Meizu updates miniOne: clearly, it's no iPhone clone

With high hopes of putting some litigation distance between it and Apple, Meizu just released these updated renderings of their M8 / miniOne. Still no actual product shots though we hear that a prototype is floating around Meizu offices somewhere in China. So what say you -- is this change enough to keep Apple's lawyers at bay?

[Via MeizuMe]

[Btrick @ Apr 24th 2007 2:04AM]

wait.. other than it being white, it still looks just like the iphone

[Deezee @ Apr 24th 2007 2:24AM]

I think the Bamboo Curtain is the only thing that keeps Apple lawyers at bay.

[Giltronic @ Apr 24th 2007 2:26AM]

its products like this that will actually make the iphone affordable...eventually...

yaya, lower me

[7of7 @ Apr 24th 2007 2:56AM]

This Chinese phone looks much better than the iPhone because it has a decent software platform on which to develop. As for aesthetics there are only a few ways to make a rounded rectangle. Apple design consists entirely of rounded rectangles, so there are bound to be devices it makes that look similar to other companies' devices.

[Crayola @ Apr 24th 2007 2:58AM]

I think Apple should start printing money with Job's head, like Disney currencies, their cost and economics is in a world of its own, who would buy a $499 phone? I hope Steve choke on his turtle neck!

[andrew harrison @ Apr 24th 2007 4:57AM]

and who the hell would buy a $399 mp3 player that has "no wireless, less space than a nomad. lame."

[BandB @ Apr 24th 2007 1:00PM]

has anyone seen theh nokia n-series or high end unlocked phones, they start at 600 people. I want one but I know I can't afford one but I don't think what there asking for is too much.

[Jesse S @ Apr 24th 2007 2:58AM]

And the funny part is that the miniOne is much better spec, feature, and quality (if it holds up to their other products) -wise than the iphone.

[ldrn @ Apr 24th 2007 3:21AM]

I think it looks more like my old X50V Dell Axim, only recolored and with the front buttons removed, of course.

Then again, the iPhone itself looks a lot like my old Axim sans face buttons...

[Brandon Pierce @ Apr 24th 2007 3:55AM]

Probably enough to keep Apple away, and enough to get Microsoft's attention...

[YankInOz @ Apr 24th 2007 4:07AM]

I can't really be sure unless I see the back of the miniOne... but there is a chance that thee are some similarities. As for all the anti-iPhone folks. How can you disparage something that is not out yet? And "platform" - how the phuque can you even praise the POS of Win-blows? Obvopisly. you have never used Windcrap on a PDA. Cheech.

[Ayle @ Apr 24th 2007 1:32PM]

You sure obviously don't know how to type.... And I tought that Apple were intelligent beings.... You proved me wrong....

[wfbnadador @ Apr 24th 2007 3:20PM]

Ayle, if you're going to correct someone's grammar / spelling, please try to avoid atrocious examples yourself.

[YankInOz @ Apr 24th 2007 3:13PM]

Ayle @ Apr 24th 2007 1:32PM
You sure obviously don't know how to type.... And I tought that Apple were intelligent beings.... You proved me wrong....

Talk about calling the pot calling the kettle black. STFU
FYI it is 5AM here in OZ. It does get tired out on occasion. Nit-picking is not an Olympic Sport. If it were I am sure you would be in contention for a Golden Zune!!!

Do you really want to start a flame game?

[Rod @ Apr 24th 2007 5:13AM]

YankInOz, being a barely literate sophomeric teenager doesn't help the causes for the Apple fanboy nation. Learn some English and perhaps then you will be able to contribute to your causes, however misled they may be.

[Cameron Campbell @ Apr 24th 2007 9:23AM]

Rod, I know this is difficult to imagine, but some people speak other languages than English. Stunning I know.

[Rod @ Apr 24th 2007 5:49AM]

But seriously though, how could anyone deny that this isn't a rip off of the iPhone? Meizu is a company that is well known for their Apple rip-offs.
Of course, the good news is that unlike other ripoffs, they actually add useful features and the end result is at least on par with Apple's products, so hopefully we can expect more of the same with this phone.
Whatever happens, this is good news to consumers who usually benefit from more competition.

[BowserUSC @ Apr 24th 2007 6:21AM]

I would buy this over the iPhone.

[Darren Wilson @ Apr 24th 2007 6:57AM]

Yankinoz

Guess what? I have used a Windows based PDA/Phone for the past 6 years nearly and have not had ONE single problem with any of the software, and any problems that I have had had have been hardware problems (2 batteries bulging during the summer heat when mounted on the car dashboard).

Looks more like a mobile version of Vista to me than anything else, so what is it to do with Apple?

The iPhone looks just like my Smart Device/PDA so have Apple copied HTC on that? Who gives a monkeys rectum?

I have just checked the layout of the Meizu device to my PDA & the design is very similar to that more than anything else with regards to peripheral connections and button placement.

