Shanzhai iPhone in China: A Brit’s No-Nonsense Check
A Bargain iPhone Can Turn Into a Proper Headache You have just landed in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Chengsha for university, a new job, or perhaps a longer stint with your partner. Your UK handset is getting tired, the local adverts look tempting, and somebody in a WeChat group says they can get you an “iPhone” for a price that seems almost too tidy. That last bit matters. In China, shanzhai iPhone is the everyday shorthand many people use for a copycat or imitation phone made to resemble an iPhone. Sometimes it is plainly sold as an Android handset in an iPhone-style case. More awkwardly, sometimes it is presented as the real deal: familiar box, convincing camera bump, Apple logo, and a sales pitch delivered at full speed. “Factory surplus”, “Hong Kong version”, “staff stock”, “unlocked global model” — you may hear the lot. If the story gets more elaborate as the price gets lower, that is usually your cue to slow down. ...