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Steven Millward · · 2 min read

Chinese schoolkids are hiding their smartphones inside fake dictionaries

Chinese schoolkids are hiding their smartphones inside fake dictionaries - 02

As if school isn’t tough enough for kids, for some it feels like a kind of digital detox because they’re not allowed to use their smartphones for most of the day. The solution for this, as with so any other things, can be found on Taobao, Alibaba’s biggest online marketplace.

That’s where Chinese schoolkids can buy a phone case that looks like a dictionary. Available in different sizes for a variety of top selling phones – including the iPhone and recent Xiaomi models – the case looks like the ubiquitous Pocket Oxford English-Chinese Dictionary published by Collins. The cunning case costs about RMB 20 to 30 (US$3.25 to $4.90). It’s being sold by a number of Taobao merchants, as seen here and here.

Chinese schoolkids are hiding their smartphones inside fake dictionaries - 02

Chinese schoolkids are hiding their smartphones inside fake dictionaries - 02

Chinese schoolkids are hiding their smartphones inside fake dictionaries - 02

Proving how fast Chinese manufacturers work, the phony phone case is already available for the larger iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, even though neither of those phones are yet for sale in mainland China.

See: Xiaomi Mi Band: at just $13, all flaws are forgiven – REVIEW

(Hat-tip to People’s Daily on Twitter for spotting this)

Editing by Paul Bischoff

(And yes, we’re serious about ethics and transparency. More information here.)

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Steven Millward

Interested in ecommerce, social media, gadgets, transportation, and cars. If you have any tips or feedback, contact via Twitter: @sirsteven