Attention, Orange and the random supplier who's manufacturing these ripoffs: the world has moved on from the original
HTC Touch's design language. Hell, we've actually moved on
twice now; once to the
Touch Diamond, and once to the
Touch Diamond2. On that note, we're not sure what's possessing a Western European carrier to release a cheesy rip of a such a well-known late model phone -- whose manufacturer Orange has a great relationship with, no less -- other than the fact that they're looking to give entry-level customers a really inexpensive way to get into the touchscreen game. Indeed, the prepaid device will apparently run just £48.50 (about $71) when it launches, but in return, you're only getting a 1.3 megapixel camera, presumably EDGE data, and the mocking of everyone you've ever known -- including your own mother, who we understand uses an actual HTC Touch.
[Via
mobile-review]
Update: If T-Mobile UK is more your style, turns out they're offering the very same device as the
Vairy Touch. Thanks, everyone!
posted Apr 24th 2009 12:28PM
Really....
Wow, theres a lot of hate in that article.
Deserves a lot of hate in my opinion. If this is correct... I can't believe Orange/FTG would have the nerve to sell this knowingly, but having worked with them, I wouldn't put it past them if they're doing it unknowingly. Pack of dimwits..
i know! i think it was misdirected and i don't think this is a kirf at all. especially if it's coming from orange and t-mo uk.
"the world has moved on from the original HTC Touch's design language. Hell, we've actually moved on twice now..."
touch 3g and tough cruise are still on their site. and wasn't there that touch opal thing...
I have nothing to do with this.
Have a nice day.
Chris Ziegler, when are you going to have my babies?
hmmmm..... and this is special why? (most people on the internet do...)
Seriously, Engadget? Really?
So are you going to say the LG Cookie is an iPhone ripoff, too? Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
No, because the Cookie doesn't look anything like an iPhone.
But it's got a touchscreen and is somewhat rectangular-y, they must be one and the same!
Pretty much the only thing you've got here is the shape of the phone, which is similar, but it's nowhere near good enough to justify the amount of venom spewed towards the phone. Especially for a prepaid phone.
I understand blogging needs opinions, but you're really grasping for straws here. You also forgot to leave out that topping up gets you extra bonuses like text messages and access to Myspace and whatnot. Why not report on that instead of throwing it under the bus?
You're missing the point here.
We see clones every day. Literally every day. What makes this notable is the overwhelming legitimacy knockoff manufacturing is given when a globally recognized brand like Orange brings a KIRF device into its lineup. It's weird, it's significant, and we can't imagine that HTC feels too good about it.
And don't downplay the similarity -- this phone is a direct rip of the Touch. There's no way around it. Drawing a comparison between this and the Cookie versus the iPhone is totally incongruent.
@ Bronson-Lee:
What the hell is wrong with you? This phone is a clear rip-off of the HTC Touch, but that's not the story here. It's that a major carrier is offering this clear rip-off for sale.
Sometimes I think it would be best for Engadget to just turn off comments.
HTC IS MAKING THE DAMN THING
Seriously do people forget that HTC isn't just it's own brand and designs/manufactures handsets for almost every major network?
@Gnormie: When's the last time HTC made a feature phone?
I was going to reply separately to Matt and Chris, but Matt didn't say anything really worthwhile so I'll just reply to Chris.
First thing, just a typo probably; Vegas doesn't have EDGE; they went even lower with GPRS data on this one.
It's similar in looks. That's more than fair, and other articles about the phone mention this. Deeming it a KIRF is, to me, an overreaction. Sensationalizing the story by claiming it's the first time a Western company has blatantly put a KIRF on their network is bad, too. Bad form there, and the article is in pretty bad taste too.
But HTC did not make this phone. It is the ZTE X760, like Cesar said earlier. I don't know who saw the HTC logo on the battery cover, considering there's not really any high-res photos of the thing anywhere.
As for the Cookie/iPhone comparison, I think it's valid in the context of the discussion still.
Another misguided KIRF article. 2 in a day now? Really Engadget, get your stuff together. You sound like Jalopnik now- "I see a Civic in that BMW!" This is not a fricking KIRF. Its design is similar to the Touch but THAT DOES NOT MAKE IT A KIRF. It does not violate ANY IP law and is thus being sold legitimately. For those who are calling this a KIRF, please actually take a look at a picture of the damn Touch. The centre button's shape is different. The button layout is different. The only thing the same is the overall shape.
If you're going to churn out KIRF articles, you better make sure you have comparison photos side-to-side to the real thing, because otherwise, it forces people like me to call out your BS Chris.
i don't get why when engadget posts a an iphone KIRF article, tons of people go yelling "KIRF!," but in this case, everyone's trying to defend it's legitimacy. also, if you're going to criticize and editor (or anyone really), be quite civil about it.
It's a touch screen phone for less than 50 quid, the specs are going to be fairly low end. Why the pissing and moaning?
Because it's a blatant HTC Touch rip. It doesn't have to be. Low cost doesn't dictate stolen ID.
