Photos : 9 Nokia N97 Clones From China

The Nokia N97 is set to be launched later this month for a not so insignificant £499 SIM Free or for £35 on a monthly contract with network operator 3. For the rest of us, we've managed to track down 9 different "Chinese" versions of the phone.

For those who think that this is a huge number, just bear in mind that a particular website lists nearly 150 iPhone clones (yes, 150) with prices starting from £59.50. The first Nokia N97 clones appeared back in August 2008, four months before Nokia even announced the device.

We estimate that there are twice as many other N97 clones currently on the market. They are all marred by the same problems: poor quality, no internet access, crap camera and lack of features.

Chinese cloners had the name but let their imaginations loose on this one. The CECT K898 was born, based on the few sketches and patent records from Nokia that existed back then, showing a slider phone with a swivel camera on top. 

Nearly a year afterwards, we now know how it really looks like. Hindsight is a great thing! We don't have any details pertaining to the specifications of the phone.