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Shanzhai ji gallery: Fake phones from China

Our erstwhile Shanghai correspondent Brendon Chase wanders into a Shanghai tech market to sort the fake from the real and to see how the fake iPhones stack up to the real thing.

Brendon Chase
Derek Fung
Derek loves nothing more than punching a remote location into a GPS, queuing up some music and heading out on a long drive, so it's a good thing he's in charge of CNET Australia's Car Tech channel.
Derek Fung
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1 of 34 Brendon Chase/CBS Interactive

Our erstwhile Shanghai correspondent Brendon Chase wanders into a Shanghai tech market to sort the fake from the real and to see how the fake iPhones stack up to the real thing.

For more information on Shanzhai phones — how they're made, drawbacks, how to identify one and so forth — check out our behind-the-scenes look at the Shanzhai phone market.

A range of Apple branded flip phones, including an iPhone Air.

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2 of 34 Brendon Chase/CBS Interactive

No, no, it's not a fake! It's a Nokig for crying out loud.

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3 of 34 Brendon Chase/CBS Interactive

Presuming that Apple made the world's slimmest flip phone, we guess there's a chance it would be christened the iPhone Air. The silver phone on the left is presumably a knock-off of a knock-off because it's the Ipone Air.

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The same make and model coming in different shapes and sizes is a big hint that they're not genuine.

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Lots of colours and sizes are available!

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A rather cool-looking Shanzai Spider-Man phone. Let's call Tobey Maguire now to let him know.

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Hello Moto! The attention to detail with some of these Shanzhai phones is amazing.

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Maybe this is where the camera for the iPod rumours began.

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Sometimes genuine phones are sold next to Shanzhai phones, making it difficult for consumers to know what they're getting.

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10 of 34 Brendon Chase/CBS Interactive

Phones in all shapes and sizes, sometimes even the same phone in all shapes and sizes. And is that orange contraption in the top right corner a Shanzhai camera?

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11 of 34 Shanzhaiji.cn

One of the more sophisticated clones, the CiPhone.

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Some market vendors will display authentic model cases of phones before swapping them for Shanzhai units at purchase.

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If we didn't know better, some of these might actually be the real deal.

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The long-awaited Apple flip phone. OK, flip phones with Apple logos plastered on them.

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The i9-S is one of thousands of Shanzhai iPhone clones. Even the box has been mercilessly copied.

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16 of 34 Brendon Chase/CBS Interactive

Think the real iPhone is too big? Well maybe a Shanzhai iPhone Mini might be more your cup of tea. It's pictured here next to a real Sony Ericsson W880i.

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17 of 34 Brendon Chase/CBS Interactive

More fake, flippy iPhones! There's even an Ipod Water (second from left).

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18 of 34 Brendon Chase/CBS Interactive

Each Shanzhai iPhone is subtly different and in every photo you will almost always be looking at a different Shanzhai iPhone, so it is important that you pay attention to this photo gallery.

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A Louis Vuitton phone (left) near a phone with an apple as its five-way controller.

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The mind just goes into meltdown trying to figure out which one is real and which one isn't.

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Outside a typical tech market in Shanghai.

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This Giororq Arnani phone is at least one tenth the price of an original Armani device.

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Typically vendors at tech markets both sell phones and offer repairs.

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A Souy Ericssou and the Nckia N87.

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A Suny Mobile, along with a fake, pink Sony Ericsson with enough Apple goodness to make an apple pie jealous.

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Many Shanzhai phones offer dual-SIM card slots, which is a handy feature we'd like to see more of in the mainstream market.

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The pull-out keyboard on this Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 clone is quite impressive.

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While passable, the iPhone Mini's touchscreen and software not only looks chunky but is clunky to use.

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A Sumsang phone — like a Samsung but different.

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Memo to Steve Jobs: a removable battery on the real iPhone would be nice.

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The iPhone Mini's interface looks like the real thing, but with more Chinese and less pizzazz.

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A full-size Shanzhai iPhone next to its Mini-Me.

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33 of 34 CNET Asia

Uncle Sam wants you to buy a Windows Mobile BlockBerry, just like the one that President Obama uses.

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No prizes for picking the real Nokia E71.

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