The iPhone 5 is going to be the must have device this year. Once it’s announced on September 12, there will be millions of pre-orders ahead of the phone’s September 21 launch. What happens if you can’t wait though? What if you need an iPhone 5 right now? Well, you can get one if you don’t mind that it’s running Android.

China’s Goophone is releasing a new phone based on the leaked iPhone 5’s design called the Goophone I5. It looks similar to what we’ve seen of the iPhone 5, but there are some striking differences. For one, the screen size is set at 3.5-inches, instead of the rumored larger 4-inch display.

The Goophone I5 is also running an unknown version of Android. Other Chinese knockoffs tend to run Android 2.3, but the Goophone I5 could surprise us with ICS or Jelly Bean. There’s no word yet on when the delightful knockoff will be available or how much it will be, but you can bet it will be cheap. Well, at least cheaper than the iPhone 5.

The Goophone I5 is one of the more fun knockoffs just because of the novelty factor. If they’re able to beat the iPhone 5 to market, people might end up buying it for friends and family without knowing any better. Just don’t buy the Goophone I5 for your girlfriend,she might try to kill herself.

Realistically speaking though, the iPhone 5 is going to dominate China and Hong Kong. Apple says that China is their fastest growing market. The iPhone 5 is going to be huge. There might even be more kids trying to sell their kidneys for one of the wonder devices.

[h/t: The Register]