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Brazilians Can Now Buy an "iPhone" Loaded With Android

Posted by samzenpus on from the a-phone-by-any-other-name dept.

Andy Prough writes "If you happen to be in Brazil and have 599 reals jingling in your pocket ($304 US dollars or £196), you can buy an iPhone — that runs Android. Gradiente Electronica, which registered the 'iPhone' name in Brazil in 2000, has won the right to sell its iPhone Neo One, an Android phone running version 2.3, Gingerbread. Gradiente won the ruling from the Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), despite Apple's argument that Gradiente should lose the right to 'iPhone' because it had not used the name between 2008-2012. Apple retains the right to appeal the case, and Gradiente now has the right to sue Apple for exclusivity in Brazil. If Gradiente wins, the only iPhones sold in Brazil would have a picture of a cute green robot on the box cover."

2 of 263 comments (clear)

  1. This is stupid. by RocketRabbit · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I know the FanDroid sentiment is high here on SlashDice, but this story is stupid, the idea is stupid, and the company is stupid. Plus, what the hell is up with selling a phone that has an OS that's quite a few years out of date? This isn't good for Android in any way, and does little to rehabilitate the world view of Brazil as a haven for the theft of intellectual property either.

    I mean, they're better than China in this respect, but sheesh.

  2. Re:Actually we don't Android in Bazil too. :) by hjf · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Apple DOES NOT sell their phones "officially" in Brazil or Argentina (and most of latin america).

    In fact, Apple only sells to US/Can/EU/AUS/JP (and counted exceptions) and pretty much that. Even if you had the money to buy an iphone here, you wouldn't be able to, since apple just does not want your filthy drug-tainted thrid world money. Or maybe they see it as a too small market.

    The only way to get an iphone 5 here is to buy a bootlegged one, for an astonishing 2500 US dollars.

    BTW: The iphone 3GS was sold officially for a while. It sold like hot cakes, everyone wanted one, and you were lucky to get one.