[Your Fat Mother @ Apr 24th 2007 7:27AM]

Grow up, nerds!

[yodafone @ Apr 24th 2007 8:04AM]

Copy it may be, but they seem to understand that imitation is still the sincerest form of flattery.

At least Meizu knows enough not to plaster redundant descriptions of the device's functions all over the case ("ADVANCE HIGH PERFORMANCE 8 GB MP3 AUDIO PLAYER") unlike so many other Asian manufacturers.

And Vista or no Vista, at least they rendered it with a wallpaper that makes the whole thing look fresh.

Now if they can only get past that other hurdle that seems to afflict Asian manufacturers: build quality...

[kadajawi @ Apr 25th 2007 3:44PM]

As far as I know previous Meizu products have been considered well built. And... anyway Apple and most manufacturers let some chinese company do the job.

The design has improved a bit, but yeah, some relation to the iPhone is still there (though I think the Samsung F700 is even more of an iPhone rip off). And I'd buy the Meizu over the iPhone any day. Better features, 3rd party software support, lower price, higher quality.

[Chuckles McGee @ Apr 24th 2007 8:47AM]

As you can see, there's an internet explorer icon and a windows icon- clearly making this not an Apple creation. I don't understand why Meizu doesn't just snap a pic with the GUI running a non-Apple Iphone-esque skin... people are so easily caught up in details which are skin deep.

[ilija @ Apr 24th 2007 11:10AM]

Personally, Cameron, I got a kick out of Rod lecturing the other fellow on being "sophomeric" and needing to learn English, while misspelling the word sophomoric. There's some irony there, given the word's meaning.

Marketplace competition in this arena almost seems to me like an accelerated (and unregulated) version of what goes on in the pharmaceutical industry. A "brand name" is released and with an initial hold on a market before generics at drastically reduced prices are available, except in this case the miniOne is expected to only be $100 cheaper than the iPhone, which itself isn't that much
more expensive than when the omnipresent POS RAZR was first released with Cingular. I won't be buying the first-gen of either phone for reasons other than price, personally.

As for the "who would spend $xxx on y" comments, to each his own. Given that not many people take the Warren Buffett attitude of "how much will this cost me if I had invested the money instead over 20 years?" when buying stuff, who cares. Who would spend $15k on a Vertu phone? Part of Apple's marketing (and pricing) strategy was always to distinguish themselves from anything cheaper and create a
culture that isn't only for fanbois. I've seen a number of yuppies toting them around just because "it's cool."

[AJ @ Apr 24th 2007 12:40PM]

Cameron, how great it is you recognize that other people speak other languages. You must be new to the language scene though, cause I'm certain YankInOz is writing in English. I'm also pretty sure "how the phuque can you even praise the POS of Win-blow", is also English, poor as it may be. Please stun us again with more of your stunning insights.

[Cameron Campbell @ Apr 24th 2007 12:58PM]

Ok AJ, here's another one, ready. Sometimes when people speak other languages their command of written English isn't as good as, say, a native speaker/writer.

How's your written French or Urdu? The Somali coming along well?

The automatic assumption that poor writing means that the person is stupid and not struggling with a second or third language is a sign of xenophobic ignorance.

[uberfu @ Apr 24th 2007 9:25AM]

only if they're smokiung crack that day_

[chris Stevens @ Apr 24th 2007 11:01AM]

hey, i live in China and know what they are like. they rip off anything thing they can and cant be bothered to come up with their own designs.

i hope apple sues the backside of the thieving bastards

[Jonb @ Apr 24th 2007 11:05AM]

have a look at this

http://en.meizu.com/userforum/forum_posts.asp?TID=704&FID=12&PR=3

[Rod @ Apr 24th 2007 12:09PM]

Well, at least I was commenting on his barely intelligible form of English rather than spelling... ah what the hell.
I guess the proper term for this kind of a situation is 'pewned' or however the teens spell it.

[Michael @ Apr 24th 2007 11:11AM]

I'm surprised this thing is getting the attention that it is. I'm a mac user and I'm really excited for the iphone, but i think people leaving comments are really mislead about what is so great about the iPhone...

I really could care less about its sleek looks or even the huge touch screen, what is so great about the iPhone is that I know it is going to be functional and work seamlessly with all my data and information. So unless this Meizu device has the amount of R&D going into HOW the device is going to make my life easier, it is just a knock-off trying to stay in the spotlight. I love its looks, but even if it were HALF the price of an iPhone, looks are only skin deep and not enough to appeal to people who see the potential the iPhone has to make digital life easier.

This isn't fanboyism... I encourage a competitive marketplace and hope that something else comes out to rival the iPhone and pressure Apple into making even better products in the future, but this simply is NOT the product that will survive to do that because its just a clone that is CLEARLY missing the boat on the iPhone concept.

