sci-phone: iphone clone runs java apps, still phony
July 4th, 2008 comments (398) stumble it! digg it! by: technabob
Nope, your eyes aren’t fooling you. This isn’t an actual iPhone. It’s the latest in a long line of iPhone knock-offs to find its way to our shores from China. The SciPhone isn’t the first iPhone clone out there, but it’s the first one I’ve seen that claims to run native Java applications.
The case design and the on-screen icons of the DigitalRise Sci-Phone D990i definitely look quite a bit like a legitimate iPhone, but upon closer look, you’re likely to be able to tell the difference (gotta love that floppy disk icon for documents). The iFake even tries to outdo the original by offering something called “shake control”, which lets you shuffle through songs by simply shaking the phone.
The Sci-Phone D990i features a 3.2-inch color touchscreen (some of the docs say 3.5-inch, so I don’t know which is accurate) , a 1.3-megapixel digital camera, and offers Bluetooth support. Since it’s an unlocked quad-band phone, it’ll work on any GSM-based network, and uses GPRS for data services (sorry no Wi-Fi or 3G ).
With the new iPhone 3G hitting stores next week for just $199, and Sun working on Java support for the real iPhone, you’d be hard pressed to come up with a reason to drop over $200 on this complete fake. The only reason I can think of is if you’re not an AT&T customer and want people to think you have an iPhone. Frankly, you’d be better off picking up an iPod Touch and pretending to speak into it.
filed under: media players mobile tech
July 4th, 2008 comments (398): stumble it! digg it! by: technabob
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http://www.pmptoday.com/2008/06/26/sciphone-i68-is-more-iphone-than-hiphone/
HiPhone, Sciphone, Cect… too many of them. They support MMS and some have Java 2.0. Just take your pick.
hey i am having alot of troubl cant set up internet i have tmobile i cant get appps i need alot of help if anyone masterd the i9+ please let me know asap contact me at jamesmocci@yahoo.com
Just Call T-Mobile Customer Care . they will set it up for you , by sending u a setup text m.
i have been buying off of e bay now for 8 years, this is by far and away the biggest peice of CRAP i have ever bought. Please don’t buy this wanna be phone , it does not work . Always dropping calls.
How you u buy it in July when it wasn’t released until August?
Apple fanboy.
This is by far the best sim phone (except for not having EDGE or 3G). I can recive signal where other t-mobile phones have failed using the same sim card. Don’t expect this phone to have the awesome touchscreen apple has, it’s just a regular touch screen and can be a kind of a pain in the a$$, but it does come with a stylis. It has many features that the Iphone doesn’t have (e.g. Dual Sim, Dual Bluetooth, etc.). The cost is aroun 150-200 dollars without a contract try to get an Iphone for that price. (i know its going for $199 w two year contract, and is around $600 w/o contract.) Customers should realize that they are not buying an I phone but a different really cool touchscreen phone.
How do you work this i68 phone? I can not getthe java app, I can not download anything, I can’t even get on the internet. What do I need to do?
First u need to have a mini sd card . conect trough a usb cable . phone appear as a remobable Driver . just drag and drop .u may find java in java.com or download.com
For Internet , u need to call your carrier. thats what i did .
I agree, i live in a basement apartment and both sim cards not working, i have to go outside to make or receive a call. Wish i would have seen this site sooner. Its just a pretty wannabe.
Hey. Yes this phone is terrbile.
I’ve had it for a month now, and already
I’ve had to take it apart 2 times to clean UNDER!! the stupid screen (wtf?)
The charger broke today and those idiots sent me the wall charger with circle prongs instead of normal. Idiots!!! So I can’t charge it now. They better refund me.
You can connect to internet. Follow youtube setup displayed online. Just put in your type phone and search. I have att and wheon following directions I was able to connect. It will require you to contact service provider to provide password gateway and IP address
but do you have a sci phone? and if you do what phone did you say you have for youtube. and do your internet display mobile web or real web …full site ect.
i got this crayp phone how do i go on the net?
hey In my area I have a lot of dropped calls from at and t anyways and this phone has a lot better reception than my original I phone that I got rid of because I had no reception. I had to keep searching for signal and dial 30 times before it went threw, but this sci phone is doing great
i like this phone is beter tham iphone
What networks does it work on? Please let me now. Thanks !!
just pop in any sim card such as a AT&T sim card into it
i need a charger fo rmy iphone…any ideas?
