This is quite long but very interesting how far "china phones" have come

wasconet.com:



The Evolution Of China Phones In Nigeria


China phones as they are been called over the years have passed through a phase of meaning fake cheap phones to meaning phones with same features with the world’s best phones like Samsung, iPhones, Motorola etc at a cheaper price.


It was April 2004 that I personally came across the first china phone in Nigeria, the time at which people have embraced cell phones in Nigeria and demanded more features from the popular mobile phones available then like Nokia, Samsung, Eriksson, Siemens etc.

My first encounter with a china phone was on a bus shuttling from Mile 2 to somewhere within the Apapa axis of Lagos State, Nigeria. We were held up in little packets of traffic stops and the midday heat was making me and just about everyone else egdy, then enters a deafening sound that startled almost everyone, it was so loud and disturbing that the thought of the sound coming from a phone was unfathomed. The mystery was immediately resolved when this middle aged man pulled out the “noise source” from his pocket, ended the noise, and preceded with a “hello”……. This was the first time i had heard a phone ring that loud. Its sound was unconventionally loud and the sound quality harsh. On close examination, i found the name of the phone to be “NOKIQ” written in semblance to one of the most powerful brands NOKIA. The screen was large but the graphic user interface was very sharp on the contrast and brightness. Long story short, it looked like poor imitation of a product that was already on the market. This marked the ever first phase of china phones in Nigeria.

These phones were cheap, they look like a sham, but they were very efficient. These phones even dared to posses features that their European and American counterparts didn’t. Features like dual SIM slots, and local Chinese games. One thing was certain. These new kids on the block meant business. They had acquired, they were imitating and where bent on overtaking their more recognized rivals.

Most of the china phones in Nigeria at the time were made by rogue companies who were in the business strictly for piracy. Phone names like SAMSONG, ERIKSSQN and NOKING were the most common Chinese imitations available; of course the names were deliberately spelt wrong so as to avoid the appropriate authorities.

It was a catch with low income earners. But some Nigerians for reasons of poor aesthetic qualities stayed away from these Chinese phones. It was for some a social taboo to be found with these phones.

A year later enters what appeared to be a game changer. A new breed of branded Chinese phones began to flood the Nigerian market. They looked smart and more refined and not forgetting that their phones now came with a pack of complete accessories that had a more comprehensive user manual that wasn’t all written in mandarin.

The Ningbo Bird company founded in 1992 was ahead of the pack having won several awards in China including “The China Famous Brand” award in 2003. Bird phones like the S288, S1160, S1160 plus and S1186 were instant favorites. There was still a very mild sense of imitation in terms of phone build but you had to credit their competitive perseverance to play with the big kids on the block. More Nigerians began to reconsider their once choleric view of these china phones to a more accommodating one. These phones once known for bad quality began to have some semblance of professionalism. Most people then don’t consider such phones as china phones as it was then settled that the name china phone means cheap fake phones which a brand like bird was not, so it was not considered a “china phone”.

Meanwhile other Chinese phone makers who were still in the business of piracy started making bolder statements in terms of how ruthless they would attack their victims. Their phones would now be identical in build and carry the exact same brand name of their-would be prey. Nokia and Samsung where hit the hardest. Other chiness phone makes came into the show and starting making similar phones to those making imitations but they carried their own indigenous names like Tecno, iTel etc. But most of these phones even with their suppose cool features can still be identified as china fake phones with very harsh loud sounds, no internal memory as most will have just 200kb internal storage. This marked the second phase of china phones in Nigeria.

Fast-forward several years later when smart phones would make a debut in Nigeria, china phones didn’t take long to respond to the challenge. While the whole world was being wowed by the vicious tech-war between the likes of Apple, Samsung, LG, and Motorola. China phones weren’t that far behind. As usual they started out making poor imitations of already existing smart phones.

The transition from making poor imitations to actually coming up with something indigenous didn’t take long owing to the facts that first of all, the most popular operating system for smart phones. The Google Android was Open Source meaning that anyone could use use/manipulate the OS without fears of being hunted down for piracy. This would save the time and cost it would take to develop an operating system which was the most difficult thing to do on a smart phone at the time. This marks the third phase of china phones in Nigeria.

Secondly, Many Chinese powerhouses that were already a household name in the supply of telecommunication equipment began to venture into the smart phone industry. Huawei, ZTE Cooperation, HTC, and Lenovo Cooperation were financially capable to undertake the smart phone challenge. And they did it superbly. They were now able to match the firepower of their western and Korean/Japanese competitors. Soon other Chinese companies like Xiaomi, Tecno Mobile, Infinix, Innjoo and Gionee joined the smart phone race and have been very successful as most Nigerians now have come to embrace the fact that just because it’s a china phone doesn’t make it a fake phone. Now about 3 out of every 5 Smart Phones in Nigeria are made by Chinese companies.

