Remember the GooPhone i5 iPhone 5 clone? Here's a review

While we can’t really claim secrets are better kept in the Android décor than in Apple’s world, especially now, we can’t help but laugh our behinds off whenever iPhone clones looking exactly like the originals come out before the authentic devices.

But iPhone 5’s launch was even more special and amusing than usual. And not just because we saw Apple stoop to one of its lowest levels ever by calling the new device a major upgrade for simply featuring a bigger display and “groundbreaking” 4G LTE speeds.

No, the thing that made the release special was the preceding unveiling of the GooPhone i5 and the threats that came with it. For a second there we even thought GooPhone would go through with it and sue Apple for copying.

Of course, that never happened, but that doesn’t mean GooPhone can’t still be a worthy adversary for Apple, if not in a court of law then on the actual market. Because guess what, the i5 is out and about, and, according to a GizChina review, it looks pretty awesome.

But before getting down to the actual review, let’s have a quick rundown of the specs:

• 1 GHz dual-core MT6577 CPU
• 1 GB of RAM
• 4-inch 960 x 540 pixels resolution screen
• Android 4.0 ICS with iOS 6 skin
• Dual 8 MP/1.3 MP cameras
• 32 GB of on-board storage
• GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz and 3G WCDMA 850/2100 MHz support
• 1,522 mAh battery

Okay, so that’s definitely not an ideal set of features, right? The processor is very last year, the display’s resolution is so far off today’s greats that makes even the original iPhone 5 look good, the battery is measly at best and not even the cameras are awfully special.

But hold your horses now, because the GooPhone i5 is anything but another cheap Shanzhai knock-off. In fact, the design makes our good friend Andi Sykes call this bad boy a “masterpiece”. The feel is identical to that of the iPhone 5, the build quality looks flawless at a first sight, while the weight reaches a mere 108 grams (4 grams less than Cupertino’s flagship).

Of course, it’s not all about the looks. In fact, one of the things that are often more disturbing at Chinese clones than cheap build quality is clunky software. But that’s not the case at all here, because GooPhone apparently manages to come up with “the ultimate Android/iOS mash-up”.

That’s definitely not a good thing if you’re a hardcore Android fan that aches at seeing his precious tainted, but if you can appreciate iOS 6’s ease of use and sleekness you’ll love this fellow. There’s even a lost twin of Siri’s that has apparently grown up in a Chinese household.

Moving on to the display, performance and cameras, we’ll find a number of things off with GooPhone’s i5, which considerably bring down the device’s overall value. Then again, this is a Chinese clone after all, so if you’re looking for perfection you’ll have to knock on other doors.

We however are in a good mood and we’d rather focus on the good things. Like the fact that the i5 is unlikely to cripple sales of genuine Android devices and will instead grab the attention of Apple fanboys looking to save some dough while still feeling good about themselves. Ah, the little joys of life!