Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXXI: Sumsang Omnia can't fool anyone

Oh, the horror! You know, Samsung's Omnia isn't terribly unique, but we never thought we'd see it knocked off and disrespected like this. Clearly created for use on China Mobile (and by fools who don't actually inspect the devices they buy), the Sumsang Omnia is a GSM smartphone that sports a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, an MP3 player, a 13 megapixel camera (right...), USB connectivity, a couple of games, a microSD card slot and a sure-to-be-counterfeit version of Windows Mobile running the show. Of course, this abomination will only set you back a buck twenty, and hey -- at least this version comes with dual SIM slots!

[Thanks, Derek]

[)ROFL( @ Feb 8th 2009 2:47AM]

SUMSANG?








LOL

[Shinigami @ Feb 8th 2009 3:49AM]

SAMSVNG isn't bad either.

[j_g_puff @ Feb 8th 2009 5:15AM]

I'm sure there are loads of good KIRF names in the world, but the best I've seen so far was a Somy walkman, for sale at a genuine Somy store in the hi-tech metropolis of Arusha, Tanzania.

[KarlW @ Feb 8th 2009 5:29AM]

I've seen 'njke' and 'neki' shoes and 'reabock' trackies before. You can do much shameless than this.

"Shame? We ain't got no shame. We don't need no shame! I don't have to show you no stinkin' shame!"

[giuliop @ Feb 8th 2009 5:34AM]

To be honest, at first I thought that was one of the usual Engadget typos, but then I realised they managed to get a wrong name right, this time.

[Flashpoint @ Feb 8th 2009 10:18AM]

SUMSANG?

WTF?

[Knee to the Groin @ Feb 8th 2009 4:37PM]

Thanks Flashpointless! That comment totally added a unique spin on the original comment!

[Ryback @ Feb 9th 2009 6:36AM]

Living in Norway I don't get much KIRF action, but I have a friend who had a Rundig portable cassette player (walkman).

In Istanbul my brother bought a fake Nike gymbag. It was pretty dull, until you turned it over and you saw they had written Adidas on the opposite side.

[bombgigitty @ Feb 9th 2009 1:39PM]

@ Karl

Ninja Turtles?

[OneLove @ Feb 9th 2009 3:32PM]

I was fooled. cause I read that as "SAMSUNG". *sigh*

[Rex @ Feb 13th 2009 2:09AM]

well I bought one of these Chinese mobiles for mom for 6500 PKR (around 80 USD according to google) and I was hell bent on finding one that didn't say "Nokla" or "SQNY" or someother crap like that. I finally found one which only had "BLUETOOTH" written on it (amazingly, with correct spelling!)

Sure the FM radio doesn't work, there is no volume control, 1.3 megapixel camera with NO zoom, you can't install any program in it, but other wise, its okey.

It has dual sim(so my mom is always on some network), it has a nice big touchscreen(compensates for the tiny buttons, so mommy dearest can still call us), came with a genuine Sandisk 1 GB SD card, and a spare battery. All in all, not a bad deal for $80.

Compare that with my Nokia 3500c, cost me around 125 of your bucks, with no touchscreen or SD card with it.(wonder why touchscreen phones cost so much when China can can make them at sub $100?)

Would I exchange my nokia for my mom's china phone? HELL NO! but for the average joe, a phone that can make videos, play song, has bluetooth, all for below $100, its a good deal.

[Gryphone @ Feb 8th 2009 3:01AM]

What??? It looks JUST like OMNIA

D'OH!!!

You know, in my country the word "sumsang" is close to a word describing an abnormal close-to-birth fetus position, where it's suppose to be head first, it's butt first. So . . . the Sumsang here is a result from thinking with BUTT, not HEAD.

[CJ @ Feb 8th 2009 3:09AM]

Did you know the word 'Gryphone' in my native tounge is phonetically identical to the word meaning 'One with an extra chromosome'

So... Gryphone, he with down syndrome.

[wii991000 @ Feb 8th 2009 2:56AM]

wow, it looks like the real omnia

[no_one @ Feb 8th 2009 3:41AM]

That is nothing, look at this (same site)

http://www.fastcardtech.com/goods.php?id=1501

Digital TV onboard! And what a totaly pimped up phone. Wow, the pricetag is also amazing.

[Dhomas @ Feb 8th 2009 2:59AM]

Sure to show up at KIRF heaven (alongside the Sciphone, Diamond J6, and others) sometime soon: http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.511
Some of the phones listed here have actually been featured in these venerable KIRF posts, and I'll admit to almost having succumb to their evil guiles on more than one occasion.

[??? @ Feb 8th 2009 3:08AM]

I dunno what makes me laugh more, the KIRF, or the watermark logo in the middle.

"Your Honest Pal?" Are you serious? Can someone explain how imitation is honest?

[j_g_puff @ Feb 8th 2009 5:18AM]

Reminds me of "your comfy pal who says 'Never Mind' " from Nirvana's succesful sanitary-product campaign.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8DP_MyPddo

Ahh. Can't be beat.

[giuliop @ Feb 8th 2009 5:47AM]

"Can someone explain how imitation is honest?"

Not that I support it, but isn't there a saying that goes "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"?

Though I think "flattening" would be a better word in this case.

[Jarhead2012 @ Feb 8th 2009 1:38PM]

Well, flattery is based partially off of falsehood, soo....

[Harrison @ Feb 8th 2009 3:12AM]

Honest pal my ass...

