Mongkok sells Apple iPhone 4G, sort of

According to the Hong Kong edition of Wenweipo newspaper, a store in Mongkok's Sincere Department Store has sold over 100 of its pirated duplicates, manufactured in the Mainland, in just a few days. The "GPS Phone" with a blatant Apple trademark on the back looks 90 percent like the real thing but costs only a seventh of its genuine, gray market variant. For only HK$1,080, it's tempting to get ahead of the chase and purchase this inconspicuous replica just to show off to our friends. 

While the staff harped on it being "the fastest running iPhone to date" (while also admitting that it was a pirated item), the performance of the GPS Phone is still a far cry from the real iPhone 4. After a trial use, the reporter who visited the store noted fewer camera functions and poor sensors on the touch screen. It took two to three seconds and some hard pressing on the right spots for the phone to sense commands.

The GPS Phone is selling somewhere between HK$650 and HK$680 in Shenzhen right now. Buying in bulk entails a further discount, so they estimate that for every GPS Phone being sold, there is a HK$400 to HK$500 profit. However, most shopkeepers are reluctant to sell this latest fake for fear of being raided by Hong Kong customs.

More at paper.wenweipo.com