Shanzhai is a word used to described companies that manufacture knockoffs of popular electronic gear, such as the iPhone. But some shanzhai companies add improvements to the original product to widen its appeal.
For example, space for two SIMS in an iPhone so that effectively, you have two mobile phones in one. One number for business, another for personal use.
Shanzhai companies typically operate with nominal capital and minimum testing, but some of them make fantastic copies with added innovation and fairly high quality control.
The iPhone has proven to be a landmark device for the shanzhai; there are not a few, but hundreds, of iPhone clones. Shanzai.com reports that for export, especially to the United States, problems come in by way of safety standards, marketing, supply chains and trade barriers.
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