Got $135 to Spare? Beguile Onlookers With This Convincing iPhone 14 Pro Ripoff

Chinese brand LeEco has launched a new smartphone that can only be described as a shameless knockoff of the iPhone 14 Pro series, right down to the triple-lens rear camera design and Dynamic Island. But look closer and there are some unwelcome hidden surprises.

leEco iphone 14 ripoff
Called the LeEco S1 Pro and costing 899 Yuan ($135), the copycat device is certainly more affordable than Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro models starting at $999, but as you might imagine, the makers have cut several corners when it comes to the specifications.

For starters, the 6.5-inch display uses an LCD panel rather than OLED, while the resolution is 1600 x 728 with a 60Hz refresh rate. Compare that to the 2556 x 1179 resolution and variable 120Hz refresh rate on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, and it's already clear that we're comparing apples and oranges.

The Dynamic Island-like pill shape at the top of the display houses a 5MP selfie camera, but alas, no Face ID (there's a fingerprint sensor on the side of the handset) although the cutout is said to be fully interactive. But any remaining hope that this could work as a like-for-like substitute for Apple's premium offering falls flat when you consider the rear of the device, which comes with a whopping functionality caveat.

LeEco iphone 14 clone
The triple-lens housing on the back actually contains only a single working 13MP camera – the other two holes are entirely redundant. Still, onlookers would be none the wiser, and clearly that's the point: Owners get to show off the premium aesthetic of an ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, just without the costly hardware or features that underpin its premium status.

The handset comes in titanium black and blue. Powered by a Zhanrui T7510 chipset, the LeEco S1 Pro comes in a single configuration featuring 8GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and support for 5G connectivity, courtesy of Huawei Mobile Services.

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Top Rated Comments

chabig Avatar
30 months ago
I'm actually impressed they can make and sell a working knock off for $135.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1557750 Avatar
30 months ago
I don’t know… When I have a $135 to spare, I use it on the charging bricks that should’ve come with my Apple products to begin with.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
meady100 Avatar
30 months ago
In 2023 smartphones are so ubiquitous and vanilla, no one is remotely interested in what you use, let alone beguiled.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MBX Avatar
30 months ago
And they managed to make the bezels super thin unlike Apple.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JM Avatar
30 months ago
At least SOMEONE is delivering on Macrumors’ forum demands for TouchID, absence of PWM, and a less expensive premium device.

I think LeIco, I mean LeEco, really nailed it. ??

?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorpit Avatar
30 months ago

Like buying a kit car that resembles a Shelby Cobra or Porsche 356 Speedster.
Except those don't steal all of your personal information and sends it back to the CCP. Unless of course your knock-off Cobra or 356 has the new LeEco KarPlay head unit. ?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)