Hasta La Gadget!

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

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCV: Sonia F2 doesn’t do Idou justice originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 May 2009 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCIII: New York Times undercover edition originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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!

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCI: dirty Vegas plays Orange UK originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Combining two pretty great ideas in a way that is all kinds of illegal in the US, the China-produced NokiPhone N3000i looks to be a pretty straightforward iPhone ripoff with bonus N95-esque dual slider capabilities. The GSM smartphone’s got 3.2-inch QVGA screen, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, dual SIM support, microSD slot, and video recording capabilities. Price of admission is $129 right now, which according to chinagrabber is a hefty discount from its $400 MSRP. Your move, NOKLA.

[Via PMP Today]

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CXCIX: NokiPhone N3000i dual slider is one part N95, two parts iPhone, and six parts win originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Months later we’re still thrilled at the discovery that the original Dream G2 doesn’t run the free and open Android OS, but instead a carefully built, stylus-driven clone. Well, SciPhone’s Dream G2+ followup continues in that noble tradition, running with some tweaked looks and the addition of WiFi on top of what looks to be that same Android-cloning interface. It’s pretty thrilling stuff, and not at all bad for the $185 asking price.

[Via PMP Today]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

SciPhone Dream G2+ adds WiFi to the Android KIRF madness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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