keepin it real fake
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Keepin' it real fake, part XCVIII: a near-perfect Nokia N73 rip?
Doing a double-take? Yeah, us too -- in fact, we're not totally convinced it's fake. This here is allegedly a "chinese [sic] clone" of Nokia's 3.2 megapixel N73 candybar for sale in New Zealand, but apart from some wonky looking user interface stuff, it looks like a perfectly legit Asia-spec N73 to us. For what it's worth, the specs list a 2 megapixel cam (1.2 off the real deal's mark), a mere dual-mode GSM radio, and a listing of "data mode" that leads us to believe that EDGE may be nowhere to be found -- let alone 3G -- so odds are the imitation only goes skin deep. Then again, if it turns out to be one of Espoo's own, someone's lined up to get a real steal on an N73, no?[Thanks, Ebbi]
Keepin' it real fake, part XCIV: Act-429 PMP puts on a RAZR2 act
Another unimaginative PMP for you this weekend, which happens to vaguely rip-off the design of the RAZR2. Nope, this doesn't have a phone stuck inside: it's simply a regular little PMP that features a 2-inch screen and controls that mimic the look of Motorola's flagship. It also has an FM tuner, a speaker -- hey, at least you could pretend that this is a speakerphone -- and e-Book and gaming "functionality." Don't expect to see this in your local Wal-Mart anytime soon.[Via PMP Today]
Keepin' it real fake, part XCI: Loomax Ii touch isn't an iPod, duh
German publication Welt Online has the scoop on a killer KIRF: the Loomax Ii touch, which rips off the iPod Touch and sells for less than half the price. It has all the usual ingredients -- it plays music, has a touch screen, and Apple-esque icons -- but this time, Apple gives a damn. Apple spokesperson George Albrecht commented on this specific example, saying something along the lines of "we'll examine this case closely," which is a lot more than can be said for the multitude of other iPod rip-offs we've seen in our KIRF series (and beyond.)[Thanks, David K.]
Keepin' it real fake, part LXXXVII: "Manhattan" mobile not a T-Mobile Dash
Although this "Manhattan" Wide Screen GSM Dual Card Mobile phone doesn't rip-off any logos, it most certainly is more than "inspired" by T-Mobile's Dash. You probably won't want to pick up this $224.99 model, unless you don't mind living without any internet access at all (it doesn't even do GPRS), but if you need a phone that does two SIM cards -- we can't imagine what for -- then you're in luck. Then again, if you live in the US or Canada, you're out of luck again, because apparently this doesn't work there. Double lame.
Keepin' it real fake, part LXXXII: The Chintendo Vii
While we imagine that reverse engineering the Wii console is a fairly straightforward procedure, reproducing Nintendo's extensive software library would be quite the trick. That is, until Meizu's OS X duplication team becomes available. Pages 3 and 4 after the break. [Thanks, Anonymouse]
Keepin' it real fake, part LXXX: ONDA Honey VX878
What's made in China, costs just $55, and looks like your favorite [insert touchscreen device here] full-screen media player? The ONDA Honey VX878, that's what. The followup to the Honey VX855, overhauls the GUI while squishing the touchscreen down to 2.4-inches and just 260k colors with up to 15 hours of audio power and support for AVI, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE, TXT, LRC, JPG, and BMP media formats stored on microSD. What, you didn't expect them to include a card in the box for that price did you? [Via The Gadget Site, thanks Carl P.]
Keepin' it real fake, part LXXI: X-Game 360 doesn't play Halo
Most people pop across the border for a good time. Engadget editors interpret that good time as a chance to check out rip offs like this $28 "X-Game 360." No bonus points here for spotting the inspiration behind this KIRF. All we wanna know is, what're the chances it comes with HDMI?
Fake iPhones: a retrospective
It ain't even out yet, and the iPhone already stands to become one of the most ripped consumer devices the world has ever seen. From the "I-MOBILE i-phone" to the CECT IP9300 and everything in between, Engadget Mobile's taken a sentimental trip down fake iPhone lane this week as we all brace ourselves for the real thing to finally hit. Come share a few emotional moments with us as we reminisce!
Keepin' it real fake, part LIX: Sony nano sure to be a hit
It's nice to see Sony finally stop trying to play catch-up with Apple, and instead begin a mutually-beneficial partnership that leverages the design prowess of both companies. Keep reading for another shot of the all-new Sony nano...
Keepin' it real fake, part L: The "Ipod style Mobile Phone iPhone"
We've gotta hand it to them: electronics conmen are extremely confident in their belief in the ignorance of the masses. Gaze at the unbelievably poor "Ipod [sic] style Mobile Phone iPhone" rendition above, and then suck in the £75 (around $150) pricetag. It comes complete with an iPod-esque white finish, Mac OS X wallpaper, and a strange Quicktime skin for the included media player, but the kicker has got to be the modified Apple logo -- as if the extra leaf is going to fool anyone.[Thanks, John D.]
Keepin' it real fake, part XLIX - Le Clip: c'est chic!