My husband just bought the sci phone ( went from blackberry pearl ) and absolutely loves it and he only paid $150.00. It was covienient that IT IS an unlocked phone and can be used with any service, just pop in your SIM card.It also holds two SIM cards for work and personal. He has not had a problem with dropped calls and the speaker is great.
Hi, i am from Mumbai, India. I want to buy this sciphone. Is this available in India? if yes then where?
What should be the price?
Awaiting your reply
mail me on suko78@yahoo.co.in
Check ebay. there are many sellers that ship it all over the world (yes, even India)
So check on ebay and u’ll be able to get on for cheap!
Does it have a full keyboard for texting and how is the music part. How many songs can you store?
Yes, fulll keyboard!
And the audio quality is very good!
The number of songs depends on how big your memory card is
first the key board does not tilt like the iphone when texting second if its a real sciphone i68 its should have came with a 1GB memory card
Hey peeps just bought 2 Sciphones and its kinda love hate,,,love the price for all the kewl features,paid 125.00each and for a knock off it does ok..mine came w/ an 8 gig card and mini usb cbl,charger,xtra batt,retail box..as fot the hate when i have to answer the phone i have to unlock the slide lock at least ten times before i can actually get the call!
Yeah.
Well, you wasted your money. It gets dirty under the screen, taking it apart is a bitch, and its likely to break real soon.
Music player sucks ass btw, your better off with a CD Player honestly.
lol your right
You’re lying, I have the phone and answer calls without the lock on…I don’t know what you’re talking about on that….I can unlock by sliding just once….obviously you have no idea how to use a cellphone
I totaly agree with u its pretty simple and easy to use and understand .
the SciPhone’s touch screen doesn’t work as good as the true iPhone, and has a sick camera.
Indecifrable way to write text messages, and many languages in the setting are incorrect.
I agree the touchscreen is hard to use, but the srtrong antennae and dual sim capability makes up for that.
I have this phone, the antenna is horrible on my tmobile network
Horrid camera!
Texting and music player is horrid too!
Does anyone know how to install Java apps on the Sciphone i68? I also have not been able to convert any videos – if anyone can help with info, I’d really appreciate it!
Thanks!
go to http://www.mysciphone.com to download games for the i68+ and the i69 but currently as of today there are only chinese apps
The games never work on this phone. Except for Bejeweled. Wow.. shocker.
DONT BUY THIS PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cant get mine to play music. When I look in documents, the music is there. When I go into audio player, it is empty. i am confused… Any suggestions?
Thank you…
go to music player and press refresh list
dude i had the same prob with my fotos u need to make sure u put them in the right folder firstly and then make sure wen u open ur audio player u are in the correct storage.
how do you put music on the phone in the frist place?
and how come on the clock it dosnt have a option for chaning am to pm?
you can put music on a micro sd card on your computer the phone should have come with a usb adapter fot the micro sd, just plug into the computer, open the “mass storage device” and copy the music into the folder. the clock is in the phone settings ( settings>phone setup>time and date>set format>time format>12 )
turn phone off & connect to computer w usb cable.while in music file on computer,right click on song u want to send to phone and send to removable disk J. then go to my computer & click on removable disk J. left click on the song u just sent there in previous step and drag it to the mp3 folder u can then unplug the phone from computer and turn it on and go to audio files and your song should be there
First u need to select the song , option . move , select music, it will say empy , press option and move . thats about it . and u should be able to play them on the player
i have heard alot of good stuff about this phone so much good i bought one that has wi fi and gps windows mobile 6 these phones go all the way up to 8gigs cost is just a little more but i have did lots of homework on this phone and and i would recommend this phone the i68,t32,m8 stay away from the hi phone i heard nothin but not so good things about that phone
I have an i68+ and cant get wi fi to work, the model i bought should have wi fi. also i think there is an option to disguise your voice does anyone know about that?
