• On The Insider: Britney's Bikini-Clad Top 10
May 8, 2009 10:20 AM PDT

The best iPhone clone yet

by Kent German
  • Font size
  • Print
  • 53 comments

The D-8 is close, but no cigar.

(Credit: Beyond E-Tech)

iPhone clones (or iClones) are a dime a dozen, but this model caught my eye. Sold by Houston-based Beyond E-Tech, which also produces the Duet D888, the D-8 only would confuse someone who's been living in a bunker for the last three years.

It's about the same size as the iPhone, but the display is much smaller (2.8 inches) to make room for a calling controls, a dedicated music player button, and what look like soft keys. And to be honest, while the D-8 apparently has an accelerometer, I'm not even sure the 65,000-color display is a touch screen. But look at those (obviously photoshopped) feature icons.

Like the D888, the D-8 is a dual-SIM card phone so you can make calls and send texts from two numbers on the same device. That alone makes it the best iClone yet. Other features on the unlocked world phone include an FM radio, mobile TV, a 2-megapixel camera, basic organizer features, messaging, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, and a music player.

Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry. E-mail Kent.
Recent posts from Crave
Killer deals on BlackBerry, Droid, and Palm Pixi
This week in Crave: The boxed-in edition
Ricky Gervais helps reveal pain of cell phone salesmen
Indecent Exposure 68: Inky extents
Apple fixes AirPort problems marring video playback on 27-inch iMacs
iPhone: The board gamer's paradise
Can erasing your iPhone's memory improve performance?
Top 5 best products of the fall
Add a Comment (Log in or register) Showing 1 of 2 pages (53 Comments)
by myles taylor May 8, 2009 11:11 AM PDT
So what's the purpose of this? so people can buy it to make peopel think they have an iPhone at first glance?
Reply to this comment
by Fil0403 May 10, 2009 9:41 AM PDT
No, it's probably to have the same and who knows even more features for half the price, with the advantage of being compatible with every set of headphones and having a user-replaceable battery so you don't have to go to an Apple store and pay whatever they ask when the battery gets ruined.
by myles taylor May 10, 2009 5:17 PM PDT
@Fil0403 You're ridiculous.
by jay.butler May 10, 2009 6:58 PM PDT
It's like an iPhone minus the thousands of applications.
by irfanil May 8, 2009 11:18 AM PDT
i've seen a better clone... almost like iPhone with a bit small screen size and only home button... it has bluetooth and mms.

want picture?
Reply to this comment
by molotov May 8, 2009 11:43 AM PDT
The point of this is that you get what you will never get with an iPhone; SMS, video camera, FM, dual sim card, TV. I know I will be crucified by fangirls, but let the truth be told!
Reply to this comment
by cabrillo24 May 8, 2009 12:49 PM PDT
Truth be told: iphone has SMS and will have MMS come iPhone 3.0. If you have jailbreak an iphone you have video recording. FM radio? One of the reasons I bought an iPhone so I could listen to MY music, not listen to the same mainstream stuff every 2 minutes. Dual SIM card, I don't plan on leaving the country buddy. TV? Seriously, you want your iPhone to wipe your booty for you as well? No phone will do it all. You're just looking for a reason to hate it. Its a very good device that has improved by leaps and bounds every year.
by tcr071 May 8, 2009 1:50 PM PDT
I just send a picture message with my iPhone. It isn't jailbroken.
by fhegner May 12, 2009 3:46 AM PDT
Don't be fooled guys...I live here in Asia and roughly 6 months ago the Chinese developed an iClone that looks just like the iPhone with very crappy software (and no accelerometer). There are some touch functions, but let's face it....there are no games or worthwhile applications made for this phone. You can get an iClone for about $145 in Asia and what you get is dual sims, analog TV, and FM radio....this is a phone for cost-conscious Asians, not for spoiled Americans (like me). That is why I have the real deal. There is NO substitute...
by Gamerguy22 May 8, 2009 11:43 AM PDT
There going to sued over this for sure.
Reply to this comment
by irfanil May 8, 2009 12:14 PM PDT
sued?

