The iPhone, quite possibly the most influential personal gadget ever, has enjoyed tremendous success ever since it hit the shelves. Now, companies like Nokia, Samsug, LG and others are working hard to capitalize on that success by making products with similar features, and often similar looks.

Nokia is currently demonstrating their N series of mobile phones, and among them the N78 that was recently introduced in Europe. It’s priced at about $500 and should hit the US market in June. It packs numerous features, such as 3.2 megapixel camera, high-speed network capabilities, 8GB of memory, Internet radio and easy access to multimedia Web sites.

Samsung also has their ace, and it’s called Instinct. It will have iPhonish features, and looks in fact quite similar. It will run on a proprietary network by Samsung and Sprint, and you’ll be able to use it for watching live TV and use it as a modem for your PC. It should be priced at under $300.

LG introduced the Vu, featuring a touch screen and features similar to – guess which phone! It will cost $300 through AT&T, and will include new live television service for $15 a month.

Still, although these phones might not top Apple’s baby, recent iPhone shortages definitely mean that there’s some easy money to be made, and the companies know that. If you're into conspiracy theories you might believe that they're behind the iPhone shortage, as it seems they've been blessed by perfect timing.

You can read more here.