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. The company earned notoriety for releasing counterfeit clones of popular high-end smartphones such as the iPhone[1] and Samsung's Galaxy S series[2][3][4] using off-the-shelf systems-on-a-chip from MediaTek[5] and the Android operating system, often with user interfaces made to resemble the devices they imitate.[6]

Goophone
谷峰
IndustryConsumer electronics, telecommunication
HeadquartersShenzen,China
ProductsSmartphones
Mobile phones
Tablet computers
Websitewww.goophoneshops.com/ 
Goophone V5
These are fake Goophone products

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.[7] The clone itself was also unveiled before Apple was able to launch the iPhone 5.[8] The company even went so far as to threatening legal action against Apple.[7][9] 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."[7]

Goophone repeated the same strategy later on. In 2017, for instance, it released the Goophone Phone X 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 $105 while the iPhone X retailed for $999.[10] By the time Apple announced its iPhone lineup in September 2018,[11] the Goophone XS Max - a copy of the iPhone XS Max - was already being sold at Goophone's website.[12]

See also

References
  1. Hodgkins, Kelly (16 July 2014). "Wico and Goophone Beat Apple to Market with Android-Based iPhone 6 Clones". MacRumors. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  2. Sherman, Joshua (3 March 2014). "Just days after Galaxy S5 launch, Goophone makes a knockoff". Digital Trends. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  3. Cooper, Daniel (26 February 2014). "Goophone took just two days to rip off the Galaxy S5". Engadget. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  4. Burgess, Rick (5 September 2012). "Chinese company patents iPhone 5 design, may sue Apple". TechSpot. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  5. Fingas, Jon (5 August 2013). "GooPhone and LG to offer first tri-SIM smartphones using MediaTek chips". Engadget. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  6. 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.
  7. Bonnington, Christina. "Chinese Knockoff Maker Reportedly Copies, Patents iPhone 5 Design". Wired. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  8. "The patent battles just got more ridiculous - Goophone looking to sue Apple in China". Android Authority. 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. "iPhone XS, XS Max launch, drawing smaller crowds but plenty of fans". CNET. 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  12. "Goophone XS Max - Official Goophone Shop". Official Goophone Shop. Retrieved 2018-10-05.


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