Keepin' it real fake, part CXV: CECT T5 T32 WinMo 6 iPhone clone doesn't try to hide it

We're sorry, but we can no longer summon any sort of enthusiasm for iPhone knockoffs. Who cares if they're running Windows Mobile 6 with a perfect clone of the iPhone interface, plus GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and whatever other tech flavor of the month; the form factor just kills it for us at this point. Plus at $265 wholesale, the CECT T5 T32 from China ain't no bargain. Let's try a bit harder, people!

[Via TRFJ]

[Flashpoint @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:41AM]

I am really disappointed by all these companies out there who feel they MUST follow Apple's moves. Its as if they hold their breaths and wait to see what apple will do next.

That said, I wouldn't mind buying a device that did the same things iphone does so long as I could trust the worksmanship - I could never buy a device made by these cheapo Chinese companies.

Give me some Japanese clones.

[Pooper @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:35AM]

provided Apple is not totally original, your view leaves no room for anything but unique devices. Development is typically incremental, and this phone is a good example of cashing on the excitement while offering an alternative. At least they are meeting the iPhone challenge head-on, rather than leaving the market solely to Apple.

@Paul Miller, since the 8GB iPhone starts at $400 with a lock-in contract, this device is likely to be competitive (margins are slim, after all).

[letstakeawalk @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:50AM]

The iPhone is made by a Chinese company: Hon Hai Precision, aka Foxconn Technology Group.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2007/gb20070110_531125.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives

[Maurice Troute @ Apr 2nd 2008 12:07PM]

On the one hand you complain that other companies emulate a successful product, as if you have a grudge against Apple. Then on the other had you lust after the product that Apple produces. I think you are conflicted by you unconscious love of Apple. Come out of the closet my friend, we will support you as you adjust to your new lifestyle choice...

[potato @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:41PM]

I hate that argument. People need a work in manufacturing before saying things like that. Here's the deal: generally speaking, manufacturers can make their products as good as or as bad as they feel like. I worked in an automotive parts plant that made awesome parts for BMWs that never broke... and then on the other side of the building we made crap for Pontiacs that had countless problems.

Here's the deal - you pay for quality. Most people these days seem to have forgotten that, thinking they can get quality without money in this magical la-la-land they live in. Quality goods *do* cost more to produce, but don't make the mistake - the Chinese are perfectly capable of producing solid products (look at Apple, Sony, etc.)... The fact that American consumers overwhelmingly buy crap doesn't mean the Chinese don't have the ability to make something good.

[billmao @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:39PM]

Foxconn is a Taiwanese company, not Chinese.

[letstakeawalk @ Apr 2nd 2008 2:08PM]

@ billmao

That's a good point, and I don't want to get into how the Chinese feel about it. I had a Chinese History prof from Taiwan, and he certainly didn't consider himself Chinese.

However, many of their factories are based on the mainland.

[Shane Lloyd @ Apr 2nd 2008 2:14PM]

@ billmao

"Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the territories administered by the Republic of China (ROC) and to ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan. Right now, Taiwan is part of China. Taiwan may or may not succeed in independence (i.e., pending WWIII). For now, it's not inappropriate to include it in the broader term, "China" despite the cultural, political, and economic differences.

That is like saying Québec is not part of Canada. They always refer to themselves as Québecers, not Canadians, but, that doesn't mean they are not part of Canada and ultimately governed by it.

[tekdemon @ Apr 3rd 2008 7:46AM]

Shane, Taiwan isn't ultimately governed by the PRC though (at least currently), so your Quebec analogy isn't really right.

That said, to say that the Taiwanese feel one way or another is pretty silly, since individual people in Taiwan feel differently about whether they want Taiwan to be part of the People's Republic of China (just to clarify, since the ROC is also "China").