u gotta be kidding me... it's been two years since these phones are around... u're seeing it now
Reply to this comment
by maury101 May 8, 2009 1:33 PM PDT
I think the the palm centro is the best phone out there, i had the iphone, im back with the centro because it simply does more, but if what you care about its mainly style, then the iphone is for you.
Reply to this comment
by TMU1006 May 8, 2009 3:41 PM PDT
The Centro? Sheesh. I love the Palm OS, but unless you have teeny tiny elf fingers, the Centro does NOT work.
Reply to this comment
by TheStairMaster May 9, 2009 5:34 PM PDT
I concur. The stylus isn't just for the screen, its for the keyboard as well
by gdavidgates May 8, 2009 7:26 PM PDT
Yep molotov, you were correct. It took exactly 1 hour for a fangirl (a.k.a. cabrillo24) to make an extremely weak argument for the iphone.
Reply to this comment
by BradTrinh24 May 8, 2009 10:23 PM PDT
Only people that hate on iPhone's are the ones that can't get it or afford it haha.
[CNET editor's note: Objectionable material deleted.]
by ManjyomeThunder May 8, 2009 10:50 PM PDT
@BradTrinh24

We aren't all rich, we can't all afford such an expensive phone, not it's high cost plan each month. It's quite rude of you to criticize those of us who don't, and can't. Some cheaper phones will do close to the same things, at a lower price.
[CNET editor's note: Objectionable material deleted.]
by TheStairMaster May 9, 2009 5:37 PM PDT
I love how Brad just inadvertently pointed out one of the least substantial, yet most appealing (to the general public) feature of the iPhone: it's a status symbol.
by Pard68 May 10, 2009 2:32 PM PDT
Only people without an iPhone are the ones who can't afford it? Lets see, also anyone who likes having good coverage, because AT&T coverage blows, anyone who is smart enough to release iTunes is the worlds largest rip-off, anyone who likes music enough to have more than 32gigs of music. The list is huge as to why someone would avoid the iPhone, I just listed the few that are my main reason for never getting one. It is also nice to have a phone and a music player separate from one another because if one fails you still got the other.
by lasteclispe May 11, 2009 9:26 AM PDT
LOL any good smart phone cost more than an Iphone. Apple came into the market trying to make a cheap smart phone so Its funny that idiots like you think the iphone is expensive.

As for me I will stick with my $600 HTC.

BTW the iphone is full of fail
Proof - look up user "lasteclispe" video on youtube.
by GothardJ May 9, 2009 12:44 AM PDT
What a stupid story. Doesn't tell us why it is the best iPhone clone yet, and really doesn't tell us anything about the phone. Seriously?? Why waste a story on something with such a lack of information. i expect better, cnet
Reply to this comment
by play7 May 9, 2009 3:07 AM PDT
Who really cares? why buy anything that seems to be a iphone when there better phones for sale then the Iphone. Problem is these types of rumor and attection sites like cnet only drive the people to buy products like the Iphone. Like all comments writters on cnet put out most of the time its just junk.
Reply to this comment
by play7 May 9, 2009 3:27 AM PDT
If you look on that site you notice many of brand names phones have been copied from major companies product lines. How they can get away with stealing ideas other then the Iphone is unthinkable. THis leads me to think why is cnet even promoto these product like this knowing the company is stealing and redesignng ideas? I wouldnt just this company let alone give payment info to them.
Reply to this comment
by mde215 May 10, 2009 10:18 PM PDT
Ok, granted it sorta looks similar to an iPhone, but other than that can you please explain what great technological advancements did the steal from iPhone?
by peterpv May 9, 2009 4:42 AM PDT
"...Its a very good device that has improved by leaps and bounds every year."

HAHAHAHA
Reply to this comment
by R.E.King May 9, 2009 6:26 AM PDT
Sounds a lot like iphone envy to me - lol.
Reply to this comment
by tbizcuit1 May 9, 2009 10:55 AM PDT
I have a mac, and apple products can be fantastic but the iphone is a mediocre sounding, medium featured phone which plays games and surfs the net better. It's an OK phone. The media package is overpriced and they are on the worst network out of them all. AT&T is just plain awful. Open it up to the other carriers, and watch what happens Apple. Wow, you'll sell even more.
Reply to this comment
by jajoson May 9, 2009 1:37 PM PDT
is this for real?
Reply to this comment
by play7 May 10, 2009 4:04 AM PDT
It seems some chinese have setup shop in texas selling copycat phones. Look this this screwy company has taken the best ( or they think they believe its the best ) Phones from around the world and selling these copycat phones. Paypal? You have to be joking.
by kinshin9 May 9, 2009 2:03 PM PDT
"no phone can do all" !!!?

samsung o.m.n.i.a :)
Reply to this comment
by SNOOP_ROCA May 9, 2009 2:57 PM PDT
I guess it looks good
Reply to this comment
by Fil0403 May 10, 2009 9:42 AM PDT
And it's probably better too.
by Fil0403 May 10, 2009 9:45 AM PDT
Does it add Flash? No. Does it add Java? No. Does it add Office? No. Does it add decent business integration and productivity? No.