It’s been more than a decade since these phones took the Nigerian market by storm. From being the rejected stone to being the chief cornerstone. Currently pushing big names like Blackberry, Nokia and Motorola almost out of the market.
They came. They saw and they indeed conquered.

Source: Wasconet.com: The Evolution Of China Phones In Nigeria

It might worth FP for Tech readers


Lalasticlala Ijebabe Mynd44

You tried Op Well done

Nice write up.

But I think your definition of "china phone" is quite Different from mine. I see china phone as substandard! So once a phone meets standards, its no longer "china phone" even if its made in china by Chinese.

Therefore, I call substandard phones made in other part of the world, even nigeria, "china phone"

So "china phone" to me is a noun
Yours is an Adjective relating to phones that come from china, whereas not all phones that come from china are substandard. so i cant and don't relate to phones such as infinix as "china phone"

BTW there was no point in/of the whole article (my own personal feeling)

Nice

PhonePlanet:
Nice write up.

But I think your definition of "china phone" is quite Different from mine. I see china phone as substandard! So once a phone meets standards, its no longer "china phone" even if its made in china by Chinese.

Therefore, I call substandard phones made in other part of the world, even nigeria, "china phone"

So "china phone" to me is a noun
Yours is an Adjective

BTW the was no point in/of the whole article (my own personal felling feeling)

Calling any substandard phone a "china phone" is lame to me though.

Chinese phones have come a long way.. In CDQ's voice-Made in China yato si phone tan duplicate.

adewasco2k:


Calling any substandard phone a "china phone" is lame to me though.

Thanks for the correction...

Its not lame. It has just become a noun over the years, it happens with every other aspect of live

Why all this lengthy write ups because of china phones.

End time op taking about End time china phones in this End time planet.

Nice write up...hailings ops.






In another news, stop hiding in shame: www.nairaland.com/2852801/top-secret-make-stick-love

Lol. chinko of life

My dad used "Bird"

Reminds me,

When I was in secondary school, when people ask what's the make of my dad's phone, I tell them Bird but they dont believe. They'll say there's no phone like that.

It got worse, when my dad started using "Eagle" they laughed and said I was lying. I couldnt convince them that those phones truly exist, until a visiting day, I was so happy that I grabbed my dad's phone and ran to the hostel. The rest they say is History

My Epistle

So true lol.... Is Tecno owned by Tekno

Nice write up...

good. What about the iPhones

New video from J JORDS. Promote your boy. Thank you.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOEySe50Dk

adewasco2k:
This is quite long but very interesting how far "china phones" have come



Source: Wasconet.com: The Evolution Of China Phones In Nigeria

HTC isn't a Chinese brand

Thebrightest:
FIRST TO COMMENT.
Thanks to the fast 3g network on my infinix phone

.

Hmmmm


Your case be like tecno imitating nokia handshake

chaii

adewasco2k:
This is quite long but very interesting how far "china phones" have come



Source: Wasconet.com: The Evolution Of China Phones In Nigeria

.....

i remember the first time I saw a China branded java OS phone (NOKLA) with my neighbor and i was pissed and labeled the phone nonsense. That phone had horrible audio coming from its speakers as the fm radio could function without an antenna.


fast forward to this present day.... My China Phone inventory is about 500k and I carry 3 Chinese phones with me everywhere I go with pride.


I use a Jiayu G4S, Hisense U971 and a Letv Le 1 x600.


I am addicted to Chinese Phone Brands....I sell them too

PhonePlanet:
Nice write up.

But I think your definition of "china phone" is quite Different from mine. I see china phone as substandard! So once a phone meets standards, its no longer "china phone" even if its made in china by Chinese.

Therefore, I call substandard phones made in other part of the world, even nigeria, "china phone"

So "china phone" to me is a noun
Yours is an Adjective

BTW the was no point in/of the whole article (my own personal feeling)

Do you have Nigerian phone at least. The Op brought out the evolution of a country developing at a fast pace and you are saying that they are substandard.

Will you be happy if the name of your country is used synonymously to substandard.

Grow up

Still don't fancy them

Not only china phones again o. We now have them virtually in all aspect of Naija projects like china road engineering(ccecc etc) , china rail engineering, and so on. Dont know what they will do if they come air transportation. Chinko airline....lol

sirlop:

HTC isn't a Chinese brand

Says who

Says me... Google it...it's a Taiwanese company

OK nah