You got ripped off i this years model (i169+ or i9+) and they do not come with wifi the T9 (another brand does though)
WiFi only the Model M88 Windows 6.0 has it .
I think this phone is great. I was using the I phone but this phone is so much better,all of the aplications work to perfection and I would recommend this phone for all!!!!
Likely posted by someone who profits off the sciphone. At least try to sound a bit more realistic.
hay Jack do you have any problem with battery on your mobile. I have i9+ and my battery doesn’t work long day.
I have the Sciphone S18 (I68+ w/new os). It all works OK, but it is hard to get info on how to use it. Had to go to nokia.com to get text sent to turn on GPRS/MMS. OS is still clumsy, avail. java games suck, headphones suck, USB data cable broke in 2 days (new one costs $18, blech!). Phone part works fine, as does SMS. Barely worth cost, but requires no contract, as does iPhone, so $150 cost is 1/4 of no contract iPhone cost.
That’s funny you can get the cable for that phone on ebay for $5 free shipping, looking at it right now…..
Can you set up this phone to recive Email?
i want to know if it can hold good apps like the iphone and if so i do not know how to put apps on the sciphone. is there any way if i have itunes that i can buy or get an application from there and put it on my sciphone???
You can’t use itunes apps on this phone, however you can download much apps from http://www.getjar.com. make sure they are J2ME files. some work some don’t. most do. I created a folder on my sciphone 2gb card and named it “downloads”. I have t-mobile flex plan and it’s great. I get internet access and instant message, all of which you’ll find on getjar site. PEACE!!
DO YOU GET REAL WEB ACCESS? OR JUST MOBILE?
How do you install the apps on the I68+ step by step inst. would be great thanx
I DOWNLOAD THE APPS TO MY COMPUTER THAN I DOWNLOAD TO THE FOLDER ON MY PHONE CALLED JAVA AND THEN I GO ON MY PHONE UNDER THE FLOPPY DISK TO THE JAVA APP AND OPEN IT UP AND WHATEVER I DOWNLOADED ON THERE I OPEN UPAND INSTALL IT
Where can i buy the sciphone i68 in india(karnataka, belgaum) and at what price. Awaiting your reply
paragsmartee@yahoo.com
hey im from england and bought the sciphone i68+ for my fiances birthday last week. we are having trouble playing videos and anything i have downloaded onto it. getting the java settings and also the internet is in chinese when i try yahoo facebook etc. wondering whether we would get money back if we return it through ebay. any help?
hi i just got the sciphone and am gettin really ticked off with the java crap…how in the hell do i download the software into the phone??? and also is there any way to get itunes and add games not the chinese people games but regular games like in the iphone. thanks to anyone who responds
Again, you cannot use itunes apps on the sciphone. go to http://www.getjar.com. Create a folder on your sd-card 1,2,4GB etc. give it a name “downloads” or “sci_apps”. The only files i found to work are “J2ME” files. If you cannot find your device type in there list, use “CECT 1000″. this should work. much youtube vids on this phone are very helpful also. I hope i hepled.
so i know how to change the time on my sciphone, but ill put in like 11:00, and i want it to say AM but instead it will say PM, its set on the 12 hour time.. and daylight savings.. HELP.
and stuff has already gotten under my screen, like tiny hairs.. how do i clean it?
thanks
You have to enter military time then it will change to am or pm
Hey i have the music on my memory card in documents
but i can’t find it on my multimedea or music
and is ther anyware i can downloud an app or games
this is all about the sci-phone 168+
please i need help on this
yeah… i need to find a site that has some compatible apps. is there any way that google apps could go on this phone? google maps would be especially awesome!!
so far i have found a ton of java apps that dont work. im still trying to find a solution to the problem of e-mail and im and myspace, facebook and all that other stuff.
can u get on the web with the sci-phone?
Yes, use Opera Mini 4.2 for best browsing. You must download it. (Google Opera Mini) The Sciphone also comes with links to Google, Ebay, Yahoo, MSN, MySpace, Facebook, and more.
which opera mini do i download. when i try to go to the site and get the file it asks me what kind of phone i have and then there is no sciphone in the list. i have a i68+.
much thanks
Sorry I took so long getting back to you. I believe you can choose CECT A1000. or nokia 2600 or 2610. Anyone of these should work.
how can you do the texting without having to use a 1 for the first number if you key in contacts with the 1 the texting shows the contact but the caller id when the phone ringing want register your contact
Anybody has problem with the batteries of Sci phone?.
my phone came with two battery pack which none of them hold charge for more than few calls (30-40 minutes).
