Keepin It Real Fake -- Engadget

keepin it real fake posts

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXVIII: Palm Pre knockoff doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up

by Laura June posted Oct 9th 2009 at 12:16PM

Yes, this was only a matter of time, and we're a little surprised we didn't see one earlier. Regardless, this is the Palm Pre knockoff we've been waiting for. Seemingly called just iPhone +QWERTY -- this KIRF is being marketed as just that -- a real business phone with a hybrid identity blending the BlackBerry and the iPhone. And really, that's not too bad of a description for this little dude, we guess. Boasting analog TV, Bluetooth, and an FM radio, it runs the much-loved OPhone operating system, and can be had for 600 RMP (about $88). There are two more shots after the break. Hit the read link for a full peek.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXVIII: Palm Pre knockoff doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXII: Nokla strikes again with E81 rehash

by Paul Miller posted Aug 16th 2009 at 10:17AM

Due to Nokia's continued dismissal of the ripe-for-the-picking E81 model number, the diligent folks at "Nokla" (fresh off their E97 design win) have seen it fit to issue a second handset under that fake moniker. Surprisingly, this one actually boasts a rather unique swivel design -- even beating Nokia's own effort in this regard -- a QWERTY keyboard and some decent specs. There's even a mirror on the swivel-up back (we hear that women love mirrors), along with a hole at the swivel hinge for working a lanyard through. We'd venture to say it's the best E81 Nokia never made.

[Via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXX: Inkia 500 is a mutated, hamstrung N810

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 14th 2009 at 7:29AM

How do you cook up the perfect KIRF product? Well, you take a well-loved device, say the Nokia N810, and start chopping off the things that made it a winner, like that oh-so-bulky QWERTY keyboard, until you get a device cheap enough to be sold as "the world's first MID under $300." The painfully unoriginal Inkia 500 -- which isn't even the first to rip off Nokia's internet tablet -- isn't entirely without merit, as it comes with a 5-inch touchscreen plus a ULV Atom processor, and once you pony up for 3G and GPS options it might even be useful. All that's holding it back now is the tiny issue that you can get a real N810 for the same price.

[Via Shanzai]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXVI: Soniphone C908 takes a little o' this, a little o' that

by Laura June posted Jul 16th 2009 at 11:32AM

Well, what do we have here? The Soniphone C908 is just a confused mishmash of branded signals -- Sony Ericsson is plainly visible across the top of the LCD, but a little Walkman branding was thrown in under it just for added fun. And, just in case you needed another, completely different reason to have your interest piqued, they threw in a wheel that is suspiciously iPod-like. This classy baby is undoubtedly worth every penny (it'll run you about $117 to grab one), if you decide you can't live without one. One more shot after the break.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXVI: Soniphone C908 takes a little o' this, a little o' that

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXIII: VAIO W netbook clone handily beats Sony to market

by Ross Miller posted Jul 12th 2009 at 8:25AM

Turns out by the time Sony went official with its inaugural VAIO W netbook, it was already old news to the Chinese KIRF market. The "VAIO" pictured above apparently came out some time in mid-June and does a laudable job of honoring the actual one's chassis, although the keyboard is more traditional than Sony's isolated / chiclet stylings. Throw in a 10.2-inch LED display, 1.6GHz Atom processor, integrated graphics, a 160GB HDD, 1GB RAM, and decently convincing packaging and you'd be liable to think you went through a time warp spotting this in Shenzhen. It's got a pretty sizable head start on the legit version, but something tells us this particular model won't be trying its luck elsewhere in the world.

[Via PMP Today and Cloned in China]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXII: Looks like "WeFound" a total Kindle ripoff

by Ross Miller posted Jul 11th 2009 at 7:29AM

Kindle doppelganger? The gang at Tech-On stumbled upon this little number at this week's Tokyo's Digital Publishing Fair, and unless our eyes deceive us, this snowflake's the spitting image of Amazon's e-book reader. It comes from Founder International, Inc., the Japanese unit of Chinese Peking University Founder Group Corp., and aesthetics aside, the screen comes from the same manufacturer (E Ink Corporation) and even lets you insert a SIM card and download directly to the device. And yet, despite the evidence, the company claims its gadget was "independently developed" and has nothing to do with the Kindle. Sure, whatever you say, wink wink, nod nod. The so-labeled WeFound is heading to China at the end of 2009 for around $209, with a possible release in Japan sometime after.

[Thanks, Alex]

Keepin' It Real Fake, part CCXX: "Sony" T77 phone isn't a Cybershot... it's so much more

by Ross Miller posted Jul 7th 2009 at 1:46AM

If you find the ten megapixels of (legit) Sony's DSC-T77 absolutely decadent, why not settle for (illegit) Sony's two megapixel-wielding T77 smartphone? The tradeoff for lower resolution pics is a dual SIM solution with Bluetooth A2DP support, FM radio, MP3/4 player, microSD slot, e-book reader capabilities, WAP connectivity, and a 3.2-inch WQVGA LCD display that's a tad smaller than its doppelganger. It's even got its own plectrum for rocking out with your, erm, KIRF out. Think this is everything you could possibly want and more? Decidedly Chinese vendor solomobi's selling it at $116.

[Thanks, facelessloser]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXVIII: iPhome 3G for the wim!

by Laura June posted Jun 20th 2009 at 9:10PM

Sure, we've seen plenty of iPhone clones in our day, but we'll say this: this is the clome to beat all clomes. It really takes the KIRF standard up a notch, running the best fake OS X we've seen to date. This one's identity is less confused than many of the knockoffs we usually see, and if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one of these 4GB having-babies... well, you just might be able to convince your grandma that it's the iPhone 3G S. Video is after the break.