There are, for example, a large number of people in Taiwan who only immigrated there because of the civil war, and who have lots of family back in the mainland. These people tend to be much more for closer ties with mainland China for obvious reasons, whereas people whose families have been in Taiwan for many many generations obviously tend to want Taiwan to be independent.

That said, the KMT (the Nationalist party that originally fought the Communists during the civil war, but which lost control of Taiwan in recent years) just won the Presidential election in Taiwan, and they're all for stronger ties with mainland China-so right now you can safely say that a majority of people in Taiwan would like to have a closer relationship with the PRC. Of course, just how close that gets is another question, but most people seem to realize that closer ties will likely be beneficial for Taiwan.

Anyways, the actual likelihood of a physical war of some sort actually starting is zero. Taiwanese companies have a ridiculous amount of their money invested in China-like Foxconn's factories, and China has a lot of investment in Taiwan as well. This is on top of the fact that nobody actually enjoys fighting yet another war, and the fact that it's damned obvious that Taiwan doesn't stand a chance in any sort of war against the insanely large Chinese armed forces.

[thomas @ May 13th 2008 4:12PM]

the newest clone is the Wi-Phone W99i - it has winmo 6 and WiFi - http://www.chinagrabber.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1614&HS=1

[Richard @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:42AM]

No 3G? Those bastards! They really ARE copying Apple!

[Liuqi @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:42PM]

Disappointed to see these as a Chinese, but I couldn't find any information by our Chinese local search engine named "baidu". So, maybe this piece of shit is just a copycat made in Guangdong and hijacking CECT's brand.

[Jamma @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:43AM]

Total Meizu Knockoff!

[Zack @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:49AM]

What gets me is that they all use that gd clown fish image. Enough with the clown fish!

[tony @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:24AM]

WTF is wrong with Clown Fish?! They're friendly! They're pretty! Why the hate?!

[Stella @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:47AM]

Friendly, sure. Until they get what they want! Everyone knows they're no good. Give a clown fish an inch and they'll take a mile is how the saying goes, doesn't it? How can you defend nature's little liars? I loved her... why did she have to leave me... and for him!! Not that it's personal... No, Tony, I cannot forgive clown fish.

[Michael @ Apr 2nd 2008 12:28PM]

i for one welcome our clown fish overlords

[CraigJ @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:49PM]

NEMOoooo!!!

[Ben Grimsbo @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:55PM]

WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE

[FGL82 @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:50AM]

I would really like to see a video of this thing working. I have nothing against clones as long as they are cheaper and somewhat realiable.

[Ohmancar @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:53AM]

I heard that in China there is no concept of intellectual property in the first place.
Is that true?

[happy_penguin @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:23AM]

When China finally starts having their own ideas you can best believe they will have a concept of intellectual property.

[nh @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:25AM]

I heard in China they do nothing but dodgeball, day in, and day out. They use steroids and advanced training equipment to make them, not people, but animals.
Is that true?

[Flashpoint @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:26AM]

NH

---yes

[retro77 @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:57AM]

grats [/sarcasm]

[Chris @ Apr 2nd 2008 12:41PM]

You could have made it even shorter. Like this:

grats /sarc

[retro77 @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:01PM]

thanks chris

[even shorter]:
grats.

[Allan @ Apr 2nd 2008 10:59AM]

This actually looks like it could be more of an iPhone Nano knockoff... if one existed.

I still think Apple should be working on a smaller, simpler version of the iPhone (maybe the size of a Classic). I don't know exactly what features they could leave out of it though. Most people love what they have now... that I know of.

[Tom Myers @ Apr 2nd 2008 6:36PM]

the ipod mini and nano were both smaller reinterpretations of the original ipod, which by that point had moved and got more features. i reckon the 'iphone nano' or whatever will be a 2.5g 8gb iphone in a smaller form factor, with the iphone being much more feature rich...

[Galley @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:09AM]

$265? That's more than I paid for my genuine 8GB iPhone!

