goophone-i5sJust like every other Apple release, scores of eager Apple fanatics will wait in line for hours (or days) in order to be one of the first to get their hands on the new iPhone5S. But for those who are so eager they can’t wait for the rumored August 2013 release, there is now an alternative to waiting: purchase the Goophone i5S, China’s knockoff iPhone5S, on sale now.

In what is perhaps a combination of “Google” and “iPhone5S,” the Goophone i5S looks very similar to Apple’s popular smartphone but doesn’t quite have the same capabilities:

OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean

CPU: 1GHzMediaTek MT6577 (Dual core)

RAM: 512MB

Display: 4 inches (854×480 pixels)

Front camera: 1.3 megapixels

Back camera: 5.0 megapixels

In addition, the Goophone i5S can only connect to 3G networks, unlike the iPhone5S which has 4G LTE capabilities. The one advantage the Goophone i5S has over the real iPhone is price. At $149.99, the Goophone i5S might attract consumers looking for a bargain despite its inferior capabilities.

Last year, Goophone managed to release its version of the iPhone5 before Apple. In a surprising move, Goophone then patented their “iPhone5” design and threaten to sue Apple for patent infringement. We await this year’s iPhone5S lawsuit.

▼  The reverse side of the Goophone i5S complete with Goophone’s trademark honeybee logo.

goophone-i5s

▼ Goophone i5S demo video.

[ Read in Japanese ]