(Image Source: Engadget)
BY DANNY MATTESON
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN
You're watching multisource tech news analysis from Newsy.
Want the new iPhone 5?
Just head to the Chinese black market.
Just warning ya-- it’s a knockoff.
CNN explains the “hiPhone5”.
“The hiPhone5 is now selling for as little as $31 on one Chinese website. If you want a more genuine version then you’ll have to pay a little bit more but the hiPhone5 is based on leaked images of the much anticipated Apple iPhone5 which should be out in a few months.”
That’s right. Chinese counterfeiters have forged the forthcoming phone months before its rumored fall release. So how does it compare to the real deal? According to PhoneArena....
“...the handset is thinner than the iPhone 4, while its edges are less rounded. It also reportedly feels like a toy – very lightweight and plasticky, just what you'd expect from a fake device.”
And according to TechCrunch some curious consumers are none too happy with the aped accessory.
“The phone, which features Wi-Fi, a micro SD slot, and a GSM cellular radio, is standard Shanzai material. It also requires a stylus to use the touchscreen, and call quality, according to a buyer, is pretty bad.”
But if you have money to burn and you’re looking to add a little color to your life the hiPhone5 may actually have one advantage. CNET explains.
“The device seems to feature a design similar to that of both the black and the white iPhone 4, but it also comes in red and pink.”
Finally, this isn’t the first time Chinese mock manufacturers have gotten under Apple’s skin -- you might remember entire phony Apple stores making headlines just last month -- but according to the Daily Mail this copycat controversy is much bigger than that.
“Western governments have repeatedly criticised China for widespread violation of intellectual property rights, but pirated goods from branded watches, to bags and computer software can be easily found in shops.”
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