Brazil's new 'iphone' isn't what you think

The next time you're in Rio, be on the lookout for the iphone. Now, before you start saying "hey TUAW, you forgot to capitalize the P!" you should know that this isn't the Apple smartphone we're talking about. Nope, this is the "iphone Neo One" from Brazilian outfit Gradiente. Or, as we like to call it, the "pending litigation."

Selling for 599 Brazilian Real (about $287), the iphone Neo One is an Android handset (2.3.4 Gingerbread, of all things) with a feature set straight out of 2007, including a 320 x 480 resolution display and a 700 MHz CPU. Hey, at least it has user-expandable storage!

Gradiente somehow managed to score the "iphone" trademark in Brazil in 2008 despite the fact that Apple began selling the real McCoy there a year earlier. For its sake, we hope the company is able to move enough units to cover its legal costs before 1 Infinite Loop's lawyers come a-knocking.