Asianometry Whatever Happened to China's Bandit Phones?
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Jul 27, 2025 Discover the bizarre world of China’s bandit phones, featuring extraordinary designs like Olympics-branded and cigarette pack models. Learn how a university student pioneered a company that thrived amidst relaxed regulations. Explore the innovative Shanzhai phones that combined creativity with imitation, catering to unique user needs. Unravel the contrasting paths of Byrd and K-Touch in a fiercely competitive market, and witness the rise and fall of an entire industry as larger corporations took over.
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Bird's Rise and Fall
- Bird, a Chinese company founded by university students, initially succeeded making beepers in the 1990s.
- They transitioned to phones but later failed due to market changes and poor diversification choices.
Bandit Phones' Wild Creativity
- Chinese migrant workshops created wildly creative "bandit phones" with flashy designs and unique features using MediaTek's turnkey chipsets.
- Examples include multi-SIM phones, solar-powered models, and Olympics-themed devices, selling mostly to rural youths and farmers.
K-Touch's Rise and Ambition
- Rong Shouli founded K-Touch, a Shanzhai phone company that grew rapidly by partnering with MediaTek.
- She aimed to make K-Touch the Nokia of China and achieved 10% market share before fierce competition emerged.