For Bonus Stories, Community and Conversation Follow Technabob on Facebook
Subscribe:
subscribe to our rss feedsubscribe via e-mailfollow technabob on twittertechnabob facebook fan page
Cool Gadgets, Gizmos, Games and Geek Stuff on Technabob

Sci-Phone: iPhone Clone Runs Java Apps, Still Phony

July 4th, 2008 by: Technabob


Pin It

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.

sci phone iphone clone

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.

sci phone iphone cloneback

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.

« Previous Post Next Post»
« Home Comment »
Subscribe to Technabob

Comments (680):

  1. katy says:

    I
    have the Sciphone i68…I got my MMS to work, but this is supposed to be a 4 or 8 GB phone. I don’t have space for anything. Ok, first thing I need…

    How do I delete apps that were on this phone when I bought it? They’re Java apps like “MSN, ET-boll, Robot Rebellion, etc”…. help!! I won’t these gone and want to add news one. Where do I get new ones btw?

    thanks, katy!

    email me at kateclarinet@hotmail.com if you want or just put it on here thnx!

  2. ANDY says:

    have sciphone and everything works well,even shake control,java,picture change,
    slide,open close everything and what a bargain at $70

  3. charmaine says:

    ok so i have searched my entire phone and for the life of me cant find SILENT and i need it as i study at tafe all week please help me i dont want to have my phone turned off every minute of the day
    thanks guys xxx

  4. vince bateman says:

    can you please tell me the wap and mms setting i need for the sciphone i68 for uk orange

    • Tron says:

      on your pc go to orange setup http://setuporange.wdsglobal.com/ then select Samsung Pixon and follow the instructions. You will be sent some texts to your phone to open and choose to install. The WAP and MMS and GPRS internet all worked for me on my i9+++

      • LEOANRD says:

        WENT TO ORANGE GLOBAL AND WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A UNITED STATES SITE..SAYS MY NUMBER IS NOT VALID??? THANK YOU

      • moir says:

        hi i could not get wap on my phone ether so tryed what you said but could not fine samsung pixon. could only find samsung with numbers then pixon after it there was two of them try both still got no wap plz help.

        • jjjpg says:

          go to mobile network operators website (ie o2) and enter your mobile number where it says mobile phone settings and then click on submit and if all goes well you will recieve new settings which you must save

    • Tanya says:

      I called t-mobile and we did the it over the phone in 10 mins. Just call from another phone becasue you will be changing setting on you I9 phone.

  5. justin says:

    i have an i phone 32 gb and no charger and i need one asap i wanna see if anyone can help on this asap

  6. Brett says:

    i have ani68+ with no charger. what kind of charger would i need for it?

    like anything that will charge it

  7. sabrina says:

    this phone is sooooooo stupid..why make a fake iphone when you can just buy a real one. Dont even bother people

    • Ian says:

      Because an i phone without a contract is around £500.00 in the UK.
      I got one of these for £60.00 from a UK dealer. It functions really well, obviously not the same quality or functionality of an i phone, but using opera mini it’s great for internet use at this price.

    • AzPhat says:

      hey hate to say but as long as it works like i iphone why not get it. it does almost or the same thing. not bad for a phone like this. i recommend it to all low income peeps cause its worth a it.

    • rosita says:

      bcuz it’s waay cheaper & does the same stuff & what makes u think the iphone doesn’t come from china apple is in us but the phones are’nt made there

    • shyla says:

      there are people that has the money for expensive phones so if they can get a phone similar to some other company it shouldnt matter whether or not its an imitation

    • Jingle1 says:

      Because of the fact that sum ppl dont have the money..i have a sciphone n works like the real thing the only thing that sucks is that i cant send pics..without subscribing for the internet..but other then that its great…

    • Marie(; says:

      uhh. i got one and its great! its JUST like the iphone but WAY cheaper. if your on a budget, get the sciphone, if oyur not, do whatever you want. i am just reccommending the sciphone bc its not a bad phone at all…

  8. flaxvert says:

    The SciPhone has dual sim both active at the same time! BEAT THAT IPHONE! Also I just received my sciphone i9+++ from china, £31-50 including p&p.. Im a happy chappy! Cant get any java apps to work (massively laggy) or the internet settings for t-mobile either but.. DUAL SIM!!!

