Rae Edwards asked: I have spent the last year and a half using, examining, and rating the iPhone clones. For most of that time, the phone which I was asked the most about was the P168. This original iClone was a slam dunk best seller as it was extremely close to iPhone both in terms of use and features, but it also had bonuses like an extra sim slot and FM radio. Over time, there were several upgrades and improvements to this original, including the HiPhone, the SciPhone, and most lately the i9. I have not seen a phone get as much attention and fanfare as the 168 until the release of the current i9. I’m often asked for a review on this phone or “just how good it is.” I’ll attempt to address these things in this article.
What The i9 Has That The CECT P168 Lacks: First off, the i9 is at least in theory similar to the iClone. It’s based on the iPhone and looks like the Apple version. It allows for talking, texting, web browsing, MP3 / MP4 use, Bluetooth use, and FM radio. It has a digital camera and web cam and an ebook reader. It also has things like handwriting recognition and voice recording.
But, there are a couple of places where the i9 is different and some would say superior, as follows.
It’s Not As Fat Or As Heavy: Currently, the Apple model weighs about 133 grams and measures 115.5 X 62.1 X 12.3 mm. The original iClone weighed about 135 grams and measured 115 X 61 X 11.6 mm. The new i9 weighs only 95 grams and measures around 110 X 60 X 11.5 mm, so it’s smaller, lighter and sleeker. Many people like this smaller size as a common complaint of the 168 is that it was too wide and bulky.
Upgrades And Extras: There have been a few additions to the 9, as follows:
Shake And Tilt Control: This feature was made popular by the HiPhone. It allows you to advance music and media by shaking the phone. You can also tilt it to bring the screen or picture to wide screen.
Java: The original clones did not include Java 2.0 which allows for third party downloads and applications. The i9 does, which means you can enjoy things like Outlook, Skype, MSN, and Word.
Dual Sim Active: Most all of the clones are dual sim which allows two phone numbers or plans. Many use this to have one line for work and one for home. Or, many will have one talk sim and one data / Internet sim. The difference with the i9 is that both sims can be active at once without having to switch back and forth.
Quad Band: The first iClone was a tri band, which covered most consumers but not all. The 850 MHZ was not included with this which left some consumers out. The i9 is a quad band which means that as long as you are using a network that uses a GSM sim card, this will work fine.
A Better Camera: The camera on this one is slight upgrade from 1.3 MP to 2.0 MP. All of the clones take nice photos though.
Faster: This phone can support up to 8GB which ensures that it stays pretty speedy.
By and large, I find this to be a great phone. It functions like the original at a much lower price and it doesn’t require a contract. It also has two sim slots which is quite useful for most people, it has included Java, and it has the shake control feature which is a unique, if not quirky, little feature. The sound, video, and photo quality are all good. And, in my opinion, the phone is very solid and most people are surprised that they like it as much as they do.
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