Engadget, I realize it looks very similar, but please note that because Orange does have a decent relationship with HTC don't you think it's in fact highly probable that HTC is supplying the design and manufacture of this phone on a very stringent budget? Hence the similarities.
This looks EXACTLY like the Touch. Seriously, go to HTC's website and take a look at their old HTC Touch. This doesn't kind of look like the Touch because it has a screen and buttons. It's looks exactly like the Touch because it has the same exact shape, same exact everything.
Chris, if you want to REALLY troll someone, troll the right people. Like ZTE, whose X760 was sourced to be sold as the Vegas. http://blog.phoneslimited.co.uk/2009/03/16/prepay-zte-x760-in-black-cheapest-touch-screen-phone/
But Chinese manufacturers making knockoffs is nothing new, is it? A Western European carrier *offering* a knockoff is.
I think Chris is right - not a good idea for Orange to bite the hand that feeds it the bulk of its smartphones.
@Chris
And where do you think this western European carrier is sourcing the item, if not from a Chinese manufacturer? It's not like there is a factory outside London building these.
sheesh.. sometimes you Engadget editors get worked up over nothing. Firstly it's not even an exact copy and even if it is - so what? The HTC Touch is old now, so who cares if it is copied? Boo friggin hoo.
@Sax25: You read my comment incorrectly; I'm not saying it's not from a Chinese manufacturer. I'm saying that's not what makes this notable.
TMUK (T-Mobile UK) sell the exact same phone.
The HTC Touch has been ripped off plenty of times before, but never by networks that sold the original device.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phones/phones/pay-as-you-go/t-mobile/vairy-touch-payg/overview/
I like how I posted this first, along with the link you used, 10 minutes before the other guy (And 38 minutes before he posted the EXACT SAME link), and you credit it to "everyone".
Thanks a bunch, Engadget.
CHEAP GENERIC PHONE ANGERS TECH BLOGGER
Wow, that's got to be one of the first times an actual carrier has KIRF'd.
I don't know whether to applaud Orange or not.
This is being sold on T Mobile UK too.
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-phones/phones/pay-as-you-go/t-mobile/vairy-touch-payg/overview/
So another poorly researched article by ......, if you took the time to actually look at the device, the HTC logo on the sticker in the battery compartment gives the game away!
Seriously i feel life I'm going mad here, I expect HTC are very happy to see Orange offering this phone, as HTC are probably the ones designing and manufacturing the thing.
But you've already stated "HTC IS MAKING THE DAMN THING"
Got a link or is that just an assumption?
Admittedly an assumption, was just getting a little peeved at everyone calling this a HTC knockoff when it's extremely likely that HTC is producing it, just not selling it under their own brand.
cool
Are you sure this isn't an Orange branded HTC Touch Viva, the low-end version of the Touch they announced some time ago? It would be surprising to see Orange grab a KIRF phone.
Though it doesn't look exactly the same, we all know HTC is willing to change up the casing for carriers. The Cingular branded Wizard looked nothing like any other model of it.
I just have to comment, sorry Engadget but this is one hell of an arrogant article. It looks NOTHING like HTC's devices, also HTC only make smart phones and this Orange Vegas is NOT a smart phone.
But the venom in this article is just plain ridiculous and uncalled for. Now I know recent articles have shown ripped off phone designs but they were all blatant rip off's. The Vegas as far as I can see has very little with any of HTC's designs, it has buttons at the bottom and is rounded with a touch screen? Well that's the same as most touch screen phones then?
http://media.blogcdn.com/www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2009/04/vegas-touch-comparison.jpg
Ooohhh, steady on they both have silver buttons!!!!! duh da dduuuuhhhhhhh......... Yep blatant rip off all right (sarcasm)
honestly, i don't care if its a knockoff, like many of the other commenters. my issue with this article is the elitism that has become so prevalent in your writing. yes there are better phones. yes the touch has been replaced by newer phones. but those phones are several hundred dollars on contract. this one isn't and has some of the same features people are looking for... your mother is not going to laugh at you for using an old phone. in fact, unless your friends are a bunch of uptight elitist new yorkers, they probably don't care what kind of phone you have...
whats the big deal about what chris wrote?, i do not understandididder?
Orange sold the Touch with a 2-megapix camera and WIFI in white on PAYG. I bought mine June 2008 and it's been faultless, even with Slide 2 Unlock and HTC's Interface Customiser installed.
I'd buy another.
Guys, do you not know how the chinese market works? China makes all phones. Period. It is then companies, say orange, or HTC that approach these factories and say I will gove you x amount of money for you to put our company logo on it and perhaps design a specific UI for it. So Orange, HTC, ZTE are all players in the game, no one has ripped the other off, they all just decided they would apply their name to the same product and if its a popular brand like Nokia, then be prepared to pay 2-3 times more than if a chinese or new company branded the same phone. Deal with it, you're all just angry you had to pay more for the same phone/product!