Beijing Police Shut Down Large-Scale Factory That Made Over 41,000 Counterfeit iPhones

[gnasher729]

I sell it to you telling you it's an Apple iPhone, and the box says it's an Apple iPhone, but it's not an Apple iPhone. That's how counterfeiting works. It's a convincing fake that was sold as if it was the real deal.

I am curious - why can't someone make a true knockoff of the iPhone, a hackiPhone, if you will? Build something that looks like a real iPhone using off the shelf parts, then install iOS on it (possibly modified to boot without some missing parts that you couldn't find off the shelf.)

There's a market for Hackintoshs (non Apple computers that run OS X); why not the same thing for iOS?

There's no legal market. The last time someone tried to commercially sell non-Apple computers with MacOS X installed, they were convicted to pay $2,500 per computer sold for DMCA violation (not that it mattered because they went bankrupt anyway). In the case of iOS, I think there is some serious protection going on.

 

[Gasu E.]

Did these phones come pre-bent?

Did you?

 

[maxsix]

Counterfeit iPhones?

I didn't realise that people in China copied anything.

I'm sure this is a one-off.

Your humor is spot on!

Thanks for the best laugh I've had tonight...

 

[Mad-B-One]

The really interesting thing is how they got to the US:

"some of which even managed to reach the United States (via Reuters)"

I did not know Reuters was in that kind of business.

 

[kdarling]

At least it sounds like they were operable.

A couple of years ago, it was a common street corner scheme in NYC to use an EMPTY iPhone shell with a battery backlit plastic colored 'homescreen' display, turned on by the Home button, to 'prove' that it was a working device.

"Pssst, hey buddy, want an iPhone for only $100 ?!"

By the time the victim figured out why touching the 'icons' never did anything, the seller was long gone.

 

[kdarling]

China shut down a Samsung factory?

Actually, Samsung devices have also been counterfeited in China for a long time. One that has caused the most trouble with US eBay buyers is/was this Note clone that even copied the box:

There are clones of everything it seems. Even Apple and Gear and Pebble watches.

 

[ChrisA]

I am curious - why can't someone make a true knockoff of the iPhone, a hackiPhone, if you will? Build something that looks like a real iPhone using off the shelf parts, then install iOS on it

Because it would be cheaper to just buy an iPhone. If you are "only" building a few tens of thousands of fakes then the design cost is very high. The only way to make a cheap fake is to put a low-end Android phone inside a case that looks like an iPhone.

 

[wesley96]

There were early versions of Android starting in 2003. The first beta version of Android was released in November 2007 (a few months after the iPhone was released) and the first release version was released September 2008. So if you're counting all the pre-release previews, Android was shown many years before the first iPhone was. If you're talking about a commercially released version, the iPhone beat it by over a year.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history

The knock-offs could have been based on Windows Mobile or Symbian, perhaps?

 

[afawcett]

I'd really like to know if they ran iOS.

 

[gnasher729]

When they say counterfeit devices, do they mean they're stolen components/chips/whatever and they operate as a real iPhone? Or do they just look familiar? Because I can't imagine how the latter could be illegal. But then again I'm not up on all this copyright stuff.

Creating an "iPhone" that actually works with all the features of an iPhone, including getting apps from the App Store, and protecting the user's data, is just about impossible.

Selling a counterfeit device to people who believe they are buying an iPhone is plain and simple fraud. Selling a counterfeit device to people who want to buy something that looks like an iPhone (because they want people to believe they own an iPhone without paying the money) is illegal in most countries, because it is trading on Apple's reputation. Just like selling fake Gucci handbags who want to buy a face Gucci handbag is illegal. Selling a phone with a design similar to the iPhone can be illegal, depending on whether the design is covered by a design patent or not.

 

[GenesisST]

Possibly. The phones are probably similar in quality to your joke.

There are no bad jokes, only failed attempts at humour. I prefer that to stiff people.

 

[kdarling]

Selling a counterfeit device to people who believe they are buying an iPhone is plain and simple fraud.

Absolutely.

Selling a counterfeit device to people who want to buy something that looks like an iPhone (because they want people to believe they own an iPhone without paying the money) is illegal in most countries, because it is trading on Apple's reputation. Just like selling fake Gucci handbags who want to buy a face Gucci handbag is illegal.

There's a lot of people who intentionally buy fake Gucci bags, Rolexes, etc.

As for iPhone clones, the first ones in 2007-8 ran Windows Mobile with a skin. Now most run Android with a skin. Here's a BGR review of one, which was bought for $145 (!).

This knockoff iPhone 6 is so well done that you’ll mistake it for the real thing

Any product that has a high price will have clones. As I mentioned, there are a lot of knock-off Samsung Notes out there too.

Interestingly, while most smartphone clones have less memory and a less high resolution screen, a few actually have more RAM, a decent screen, and high-MP cameras... for prices as low as ~$250.

Smartphones are pretty easy to build these days, with more and more all-in-one chip solutions available. They don't cost much to make, so there's plenty of room for profits, even if sold at half or less of what Samsung or Apple charges.

 

[Mousse]

I'm guessing the main problem was that they forgot to pay their bribes... or didn't bribe the right people?

We call it "campaign contributions" in the US. They backed the wrong horse.

 

[Temuco]

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!
But they have so much more to do!

I lived in Kunming, Yunnan Province for 2 years. There were so many fake Apple stores there selling "Apple" iPhones. Who knows if they were real or fake.

I can tell you that in Kunming there were many, many "Apple" stores with the logo prominently displayed on the marquis. Must have been more than a dozen at least. I lived there from 2011-2013. No control of these stores whatsoever!
China has terrible corruption and people just shrug and don't believe they can change it. I believe they can change but it's going to take a lot of effort.