If we didn’t see the video with our own eyes, we would definitely say that this is some sort of joke. No such luck however. Reminiscent of the NokLa knock-off devices issued shortly after each new Nokia release, iRiver has shamelessly cloned the iPhone and chosen to wear it publicly as a badge of courage. Debuted at CES, iRiver’s enormous lawsuit waiting to happen is essentially a Linux-based iPhone with an uglier UI and an uglier body. The application icons are iPhone rips, the application interfaces themselves are iPhone rips and the form factor is an iPhone rip. Japanese tech companies have historically been known for innovation; taking existing technology and vastly improving upon it. We can only hope that South Korean companies aren’t shooting for the opposite label! iRiver’s apparent motivation behind this massive blunder is to provide an iPhone-like experience but add 3G to the equation. Ummm, have they not been reading the news? The 3G iPhone announcement is coming shortly and it will be available later this year. iRiver also states that this device will be “more affordable” than the iPhone, making it more accessible. We don’t care. Bottom line: Many, many people need to be fired over this. Many people…
iRiver Wins Today’s WTF?!? Award with Their iClone
Published Jan 9th, 2008 3:18PM EST
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.
Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.
His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.
