The New York Times has a fascinating article today about “shanzai phones” in China. These are knockoffs of existing brands but often come with interesting enhancements, such as support for multiple phone numbers and better cameras. Now one might think of a cell phone as something that is very costly to build and not an area in which one would find knockoffs (unlike, say, designer bags). What makes this possible is the network of parts suppliers that exists in China. Almost all of the global b...

The New York Times has a fascinating article today about “shanzai phones” in China. These are knockoffs of existing brands but often come with interesting enhancements, such as support for multiple phone numbers and better cameras. Now one might think of a cell phone as something that is very costly to build and not an area in which one would find knockoffs (unlike, say, designer bags). What makes this possible is the network of parts suppliers that exists in China. Almost all of the global b...