[Shinigami @ Feb 8th 2009 3:26AM]

"13 megapixel camera"
BHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Please read carefully
13 lacpixel camera
Mega = million
Lac = hundred thousand
stolen from here: http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7593_102-0.html?forumID=58&threadID=274673&messageID=2882492
13 lacpixels = 1.3 megapixel + big LOL

Be careful when you buy a phone in China.

[Patriks7 @ Feb 8th 2009 5:35AM]

Hahaha wow. Now that's what I call great marketing xD Even Engadget can't get it right :p

[giuliop @ Feb 8th 2009 5:53AM]

So, a 13 lacpixels camera is also a 11.7 lackpixels one, right?

[wolverinejoe80 @ Feb 8th 2009 5:03PM]

chinese people..

[mykie @ Feb 8th 2009 3:31AM]

Hey is that a genuine Simdask MocriSD that comes with it?

And it runs Wondiws Mibole?!!

Dyslexics untie!

[Pumping_Iron @ Feb 8th 2009 5:58AM]

Looooool ! :P

[DErick @ Feb 8th 2009 3:38AM]

uhh... thats so bad and ugly . The asus p320 looks much better than this.
have a look -
http://www.techreviews4u.com/2009/01/04/asus-p320-pictures/

[deadlyseven @ Feb 8th 2009 4:01AM]

The difference being the Asus is a genuine phone and this is not. I think you missed the point

[webon @ Feb 8th 2009 3:45AM]

holies just reading from the igoogle gadget I was fooled

[Alex @ Feb 8th 2009 3:47AM]

Talk time 160-240m
Style Handwritten
Standby time 150-220h

What is handwritten style????????

[giuliop @ Feb 8th 2009 6:10AM]

When you buy it, the guy takes a pen and writes "Style" on it before giving it to you. Sheesh, isn't that clear?

[Tom Bresnahan @ Feb 8th 2009 4:25AM]

Anyone else notice that 13.0 LACPIXELS is equal to 1.3 MEGAPIXELS? Nice reporting Engadget, you not only misquoted the spec, but then also used sarcasm to call them out for lying. Idiots.

[TYorick @ Feb 8th 2009 4:51AM]

Did you say a *buck twenty*?

I could use a new phone for that much.

[Zolofto @ Feb 8th 2009 6:01AM]

Did anyone notice on the site it says: 13LACpixel?
lac usually means hundred thousand, mega, million.
So a 13LACPixel camera, 1.3Megapixel.

[redcard @ Feb 8th 2009 9:16AM]

Yes, about 3 hours ago. But thanks for trying!

[Kimi @ Feb 8th 2009 6:42AM]

Almost fooled me.

[Zane @ Feb 8th 2009 6:45AM]

Shouldn't it be the Sumsang Ooohmia?

[Gryphone @ Feb 9th 2009 7:26AM]

Sumsang Omigod

[ZSX @ Feb 8th 2009 7:18AM]

The trouble is that if it is that easy to counterfeit Windows Mobile, it removes one of the major advantages of Android, i.e. the lack of licensing fees.

To be honest, I'm not sure why they didn't just put Android on this device. It would make it that much more compelling.

Oh, and it looks like it has a WQVGA screen, like the Omnia.

[kangbp.nyc @ Feb 8th 2009 2:22PM]

cuz if u put android, it cant be the sumsang omnia.
it needs to run some fake winmo look-alike to complete the package

[AL @ Feb 8th 2009 8:43PM]

If they did copy Windows Mobile, I'd like to see MS send out their lawyer army out there and start bashing some heads - they seem to be pretty good at that, might even find some more pirated material.

[KilgoreTrout @ Feb 8th 2009 7:25AM]

It was only to be expected, and I'm sure this is not the only Omnia knock off to choose from.
The Samsung Omnia is arguably the best looking smartphone on the market(even though I doubt that these copies would sport the original's all metal&glass case) and according to all reviews (and most importantly to me) the best win mo. smartphone money can buy ATM (together with HTC touch HD).
This plus its exclusive features, among which the minimousepad , and touch wiz are prominent, makes it the ultimate tech object of desire in emerging economies where it has taken the place once hels by the iPhone, now considered (justly) a cheap, limited, and passé gadget.
Its lofty price (over 500 euros) however makes it the stuff of dreams to all but very few asians, who moreover are extremely sensible to the appeal of status symbols.
It would be surprising if the Omnia would NOT be copied, and Samsung (the real one) should'nt worry too much about it: imitation , after all is the ultimate form of flattery (and rip off of course)

[kangbp.nyc @ Feb 8th 2009 2:25PM]

not true. samsung and lg, and other electonic giants are losing billions of dollars from loss of sales each year
also, this corrode their image since hapless people who buy these think they are genuine samsung
so more these fakes comeout, the more problematic it gets for those companies

[kangbp.nyc @ Feb 8th 2009 2:28PM]

and that's just an excuse. if the chinese want to copy everything, why not copy democracy? civil rights? you know. afterall, imitation is best form of flattery

but i do wonder why there are no mac clones from china i would love to get a mapple for much less than two grands

[bethany @ Feb 8th 2009 8:57AM]

ouch, being lysdexic, i almost missed that it was a sumsang...thanks engadget! these things are alllllll over ebay right now

[Trickster_qc @ Feb 8th 2009 10:48AM]

too bad it's only dual band and won't workl in US or Canada!!!!


that's a bummer!

[funyun2 @ Feb 8th 2009 5:34PM]

Wow, someone was able to beat the Samsung Omnia's shitty resolution. Good job Sumsang

[Michael @ Feb 8th 2009 11:39AM]

um it would be Part CXCI in roman numerals

[zelman @ Feb 8th 2009 1:37PM]

your number is ten higher than theirs.