[Andy @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:09AM]

Wait, you mean I can't buy this here? Isn't this the T-mobile website? I would have thought for certain T-mobile would carry this given the fact there's no 3G.....

[cmc @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:11AM]

"the form factor just kills it for us at this point"

This is gonna bite you in the ass when Apple brings out a new iPhone that is similar ;)

*Bookmarks for future use*

[Jeff @ Apr 3rd 2008 10:57AM]

i think, rather than that the form factor is bad, that they mean that it's completely and unashamedly an iPhone knockoff... where other knockoffs at least pretend to be somewhat different, this thing looks more like a pack of "iPhone Bubblegum" than a decent little knockoff.

[helloUser @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:13AM]

does it also need to be hacked just to do video and mass messaging and stuff? oh, and if it doesnt have a non-replaceable battery, its hardly a knockoff.

[Mark @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:25AM]

gary knox you scum!

[jmd @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:42AM]

form factor? I can see why one would complain over the UI, but the form factor is NOT iphones, its not original, and its a GOOD form factor.

[Chris @ Apr 2nd 2008 12:46PM]

So you prefer screens to be artificially small?

[Icesword @ Apr 2nd 2008 11:44AM]

http://iPh2one.com

[aptmunich @ Apr 2nd 2008 12:12PM]

There's nothing that revolutionary about the iPhone's hardware, but none of the other touchscreen devices are even close to being as useable at the moment.

Sure you can get by, but WinMo is just not designed to be touch only - it was designed to be a primarily stylus-based OS and that still shows with all the new "touch" devices.

[letstakeawalk @ Apr 2nd 2008 12:39PM]

How is "stylus-based" not "touch"? Granted, I'm still using my ancient iPaq 1935 PDA with WM2003, but I don't really use the stylus. My finger works just as well.

[Abuzar @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:00PM]

You can get many programs that emulate the iPhones finger scrolling abilities, etc. This way you can have that functionality, while retaining the usefulness of WinMo.

[madgunde @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:06PM]

@letstakeawalk & Abuzar

You obviously haven't used both a WinMo phone and an iPhone for any extensive amount of time. Their touch interfaces are as different as a 15 year old track ball is to a laser mouse or modern trackpad. Windows Mobile phones feel like utter crap to use compared to the iPhone. The UI is ugly, unresponsive and slow as molasses compared to the iPhone's touch interface which is fast, accurate and smooth as silk. A friend showed me his HTC touch with the iPhone-like addon, and I just laughed at how shitty it was compared to the iPhone. He agreed.

[Abuzar @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:42PM]

Yeah well, it's definitely not as pretty. But Girly things are supposed to be pretty. I carry a Manly Windows Mobile phone, Made for Men. lol

Yeah I wish it looked better, but it's more functional for me. They DO have this one user made thing(they can do that with WinMo) that gets close though.

http://freestylwm.com/

[2fast4u @ Apr 2nd 2008 12:29PM]

It looks the the Motorola MING and the iPhone have had a one night stand!

[Abuzar @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:02PM]

I like one night stands.

[Abuzar @ Apr 2nd 2008 2:02PM]

Wait... What?

[Ben Grimsbo @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:59PM]

Abuzar: You mean like resetting the clock every time it is plugged in to sync with my computer?

Such a useful feature.

[madgunde @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:01PM]

Yeah, we know Apple haters, Apple doesn't have a patent on black and chrome and big touch screens. This is OBVIOUSLY not heavily inspired by the iPhone.

:-P

[Jaws @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:36PM]

Funny... I thought it took some work from the LG Prada phone, and the Samsung P2 MP3 player... odd how rampant fan-boy'ism can skew reality. ;)

Competition is a good thing... Apple is not better than sliced bread.... its just another variety of sliced bread.

More bread in the market is GOOD! :D

Lets all hug and stop hating. ;)

[CraigJ @ Apr 2nd 2008 1:52PM]

Of course, keeping in mind that sliced bread sucks...