I’m really pissed with it and was wondering if there is solution for this.My batteries have the following serial number:SCI2008031709818.
thats very easy you have buy a new battery li-ion 1800 mAh or 2100 mAh.This is the good result.
I have same problem like AK, may be worst. It hold only 10 minutes power comes with SCI phone ( Two battery). Any idea where i can buy good battery ?
I have this phone its works just fine for us. We had to search the internet for set up instructions.But thanks to alot to people on the sites who gave simple instructions we had no problem following. For the price you cant compare them to any thing out there especially if you already are under contract. And have to pay full cost for an new phone . So save yourself some money and configure your on phone . Or pay the contracter to do it.
This is great for those of us who live in areas where 3G and Wi-fi don’t exist (unless you take into the home of someone who has a wireless network). I have the Vu, but its organizational structure is not straightforward at all: you have to push several buttons and go through sublayers to get to the program you want.
I was heartbroken to learn that this iclone is incompatible with iPhone apps, but I bought it anyway because who cares about programs that show you where you parked your car or how much of the bill you owe? That’s what common sense is for!
How do I get the sci phone to receive and send picture messages???? Everything works good except that can anyone help
Call your provider and they will either send you a text and you install it or they will walk you thru it step by step. I just got the Sciphone for my wife, it rocks and i have to say i bought 1 3 weeks earlier and had to ship it back as i couldnt set anything up, bad usb, software sucked then i learned the fake to the real and i had purchased a fake. i have a real one (one clue is the numbers when you dial should be WHITE not colors), of the a clone lol. hope this help somebody. and for those bitter people must have had problems with it or just couldnt figure it out
What dat sci phone is gabige fam my shinning cocaine white 16G Iphone is da shit. I call it my white gal. She do everything but record video, send pic text. And one more buzz kill is da text pad sucks dunkey balls dude.
Hi I just bought this sci phone its the crappiest thing ever guess these ppl are taking advantage of the fact that you cant see the phone in person all the accessories everything is a ripoff its made from the cheapest materials the headset charger batteries will probably not last more than a few months dont know about the touch screen either so stay away from this unless your a dupe who likes to throw away his money get a refurb/used branded phone but not this junk
does any one know where i ca get a charger that works for this phone
I love this phone my dad has the real one and its just as good . Theres nothing special about the real iphone , they both do the same thing.
No one is answering the Issue about the THE CHARGER.. for some reasons mine doesn’t work and just bought it yesturday. all batteries are dead and phone won’t start, even though i tried charging it. I NEED MAJOR HELP ON THIS ISSUE PLEASE!!!!
hook it up to ur computer it will charge
Hi bought my sciphone yesterday, worked for a wee while now it won’t even recharge through my usb port, tried both batteries, any ideas??????
I have the same problem with my phone. You just have to keep it hooked to your computer. I dont know what to tell you if you have to go some place for a long period of time.
How do you remove the access cover for the battery? No explaination of this in set-up instructions. Thanks
slide it
IS ANYBODY GRTTING THE REAL WEB ON THESE PHONES? AND Y I CAN PERSONLIZE MY RINGTONES OR PHOTOS TO A CALLER?
Anybody know if this thing is Mac compatible? Freezes the screen when I try to download any files to it.
your phone should be off while downloading material onto it!
