Keepin' it real fake, part XXII: iPod nano "MP4" player

Clearly, this is no iPod nano since among other subtleties it lacks a freakin’ display! Still there's no denying its heritage with that big 'ol Apple logo, clickwheel, and "iPod" slapped right up front. This “4GB" player was purchased in Hong Kong for $110 -- a good deal right? Yeah, except it’s really only a 128MB flash player. Well, at least it plays MP3 and er, “MP4” files.

[Thanks, Jeroen]

[dreampc @ Feb 23rd 2006 7:41AM]

gotta love how it's been tested by the "Fcc"

Guess it was just too difficult to reproduce a capital letter "C"

[PodMonkeys @ Feb 23rd 2006 7:58AM]

Bummer to whoever payed the $110 for the 128mb. :(
If anyone deserves to have Apple sicced on them, its these guys.

[Antonio @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:02AM]

"FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE"
Nice.
And hey, it has a mic!

[phatmonkey @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:03AM]

http://sound.media.mit.edu/mpeg4/

Yep, MPEG-4 audio.

[Karl Viklund @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:07AM]

Haha, who do they think they fool?
At least put a screen on it :)

[Brett @ Oct 26th 2006 7:37AM]

This is the back of the unit, not the front. It does have a screen, about the same size as the iPod Nano. I bought one for my 8 year old son, rather than spotting for the Nano. It does him just fine - although it was a learning curve trying to figure out how to use it, given that the manual is in un-decipherable Chinglish.

[dreampc @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:15AM]

Um... what would you expect when you press "Menu"

[Elias @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:33AM]

Notice how the Apple logo is missing the little wedge at the bottom.

-- Elias

[Joey @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:34AM]

$HK 110 = $14USD. May be this is the going price?

[DM @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:48AM]

#8 That's entirely possible...

So is it US or HK dollars ?
Im betting HK though, since you can get a 128 muvo for $14 these days....

[PEZ @ Feb 23rd 2006 8:49AM]

Seems every mp3 player reported on this site within the past month has been a fake ipod report.

How about reporting on some real technology - rather than turning this site into a tabloid.

[Jorge @ Feb 23rd 2006 9:07AM]

But it has a sticker that's says "4GB"!

[yet another Matt @ Feb 23rd 2006 9:22AM]

I would believe its a real nano, look at all those scratches, gotta be authentic!

[OMAC @ Feb 23rd 2006 11:02AM]

I agree with PEZ, no more fake products here and just make a blog for the fake stuff. Jebus knows there are enough of them.

[justin @ Feb 23rd 2006 11:59AM]

gotta love how it's been tested by the "Fcc"

Guess it was just too difficult to reproduce a capital letter "C"


actually thats the FCC logo

[Xion @ Feb 23rd 2006 12:37PM]

Isn't Itunes format hidden MP4 anyway, so technically they are all ready for MP4s anyway...?

[Silverpill @ Feb 23rd 2006 12:52PM]

Well, at least they solved the problem with the screen getting scratched.

[idreaminred @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:37PM]

lol, thats hilarious. a sucker is born every minute.

[Aaron @ Feb 23rd 2006 2:54PM]

Anyone that doesn't like these is out of it. Keepin' it real fake is fantastic and easily one of the most entertaining things on engadget. People that dislike this are the same people that hate it when Tiger Telematics Gizmondo gets made fun of. You have to realize how awful this stuff is to understand how funny it is. Imagine all of the children and the rage getting a knockoff Ipod will cause and how much they will hate their grandpartents that tried to save $8. Fantastic!

[shane fenton @ Feb 23rd 2006 4:10PM]

I'm with several of the above, make the fake stuff a new section please...we already know there is nothing on this earth those countries can't cheapen for cheaper. It's funny, but I'd rather see som real news too.

[Austin @ Feb 23rd 2006 7:24PM]

Though I am just as sick of seeing fake ipods as the next guy, this one made me chuckle.

