KeepinItRealFake
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Keepin' it real fake: the Haina X5-01 KIRFs the Kin One
Microsoft's Kin moved so quickly from curiosity to cadaver that we've almost managed to forget about the thing already, but one group will always remember: the KIRFers. This model is called the Haina X5-01 and it's something of an ode to Microsoft's less than dearly departed Kin One handset, a direct copy of the hardware we actually found to be somewhat derivative itself. This model, however, merrily leaps right over the line between imitation and clone, even stealing one of Microsoft's sample images of the UI. Thanks to that we don't actually have any real screenshots of what OS the thing is running, but something tells us that whatever ROM it's rocking it won't be nearly as adept at keeping up with our chaotic lives.
Keepin' it real fake: white MacBook with dual batteries, other things you never knew you needed
Here at KIRF headquarters, we've seen our share of Apple product fakery. We remain, however, impressed at companies' abilities to knock off laptops in any decent manner. This white MacBook-looking fellow, made by LeThink, boasts a feature or two you'll probably never see on an actual Cupertino-born laptop, such as the option of two batteries. This bad boy boasts a tray loading DVD player, an NVIDIA Ion 2 graphics processor, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom D510 CPU, GMA 3150 graphics, 1GB of RAM built-in (with support for up to 2GB), an up to 320GB hard drive, two USB 2.0 ports, VGA and HDMI outputs, a LAN port, and an SD slot. They're available in China for starting prices of around 2,999 yuan -- that's about $440. Another shot is below.
Keepin' it real fake: the affordable, off-contract Nokia Booklet 3G you've been waiting for, maybe
It may not be the most timely KIRF we've seen, but it looks like folks that were taken with the Nokia Booklet 3G's design but not its high, on-contract price will soon have the device they've been waiting for -- sort of. While its 3G-ness is still in question, this as yet unnamed netbook does pack a 10.1-inch, 1,024 x 600 display, along with an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a non-removable battery, and "maybe" an HDMI output. Still no word on an exact price or release date, but M.I.C Gadget expects it to be "at most" 2,000 yuan, or just under $300. [Thanks, Chris]
Keepin' it real fake: N-KIA E68 shows what an innovative Nokia handset might look like (video)
Yo Nokia, you can keep your E5 and its HD Voice fanciness, we want ourselves an N-KIA E68. Why, we hear the enraged Nokia acolyte ask, why would we defile Nokia's good name in such a manner? Mostly because this phone has one of the most fun and ingenious slider mechanisms we've seen yet. So what if we've got no idea what wannabe OS it's running and so what if it'll most likely fall apart on us a month into owning it? We still want one, dammit! Video after the break.[Thanks, Derrty]
Keepin' it real fake: Imouse MI-092 is one dull Razer ripoff
KIRFing isn't just for cellphones, friends. Anything with good design is in danger of being knocked off, and Razer sent word that it too has fallen victim. Meet the Imouse MI-092, a peripheral that couldn't look any more like the Razer DeathAdder if it came in a DeathAdder box -- which it pretty much does, as the company copied the packaging design, too. Imouse even ripped off the Razer website, but did at least come up with its own charming slogan, which translates to "Mine, I'm the boss." Sadly, not even Tony Danza can get any respect from these guys.
Keepin' it real fake: Nokia's Android N8
Can you believe we've waited on the N8 long enough for (at least) three KIRF versions to beat it to market? This latest one's pretty special too, as it gives us a glimpse into one of the fevered dream of Engadget commenters: a Nokia flagship rocking Android (2.1, in this case). The iZiNN CJ-3 copies the N8's form factor, styling, and 3.5-inch screen, but throws in an upgrade of its own by going with a higher-res 800 x 480 capacitive panel. Yeah, we're shocked too. A 5 megapixel imager, a budget Rockchip CPU, and an HDMI port fill out the rest of the known specs, while a release in China is expected some time later this month. Anyone know why this thing isn't being built and sold by a legitimate manufacturer? [Thanks, Ludger]
Keepin' it real fake: EVO 4G Shanzai edition
Shameless isn't even the word for it. While some companies try to get away with calling themselves Nokla or BlockBerry, these Chinese KIRFers have no qualms about copying HTC's EVO 4G in its entirety (externally, anyhow). Yes, that includes the Sprint insignia and the promise of 4G, both of which are, of course, amusingly untrue. Not only do you not get that supersonic WiMAX radio, you also miss out on Android, as this EVO rides the WinMo 6.5 gravy train. There's also no 8 megapixel camera, no 720p video, and no mini-HDMI output. But you still get a 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 screen and one of the best copy-and-paste KIRF jobs we've seen to date. See the back of this skilled imitator after the break.
