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IGB Eletrônica

IGB Eletrônica S.A. (Portuguese for IGB Electronics), doing business as Gradiente, is a Brazilian consumer electronics company based in Manaus, and with offices in São Paulo. The company designs and markets many product lines, including video (e.g. televisions, DVD players), audio, home theater, high end acoustics, office and mobile stereo for the Brazilian market.[1]

History

The company was founded in 1964. Between 1985 and 1990 they sold the Gradiente Expert line of MSX compatible home computers.[2][3][4][5] In 1993 they founded Playtronic, a fully owned subsidiary that licensed the manufacturing of Nintendo consoles in Brazil,[6] and while publishing games for various systems they also provided Portuguese translations of some games (among them, South Park and Shadow Man for the Nintendo 64). However, they stopped the partnership with Nintendo in 2003 because of the high price of the dollar at the time.

In 1997, Gradiente established a joint venture with Finland-based telecommunications manufacturing firm Nokia, where they were granted the license to manufacture variants of Nokia mobile phones locally under the Nokia and Gradiente brand names.[7]

iPhone trademark conflict

In 2000, Gradiente, now legally known as IGB Eletrônica SA,[8] filed for the brand name "iphone" in Brazil's INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property, the trademark authority).[9] Gradiente first used the iPhone brand on a licence-built variant of the Nokia 7160,[10] but it was not until 2008 when the Brazilian government granted full brand ownership for Gradiente, and the company has since sold Android-based smartphones under this name.[11] Until 2008 that trademark was fully owned by IGB Eletrônica SA, which released its Android-powered iphone neo one under the Gradiente brand.[12][13][14] The iphone neo one is sold for R$ 599 (about US$287), a dual-SIM handset running Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread. It has a 3.7-inch, 320 x 480 display, a 700 MHz CPU, 2GB of expandable storage, Bluetooth, 3G, WiFi and 5 / 0.3-megapixel camera.[15][16]

See also

  • List of phonograph manufacturers
  • Gradiente Expert

External links

References

  1. Loja Gradiente: Tablet, Smartphones, Cellures e Eletrônicos^
  2. Gradiente Expert XP-800 www.old-computers.com, retrieved 2023-05-20^
  3. 5ª Sucesu e 18º Cong. Nacional da Informática Museu de Eventos - Anhembi, 2015-05-18, retrieved 2023-05-20^
  4. Uma Vitrine Renovada VEJA, October 2, 1985, retrieved November 4, 2018^
  5. GRADIENTE Expert Plus OLD-COMPUTERS.COM^
  6. Latin America's New Cultural Industries Still Play Old Games Game Studies, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  7. Nokia acquired Gradiente's share in Brazilian manufacturing joint venture NGI retrieved 2021-01-21^
  8. IGB Igbeletronica.com, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  9. Portal INPI Inpi.gov.br, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  10. William R. Plaza. Gradiente x Apple: entenda em detalhes essa treta Hardware.com.br, 2023-06-06, retrieved 2024-10-25^
  11. Smartphone Gradiente Neo One GC 500 SF, Dual Chip, Android 2.3.4, 3G Gradiente, 2012-08-24, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  12. Telecom Consultant Thinks Apple Will Buy Brazil iPhone Trademark The Mac Observer, 2012-12-27, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  13. Gradiente website with their iphone Gradiente.com.br, 2012-08-24, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  14. Brazilian Company Launches Android-Powered 'IPHONE' The Mac Observer, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  15. Randy Nelson. Brazil's new 'iphone' isn't what you think | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog TUAW, 2012-12-18, retrieved 2013-03-15^
  16. Vídeo: Gradiente é dona da marca iPhone no Brasil Admr.com.br, 2013-02-13, retrieved 2013-03-15^