    • Jingle1 says:

      have you called t-mobile?Thats what i had to do b/c i was having problems sending pics..u have to tell them u need the internet…

  9. AzPhat says:

    I have a SciPhone I9+++i68 32 gb. im having trouble trying to get into java cause it’s in a different language and i also have the same problem like katy tryin to delete some of the apps.

    • lander says:

      far as wrong language on any of the sci phones or pda sci go to ebay or look up the programable cd usaly 9.99 usd has the apps and progs in multi languagae suport

      • simon lee says:

        Java problem. All I did was take it to the Chinese chippy, bought my supper and got the java sorted while I was waiting for free!! So language is not a problem, any other language problems, just go ask a expert as we in the UK have about 2 million foreign language guests living here more than willing to help.

    • simon says:

      Dear Katy several people have had the same problem as you and I have told them to do as I did as this java stuff was written in Chinese!! I took mine down too the Chinese chippy ordered a meal and and asked them what was written?. Better than that, they set the thing thing up for me. £6.00 supper included.

  10. Biskit says:

    The is the effimg truth but the knock is cool for first time touch screen users

  11. lander says:

    –ATT— just a reminder for all new or what not to this paticlar help page on bottom of page is a click able link to previous pages has many topics posted recently covered there

  12. jazza says:

    Battery life is DISMAL no wonder they give you a spare battery
    2 hours without B/tooth on and a lot less with
    Can any one tell where to buy car charger

    • Ana says:

      I also noticed that so I went back to ebay and bought a 2400mah battery and I hope that makes a huge difference because the batteries it comes with are pathetic!! (1200mah) It’s coming from China so it will be a while til I get it and see if that helps…

  13. rosita says:

    how can I get more apps?

    • tym says:

      I have a cd or dvd with software, games, apps wap mms settings, pics ringtones firmware etc also a programme to anable you to watch tv on your mobille (depending on handset) firmware will require an additional cable called “A FLASH CABLE” many of the i9+++ problems have been sorted with this cd / dvd… paypal only…..

  14. steven says:

    It says i have 32 gb but i can only fit like 182 kb.HELP PLEASE!!!!

  15. Tym says:

    Hi guys. I have a cd or dvd with software, games, apps wap mms settings, pics ringtones firmware etc also a programme to anable you to watch tv on your mobille (depending on handset) firmware will require an additional cable called “A FLASH CABLE” many of the i9+++ problems have been sorted with this cd / dvd…

    tymuth@hotmail.co.uk

  16. Tym says:

    i have 8gb in mine

  17. Kayley says:

    Does anyone else have the same problem with the very short battery life or is it just me? and to top it off my charger blew its fuse and short circuited my whole house! but apart from that, the phone is ok, u get what u pay for I guess…

  18. DrBobNM says:

    why get one of these (or a better iphone clone)? Simple. 1) An iphone 3gs will cost $199 with a 2 year contract (like min $80/mo service), with hefty early cancellation fees. With the clone, you have much more flexibility. 2) these clones are quadband, fully unlocked, and thus will work throughout the world. No international roaming fees (if it works at all) if you go to europe or asia. Just buy a prepaid sim card when you get there.

    Take the money you save from avoiding the long contract, buy yourself a ticket to Paris. BTW, there are alot of much better clone phones out there since this was written.

    best wishes

  19. bob says:

    i need to install iphone app like gangstar.ipa .
    How can i install please help me?

  20. trbul says:

    I recently purchased the sciphone I68+. I have changed the language to english but when I go into the Facebook application it is in Chinese. Can anyone tell me how to change this?

    • Leeash says:

      Yes if u scroll down long enough you will see a box with different languages. click on that box and scroll up until you see English. click on English. Thats what I had to do.