Keepin' it real fake: because in China, even websites aren't safe from knockoffs
When you've gone and built yourself an imitation MacBook Pro, a Magic Mouse-equipped pseudo-iMac, and an upcoming iPad-esque tablet, there's little reason left to be shy with your website. That must be the thinking behind the design of Dragonfly's web portal, which seems to have taken plenty of inspiration from Apple's home on the internet. Upon visiting the Qing Ting address, users are confronted with a glamorous product shot, set against a black backdrop and accessorized only with some bold words -- which happen to be as inane as the overreaching exaltations Apple likes to post up. So full marks for realism, but these aspiring KIRF merchants seem to have omitted the most important aspect: there's no online store! How are we supposed to get our Q Pad now?
Keepin' it real fake: TESO LPAD runs 'MeGoo' or 'Andriod' on Moorestown
Chinese company TESO has an unrequited love for all things Apple. Not that it cares, we're sure it's doing just fine on the grey market with its KIRFy Cupertino crafts. But maybe it's time for this Shenzhen cloner to go mainstream with what's purported to be a 9.7-inch tablet running "MeGoo" (a MeeGo typo, certainly) or "Andriod2.2" (that'd be Froyo) OSes on a 14-mm thick LPAD powered by Intel's newest 1.9GHz Z600-series Moorestown processor. Of course, it's a hell of a lot easier to list specs on paper than it is to ship highly spec'd product. And given TESO's inability to correctly copy the names of its choosen operating systems onto a sheet of paper, what hope is there of it cloning the user experience of a class-leading tablet?
Keepin' it real fake: Sony Style L80 mini laptop cuts the VAIO P's price down to size
The Sony VAIO P: it's a lovely little, pocket-friendly machine that suffers from one glaring flaw: high price. Leave it to the boffins at Sony Style to come up with a solution for that. No, not Sony's Sony Style retailer, but rather KIRF manufacturer Sony Style, which has crafted this 1.6GHz Atom-powered mini laptop with a 1024 x 600, 8.9-inch screen and a "16GB hard disk" that is either actually an SSD or was manufactured sometime in the late '90s. It offers 1GB of memory (double that for $35 more), WiFi and, according to the specs, "you can carry it to go outside." The price for that kind of convenience? Just $299 -- or $275 if you buy 16 of 'em. Who wants to set up the group buy?
Keepin' It Real Fake: iPad meets Mini Me
It's always a fun moment when a friend comes by to say "Yeah, I just got this Android 7" tablet, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to send it back." Not without letting us take a quick snapshot, you're not! This $199 KIRF tablet is a dead ringer for a squeezed, shrunk-down iPad -- there's even a little square on the Home button, even though it's a bit cockeyed. The battery had run down on this unit (a hardware on/off switch! How quaint), but it's running a build of Android 2.1 that's fairly well convinced it's on a phone -- down to the non-functional signal bars on the screen. Pictured here with the genuine article, the miniPad seems to be scaled for a smaller, cozier world. At least it might fit in a pocket. If you've got pictures of ersatz Apple wannabe gear in the field, pop them in our Flickr feed and shoot us a note. Thanks Christien!
Breaking: Fake white iPhone 4 is not delayed
If the KIRF arrives before the KIRFed, then it's debatable who's KIRFing who, right? Either way, we ordered two.
Keepin' it real fake: Likea Leica, only not
Of all the KIRFs in all the world, this might be one of the laziest. Sure, aesthetically it does a fine job of aping the Leica rangefinder it takes as its "inspiration," but the Likea camera goes downhill very quickly when you move in a little closer. The first thing you'll notice is that, instead of the finely engineered Leica body, this thing is made out of, well, cardboard. Then you find out that the pinhole element isn't provided in the box and you're faced with the impossible judgment of deciding whether the need for a pinhole element or its omission is the worse offense. Ah well, what do you expect for 20 bucks? Just go buy some film and let your imagination fill the (vast) gap between the Likea and the real stuff.
iPhone KIRFs up to 4.3-inch screen, claims invincibility from haters
Hey, just because Apple won't make one doesn't mean you can't have a 4.3-inch iPhone. This here product of Chinese ingenuity offers you as much real estate as "the king of HTC HD2" while also throwing both digital and analog TV tuners into the mix. When you factor in the dual SIM compatibility, 2 megapixel camera, WiFi, and a removable back cover, it's enough for anyone to agree that "even a popular niche iPhone 4G had to step aside!"
