iPhone Counterfeits Run Rampant in China: Goophones, Cool 999s, and C-002s

The Chinese market is oversaturated with cheaper knockoffs of the Apple iPhone. iPhone counterfeits are now common in China as most would want the latest the greatest Apple device. 

These knockoff phones look all similar to the real thing, with some even having extra "features" such as different colors and smaller "mini" versions, according to reports from Mashable. First on the list of these counterfeit iPhones is the Goophone. The Goophone runs on Android and does not have the same hardware, but is considerably cheaper at $129 and $149 for the i6S and i6S Plus models respectively.

Next is the C-002 iPhone counterfeit. This one features an operating system that is blatantly lifted from older generation Apple OS. Its hardware is also too similar to say that it was only inspired by and not directly copies the look of an iPhone device. The Cool999 also does this with some additional changes, however, such as an Apple logo on the home button and a windows logo on the top left corner of the phone.

Other knockoff iPhone counterfeits actually look exactly like the real thing. Some of them have subtle differences such as not having an Apple logo, but the hardware is strikingly similar. Some of these iPhone counterfeits even have an Apple logo, making it look even more like a real Apple device.

What comes as a huge surprise is the fact that Apple now finds itself in a legal battle against a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, but this time, Apple is the one that is being called a copycat. The Chinese manufacturer says that Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus copy their design largely on its 100C smartphone. The case is currently under review by the IP Court in Beijing.