Pixel Garage

Why I stopped buying cheap clones

My last budget clone arrived looking almost identical to the original. Within a few weeks the display developed lines and then stopped working altogether.

The price difference with a proper model was small compared with the time spent on the return. Firmware support was the other problem: clones often ship with slightly different hardware, so community builds may not work at all.

These days I only buy from makers with a track record and an active community. It costs a little more and saves a lot of evenings.