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Sciphone N12 N16 N19 N21 Android Phones Unofficial FAQs

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Copyright © 2008-2009 by Zack Smith.
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Disclaimer

The information on this web page is provided AS-IS. Use it at your own risk. I cannot guarantee that it is 100% accurate, for two reasons.
1. Chinese phones such as those bearing the generic brand Sciphone, Miphone, Ciphone, Hiphone or CECT can vary substantially in the hardware and software provided. For example, it is known that there are 60+ hardware variants of the Sciphone i68/i68+.
2. I have owned the Sciphone i68, i68+, and the CECT M88 and M89, and played with another person's P168, but not the 100 or more other types of Asian GSM phones in existence.
3. I am not affiliated with the manufacturers of these and cannot provide any support or personal advising.
Buying and using an Asian phone involves accepting some risk. In my humble opinion, the payoffs are worth it, since these phones are cheap, they work with prepaid SIMs, and they have lots of features.

Introduction

This is a page where I'm collecting information about the Sciphone N12, N16, N19 and N21 phones. Some big promises had been made about these phones and some have just become available.

As of today, the dualband N19 and the triband N21 from Scophone, MySciphoneShop and CectUnlocked. Sciphone N19. The quad-band N12 is still delayed. The N16 and possibly N17 and N18 are mentioned but I haven't got more info. If you are in North America you will need the quad-band phone but elsewhere people can generally use the other two.

Manufacturer

The manufacturer of some of these phones may or may not be a Chinese company called Beyond Radio. They posted on their website screenshots from a phone that looks suspiciously like the N12. But the screenshots they provide look like a phone with only a 240x320 display, so probably it is a prototype. See here.

The Sciphone N21 is actually the DSTL1 from General Mobile. They showed it at a convention in January 2009. Source.

Frequently asked questions list (FAQ)

What features does these phones have in common?
  • Genuine Google Android: Not to be confused with just the look-and-feel of Android as you see in the slower Sciphone Dream G2.
  • Wifi capability.
What features does the Sciphone N19 have?
  • The N19 has a 400 MHz processor.
  • The N19 is dual-band 900 and 1800 MHz therefore usable in Asia and Europe.
  • The N19 is rather narrow in shape.
  • The N19 has a 2MP camera.
  • The N19 has a 2.8 inch 240 by 320 pixel display.
What features does the Sciphone N21 have?
  • The N21 has a 624 MHz Marvell PXA 310 processor.
  • The N21 is triband supporting 900 1800 and 1900 MHz and therefore fully usable in Asia and Europe but only partially usable in North America (check with your carrier).
  • The N21 has a 3 inch 240 by 400 pixel display.
  • The N21 has dual-SIM capability.
  • The N21 has a 5MP camera.
What features will the Sciphone N12 have?
The following specs may yet change, since this phone is not released yet.
  • The N12 will have a 624 MHz Marvell Monahans processor.
  • The N12 will offer quadband GSM support including the 850 and 1900 MHz bands needed for North America.
  • The N12 will have a 3.2 megapixel camera.
  • The N12 will have a 240 by 400 pixel display.
What features will the Sciphone N16 have?
There is not much reliable information yet available about N16, N17 or other phones.

The N16 will be quadband and reportedly be 3G and have a 624 MHz Marvell Monahans processor and a 3.2MP camera.

The N17 will have a 3.2MP camera.

The N19 will have a 400 MHz processor.

A possible N20 will be dualband.

When will these be available?
The N19 and N21 are available now.

Initial announcements focused on the N12, and these said that prototypes were to go out May 25, 2009 and that mass production deliveries were expected to ship June 25, 2009. This never happened as far as I know.

N16, N17 and N19 are unknown to me at this time.

How much will it cost?
The MySciphoneShop website says the N12 will be $150. Reports originally said it will be released for 1600 yuan in China, which is about US $235.

The N19 is $135 from Scophone, $150 from MySciphoneshop and or $227 from Cectunlocked.

The N21 is $233 from MySciphoneshop.

Complaints?
There have been some complaints or concerns about these phones and I will list them as I come across them.

Complaint 1:
The N21's touch screen is not the fancy capacitive type but is resistive, requiring the use of a pen.
Where can I get more information?
Link to translated page at ShanZhaiJi.cn
Link to translated page at cmonline.com.cn.

Videos

Here's an unboxing video in French.

Forums and links

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