[poopmaster @ Apr 24th 2007 11:25AM]

as much as iphone clones go, back when i had a palm V, there was a program i downloaded that made it look just like an iphone. but that was about 8 years ago.

[James @ Apr 24th 2007 11:28AM]

Bring something like this down to free-with-subsidy and I might even switch from my cushy legacy AT&T plan to something with unlimited data. It occurs to me, though, that there are times when you want *some* hardware buttons -- games designed for arrow keys are hard to play with touch only, for instance, and it's nice to have something that you can push that always does the same thing (a "Start"-style button, for instance). I'd want to play with one before taking the plunge.

[bleeka @ Apr 25th 2007 12:48PM]

You thought Apple were intelligent beings?
No, dude, Apple is a corporation that makes software & electronic hardware! It is run by intelligent beings, yes - but as far as Apple itself being an intelligent being, no, not so much.

Not yet at least.

[jbelkin @ Apr 24th 2007 3:26PM]

When will you people learn, "It has better specs." bwahahaha - have you learned nothing from the ipod. Specs and features are a checkist marketing gave engineering who then just put it in a box and call it a day - what do you end up with it? A literal jumble of specs crammed into something. Anywhere here have a cell phone you would call it's UI brilliant? how about great? No one? didn't think so. You can make it look like an ipod, you can have a ton more "specs" but that's ALL YOU HAVE - a bunch of words on a piece of a paper. THAT'S THE EASY PART. The hard part is amking the sum better than the parts. Look, you might hate Apple because you work for Verizon or MS - that's fine, everyone has to watch where their bread is buttered but clearly, this phone is a trademark violation - whether it's even real or if it's just a pez dispenser is another question - perhaps in their deluded mind, they think Jobs will be impressed and use them to manufacture the iphone. The cell phone companies had 20 years to get it right, they failed slightly to failing miserably. The Palm is a nice OS ... for 1995 ... for 2006, not so much - it took MS 10 years to copy a 1995 OS and even missing some things.

Just remember this - when Apple sells 1,000,000 cell phones on day 1 for $600 each MINIMUM ... and if you add in headsets, activation, etc ... Apple might just have a BILLION dollar day.

[directive0 @ Apr 24th 2007 3:40PM]

No multitouch?

[tugger @ Apr 24th 2007 4:18PM]

yeah yeah, features, features... Apple knows that it's not all about the features or processor speed... it's about innovation, integration, the small nice touches, simplicity, and making something just work...

The ipod has the least features of any mp3 player out there, but it's popular because it links perfectly with the software, has the simplest interface even after 5 years, and is beautifully designed.

Sure, it's alot of money, but people who own an iPhone will love it, and thats why they will buy a second and third.
It would be nice if the meizu was a fantastic phone, but there's no way that will happen with windows on it. Yeah, windows now has most of the features of OSX, but it just doesn't come close in smilability, and isn't happiness what we all want at the end of the day?

[Aaron Walker @ Apr 24th 2007 10:16PM]

Gee, I guess it is really going to be hard for anyone ever in the future of mankind to come out with a rectangle that has rounded corners and is white without someone saying they stole this from Apple.

Makes me think Steve and Co. invented rectangles, the color white and rounded corners.

Don't know how we ever survived as a species before Apple ever came along.

[PenaltyKillah @ Apr 27th 2007 8:25PM]

Oh great, because Meizu is a Chinese company, they don't get no stabs for "copyright infingement"? The miniOne is a bigger copycat than the miniPlayer, with an iPhone design and... A WINDOWS VISTA INTERFACE??? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I'm ashamed to be a Chinese. Seriously. Cheap labour, civet cats with SARS, tainted pet food, hormone-boosted chickens that gives us man-boobs, Communism, and copycat DAP/PMPs!!! Argh!!!

[PenaltyKillah @ Apr 27th 2007 8:25PM]

Oh great, because Meizu is a Chinese company, they don't get no stabs for "copyright infingement"? The miniOne is a bigger copycat than the miniPlayer, with an iPhone design and... A WINDOWS VISTA INTERFACE??? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I'm ashamed to be a Chinese. Seriously. Cheap labour, civet cats with SARS, tainted pet food, hormone-boosted chickens that give us man-boobs, Communism, and copycat DAP/PMPs!!! Argh!!!

[Telly @ May 23rd 2007 9:38AM]

WHen does it come out??? And where can I buy it????

[Kelvin Ho @ Oct 28th 2007 10:54AM]

Did anyone go on their website? Grammar mistakes. Technical mistakes. Bad GUI.

Conclusion?
A company that's hardly professional...

I'm Chinese, and I'd hate to say this to my own race... CAN'T ANYONE MAKE REAL THINGS ANYMORE?

Everywhere you see fakes
fake food (even fake eggs),fake phones,fake mp3s,fake CDs,fake DVDs, fake money,fake everything.

Damn.

Let's hope that Apple do what Americans do best: SUE THE BASTARDS


(iPhone's worth it, esp when the price is lowered.)