[Via PMP Today]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCXVIII: iPhome 3G for the wim!

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXVI: HiPhone F06-Slim is brewing up a Storm

by Ross Miller posted Jun 17th 2009 at 4:17AM

Oh hi, HiPhone. Not much of a surprise to see you here, again. The latest masterpiece, the HiPhone F06-Slim, is a Frankenstein amalgamation of KIRF favorite iPhone and RIM's first foray into the world of touchscreen phones, albeit with a slightly smaller, 3.2-inch display. We're also looking at a 1.3 megapixel camera, FM radio, microSD support, GPRS, Bluetooth, dual SIM card slots, and "TV phone" capabilities, which we're taking to mean a mobile receiver of some sort. Looks like it forgot the refresh button on the bottom of the device, but with any luck, it left out SurePress as well. If you hang out with the kind of friends who respect a good knockoff, the price of raising your street cred is just a penny under $190 before shipping.

[Via PMP Today]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXIV: Fake iPod shuffle offers most of the minimalism, none of the perks

by Paul Miller posted May 28th 2009 at 2:45AM

The current generation iPod shuffle is a funny beast in its own right, but the "Clip-On Mp3 Shuffler Player" from Digital Rise really takes the form factor to new comic heights. There appear to be two physical buttons, a presumptive hold switch, and no headphone controls to speak of. At the same time, the player packs in FM radio, audio recording, an equalizer, a bevy of playback modes and even tempo adjustment. We're sure Digital Rise has solved the usability problems here with unwavering elegance.

[Via PMP Today]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCX: "iPozh" DVD player lacks Apple's style, but does the lack of Blu-ray support right

by Ross Miller posted May 17th 2009 at 9:47PM

Copying Apple's style and fruit logo (this time it's a pear) is nothing new, but other than the packaging and no Blu-ray support, this Russian-born "iPozh" multi-region DVD player, found at reportedly one of the biggest electronic retail chains in Moscow, seems fit to look as generic and "un-Apple" as aesthetically possible. Still, if you're wandering through a store and you get caught in the vicious stare of that poster, you might fork over the 4,490 rubles (US $139) for fear of the gentleman on the right otherwise emerging from the poster and following you with his gaze for months to come. Look for this to hit outside of Russia sometime in... ah, who are we kidding? Enjoy the pics from afar, and in case you're wondering, that phrase on the blue poster translates to "time for you to play!"

[Thanks, Michael and Mitch]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCVII: NOKLA Batman Mobile phone gets all its signals crossed

by Laura June posted May 16th 2009 at 4:30AM

Look, in real life, we all know that Batman's car is called the Batmobile, NOT the Batman Mobile, and to be perfectly honest, we don't know why it ever seemed like a good idea to name a phone after an auto anyway, but then again: it does look rather... awesome. No, it doesn't look like the most comfortable phone, but as the Dark Knight himself would surely tell you, life is full of pain. This GSM bad mother's boasting a whole host of whack features, including an FM radio, and a "pixel high definition camera," plus "basic functions," but we all know this one's purely about style -- which it's got to spare. This bad boy seems to be currently available in China, and while we doubt we'll ever see it on shores of the U.S., we can tell you this: we'd be willing to pay at least twenty-five dollars to add this to our NOKLA collection. There are a few more stunners after the break.

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCVII: NOKLA Batman Mobile phone gets all its signals crossed

Keepin' it real fake, part CCV: Sonia F2 doesn't do Idou justice

by Ross Miller posted May 5th 2009 at 7:31PM

Sony Ericsson's Idou is still a ways off -- possibly October according to some reports -- but if you're jonesing for the form factor now, or if you find the 12.1 megapixel camera somehow intimidating, Sonia's KIRF-tacular F2 might be right up your alley. The doppelganger eschews a Symbian-powered OS in favor of Android, shrinks the screen by about half an inch diagonally, and even though its camera only shoots at 1.3 megapixels, it still says 12.1 on the back, which should be just enough to convince your friends before you quickly hide it back in your pocket and slyly change the subject.

Read - Specs
Read - Hands-on pics

Keepin' it real fake, part CCIV: Nokla beats Nokia to the touchscreen N98 punch

by Paul Miller posted Apr 30th 2009 at 4:33PM

Good ol' Nokla, with its punny branding and utter shameless, has taken upon itself to build the touchscreen N98, based on a sketchy Nokia concept that was making the rounds last year and never materialized. There's a 3-inch QVGA screen and dual-sim support, but things lean into the realm of Nokia parody with the complete lack of 3G or EDGE data. The worst part is that this phone actually looks kind of nice. All this unintentional humor can be yours for a mere $78.

[Via SlashGear]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCIII: New York Times undercover edition

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Apr 28th 2009 at 4:54PM

When the New York Times sent one of its ace reporters to Shenzhen to check out the KIRF scene, they came to a startling conclusion: these things are really quite popular. And why not? Your iPhone might be a terrific device, but is it really $400 better than the Hi-Phone, or the iorgane? Well, it's probably $400 better than the iorgane -- we'll give you that one. The article sites a general lack of concern from the Chinese government, new technology such as Mediatek's turnkey circuit board solution, and a significant drop in the price of parts as reasons that knock-off phones are so prominent in that part of the world. There is also a bit of cultural pride at work, too: "shanzhai" technology, as it's known, is seen as a way to thumb your nose at the big players in the industry and throw some work to your local bandit. That said, we do have to cry foul at the way the paper lumps our beloved Meizu M8 in with the usual assortment of knock-offs: the thing sports nary an Apple (or "organe") on its handsome exterior. Check out the price breakdown on a typical $40 KIRF after the break.

[Thanks, Ben]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCIII: New York Times undercover edition