[Kim Laughton @ Feb 23rd 2006 10:11PM]

I agree with Shane, a separate section would work well. Then those interested can still see the fakes and it doesn't get in the way of the interesting stuff if the novelty has worn off.

[VL-Tone @ Feb 23rd 2006 10:37PM]

MPEG-4 is a video format, AAC is the audio portion of MPEG-4.

So MP4 cannot be applied to the audio portion only. And MP4 is not even officially used, because it simply doesn't have to do with MP3...

The abbreviation MP3 comes from MPEG Layer 3 (the third layer was the audio component of MPEG video).

I wonder what the menu does on that thing since it doesn't have a screen!

[Malia @ Feb 24th 2006 1:15AM]

Keepin' it real fake is great! If you don't like it, just skip over it, nobody's forcing you to read it - how hard is it to scroll?

[NakedGord @ Feb 24th 2006 2:55AM]

Why is everybody saying that these posts should be removed or segregated to their own section?

Just because they rip off the Ipod look does not mean that it is not a good device. Prime example here: http://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1469976#1469976

Now clearly this is a piece of crap. A big steaming pile. But not all these Nano clones are. By this logic if the Acer model above could fall into the same category if it had been posted just a couple weeks later.

[raindog @ Feb 24th 2006 5:50PM]

I don't care what you guys do with Keepin' It Real Fake just as long as it's still linked from either the main RSS feed or Daily Engadget.

This is pretty hilarious. I was thinking "well, maybe they meant 4 gigabit", but that doesn't even work.

[leo @ Mar 8th 2006 2:24PM]

Keepin' it real fake

[GloopyFlip @ Mar 11th 2006 2:30AM]

I've been given two SONY mp3 players to look at for a friend who's dad got them in HK... guess wot?? they look exactly the same as the 'ipods' above - except these have the 'SONY' logo. Same story, has that 'genuine' 4GB sticker but 128MB inside. At least these come with screens - oh they also play MP3 and MWA !!

[Anurag @ Apr 5th 2006 10:49AM]

my dad got two of the EXACTLY identical mp4 players,he got them from china,both of them said 4 gb.heck even after connecting it to my computer it showed the size of the disk as 4 gb and then i cud only load 109 mb in mine and the other one had only 596 mb or something.if you try to load more stuff after that it says 'incorrect parameter'.my dad got them for like (roughly converted) 25 USD each.its saddens me to know that how insulting that '4 gb' sticker on the back is

[blah @ Apr 19th 2006 8:25PM]

22. MPEG-4 is a video format, AAC is the audio portion of MPEG-4.

So MP4 cannot be applied to the audio portion only. And MP4 is not even officially used, because it simply doesn't have to do with MP3...

MP3=MPEG 1, Layer 3
MP4=MPEG 4, Layer 4(yes, also reffered to as AAC)

[�nauta @ Apr 29th 2006 2:29AM]

I have one of those, except it has a screen, and actully holds 2 GB. The firmware is really shitty, not easy to use. Perhaps in Chinese it's easier to understand the UI but in English it's sort of amateurish... and I don't just mean the language. For example, when scrolling up and down menus you use the left and right buttons: weird. Transfer is slow, probably USB 1.0 speed. It's also frustrating that it has a non-standard headphone connector and, since it has an "almost" standard mini-USB, why didn't they just use the standard one?

[nicolle @ May 23rd 2006 5:47AM]

how can I get the device drivers and device manager software for my fake nano mp3 mp4 player?? I lost the 2 little cds that came with it. by the way, if you want to complain about this cutie, why don't you fork out some real dollars and buy an "ipod nano" the real one so you won't have to bitch about what I consider china's claim to fame, the ability to make extra american products with almost the same capabilities except a US software supercompany to backup their 'made in china' products anyway!

[Deepa @ Jul 17th 2006 5:59AM]

I got one of those from ebay store.
It is neither charging nor working.
Can anyone tell what to do to make it work as the seller is not responding?

