Chinese manufacturers are well-known for releasing budget-friendly rip offs of popular high-end smartphones from internationally-renowned OEMs, which mimic the design and look of their counterparts down to the letter, with the only difference being the internal hardware, which are entry-level or mid-range, depending on the price tag. Casualties of this “cloning” include the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and the unreleased iPhone 5S. It is somewhat unexpected when companies like ZTE, which is trying to make a name for itself in the international market, follow this trend though.

The company recently launched the ZTE N909, which looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S3, but with enough aesthetic differences to not be considered a complete clone. That being said, the company is definitely banking on the success of the Samsung Galaxy S3, by offering a low-cost alternative which looks very similar.

Of course, with such budget-friendly offerings, the specifications don't nearly match up to the original, even though the ZTE N909 does feature a quad-core processor. Specifications of this device include a 1.2 Ghz quad-core MediaTek processor, 4.5-inch display with 854×480 resolution, 1GB RAM, 5MP rear camera and 0.3MP front camera, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

I must say that the specifications aren't bad at all, and the price point of 990 Yuan (~$159) makes it worth it. The Galaxy S3 costs almost 4 times that in China, and the ZTE N909 could be a great alternative. The device also features 5 different color options, with the first two again awfully similar to the marble white and pebble blue choices available with the Galaxy S3. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

What are your thoughts? How similar do you think the ZTE N909 is to the Samsung Galaxy S3? Do you think this is a good low-cost alternative to the S3? Would you consider buying this device? Let us know in the comments section below.