Counterfeit iPod Nanos and Shuffles Appear

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

With the rapidly rising popularity of the Apple iPod, imitators are trying to cash in on the phenomenon.

They've gone so far as to create counterfeit iPods (photos). These iPods look-alikes are similar to the Apple iPod and can even be labeled with Apple serial numbers. Both counterfeit iPod nanos and iPod shuffles have been spotted. Both products share a general resemblance to the original products, but have some key differences:

The counterfeit iPod nano has a non-standard headphone jack located on the lower-right and has no dock connector. Meanwhile, the counterfeit shuffle comes in a convincing box but has the words "Digital Music Player" on the top, which the original does not. Other differences in the shuffle are the lack of a repeat setting on the switch and no battery light or status button.

Apple, of course, does not provide service for these imitation iPods, and claims they are taking these matters seriously and are investigating these devices.

[~Shard~]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

I don't blame the people doing this though - it's a hell of a way to cash in on the iPod phenomenon, where every Joe and his dog appear to be buying them, and many people are not necessarily "smart shoppers' when it comes to making sure they're buying from a reputable place, etc.


As with many other things, a fool and his money are soon parted...

[mcarnes]

Wow. Kind of like Vista.

[JonHimself]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

Apple, of course, does not provide service for these imitation iPods, and claims they are taking these matters seriously and are investigating these devices.

That makes me laugh. I can just imagine the look on someone's face who doesn't know they bought (or better, received as a gift) a counterfeit and tried to get it serviced?

[bluebomberman]

What do you do with a counterfeit iPod without a dock connector? Paperweight? Foosball? Pez dispenser?

[Shananra]

All its missing is the windoze logo.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by bluebomberman

What do you do with a counterfeit iPod without a dock connector? Paperweight? Foosball? Pez dispenser?

My guess is to use it as an expensive paperweight which makes you feel stupid every time you look at it. Perhaps their counterfeiters should laser-etch, "There's one born every minute" on the back of their iPods...

[mongoos150]

How freaking sad.

[~Shard~]

The counterfeiters should market these as the "yPod" or the "liePod", manufactured by "crApple" - that would be sweet...

[puckhead193]

i want one of those "nano" its sweet!

[bluebomberman]

Originally Posted by ~Shard~

My guess is to use it as an expensive paperweight which makes you feel stupid every time you look at it. Perhaps their counterfeiters should laser- etch, "There's one born every minute" on the back of their iPods...

Actually, come to think of it, iPod mini shells would make really cool paperweights.

[MacFan782040]

Do they actually play music? Or are they just a plastic case that looks real?

[jer2eydevil88]

Interesting.... Now this sucks for Apple and they should take this totally seriously! If however these fake iPods come up correctly iTunes most people would never know the difference, until they took it into an Apple store for repairs.

.:: Edit ::.
On second thought the interface is a dead giveaway for anyone who is even slightly aware of Apple products (As in having seen one used or used one themselves).
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/3162/nanoc5eb.jpg

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8823/nano27dd.jpg

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

[MacRumoron]

Originally Posted by JonHimself

That makes me laugh. I can just imagine the look on someone's face who doesn't know they bought (or better, received as a gift) a counterfeit and tried to get it serviced?

imagine them buying an iPod Hi-Fi to go with their new "iPod" and trying to get it to work

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by bluebomberman

Actually, come to think of it, iPod mini shells would make really cool paperweights.

Yeah, they probably would! Hmm, you and I should start up our own company which salvages old/broken iPod minis and resells the cases as paperweights... Cool, we'll be millionaires...

[iShane]

Originally Posted by mcarnes

Wow. Kind of like Vista.

Haha. Pretty much.

[bluebomberman]

Originally Posted by bluebomberman

Actually, come to think of it, iPod mini shells would make really cool paperweights.

Originally Posted by ~Shard~

Yeah, they probably would! Hmm, you and I should start up our own company which salvages old/broken iPod minis and resells the cases as paperweights... Cool, we'll be millionaires...

Nah, you wouldn't want me as your business partner. I'm enrolling in a graduate fiction writing program next year.

I'd like to know where one can get these counterfeits. Should I be wary next time I walk into Best Buy?

[nagromme]

The moral of the story is ONLY buy name-brand products from TRUSTED vans, sacks, and carts.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by bluebomberman

Nah, you wouldn't want me as your business partner. I'm enrolling in a graduate fiction writing program next year.

I'd like to know where one can get these counterfeits. Should I be wary next time I walk into Best Buy?

I think major chains such as Best Buy would do their due diligence and QC on something like this, so I don't think you'd have anything to worry about.

As for a business partner, I may be an Engineer and Project Manager and have that business savvy, however I also like to write screenplays in my spare time, so who knows, perhaps we'd have more in common than you might think!

Originally Posted by nagromme

The moral of the story is ONLY buy name-brand products from TRUSTED vans, sacks, and carts.

Exactly. When will people learn?

It's people like these counterfeiters who are giving the rest of the black market dealers a bad name, damn them...

[ColdFlame87]

I too wonder if they work? I mean it would be pretty cool to check it out, i would pay about 10 dollars for one of those just to see how it works

[iProd]

Originally Posted by nagromme

The moral of the story is ONLY buy name-brand products from TRUSTED vans, sacks, and carts.

Blue boxes

[bluebomberman]

Originally Posted by ~Shard~

I think major chains such as Best Buy would do their due diligence and QC on something like this, so I don't think you'd have anything to worry about.

Maybe I should swing by the sketchy electronics shops along 5th Avenue that prey on tourists and ignorant people.

Originally Posted by ~Shard~

As for a business partner, I may be an Engineer and Project Manager and have that business savvy, however I also like to write screenplays in my spare time, so who knows, perhaps we'd have more in common than you might think!

Have you actually tried to sell one of your screenplays? I'm pretty untested, to be honest: I had to hack out a 25-page writing sample because I had failed to write anything substantial in years.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by ColdFlame87

I too wonder if they work? I mean it would be pretty cool to check it out, i would pay about 10 dollars for one of those just to see how it works

Ironically, perhaps one day these things will be worth something as collector's items once people look back to the early 2000's and the iPod craze... Anomalies like this could actually be worth something, along with rare collectibles such as iPod lunch boxes, action figures...

[Stella]

Some of those counterfeits are pretty impressive reproductions!

[puckhead193]

Originally Posted by Stella

Some of those counterfeits are pretty impressive reproductions!

the shuffle is pretty good, at a quick glance i would have thought it was a shuffle