[nick @ Aug 2nd 2006 2:44AM]

I recently recieved this item as a present and was wondering if anyone knew how to play avi or mp4 videos on it? I download mp4s and drag and drop into the folder but wen i try to play the file it says "this is not a movie file" Also wen goto the movies file it is empty, can someone pls help?

[luke @ Aug 2nd 2006 2:49AM]

Does anyone know how to play avi or mp4 files wen i load them to the Removeable folder the "ipods" movie folder stays empty can somone help me with this?

[greynoon @ Aug 17th 2006 10:31PM]

Omg, only chinese people would do this. I feel ashamed of my heritage. I've got one too, and it's totally messed up and fake. *pouts*

[Bernard @ Aug 18th 2006 10:45AM]

I have one like that, but it actually has a screen!
Get a 1GB instead of a 4GB its more likely to be real because apple bought most of the 2GB and 4GB samsung chips

[TanteiSayumi @ Aug 27th 2006 11:11AM]

My father just bought one of those from Beijing. It's also a "4GB" (he also got a "2GB" one for himself; so far, they seem to hold about that amount). Mine is only different in that the iPod logo is on the back, not the front (the two-gig doesn't have a fake logo at all). Oh, and of course, it actually has a screen XD. So far, it's driving me crazy. The software is a pain, and it plays videos... which have already been put on it as a demo. The two-gig came with a USB that didn't even fit it; all of them come with the same instruction manual, which doesn't work. The mic works at least, as well as the free "game(s)" (2GB has a variety of simple ones like Tetris, the 4GB has sudoku), but the FM tuner on the 4GB doesn't work. My father put a folder with a few Word documents on it, and I tried to delete it, and now I have these "USBS" files that won't go away. If I make a folder inside the folder, then try to drag other subfolders into that subfolder, it acts like a "black hole," but duplicates itself infinitely. There's an eBook function, which is really just displays .txt files. And the CD's come with a variety of conversion software (which one am I supposed to use?--some don't work), many of which crash my comp when I try to open/install them (but then again, a lot of things do). It CLAIMS to be compatible (for the song titles, not for the system language) with Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and English, but so far, only English is working for me. Oh, and did I mention that they have a "QC Passed (A-1)" sticker on them? LOL. But I'm still stuck on it. >_

[dezigntek @ Aug 28th 2006 4:12PM]

Ok, I just bought a 8Gb version of this from a company here in teh US called http://www.thecomputerwarehouseinc.net - The price was very fair I thought for what all the feature it could do. The order processing was COD only. How fishy is that. The order is processed out of FL. and the company domain is owned by a 'oriental named' fello from Atlanta GA. when doing a whois. My order is suppose to be delivered on the 30th and I am half tempted not to accept the order after reading some of this feedback. http://www.thecomputerwarehouseinc.net
The site struggles to be up all the time. I've seen it down with a 500 error on and off. I've called the numbers offered on the site to ask questions about the product and left a message everytime with no call back. I wanted to know if the video can be used as a 'video-out' to a TV? much like the video ipods can.
I think I'm gonna let it ship back without payment what do you think? Thanks.

[George @ Sep 9th 2006 1:11AM]

All of you guys who try to save money by buying the knock-offs if your going to do it at least chose the right one. I`ve heard so many people complaining about a new type of knock-off that accoually dosen`t hold a 10th of what its susposed to and other things that mislead people that it seem like a miracle that mine turned out perfect. (Well my computer says it holeds 1.9 Gb instead of the original 2 it said but I think thats just the thing about how nobody can make their mind up about weather a Gb is 1000 MB or 1024 but apart from that it is perfect except that it dosen`t come with a hold button but at least it didn`t say that it did.


In the end if your going to but one of those got to


www.chinavasion.com. It will set you back 70$ plus about 20-30$ shipping. (Mine cost me 107$ CAD in total cause I had to get it shipped to canada. funny thing I didn`t have to pay imort dutys or anything else along those lines. Just pay the 107$ and sign the fed-ed paper and its here.

