14 DAY TRIAL // It seems that Mao's people aren't losing time at all and continue to clone successful handsets with a rate of at least 1 per week. If only that would be all, but they started to copy the same device twice or thrice. Nokia 5700 XpressMusic is a very good example, as the device has been cloned no less than 3 time until now. Pictures of the first Nokia 5700 clone leaked on the Internet last summer in July, when a so called NCKIA 5700+ wearing the white/red combination has been announced as a cheaper replica of Nokia's original handset.
While the phone didn't feature the same swiveling design, nor the same technical specifications, it was very popular in China. Clone number one measures 113 x 48 x 14mm and weighs around 90 grams (including battery). Other features include 2.6 inch 262k color QVGA touchscreen, 1.3 Megapixel camera, microSD slot for memory expansion, support for Bluetooth A2DP and stereo speakers. To sustain all these features the phone comes with a huge 2600 mAh Li-Ion battery.
Clone number 2 showed itself in fall 2007, but those interested in buying a powerful multimedia GSM device were disappointed. While the phone looks similar to well-known models like Nokia 5200/5700, in fact the copy was a simple dedicated MP3 player.
The crazy idea of manufacturing a PMP with a keypad seem at least weird. Still, the device features pretty decent specs like a 2.4'' screen, some pre-installed games, and a huge 8GB of built-in storage space. Furthermore, the device had support for AVI and 3GP video and MP3, MIDI, WAV, WMA and AAC audio files.
The latest Nokia 5700 XpressMusic clone (number 3) has just been "announced", but this time seems to be an improved version of the original. Its features recommends it a possible major hit on China's mobile market: 3 inch QVGA touch-screen display, 2 megapixel camera, TV receiver, FM radio, microSD slot, and Bluetooth connectivity. Anyway, the device can be an option for those with lower budget that cannot buy themselves the original or simply prefer this version over the one branded Nokia.
No price or availability of the device was disclosed at this time. Most likely only those that are going on a trip in China will be able to see one of these ripoffs in flesh.
