For some smartphone users, the Apple vs. Android debate may be a little closer to ending.
According to CNET contributor Brooke Crothers, Japanese company Iosys has cloned the iPhone 5c. The device, dubbed the ioPhone5, bears more than a striking resemblance to its inspiration. There is one major difference, however: The ioPhone5 runs Android. Crothers said that this could be attributed to the growing popularity of the iPhone in Japan, and the physical specs of the device are almost identical to the Apple original. The only other difference? The ioPhone5 starts at 15,490 yen, or $150 USD.
This development is interesting considering the battle for smartphone supremacy that both Apple and Google have been fighting since 2007. According to Atlantic contributor Fred Vogelstein, the latter's development team had been hard at work developing its first handset as long ago as 2005. The announcement of the first iPhone was a “kick in the stomach” to Google, forcing the Android staff to scrap what was supposed to be the first smartphone and start from scratch.
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