Polaroid in trouble with Oppo for Oppo N1 clone


polaroid selfie

Polaroid, once the first name in instant camera tech, are now in trouble with Oppo after showing off an Oppo N1 clone at this past CES.

Polaroid, like many film based camera makers, has suffered in recent years as photographers move to digital cameras and smartphone camera become more and more advanced.

To keep their head above water, Polaroid have diversified their range of products and now sell wireless printers and now an Android smartphone with their own branding. Their phone, the ‘Selife’is what has Polaroid in hot water as it is a blatant rip-off of the Oppo N1.

oppo n1 rear feel
The Oppo N1

 

The design, size and rotating camera design of the Polaroid Selfie are all 1:1 copies of the Oppo N1. It in fact seems that the Selife is simple a rebranded iNew V8 which has been on the market through Chinese resellers for a few months now.

inew v8 oppo n1 lte
iNew V8 Oppo N1 clone

 

Oppo have responded to the launch of the Polaroid Selifie with the following statement:

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It was recently reported that the Polaroid Selfie smartphone released at the CES 2015 has a remarkably similar design to the patented rotating camera phone OPPO N1. However, OPPO has not licensed the design of the rotating camera to any third parties, nor has us done that in any OEM way. We will continue to keep track of the event and reserves the right to take further legal action.

OPPO is committed to delivering our customers with the most delightful electronic experience that is full of surprises through meticulous designs and smart technology. OPPO holds strong respect to intellectual properties and any innovation of technology and design. Sustainable innovation sits at the core of our business, and has made OPPO being a mostly talked new brand in the mobile industry.

OPPO does not stop here with the rotating camera on N1. An upgraded model, the N3, was launched in late 2014 featuring a motorised rotating ‘selfie’ camera, which could rotate for 206 degrees and makes new shooting modes like auto panaroma possible. Perfect for hands free selfies!

It remains to be seen what Polaroid plan to do, and if Oppo will take legal action.

[ Android Authority via Engadget ]
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15 Comments

  1. ufg
    January 10, 2015

    LOL, seriously dumb decision here

  2. Jason45
    January 10, 2015

    So it does matter if someone sells a clone phone outside China, but it seems nothing happens if you sell the clone phones in China, because I have not heard anything about it.

    Not only this clone, but it seems other clones of famous Chinese and Western phone manufactures can be sold without any serious consequences in China

    • Filipp
      January 10, 2015

      it is really good
      no stupid patents, phones are cheaper

    • Marius Cirsta
      January 10, 2015

      Unfortunately it seems pretty much anything goes in China. Just look at how many Chinese companies give a shit about the GPL licence.

    • tweetycontrabajo
      January 10, 2015

      China never singned international agreements about trade marks, patents, or intelectual property.

      • Mesterio
        January 10, 2015

        If they did, they wouldn’t be China.

  3. LOLsaurus
    January 10, 2015

    LOL the irony is pretty strong here

  4. G57
    January 10, 2015

    Polaroid (the current iteration) is no stranger to allegations of copying others’ stuff. Polaroid’s device division mostly lives on rebranding random East Asian cameras, phones, tablets, etc. with minor alterations.

    Why not Oppo take a jab against iNew for the latter’s phone V8 being a N1 clone?

    • Juraj Vasek
      January 11, 2015

      iNew V8 haven’t been at CES

  5. Marco
    January 10, 2015

    Compliments , no better phones to copy from ? Oppo is already orrible as it is ……

  6. tim
    January 10, 2015

    a chinese company complaining about copying…. LOL

  7. Angry Mobile Nerd
    January 10, 2015

    It’s almost as if Polaroid sent it’s most naive executive to China to source a phone to put their name on and ended up at the wrong factory. One thing is for sure, that executive got treated to a fantastic night at KTV.

    • trapchan
      January 11, 2015

      accompanied with a cute Chinese girl, who can possibly resists that?

    • January 11, 2015

      LoL.

  8. Juraj Vasek
    January 11, 2015

    iNew V8 is 90% copy of Oppo N1. And Palaroid is 100% copy of iNew V8.