Tiger G3: Phony Hero
| by Rob Jackson on September 28th, 2009 |
When we say “phony” we don’t mean the type that allows you to place mobile phone calls. Nope, not at all – we mean FAKE. Put the Tiger G3 right next to the HTC Hero and let us see what we have:
It even has the chin! But wait a minute? Interestingly enough, the cloning company doesn’t seem to have skimped when it comes to the OS:
This is not the case here with the Hero clone which is of course loaded with Google’s Android platform. Android is based on the Linux kernel and is developed by the Open Handset Alliance and licensed under the Open Source GPL v2 license. While this means it’s free for shanzhai manufacturers to use it’s actually not as easy to deploy as you might first expect. Android is designed to work on the ARM processors that power our cell phones, but there are many other pieces to the puzzle that are needed to make it work. In fact it takes a great deal of customization within the OS to get it implemented on any given ARM SOC, indeed these SOCs or System on Chips are seldom ever the same.
I’m assuming then that the TigerG3 and its Google Android OS is either the product of some really hard work to implement Android, or it uses the exact same processor platform that the original HTC Hero does. My money is on the latter scenario. But hey, if you have any insight, please chip in with a comment.
And furthermore, if you look at the specs you’ll notice they are kind of kick-butt considering the clone status:
- Dual sim standby
- Dual camera
- Analog TV
- FM Radio
- Wi-Fi
Downfalls are that the camera is 1.3MP, memory is only internal memory is only 71.8MB and it only expands to a maximum 4GB exernal. I KNEW it sounded too good to be true. Plus take the fact that the Tiger G3 is a shameless clone and I can only guess that the performance is subpar at best. But coming in at only $140 we’re half tempted to try it just for the fun of it. Or maybe we’ll let you be the guinea pig and report back to us…
[Via Shanzai, thanks Pete!]
1. ruben wrote on September 28, 2009
I would lux to try how can I get one and will it work in the US with t mobile
2. ruben wrote on September 28, 2009
Just saw Ur article on the tiger g3 Android phone , do u where I can buy it and if works in the Us with t mobile . Thanks really enjoy Ur work
3. jerry wrote on September 28, 2009
This is, I think, exactly what MANY of us have been waiting over 2 years for. Do you have the link for where to buy? (preferably an english store).
Contrary to you, I don’t think there’s any reason to believe this phone’s performance would be sub-par; speially if, as you state, they use the exact same SoC that HTC does. And besides, as far as I knew, clone phones’ sluggishness was due to their crappy OS’s, but if this is really running android… As I said, what many of us had been waiting for (and who didn’t want to either dish out $500 or sell out souls to some carrier).
Very exciting news indeed.
4. Noel wrote on September 28, 2009
on its website it says iphone like user interface. I doubt that is the real android. Its more likely to be the same as the sciphone.
5. Phonebricker wrote on September 28, 2009
Did anyone notice the site name is right in the damn picture!! Come on people.. have some coffee and try again.. hahaha
6. Phonebricker wrote on September 28, 2009
One for us english readers is davismicro dot com
7. Noel wrote on September 28, 2009
If you go to linbow.com you can view pics of the user interface. It is definitely not android and the same as the sciphone – cect etc… It also says Google G1 cool “appearance” — its not the real thing
8. levo wrote on September 28, 2009
Seroiusly, can anyone proveide a link orsomething to the webpage to buy it ??? It really sounds great.
9. some1 wrote on September 28, 2009
crap memory specs and camera bzzzzt try again
10. Dennis wrote on September 28, 2009
The Hero has become cool enough to be cloned.. but like others, in looking at it, I don’t think this clone is Android.
11. Terence Cruz wrote on September 28, 2009
I bought one of those SCIPHone.. IT SUCKS.. it was a mixed android symbian UI.. it was the worst thing I bought.. I will probably never buy from those China Knock Off Sites… What a waste of $125.. Be careful.. the phone kinda looked like the HTC Dream but man.. when you opened it and used it.. it was a freaking nightmare!
12. stormrider81 wrote on September 28, 2009
i’ll buy it this weekend they usually sell those at computer shows they have one this weekend
13. lspci wrote on October 21, 2009
Is it an Android phone?
14. Rocky wrote on December 22, 2009
please contact with huangyan32@hotmail.com about the HTC G3 price.
15. babak63 wrote on February 22, 2010
As Terence said it SUCKS. I have wasted money to get one and now I am so upset. pice of junk. stay away from these fake phones.
16. Gustavo Melo wrote on February 23, 2010
Is it possible to update this to 2.0/2.1 ?
17. skye wrote on March 31, 2010
i dont think this phone actually has android on it, you can search on ebay and from the photos it sure looks like a sci phone like os