Nov 17th 2007 12:36AM]

Hey, what's up with the image inside the Nano?

About 1 year ago, my agency ( http://www.foreign.se ) finalized the work for adidas and their advertising connected to the world cup. The photage that is inside the Nano is taken from those campaigns.

Nothing wrong with that, I just wonder why this was your choice and where you got it? Or was it in there?

The image is a collage of Michael Ballack, Podolski (both from the German team) and Patrick Viera from France. Taken with a generic +10 background

[Joe_Templeman @ Nov 17th 2007 9:56AM]

I love how all of the comments bashing the new nano are the highest ranked!

Personally, I bought one after my ipod mini finally gave up and I cant complain. Everyone who see's it thinks is gorgeous. Its so much nicer than the older ones. I do wish they hadnt gone with the chome back though...