Kodak isn’t the only camera brand that’s entering the smart phone business. Polaroid also has announced its first smart phone at CES 2015 that’s called the Selfie. Unfortunately it has gotten some unwanted attention from OPPO and looking at the photo above, you probably know why.
With a rotating 13MP at the top, the Polaroid Selfie looks like a copy of OPPO’s iconic N1 smart phone and the similarity doesn’t just stop there. The appearance of the Polaroid Selfie is virtually the same except for some subtle design treatment on the back. It gets a 5.5″ display, albeit a lower HD 720p resolution, an Octa-Core processor (presumably MediaTek), 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage that’s non-expandable. One area which the Polaroid Selfie excels over the OPPO N1 is the software, as it runs on the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop.
OPPO obviously isn’t amused and they have issued the following statement:
It was recently reported that the Polaroid Selfie smartphone released at the CES 2015 has a remarkably similar design to the patented rotating camera phone OPPO N1. However, OPPO has not licensed the design of the rotating camera to any third parties, nor has us done that in any OEM way. We will continue to keep track of the event and reserves the right to take further legal action.
OPPO is committed to delivering our customers with the most delightful electronic experience that is full of surprises through meticulous designs and smart technology. OPPO holds strong respect to intellectual properties and any innovation of technology and design. Sustainable innovation sits at the core of our business, and has made OPPO being a mostly talked new brand in the mobile industry.
OPPO does not stop here with the rotating camera on N1. An upgraded model, the N3, was launched in late 2014 featuring a motorised rotating ‘selfie’ camera, which could rotate for 206 degrees and makes new shooting modes like auto panaroma possible. Perfect for hands free selfies!
According to Android Authority, Polaroid is likely to source its smart phone from some Chinese OEMs. Their Selfie smartphone could be a while-labelled version of the Hexacore iNew V8. Anyone can easily order them in bulk and slap on their own brand. The folks over at OPPO should be aware of such clones in their own home market and their recent response is probably aggravated by the fact that a reputable brand like Polaroid is doing it.
