iPhone 5 copycat “HiPhone 5” found in China

(CBS/CNET) – if you don’t want to wait for the iPhone 5, you can head to China for a copycat. (But, shhh, don’t tell anyone we said that!)

“The country’s top online-retail company, Taobao, is selling the ‘HiPhone 5’ to customers for 210 yuan ($33),” reports CNET. “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.”

Red and pink! now we’re excited! we were starting to feel blah with the current iPhone colors – so bored that we feel the need to dress them up all pretty in cases. These lookalikes sure are bolder than the real thing.

But then again, as judgy as (real) iPhone users get, the possession of a fake might make you the subject of ridicule, so proceed with caution.

The HiPhone 5 is apparently the “cheap” version of the device. According to Reuters, citing a report in China’s Metro Express paper, some shop owners are selling “genuine” HiPhone 5 devices that reflect the rumored features of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5, including a slimmed-down design and rounded edges. the more-expensive versions can retail for as much as 850 yuan ($132).

“China has long been criticized as a home for faked electronics. the HiPhone, for example, has been around for years now. in 2008, a version of the device was made available that closely resembled Apple’s iPhone 3G,” says CNET. “The packaging for the devices also mimicked that of Apple’s.”

Complete coverage of Apple on Tech Talk

In this case, the HiPhone 5 has beaten the actual iPhone 5 to store shelves. You can read the full story at CNET.

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