Conclusion: as useless as a clone of a turd.
Reply to this comment
by Fil0403 May 10, 2009 9:46 AM PDT
I'm obviously assuming it doesn't add these features to the iPhone, which I believe it doesn't. That doesn't mean it doesn't add other features that make it actually better than the original.
by epgomez May 10, 2009 11:33 AM PDT
To all iphone worshippers here..... you're phone is not the greatest. It's not even at par with the other smartphones right now. If you just bought it so you can listen to music inspite of having a bad phone signal then you're just a fanboy that's it. Remember you're phone doesn't even multitask so what's high tech about that? Other brand smartphone users are already doing a lot of cool stuff on their phones and you don't even know bec you are all stuck with apple world and Steve says it's high tech and you believe him. Have a second look....
Reply to this comment
by montex66 May 10, 2009 10:19 PM PDT
Oooo! Boy did you give us the smack down! I'm just going to go hide my face in shame, you big bully!
by play7 May 11, 2009 2:10 AM PDT
um. you seems lost
by windooor7 May 10, 2009 2:30 PM PDT
IT MUST BE MEIZU M8 AND M9 infact they are not clones they are better. but the new iphone might turn any new phone into a clone overnight . and i think that why meizu is holding on to m9 to avoid dead on alive scenario
Reply to this comment
by geetmala2 May 30, 2009 7:59 PM PDT
I have never understood this so help me here guys. Ever since cell phones became main stream, they have lived with poor service, non-existent customer service, no value-add services, and shady marketing practices by cellular companies. I just don't get it why don't they ask for better service and better everything as they pay about 3-5 times more than the rest of the world pays for cell phone service.

I really like the iPhone and think that it's an incredibly cool device - but a device nonetheless. And will probably never buy an iClone as there are numerous better options are available in the rest of the world. While Stateside everyone obsesses about the iPhone and thousands of apps while paying through the nose for AT&T's incredibly bad service and limited features, rest of the world specially Asia enjoys (and has enjoyed) excellent cell service with total consumer freedom with REAL competition for our hard earned money. Case in point, we own our cell phones without 2 yr commitments and love having dual SIMS and other NECESSARY features such as over-the-air sync for address book, music, pictures, and FREE INCOMING CALLS, and extremely affordable unlimited SMS functions.

It even gets sweeter when I travel to EU and carry only one phone with a 5.1MP camera w/ flash. All I have to do stay connected locally and back home is to buy a one Euro local SIM and make/receive really inexpensive local calls while still being able to get important calls from back home. That is the REAL promise of technology and NOT that you check what some useless actor tweeting about at 4 am.

Every time I am in the US, I am baffled at the my utterly oblivious American friends who think that having 300 apps on their iPhone is why technology is invented and improved upon. When told about how rest of world makes good use of cell phones, most of the time, they try to justify in every which way their iPhone purchase and HIGH recurring monthly bill. They simply can't comprehend that someone from a tiny little Asian country can get superior voice quality, world-wide service, 4 G data speeds, unlimited SMS, TV, and high res stills all on one device and all for around $8/month and has the option to use any carrier anytime, any month, any where without signing over their first bron along with the 2 year committment.

Of BTW, we are very happy to pay full price for our nifty all-in-one cell phones and love upgrading them to newer better models whenever we like.
Showing 1 of 2 pages (53 Comments)

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

A CNET Conversation with Eric Schmidt

CNET's Tom Krazit and Molly Wood sit down with Google CEO Eric Schmidt to discuss the future of Android, the Chrome OS, the problem of real-time search indexing, and more.

Verizon tests sending RIAA copyright notices

The No. 2 phone company, known for its reluctance to intervene in antipiracy cases, strikes an agreement to forward copyright notices on behalf of the music industry.