    • george says:

      hi, where did you guet, this aplication? iven lokin for it, and i havent find it, thanks

  21. gnap1964 says:

    I’ve had a sciphone i68+ for just over a week and it is driving me mad. Added WAP/GPRS setting yesterday for internet access. Internet still does not work and now cannot make/receive calls. Phone now says insert sim when it used to show Virgin Mobile as per the sim installed. Can anyone offer advice how to fix both problems?…………..thanks

  22. iphonepimpin says:

    i got this i68+ and it keeps turning off on me and sometimes its hard to turnback on i heve to shake it and beat it to turn it back on can anyone help me??

  23. alysha says:

    hi iv just got a sci phone but when i put my sim in it it will not work iv tryed 3 difrent 1 now can eny 1 help me please thanks xx

  24. shaw says:

    I have tried a 2 gig and 4 gig memory card and neither one will work in my I9 phone it doesnt even show up when I put thememory card in the phone. It doesnt detect it. Please help

  25. georgia girl says:

    i got my sciphone 4 66.99 + s&h

  26. T says:

    hey, i have a d990i sci phone that needs a battery charger, does anyone know where i may find one at online, or at a store, i have checked with radio shack and att and neither one has them. Help,i need one asap

  27. lisa says:

    I just got my sci phone 9+++ which looks really awesome but the language is in chinese or vietnamese and I need it to be in English. Can somebody tell ne how to put this in English please? Thanx sure would appreciate it.

  28. trkkazulu says:

    I have a SciPhone i68 in red and it has been working perfectly for months. I didn’t use it for a week and now it doesn’t recognise SIM cards. I’ve tried three different and none of them work. I think i may need to reset my phone. Where would i find/get the PIN code for the phone?

    Thanks!

  29. bradley says:

    i need a PUk code for sim1 slot. i tried to change the password and now it has locked me out and i cannot use the phone at all for calls and texting or any other type of normal use. i can click on apps but they only go so far. IT is asking for a PUK code that needs to be 8 digitts long for to unlock. i need help, any suggestions?

    • TJ says:

      To get a PUK code you have to go to the provider that you got the SIM card from. They will give you the code to get into. whatever you do, DO NOT try to figure out the code yourself or the card will become permanently locked and you will have to purchase a new SIM. I learned that the hard way.

  30. Dapeng T2000 says:

    You guys should get the Dapeng T2000. Its the i-phone clone with the plug in qwerty keyboard. Took alot of research for right data options but I have everything working on AT&T. Internet, mms, sms, accelerometer, tons of free java software downloads from sites like getjar.com/mobile9/mobile24(must be in .jar format.) Youtube video streaming thru WIFI. Has built in tv and radio, pdf and ebook(text) reader. Dual cameras, dual sims, mp3, mp4, flv and 3gp player. Every bluetooth feature on the planet. Opera mini 4.2 is built in and you can get bolt browser aswell. Paid only 130.00 for it but you could probably find it for a hundred now. The only thing I dont like about it is that when I have a call I either have to talk with the qwerty case wrapped around my face or pop the phone out the case everytime. It functions like an I-phone without the qwerty case but the I love using it. The only thing I have not been able to do yet is stream videos through gprs but wifi works without a doubt.

    • tym says:

      I have a cd or dvd with software, games, apps wap mms settings, pics ringtones firmware etc also a programme to anable you to watch tv on your mobille (depending on handset) firmware will require an additional cable called “A FLASH CABLE” many of the i9+++ problems have been sorted with this cd / dvd… paypal only…..

  31. Keane says:

    I don’t know much about these iPhone clones but I read that the CECT i9 has wi-fi and bluetooth so I guess it’s good enough. My main concern that I couldn’t find direct answers for is the texting. Can anyone tell me if the buttons are as accurate on the clones as they are on the real iPhones?

    I don’t care if it doesn’t have games as long as it does have bluetooth, wi-fi, good battery life, a slot for a memory card, and that it’s pretty loud. Of course you want to hear it ringing while it’s in your pocket.

    - Thanks!

    • Price says:

      ive had mine for about a week now. the battery life seems pretty good. it comes with an extra one also. there is no wi-fi internet tho. you can run internet off wap or gprs. the ringtones seem pretty loud. the keypad for txting is a little smashed together but im getting used to it. im used to qwerty keyboards so its a change up. hope this was helpful. i like it btw.,
      Price

  32. mike says:

    were can i buy a sciphone i9 phone charger?