We really honestly do wish Chinese knockoff artists would spend more ripping off gadgets we want to use (i.e. not iPods), but hey, it is what it is. And if nothing else, "Le Clip" might just have the best name a knockoff ever had. Voulez-vous jouer la musique pour moi?[Thanks, Gabriel G]
Keepin' it real fake, part XLIV: RAmos Q13 is not a nano
Apple's products certainly aren't strangers to our series of posts highlighting the tech industry's finest fakes, and although the RAmos Q13 isn't quite as absurd as previous examples -- see the Treo iPod -- the fact that the company had the cojones to release marketing shots of their device alongside the iPod it was very clearly intended to emulate assures the Q13 a place in the hall of tech infamy, and a Keepin' it real fake tag. Notably, the 1GB Q13 comes in five different colors, and is 0.1 millimeters thinner than the 2nd Generation nano: a fact that we feel RAmos is very unwise to trumpet.[Via The MP3 Players]
Keepin' it real fake, part XLIII: SE W950 slacker edition
If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times: don't try to pull of this whole fakin' it thing if you aren't going to take it all the way. While the eBay perp in this situation obviously committed hundreds of man-hours into making sure he used every single tacky font color and size on his item listing, we can't say as much for this "Langxin M902" he's peddling. The phone pretends to Sony Ericsson W950i UIQ heights, but ends up looking a bit more like a dollar store edition -- unacceptable, somebody should be working their sweatshop workers at least twice as hard! All the same, 12.6mm of thickness, an included 512MB memory card, Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera and audio and video playback really isn't too shabby for a knockoff, and neither is that 2.4-inch 176 x 220 touchscreen if you don't break the cheap plastic stylus at your first go. Unfortunately, the GSM phone is of the 900 / 1800 MHz persuasion, so Stateside KIRFers will have to look elsewhere.
Keepin' it real fake: New Year's hangover edition
Things might have gotten a bit hazy last night over here at the Engadget HQ, but we're pretty sure we would've remembered chugging down a slab of finely etched 64-bit silicon and a few MB of L2 cache. [Via Engadget Chinese]
Keepin' it real fake, part XXXVII: Apple iPhone
It seems like mock-ups come by the boatload, especially when it comes to the iPhone. Staying with our KIRF tradition, we bring you the simulated iPhone. This little gem popped up a few days ago on IPart.com's website and amazingly enough, they even label it as a copy. C'mon now, like you didn't know that it was fake? Judging by the pictures, it looks to be the same size as the current Nano, only a little bit thicker. Thankfully, they included a touch screen, handwriting recognition, and a 2 megapixel camera. If anyone decides to pick this up, drop us a line and let us know what you think of it.[Thanks, Jason S.]
Keepin' it real fake, part XXXIX: Apple teams with Palm for... wait, nm
Our iPhone-addled brains almost ran the wrong way with this one. Turns out it's just another one of those ubiquitous iPod nano ripoffs, with a very special branding twist. Friendly tipster Alberto sent this one in, after spotting it in Fortaleza Brazil for a whopping 579 reais ($270 US). But we suppose that's just the kind of reais you have to be willing to drop for a piece of the future.
Keepin' it real fake, part XXXVII: China car makers strike again
This isn't your daddy's China. After CMEC almost succeeded in building a total rip-off of a Smart Car (Autoblog china post)and then shipping it into Smart's own home turf (now CMEC claims it was unaware of how well it was duping Smart), Haunghai Automobile has managed do a fair bit of infringing on Hyundai's Santa Fe (pictured left) with its new SUV look-alike (right). The best part is the two cars recently shared a show floor at the Beijing Auto Show, where most industry insiders agreed that pretty much the whole front of the car is a replica of the Santa Fe. Oddly enough, the rest of the car apparently apes another Korean SUV: the Kia Sorento, but it's Hyundai Motor that is currently threatening legal action over the design theft. Apparently the Korean car giant will wait to see how its Santa Fe sales in China are effected by Haunghai's "homage" before it lays down a lawsuit -- though we can't believe its odds are good at doing anything but keeping this thing from being exported anywhere else; this is China we're talking about here. Update:check autoblog china's post in Beijing Auto Show 2006:Qisheng CUV.
Keepin' it real fake: ultimate PSP extravaganza edition
Sure, we've seen plenty of PSP fakes in our time, but we can't say we've ever seen this many fakeries in one convenient place before. So if you were on the lookout for a PSP look-alike with, say, an SD card slot, or a bundled NES emulator, check out the many many -- and we do mean many -- options after the break.[Thanks, Logan J.]
Keepin' it real... WTF?!
Dude, that's what you get when you buy your devices -- a wireless adapter in this case -- on the street in Beijing. Actually, we ran this by our Chinese bureau, and they said it was probably a hoax -- which somehow makes it all the more appropriate for a keepin' it real fake, hmm?[Via GameAxis]
Keepin' it real fake, part XXXI: This PSP is not a PSP
Reader Matt Z. spotted yet another PSP knockoff in the wild, this one at a computer show in Pittsburgh. C'mon, guys, if you're gonna have the nerve to copy a product's name along with its design, at least take the time to get the logo right.
