Copycat Android Phone From Gionee Includes 3D Touch Quick Actions, Peek and Pop

[Rogifan]

Reminds me more of a Samsung then an iPhone, with the elongated oval home button and colorless holes by the ear speaker.

Again the copying is about 3D Touch not the look of the phone.

 

[KaliPaige]

This thing is clearly aping the iPhone so much I'm surprised they didn't call it the iPear.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

With proper marketing, this could be a major threat to Samsung, I think.

 

[LordBeelzebub]

So Android users can now not use this feature as well...Other than hardcore power-users, I have rarely seen anyone use 3D Touch on purpose. I taught my girlfriend how to use it when she got her 6S months ago and it's never been used again.

That's because you're used to not having that capability all these years before, you don't think about it now. Your instinct is to do things as you've always done them. Same concept with Siri, it's on my phone, but because I never used it before, I never think to use it now, I'm used to the way I've always done it. But just because I don't think to use it doesn't mean millions of others don't and find it useful.

 

[o9ski]

I don't see ugly antenna bands. No protruding camera either. Epic fail!

 

[dannyyankou]

I don't see the problem. Clearly there's no other possible way to design a phone's software. Apple needs to lighten up.

Did Apple say anything? I must've missed it. Also I don't remember Apple saying anything the last few times stories like this have popped up.

 

[KALLT]

Say what you want, I use it all the time. Peek and pop are really useful.

There is this mindset that if you personally do not find it useful, then the feature (or Apple) has failed. The good thing about 3D Touch, like many other control enhancements on iOS, is that it is completely optional. Use it if you like, don’t use it if you don’t. I know people who don’t use Control Center or the app switcher either, which is perfectly fine. You can just use single-clicks on the home button all the time to navigate around and use the Settings app. I hope Apple does not listen to them either when they say that these are not useful features.

 

[uid15]

"Oooh wow, that's a nice price and very pretty! I wonder if... ohhh... wait... it's an Android phone "

</uneducated_consumer>

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

It's a case, not a computer!

 

[Mascots]

Everyone copies blah blah blah...

I think 3D Touch and the variant has major potential, but I'd like to see other manufacturers experiment and push the limits. Apple will use it as they will and I think its current implementation is great, but when you have the opportunity to work outside the box, I think someone should take it.

 

[rdlink]

And yet, Samsung, the chief copycat, chose not to offer 3D Touch or anything like it in their latest phone.

That, to my mind, speaks volumes as to the worth of the feature.

I use the 3D touch keyboard feature every day.

 

[Jesse1414]

Is there anybody using 3D touch functions? No, I don't.

I use it everyday.

 

[mdelvecchio]

And yet, Samsung, the chief copycat, chose not to offer 3D Touch or anything like it in their latest phone.

That, to my mind, speaks volumes as to the worth of the feature.

nonsense, its a useful feature.

samsung is probably just tired of getting their asses handed to them in court.

 

[sw1tcher]

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Gionee debuted its Gionee Elife S8 at Mobile World Congress this week, and the new device mimics the iPhone in... look.... Available in silver, gold, and rose gold shades....

Aside from colors, I don't think it mimics the iPhone. Looks like your typical Android smartphone to me.

Corners aren't as rounded as on iPhone.
No antenna bands on the back.
Side bezel is thinner than on iPhone.
Volume rocker buttons on are right side while iPhone has rocker buttons on left side.
Home button is not round
Front camera and sensor are on each side of the speakers
Rear flash is different

vs

 

[Number-Six]

$500 seems quite a bit steep. If I'm going to pay that much for a copy, I may as well fork over just a bit more and get the genuine article

 

[LukasValine]

I look forward to the day we will be able to build software without the treat of a lawsuit.

 

[ahireasu]

No one can copy Apples bezels.

 

[Mackinjosh]

What level of outrage should I exhibit here? More or less than when someone that will rename nameless blatantly ripped off live photos and pretended like they invented the idea?

 

[bdavis89]

.

 

[Supacon]

I'm all for Android "copying" 3D Touch. Maybe if all new Android phones have it too, developers will figure out something useful to do with it and then Apple can themselves implement whatever new ideas take off from that.

I have found 3D Touch to be fairly forgettable and not really a compelling feature so far.

 

[mi7chy]

Blackberry and Huawei had it before Apple. At the end of the day it's just off-the-shelf technology that any company can bundle (force touch was already in use so Apple had to rename it 3D touch). Historically, it's been deemed an inferior copy of long press menu selection since it requires more exertion so worse for one-handed use. Personally, I don't care for it since it's a silly gimmick and technique trumps brute force any day.

 

[Rogifan]

There is this mindset that if you personally do not find it useful, then the feature (or Apple) has failed. The good thing about 3D Touch, like many other control enhancements on iOS, is that it is completely optional. Use it if you like, don’t use it if you don’t. I know people who don’t use Control Center or the app switcher either, which is perfectly fine. You can just use single-clicks on the home button all the time to navigate around and use the Settings app. I hope Apple does not listen to them either when they say that these are not useful features.

And apparently if someone doesn't find a certain feature useful it's no big deal if someone else blatantly copies it. The comment below just proves my point.

Blackberry and Huawei had it before Apple. At the end of the day it's just off-the-shelf technology that any company can bundle. Historically, it's been deemed an inferior copy of long press menu selection since it requires more exertion so worse for one-handed use. Personally, I don't care for it since it's a silly gimmick and technique trumps brute force any day.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

I agree with others. How can anyone defend this company and this phone. This is a hodgepodge of everything; nothing is original. The copycat is real here, folks!

- They copied Samsung's elongated home button
- They copied HTC's decision to go unibody
- They copied Samsung by including a microSD slot in a unibody chassis
- They copied Sony Xperia's camera location, shape, and flushness
- They copied Sony Xperia's highly angular rectangular shape
- They copied Hauwei/Google's decision to include USB Type C
- They copied Apple's 3D Touch look and feel.
- They copied Samsung's side menu
- They copied LG's decision to include laser autofocus
- They copied Hauwei/Google's decision to include a monster 8 MP front camera

Damn...What a Frankenstein! Well at least, it's running the latest version of Android, and not 4.2.2 Jellybean or something..haha.

 

[bdkennedy1]

Oh, I'm sure it works flawlessly.

 

[skinned66]

Say what you want, I use it all the time. Peek and pop are really useful.

As do I...you can't miss it until you actually use it regularly IMO. I like previewing links in email with it.

Still, if I didn't have it I'd still be just fine. It wasn't a selling point for me.