Fakers have been getting sophisticated when creating knocked off versions of sought after phones.

When LG launched their iconic Chocolate phone in Korea, they found that Chinese cloners managed to create their own version that was 'exactly like the real one in design,' according to a company spokesperson.

"Chinese people think it's LG electronics that manufactures the fakes."

Now Apple are discovering that their sought after iPhone has become the latest target -- fuelled by the company's decision to only launch the product in America.

LG have changed their launch strategy and now bring new phones to market in China as quicky as possible, eliminating as much opportunity for cloners as possible.

In Apple's case, the iPhone will only be available in the US for at least a year before other countries will see it in use -- meaning large profits for those companies that produce cheaper knock offs.

The first fake iPhone, known as the P168, first emerged a few days before the official launch of the real thing -- it has also been seen on sale in China, although the manufacturer is keeping a low profile due to the the threat of legal action.

Another company producing a fake iPhone has allegedly been threatened with lawsuit by Apple in a Hong Kong court.

Meizu have announced their miniOne, which looks similar to the iPhone but has extra features not found in the original.

Some commentators have pointed out that some of these fakes are superior to the iPhone -- unlike the original, they come with removable batteries and are not locked to one specific mobile network.