According to today's news in MING PAO WEEKLY, Hong Kong, China has already succeeded in producing counterfeit Apple iPads. Electronic companies in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province announced the release of counterfeit iPads for 2000 yuan (US$290). The price is half of the original.
The companies are planning to release these counterfeit products on the same date as Apple is scheduled to launch the iPads in America. President Xiong Yiwei of Shenzhen Huayi said, "After developing modules, we basically made the designs to look like a jumbo iPhone. The profit margin of counterfeit cell phones reached up to 30 percent in the past, but only 10 yuan (US$1.50) profit margin is made per one product. We had a great expectation of netbooks last year, but only 100 yuan (US$15) profit margin was made. The success of iPhonish product is a matter of life or death for us."
About 400 counterfeit electronics companies in Shenzhen City believe that the tablet PC is the most profitable item, but since the counterfeits' OS is incomparable to the original iPads, the consumers' may raise the white flags in Shenzhen City.
Apple iPads are ready to be sold in America on April 3. By the end of April, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Australia, Italy, Japan, France, England, and Canada will sell iPads in their countries while the rest of the countries are left as "consideration". Shenzhen has taken this news as an opportunity to take counterfeit iPad pre-orders. Meanwhile, in Zhongguan Town, the Silicon Valley of Beijing is accumulating confusion in the market by providing iPads by next month at the pre-order price of 4980 yuan (US$730).