Fake iPhones and Nokias make the world go round

I have just returned from a 3-week trip to Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, an odyssey that fascinated me and left me changed forever, not only because of the stunning magical landscapes and temples, but also because of the wonderful people I’ve met along the way. In between visits to Buddhist temples and shrines, I visited the local markets to see what people buy and sell, and to get a sense of how people live (or at the very least, what they eat). Local markets are even more fascinating than temples and museums, and being a gadget freak, gravitated quite naturally to the small shops selling mobile phones.

In Luang Prabang, Laos, I was fascinated by the fake iPhones, Blackberries and yes, Nokias (see this report: Nokia – One Out of Five Phones is Fake). Check out these Buddhist monks eyeing the latest fake iPhone (only $6), which I photographed in greater detail in the bottom photo. The interface is similar to the iPhone with the same icons for Safari, Address Book and more, except of course, you cannot download apps from the App Store (unless some super genius Chinese hacker has already figured out a way to do so). Most of the fakes are from China and they are quite impressive!

Monks shopping for fake iPhones in Luang Prabang, Laos

Real iPhone (left), Fake iPhone (right) in Laos

© 2011 MuniWireless. All Rights Reserved.

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