Polaroid, once the first name in instant camera tech, are now in trouble with Oppo after showing off an Oppo N1 clone at this past CES.
Polaroid, like many film based camera makers, has suffered in recent years as photographers move to digital cameras and smartphone camera become more and more advanced.
To keep their head above water, Polaroid have diversified their range of products and now sell wireless printers and now an Android smartphone with their own branding. Their phone, the ‘Selife’is what has Polaroid in hot water as it is a blatant rip-off of the Oppo N1.
The design, size and rotating camera design of the Polaroid Selfie are all 1:1 copies of the Oppo N1. It in fact seems that the Selife is simple a rebranded iNew V8 which has been on the market through Chinese resellers for a few months now.
Oppo have responded to the launch of the Polaroid Selifie with the following statement:
Gizchina News of the week
It was recently reported that the Polaroid Selfie smartphone released at the CES 2015 has a remarkably similar design to the patented rotating camera phone OPPO N1. However, OPPO has not licensed the design of the rotating camera to any third parties, nor has us done that in any OEM way. We will continue to keep track of the event and reserves the right to take further legal action.
OPPO is committed to delivering our customers with the most delightful electronic experience that is full of surprises through meticulous designs and smart technology. OPPO holds strong respect to intellectual properties and any innovation of technology and design. Sustainable innovation sits at the core of our business, and has made OPPO being a mostly talked new brand in the mobile industry.
OPPO does not stop here with the rotating camera on N1. An upgraded model, the N3, was launched in late 2014 featuring a motorised rotating ‘selfie’ camera, which could rotate for 206 degrees and makes new shooting modes like auto panaroma possible. Perfect for hands free selfies!
It remains to be seen what Polaroid plan to do, and if Oppo will take legal action.
LOL, seriously dumb decision here
So it does matter if someone sells a clone phone outside China, but it seems nothing happens if you sell the clone phones in China, because I have not heard anything about it.
Not only this clone, but it seems other clones of famous Chinese and Western phone manufactures can be sold without any serious consequences in China
it is really good
no stupid patents, phones are cheaper
Unfortunately it seems pretty much anything goes in China. Just look at how many Chinese companies give a shit about the GPL licence.
China never singned international agreements about trade marks, patents, or intelectual property.
If they did, they wouldn’t be China.
LOL the irony is pretty strong here
Polaroid (the current iteration) is no stranger to allegations of copying others’ stuff. Polaroid’s device division mostly lives on rebranding random East Asian cameras, phones, tablets, etc. with minor alterations.
Why not Oppo take a jab against iNew for the latter’s phone V8 being a N1 clone?
iNew V8 haven’t been at CES
Compliments , no better phones to copy from ? Oppo is already orrible as it is ……
a chinese company complaining about copying…. LOL
It’s almost as if Polaroid sent it’s most naive executive to China to source a phone to put their name on and ended up at the wrong factory. One thing is for sure, that executive got treated to a fantastic night at KTV.
accompanied with a cute Chinese girl, who can possibly resists that?
LoL.
iNew V8 is 90% copy of Oppo N1. And Palaroid is 100% copy of iNew V8.