[George @ Sep 9th 2006 1:12AM]

Continuation of my last one: Mine accoually dosen`t play mp4s it plays amv but it converts from almost all types EXCEPT mp4. Ironic isn`t it?

[penelope @ Sep 9th 2006 8:19AM]

EVERYONE - these fake so-called iPods are great if you get them from a REPUTABLE seller. (Avoid those advertising 4gig and up players. Only up to 2gig players have tested out OK so far) Yeah, firmware is crap but for the price you shouldn't complain. No one's forcing you to buy it. I wouldn't recommend this kind, though, if you are planning to buy one - get the one with 2 speakers and 2 (standard 3.5mm) headphone jacks. Audio quality and everything is great. It's a great alternative to iPods and I got a 1gig one for only $47.... check out this site for support for these types of players: www.mympxplayer.org

By the way, campus111.com and pigpony.com have some great models. See ya.

[Jay @ Oct 13th 2006 10:17PM]

I really wish I had done proper research and found this site before purchasing my unit. I too purchased an ipod knock-off look-alike 4GB unit from http://www.thecomputerwarehouseinc.net, and it is garbage. The screen shield was stuck to the box it came in (not on the player), and the USB and speaker plugs were both loosely connected resulting in impossible transfers and use. I began calling for an RMA on Sunday after recieving it Friday afternoon for no response. This unit was nearly useless from the second I opened the package, and it is my fault for not being a little suspect of the too-good-to-be-true pricing ($57+$14 for shipping), which is the cost of the lesson called 'Why you should buy the iPod in the first place.... quality'. The electronics from China may not be 100% trash, but you are getting what you pay for, or less. Good luck to all who dare.

[Cindy @ Jun 30th 2007 7:16PM]

I bought an IPOD MP3/MP4 player in Hanoi, Vietnam for my son. Needless to say we cannot get the software downloaded, his old IPOD shuffle's software does not work for it, and we cannot download songs onto the one from Hanoi. The software that came with it is also in "Chinglish"...

Can you tell me what you did to be able to use yours bought overseas for your son?

[thomas_hang0000 @ Oct 27th 2006 3:27PM]

Sigh. I'm its owner. I bought it for HK200.
I has 4GB(or '8GB') flash memory, but it becomes 128MB when the flash his formatted.

The video playback is sucks.
The screen is bad enough to view texts.

What you can do are: listening to SOME MP3s, WMAs, recording some audios, play FM(not sure).

[Bob @ Nov 19th 2006 6:43PM]

That's is a complete bummer, I've seen those ipod look alike's some are good and some are vey bad

http://theplayer007.googlepages.com/mp4saikick

[mark @ Jan 6th 2007 8:40PM]

A visit to any market in asia will reveal a slew of fake Ipods. I was asking a local in thailand about fake Ipods. They either dont know what a real Ipod looks and that it is known for being hip in the west sothey dont care that the one they have is fake. Or, they know that their Ipod is fake, but they could never afford to fork over the 200US for a real one, so they are just as happy with the fake one.

Its all relative. It is comical how bad the fake Ipod knockoffs are.

[Matthew Hastings @ Jan 9th 2007 7:48PM]

Digital Music Players for people that hate Microsoft and Apple

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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[RG @ Dec 18th 2007 2:42PM]

i have the same problem. when i copy the songs it only shows a % of songs. for eg. i copied 121 songs and it shows playing 1 of 28.

[quiettype55 @ May 1st 2007 2:45PM]

I am one of those suckers, though my fake ipod is a 8GB and has a color screen and can play video etc. My problem is that I inadvertedly used Microsoft Media Player to sync with my MP4 player. If you are familiar with that feature, you can also shuffle the music, meaning it will delete what is currently on the device and replace it with music recently added. It delete also the root files, so now I think it is putting music on the device, it is telling me when I click on Music, that the disk if empty? Can anyone shed any light. Thanks