MORE than 60 percent of Shenzhen bootleggers have turned their eyes to the new Apple iPad for quick profits after the new gadget proved a huge success since it was launched in China in September.
According to the latest report released Tuesday by the research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple s iPad commanded a whopping 95 percent of the worldwide tablet market the third quarter this year.
More than 500,000 of the 25-centimeter devices were sold in the first week. The iPad enables users to read books, play music and videos, and surf the Internet.
As long as we follow Apple closely, we can make money, said Liu Mu, general manager of Shenzhen Hongliweiye Technology Development Co. Ltd. based in Huaqiangbei, which is known nationally for selling bootleg versions of electronics, cameras and computers.
iPad copies are priced between 400 yuan (US$59) and 2,000 yuan in tiny shops in crowded electronics malls in Huaqiangbei, making it much cheaper than the iPad which sells for US$499 to US$699.
Its external appearance is about the same as the iPad and sells well, said a shopkeeper selling epad, a bootleg version of iPad. It was launched this month and I have sold 1,000 so far.
iPad copies are popular with young people in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and in Middle East and African countries as well, according to an Information Times report yesterday.
Another shopkeeper surnamed Lin said factories around the Pearl River Delta the country s biggest export manufacturing hub were working hard on an updated version of the iPad knockoffs to meet strong demand.
This is just the first rough version, Lin said. Eventually, the factories will be able to make a much better copy. (Mu Zi)