Keepin' it real fake: Nokia's N8 beaten to release by lackluster knockoff
All together now: "Already?" KIRFers overseas are getting quicker and quicker with their knockoffs, and at this point, it's safe to say that you'll have an easier time wrapping your hands around a commendable Nokia N8 impostor than the real-deal. The outside looks an awful lot like Nokia's first major Symbian^3-based handset, but the specifications are decidedly lackluster: you'll get a 400 x 240 resolution display (3.2-inches), an MP4 player, FM radio, Bluetooth, webcam and a battery that'll last three to five hours. Glaringly absent is a 12 megapixel camera, WiFi module and built-in 3G support, but it's not like that stuff really matters -- after all, what else would you expect for an unsubsidized price of just $105? Head on past the break for a video, rockstar. [Thanks, Alain]
Keepin' it real fake: Android iPad KIRF gets Android 2.1, display upgrade, and our undying respect
Still unsure whether you want that Android iPad KIRF we spotted a couple weeks ago? What if we told you it got a display upgrade to 10-inches and an OS upgrade (to Eclair) to boot? Rocking a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, a 16GB flash drive, SD card slot, three USB 2.0 ports, headphone and mic jacks, Ethernet and HDMI ports, and WiFi, this is definitely something to keep an eye out for on your next trip to the gadget markets of Shenzhen. Just remember to grab one for us, okay?
Keepin' it real fake: MacBook Pro knockoff rocks Ion 2, thinks itself fly
We've stumbled across any number of MacBook Air KIRFs, but it's not often we see a worthy representation of Cupertino's heftier model. Never underestimate Shenzhen. This "Dragonfly QT Pro" not only features a familiar aluminum alloy shell, the 14-inch, 1366 x 768 netbook's also got Ion 2 switchable graphics ahead of its Acer and ASUS cousins. A 1.66GHz Atom D410 and 1GB of memory help pump out 1080p video while keeping case temperatures at a lap-happy 36 degrees Celsius, while a 160GB hard drive, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and HDMI (take that, Mini DisplayPort) round out a 4.2 pound, roughly $3000 RMB (about $440) package. Shame it only gets 2 hours of battery life, eh?
The Engadget Show: Inside the gadget markets of China, part two - Shenzhen
You may have already seen the large range of gadgets -- both old and new -- in Hong Kong, but the small presence of KIRFs there does make things a tad less exciting. Want more? Turns out all you need to do is grab a Chinese visa (or a border pass if you're a Hong Kong or Macau resident), take a train ride up north and you'll reach Shenzhen for all the KIRFs you've ever wanted. In this second part of our China tour series, we'll be showing you around the Luohu Commercial City and the Huaqiangbei gadget heaven -- don't worry, there are still many genuine products there for you little angels. Oh, and we also popped into a Meizu store for some hands-on time with the notorious M8. Enjoy.Host: Richard LaiProduced and Directed by: Chad Mumm, Richard LaiExecutive Producer: Joshua FruhlingerFilmed by: Alfred Yu, Richard LaiEdited by: Richard LaiMusic by: Pieces of Eight, SabrepulseOpening titles by: Julien NantiecDownload the Show: The Engadget Show - Segment 008 (HD) / The Engadget Show - Segment 008 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted)Subscribe to the Show:[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.Click through for the stream...
Keepin' it real fake: PSP-shaped Mini Game King makes classic emulation a royal decree
Flamboyantly attired in a flowing fuchsia scarf, the Mini Game King is probably guilty of countless copyright violations, but we don't care. The real question is whether this latest KIRF PSP can actually play games, and we're happy to say it does. Summoning the full might of its infringing power, the King can emulate eleven classic consoles and handhelds when it's not playing AV files from 4GB of internal memory, and its Chinese manufacturer triumphantly claims that the device "will make you happy unlimited" if you hook up an wireless six-axis controller as well. "This controller does not come with the console, you have to pay for it," reads the box, but we're dying to try "3Dthergame" and "Othergame" as soon as we can dig one up.
Keepin' it real fake: iPad QWERTY slider edition
We're not about to cover every iPad knockoff that emerges from parts unknown, but this particular device packs just enough KIRF innovation to get us to take notice. The biggest selling point, so to speak, is the tablet's sliding QWERTY keypad, which packs some MacBook-esque keys and a ThinkPad-style pointing stick. As if that wasn't enough, you'll also apparently get WIndows 7 for an OS, along with a 10-inch display of unspecified resolution, and an Atom N450 processor at the heart of rig. No indication of a price -- or even a name, for that matter -- but you can at least check out another shot of it in its closed state at the source link below.