This phone is great! I know it’s not an iPhone but it sure does alot! A big plus is NO CONTRACTS! If any body is having trouble getting internet, sms, mms, etc. on this phone… just Google “SCIPHONE FOR DUMMIES” theres tons of info for at&t tmoble etc. it really helped me out. If you find the site I was on, there’s a step by step set up and tutorial, and also downloads for your phone (java apps and stuff)
HEY BOUGHT THE PHONE AND WORKS PRETTY GOOD SO FAR…ONLY 108 USD…IT CAME WITH THE SAME THING ALL THE OTHER ONES DID…BUT I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO WORK IT ALL MY FILES FOR MUSIC AND DOCUMENTS AND VIDEOS ARE ALL SAYING “DISK FULL” WHEN I TRY TO OPEN OR USE THEM ANY OF THEM…NOT SURE HOW TO DOWNLOAD MUSIC…AND MINE HAS A 1GB CHIP W/ IT …AND WHEN I PLUG THE LITTLE CHIP THING INTO THE COMPUTER IT DOES NOTHING OR THE USB CABLE SAYS NOT CONFIGURED OR SOMETHING…HELP ME PLEASE AND THANK YOU
Thanks for all the info i needed it
Please give me step by step simple instructions on how to download music on this thing from limewire!!
yeah i seen one of those fakes friday and yes they are fakes they are easy to run but calling someone is apain in the ass it is hard to push the icon on the phone waste of money the lady i work with she has on and she does not llike her phone at all well catch you all later
How to stop my screen from vibrating?
how do you turn the shake shuffle off in the music player?
Okay first off lets get this straight IT IS NOT AN IPHONE. its put out by a tealth company so they dont get sued. i have seen more than a few apple fanboys whine and bitch because their apple fanboys. for questions regarding setup of sms mms or GPRS check out you tube. same for getting music and videos on the phone. i ordered mine for $82 and for that price its cheaper than almost any cellphone. if your willing to spend the time and effort to setup the phone irs a great alternative. if your a programmer check out hiphone pro to see if you can make it better (upgraded drivers and os options would rock house. is it plug and play… no. is it better than the iphone depends on what your after. for lazy folks im sure it sucks ass. for those who are interested in keeping more of their money than donating it to apple then its great. dont forget all you apple lovers before you trash the ripoff you might as well lube up because the iphone requires $$ to maintain you have to send it back for repairs if the battery, screen, or OS decides to S#!t the bed. the sciphone can be repaired on your own for alot les cash
does anyone know if you can change the format of the keyboard?? i hate how the space bar is to the side!!
Hey I got this phone a few days ago and I live in a somewhat decent size town and I get no reception at all. And I only get it when im driving. And if you have this phone its sucks to text when driving. So if anyone knows how to get the recpetion quality better. I also have T-Mobile.
I’m having the same problem. I just bought the sci phone. I was so pleased with the look but that means nothing if I can’t use the darned thing. I live in Dallas, TX and I get no reception unless I’m driving. Also, taking the back off is a nightmare! Is there any way to get a stronger signal?
I just got this phone and need help with some things! 1st when your talking you can hear yourself echoing back in your ear! Any suggestions on how to fix this? Second, I can only listen to the the audio player with the earphones in. Is this the only way to listen to music? Thanks for all help!
Hey at least you guys can still use the radio calling and other stuff.you can buy a cheaper one at ebay in this link! and you guys are dumb and lazy if you want the other features.
my clock looses time as the day goes does anyone know how to fix this f so please help
HEY DID YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THIS STUPID PHONE HAS ONLY ACCES TO ITS OWN EARPHONES THERE IS NO WAY TO PUT MY OWN SUPER BOSE EARPHONES PLUS THE WATER GOES INSIDE THE SCREEN JEST FROM A SIGLE DROP PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS CRAPPPP ITS A M@#$%^ F@#$%^ PHONE IT SOCKSSSSS BIG TIME!!!! THATS WHY I SOLD IT TO MY EXWIFE………..
does anyone know if you can set up speed dial
Hey Guys, im thinking of buying a sci phone but am not fully confident in them yet. Can anyone confirm that they have all the same functions of that of an iphone? and has the camera got the same mega pixels? One last question, does it feel or look cheap? like afer a few months will it look cheap? Thanks guys.
I am having a lot of problem connecting with the internet which make the phone not very useful also it’s not as smooth I recommend you to buy the regular i phone and save yourself a lot of trouble
Dont buy this phone. it has horrible reception. even when the phone says it has full reception, hte phone rarely works for texts or calls. it says call failed or text failed. DO NOT BUY IT. its a rip off POS
How do i get english java