* Last year at about Christmas time, I started researching and writing about the iPhone clones. At that time, the CECT iClone (P168) was the darling of the day. I figured this dominance would last for a few months and then taper off, but I was mostly wrong. Although other novelty phones did become very popular and gain some ground (particularly shake and tilt models like A88 and A380i), the P168 was, for a very long time, still the stand out best seller.
* But, recently that has been changing. Two knocks offs have risen to the top of the clone heap - these are the CECT i9 and the CECT M88 (aka MiPhone.) This article will discuss the similarities and the differences between the two so that you can determine which may work best for you.
* Features: Both of these phones have your basic specs of the clones including the ability to browse the Internet, use Bluetooth, listen to MP3s and watch MP4s. There are also built in digital cameras / web cams, FM radios, e book readers, and handwriting recognition.
*Both of these phones are quad band, working worldwide on most all GSM carriers. You can typically just pop your sim card into the phone and you're good to go.
* And, very importantly to a lot of consumers, both support Java downloads, software, and applications. This allows for thousands of gaming possibilities (many of them free), as well as popular Microsoft (and others) productivity software like MSN, Word, Outlook, Excel, etc.
*But, here one major place is where they differ. The M88 MiPhone also has WiFi, Windows Mobile (6.0) and GPS. For people who need these feature, this can make a huge difference. I find that the M88 often (but not always) appeals a lot to people who want to work and input data away from the office whereas the i9 appeals to a lot of folks who use the phone more for surfing the web and listening to music / watch movies more for entertainment (although you can do this on both phones.)
* Sim Slots: One thing that makes the CECT i9 so popular is that it has dual sim active which means that not only does it have two sim slots with which you can have two networks or phone numbers, but both can be online at once. So, you could be texting or viewing a web site on AT&T and accepting a call on T Mobile. This can be important for people who are concerned about missing calls.
The M88 is single sim and does not have this feature.
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Shake And Tilt (AKA Shake Control or "Shake To The Music"): One reason that the i9 can be considered more of a novelty phone is because it has the "shake and tilt" feature which means that you advance songs, video, wallpapers, media, etc. by only shaking it. And, the phone will right it's picture every time you tilt it. It goes from portrait to landscape with the flick of your wrist.
The i9 has this feature. The M88 does not.
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Size: The 9 is much smaller and sleeker, and is sometimes called a mini. The 88 is full sized, which is appropriate since most people find inputting data into a larger phone an easier task.
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Cost: Price wise, you'll often pay more for the M88 (which runs an average of around the $200 price range) than you will for the i9 (which you can often get in the $100 range.)
* However, as I said earlier these two phones (at least in my opinion) tend to appeal to different subsets of consumers. Every consumer is different of course, but it appears to me that the MiPhone typically appeals more to business people or students who value it's productivity, while the i9 appeals more to people who value the Java gaming downloads and the shake and tilt that is used for MP3s and MP4s.
