Goophone

Goophone (simplified Chinese: 谷峰; traditional Chinese: 穀峯; pinyin: gǔ fēng; lit. 'valley peak') is a manufacturer of smartphones, tablets and smart watches based in Shenzhen, China.[1] The company earned notoriety for releasing counterfeit clones of popular high-end smartphones such as the iPhone,[2] Samsung's Galaxy S series[3][4][5] and HTC One (M8)[6] using off-the-shelf systems-on-a-chip from MediaTek[7] and the Android operating system, often with user interfaces made to resemble the devices they imitate.[8]

Goophone
谷峰
IndustryConsumer electronics, telecommunication
HeadquartersShenzhen, China
ProductsSmartphones
Mobile phones
Tablet computers
Counterfeit cellphones confiscated by the Philippine Bureau of Customs.

Patent rights controversy

In 2012, Goophone was reported to have filed a patent application for the Goophone i5, a clone of Apple's iPhone 5, prior to the latter device's release.[9] The clone itself was also unveiled before Apple was able to launch the iPhone 5.[10] The company even went so far as to threatening legal action against Apple.[9][11] Law professor Robin Feldman at UC Hastings expressed concern over China's patent policy, stating in an email interview, "It would be unfortunate if a country's patent system were designed to allow this type of behavior."[9]

Goophone repeated the same strategy later on. In 2017, for instance, it released the Goophone iX before the device it is copying in terms of design—the iPhone X—was released. The device, which had significantly inferior hardware, was sold for around £80/$105 while the iPhone X retailed for $999.[12] By the time Apple announced its iPhone lineup in September 2018,[13] the Goophone XS Max - a copy of the iPhone XS Max - was already being sold at Goophone's website.[14]

See also

References
  1. Iowa State Daily (2018-05-17). "Stanley: Replica phone manufacturers sacrifice quality and morality". Iowa State Daily. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  2. Hodgkins, Kelly (16 July 2014). "Wico and Goophone Beat Apple to Market with Android-Based iPhone 6 Clones". MacRumors. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  3. Sherman, Joshua (3 March 2014). "Just days after Galaxy S5 launch, Goophone makes a knockoff". Digital Trends. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  4. Cooper, Daniel (26 February 2014). "Goophone took just two days to rip off the Galaxy S5". Engadget. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  5. Burgess, Rick (5 September 2012). "Chinese company patents iPhone 5 design, may sue Apple". TechSpot. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  6. "Goophone copies the all new (still-unannounced) HTC One". Engadget. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  7. Fingas, Jon (5 August 2013). "GooPhone and LG to offer first tri-SIM smartphones using MediaTek chips". Engadget. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  8. Esposito, Dom (24 July 2014). "Hands-on with a functional 4.7-inch iPhone 6 clone w/ heavily detailed, skinned version of Android (Video)". 9to5Google. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  9. Bonnington, Christina. "Chinese Knockoff Maker Reportedly Copies, Patents iPhone 5 Design". Wired. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  10. "The patent battles just got more ridiculous - Goophone looking to sue Apple in China". Android Authority. 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  11. Brownlee, John (4 September 2012). "Goophone Claims To Have Already Patented The Next iPhone's Design, Will Ban Sales In China". Cult of Mac. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  12. Moore-Colyer, Roland (2017-10-24). "The first iPhone X knock-off is here and it's £80 worth of 2014 | Trusted Reviews". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  13. "iPhone XS, XS Max launch, drawing smaller crowds but plenty of fans". CNET. 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  14. "Goophone XS Max - Official Goophone Shop". Official Goophone Shop. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  • Media related to Goophones at Wikimedia Commons


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