9to5 Mac has a fascinating story today about the strange phenomenon of amazingly authentic-looking fake Apple stores that have been springing up in China. 9to5 Mac has lots of photos from one such store in Kunming that show just how uncannily like actual official Apple stores these fake stores are. The employees even have blue t-shirts sporting the Apple logo, and the store’s exterior has a huge Apple logo and the words “Apple Store” in both Chinese and English. Apparently even the flooring is suitably swish, usually either smart wood or grey stone, and the shop is filled with tables displaying iPads, Macs, and iPhones. Official Apple product stands are used to display the various devices. Even the displays and pictures on the walls are rip-offs of authentic Apple ad campaigns, according to 9to5 Mac. Yes, they really have thought of everything, including a Genius Bar and a children’s play area. According to the report, which was all the work of a blogger called BirdAbroad, who is also responsible for the pictures, the employees in the store all were under the misapprehension that they were actually working for Apple. She adds that there were three similar stores all within walking distance of each other in Kunming.

Source: China not only fakes iPhones… but Apple Stores, too! | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence
Are you listening, Steve Jobs? « BirdAbroad

Lol! How in the heck could they possibly get away with this? Asides from the logistics of running so big a con, it would collapse as soon as people got bootleg iPads that didn't work!

I just hope the boy who sold his kidney didn't buy his at one of those stores

Support Our Troops!!
This post was Tapatalk approved. Sent from an Incredible phone

Well, China has been pretty much stealing other countries & companies intellectual property for years and have gradually improve their bogus appearances - the Apple Store looks real!

Years ago (in the early 80s), I wanted a graphics program (was called Harvard Graphics) for my work - my department would not purchase the then $600 or so program, and I was reluctant to buy it myself.

So I had a Chinese doctor friend who was making a trip back to China - he returned w/ the program - all disks were labeled correctly and there was even a nicely printed booklet (paper quite not as good in quality) - cost to me $60! And the program did work even - I've never done that again but just proves that nothing is new in China just improved -

There's fake everything in China. People even have to be careful to avoid foods faked out of toxic or otherwise dangerous materials. Nuts.

I am wondering at this stage if the chineese people are really chineese

that's sad. kinda pisses me off

Makez mesad ;(

iPad 2 wifi only 32GB

Yeah, the fake food. Yuck. A batch of fake eggs thrown in with real ones. It's awful.

I have to assume that it is hard for Apple to act against these guys, otherwise they would have shut it down already. Chinese consumers are very hungry for the product, and the fake stores would take a chunk out of real stores' profits... They wouldn't stand for that if it could be fixed.

Still, I think I would figure it out pretty fast if I had a piece of glass with a first-gen Kindle's guts crammed inside

Dealing with fake product manufacturers in China would mean dealing with the Chinese government, which should be avoided at any cost