| 1. The Phone's Design | | | | have many of the features of last generation phones |
| Name brand phones most likely will have many testers | | | | and cost less to boot (and being easy to obtain). |
| and researchers whose primary concern is the | | | | 3. The Phone's OS (Operating System) |
| appearance and feeling of a phone. They work a long, | | | | Branded phones very commonly have made an OS |
| long time testing different appearances and designs in | | | | that differentiates itself from other phone's OSs, such |
| an effort in an attempt to produce a phone with a | | | | as the Blackberry OS or OS X iPhone. Sometimes, if |
| good look and that falls with a certain price range | | | | a company is cutting corners, they get rights to use |
| given to them from above. | | | | another companies OS (such as Windows Mobile) and |
| Chinese off brand phones almost always skip this | | | | leave it unaltered, or modify it to suit their own needs. |
| step. They usually will obtain a pre-existing phone case | | | | Chinese non brand phones are almost all using the |
| molding and then use their own electronics and | | | | same OS, known as the nucleus OS. For these |
| components inside. These moldings are often based | | | | manufactures, this is a very good choice as this |
| on internationally famous brands like the iPhone or a | | | | operating system is known for easy programing and |
| BlackBerry, and doing so makes a big proportion of the | | | | light weight structure, not using too much processing |
| Chinese manufactured phones look like fakes (in fact, | | | | speed (necessary with the MTK chipset), having no |
| that often is exactly what they have in mind when | | | | problems with supply since it is very common, and still |
| they buy the molding in the first place). Why this is so, | | | | giving the ability to make a phones interface look slick |
| besides trying to piggyback on a famous brands good | | | | if done right. All this adds up to less time and money |
| looks, is that it costs less to buy a molding for a phone | | | | spent during the development period for the phone. |
| than it is to do all the research, and produce your own. | | | | 4. The Phone's UI (User Interface) |
| 2. The Phone's Internal Chipset | | | | Name brand phones will use a user interface that is |
| Branded phones use a variety of different chips for | | | | custom tailored to their platform built off their OS. This |
| the cell phones that they make. Often the phone's | | | | is done in order that the phone can have a unique look |
| chipset are selected are done so in relationship of | | | | and feel that separates them from the pack of other |
| potential performance vs price. High MHz speeds | | | | cell phones. |
| within chips are invaluable when a phone is running | | | | No name phones too have the ability to design a wide |
| some of the flasher functions, so are a most when it | | | | variety of differing UIs when using the nucleus OS. |
| comes to the latest smartphones. Phones marketed to | | | | Many times however, they use this ability not to create |
| a lower end base can use chipsets that have a | | | | new interfaces to separate themselves from |
| processing rate that is much slower, making the price | | | | competitors, but mostly to just recreate better known |
| much lower in comparison. | | | | ones from brand name phones. This is done either to |
| Chinese off brand phones are almost certain to be | | | | match the user interface to a phone's case mold (also |
| running off only the MTK chipset. The MTK (MediaTek | | | | patterned on branded phones) or a quick and dirty |
| Inc) chipsets have two generations currently used in | | | | way to make an interface that looks great and |
| most of the phones. | | | | already has wide acceptance. An copied interface |
| The first generation (MTK6225) will often be used for | | | | that is often created for phones will be a variation of |
| lower cost phones, and not only giving a phone normal | | | | the icon driven interface that the iPhone made famous. |
| functions like calling and messaging, also lets the phone | | | | All in all, the manufacturers of the no name brand |
| have touchscreen capabilities, WAP internet | | | | phones do have the possibility of making some |
| capabilities, and standard multimedia abilities (like a | | | | devices that really are different (both in design and in |
| camera/ video camera, MP4 player, MP3 player, etc). | | | | system) as famous brand name phones, but since |
| On the other end is the MTK6235 which comes with | | | | they wish to keep cost down and profits high they will |
| faster MHz processing making lager screens possible, | | | | use any shortcuts possible. A good piece of advice to |
| higher res cameras, EDGE connection speed, and | | | | follow is you take care of any supplier that you have |
| internet connection via Wifi. | | | | from China. Their catalog may include tons of "Real" |
| Both of these chips are not comparable with chipsets | | | | cell phones at very low prices, and the cell phone might |
| from famous name brands in relation to pure speed | | | | even look just like a actual model, it could be that they |
| and power, however, to the Chinese no name cell | | | | are fake even so. Please do remember this when you |
| phone makers, they are a boon as they are able to | | | | purchase your phone from China. |