  33. Carlos says:

    I have a SciPhone I9+++i68 32 gb. Call me dumb but I can’t even open it up to install the battery and sim card! There is no flap. What am I missing?

  34. Lakeisha says:

    I just brought sciphone off ebay,nice phone but how do I install music and ringtone on my phone

  35. emkay says:

    how can I make my sciphone i9 3gs bought 2 weeks ago in Beijing to detect my 8gb memory card placed correctly on its slot?

  36. fireman69a says:

    i am thinking about buying one of these new sciphones can anyone tell me is it worth it to buy it. all i need it for is to text call and play music on. Ohh and also do u have to have 2 sim cards for it cause i only have one do i need to buy another one?

    • DrBobNM says:

      Fireman

      If your plan includes text, it is quite easy to do what you want to do, and no you do not need a second sim card.

      Prepaid plans are the way to go with these phones. No baggage from the carrier, or predatory locked in plans.

      hope this helps

  37. natalie says:

    i bought one of these fones christmas and still havnt got a clue how to put music on it,it didnt come with any disc so how do i install it.please somebody tell me…….

    • tym says:

      please email me at tymuth@hotmail.co.uk

      Hi guys. I have a cd or dvd with software, games, apps wap mms settings, pics ringtones firmware etc also a programme to anable you to watch tv on your mobille (depending on handset) firmware will require an additional cable called “A FLASH CABLE” many of the i9+++ problems have been sorted with this cd / dvd…

  38. norry says:

    hiiiiii
    i have a sciphone i9+++.and i want to change the theme,can someone tell me how?plz.

  39. Tym says:

    Hi guys. I have a cd or dvd with software, games, apps wap mms settings, pics ringtones firmware etc also a programme to anable you to watch tv on your mobille (depending on handset) firmware will require an additional cable called “A FLASH CABLE” many of the i9+++ problems have been sorted with this cd / dvd…

  40. Tiffany says:

    my friend sent me a vidieo and i cant see it. it like 20 secs long. my sci i9 phone downloads it bu i cant see it. any help please?
    also, how do get java apps on it to work or where do i get new ones

  41. tym says:

    i have many games apps etc, still going strong so iv have incresed my capacity from cd to dvd, my rateings are high in other forums. tymuth@hotmail.co.uk

  42. ty says:

    i like my sciphone but i cant get my internet to work with my t.mobile plan. what do i need to do?

  43. Louise says:

    Hi bought a sci phone off ebay we are having trouble with talking on it , does anyone else have trouble what is happening is if you move the phone from being straight up and down you lose sound etc, and we can get on the internet as we arent obviously GPRS does anyone know how to fix this as the intsructins were pretty useless or if ther eis a sight we can go to cheers

  44. towfeeq says:

    how can i download softwares from internet which r accessible to this phone

  45. george says:

    hi, i just have one problem, i can´t view the pictures in all the screen,when i select the picture, it shows a menu that only give few options like, for wallpaper,to send,delete,storage and cancel, it dosn´t give me the option to viewit so i can slides from picture to picture, i hope some one can helpme, iven lokin trought all menus and just wont work. saludos.

  46. Hillie says:

    I have just purchased a sci-phone from e-bay and am probably being thick but I can’t get it started. I have charged the battery, installed a sim but when I press the home button it lights up and makes a niose but remains blank. The instructions say ‘slide’ but slide what? If I slide the phone the back comes off? Help please.

  47. slinger says:

    How do I remove apps. that I dont want ?

  48. vicki heard says:

    my slide bar is taking several slides to work,any suggestions?do you need both sim cards for it to work properly?

Post a Comment:

Want a personal avatar on your comments? Sign up for a free Gravatar now!

Spam protection by WP Captcha-Free

Categories: Media Players Mobile Tech

Tags:        


« Previous Post Next Post »
« Home Comment »
Subscribe to Technabob

Got a Tip? E-mail Technabob!