Meizu responds to iPhone launch... with more M8 pictures

Nothing really new here, just the first pictures of the latest MiniOne M8 redesign from the sides, top, bottom, and back. Sorry, we'd love to tell you when this 11.8-mm of sexy will break loose Stateside and beyond but we can't. Still, if it makes you feel any better you can always prop these pictures up next to the dubious import pricing and dates we heard about this morning. You know, with claims of releasing a game changing 3G, HSDPA with WiFi worldphone packing 16GB of flash by early 2008... isn't it about time for Meizu to get this project out of their Chinese language bulletin boards and issue an honest to goodness foreign press release? In the mean time, we'll continue to cast doubt while you go toe-to-toe with product renderings in the gallery. Oh, and before you go... it looks like an iPhone. Ha, you didn't think you'd escape this post without some kind of Apple reference did ya?

Gallery: Meizu responds to iPhone launch... with more M8 pictures

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[John Zupancic @ Jun 30th 2007 7:31PM]

I dunno, it runs Windows Mobile : /

[Paul Holstein @ Jun 30th 2007 7:52PM]

Just out of curiosity, how do you answer this phone in the middle of winter with gloves on?

[Ryrua @ Jun 30th 2007 10:01PM]

With your nose.

[JohnTitor @ Jun 30th 2007 10:07PM]

just remember to set it to fat figure mode

[Bill Gatez @ Jun 30th 2007 10:30PM]

Um, in the cold, I'd answer it with my fingers. Mittens are for chicks and kids.

[gary @ Jul 1st 2007 4:20AM]

er...what smart phone can you answer with glove??? i certainly can't answer or press the button on my blackberry with gloves on.

[booyaka @ Jun 30th 2007 7:31PM]

Is that a Windows logo? IM SOLD!

Bye bye Apple weetods!

[booyaka @ Jun 30th 2007 7:33PM]

Exactly! Which is why you know you're paying for actual software not eye-candy!

[JohnTitor @ Jun 30th 2007 10:08PM]

well that's hoping Microsoft actually adds more to the next Windows Mobile
the iPhone actually does have good stuff to go with the iCandy

[Alan Partridge @ Jun 30th 2007 7:34PM]

Meizu's previous Apple rip-offs have actually been superior in build-quilty and functionality to the fruity product, so this might be interesting

[jaalin @ Jun 30th 2007 7:35PM]

16gb sounds future-proof enough
i'm glad meizu decided to use some real software... the stuff they use on their mp3 players aint so great - no complaints whatsoever about their hardware tho, the build quality is fantastic.

here's to hoping it's not really gonna be $900+

[Chris M @ Jun 30th 2007 8:17PM]

16 GB?

I don't know about you; but in order for a device to replace my iPod, it needs at the VERY least, 30 gigs of space dedicated to music; not counting any excess for documents/pictures etc...

Reason number 1 why I wasn't cashing into the iPhone- and reason number 1 why no 'music phone' to date can be a convergence device to me.

Chris

[jilie @ Jun 30th 2007 7:36PM]

a big WooOO for anything iRelated

[Bogdan @ Jun 30th 2007 7:43PM]

This is what I want. Say bye to iPhoneee.
We are all anxiously waiting, Meizu!

[ecobore @ Jun 30th 2007 7:47PM]

How the hell do they get away with that sh*te!!! Apart from a change in materials it looks EXACTLY like the iPhone. Looks like plagiarism of the first degree to me!!! And what's the betting the screen isn't glass, and oops, it just crashed again!!!

[peshue @ Jun 30th 2007 7:57PM]

Because the rectangle is a design element thats totally exclusive to apple, and Meizus other products have been oh so inferior to Apples right?

[Leonard Nimrod @ Jun 30th 2007 8:09PM]

@ ecobore,

It isn't plagiarism, it's copyright and patent infringement.... and it will never be allowed in the States of most 1st world countries because of that.

This isn't the first time Meizu has ripped off the IP of other tech companies an, as of now, Meizu is still waiting to get ahold of an iPhone so they can see it's internals. It remains to be seen if this will ever go from Photoshop to reality.

Also, Meizu and others can easily copy the design and components of the iPhone, after all Apple already put all the effort into R&D, but it's impossible to copy the OS functionality of the iPhone. Windows Mobile will not have the software (both client and server) to support Visual Voicemail, it can't not conference 5 calls, it will not have a full web browser or a a robust multimedia app or multi-touch technology or intelli-typing. OS X has 10 years of development, and then there is 10 years of NeXT before that, all with a solid BSD Unix foundation. Using Windows Mobile or Symbian will not produce the same experience.

[Bachus @ Jun 30th 2007 8:39PM]

@ Leonard
It's impossible to copy that OS functionality for the same reason it's impossible to develop software/hardware FOR that interface. They can spend out the ass on R&D but unless they let users in i'm gonna give my money to the company that promotes development of products on their platform and charges (ms), or hell, gives the platform away for free (linux). BRING ME OPENMOKO!

[SteveMB @ Jun 30th 2007 7:51PM]

Let me clear this up. It will not cost $1000. It will be around $450 for the 16GB. And unlike the iPhone it's unlocked and has a REMOVABLE battery.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Jun 30th 2007 8:20PM]

@ SteveMB,

The price of 16GB NAND alone is $200-$300+. And you think the entire phone will cost you $450?

Plus, it won't be sold in the US or most other countries. Assuming it gets made, which it probably won't as it stinks of a Meizu vaporware campaign.

[Adrian Williams @ Jun 30th 2007 9:04PM]

@leonard
It might be vaporware but by 2008 the price of NAND will drop

[Frankenstein Black @ Jun 30th 2007 9:36PM]

So unlocked means voice calls and SMS, NO DATA! Why is that? Well:
1. Which US or EU operator will sell or support it?
2. If its strictly Grey Mkt only it wont have an operator supported ROM.
What does this all mean? NO DATA except in China on their mobile Systems!
Vodafon, O2, T-mobile, at&t etc, etc, etc (GSM), all want iPhone or iPhone 2 and they wont piss Apple off by supporting this Rip with the creation of a ROM that supports their network stacks. Verizon and Sprint don't count (CDMA).

So, to the soon to be Meizu M8 owners of China, (and we mean it with love), enjoy your Rip, like that's something new :^)...

[gunrunforfun @ Jun 30th 2007 11:25PM]

@Frankenstein Black: huh. that's funny.
:: looks at phone in hand with T-Mobile ::
hey, sony ericsson k790i, apparently you're not supposed to be able to access data networks in the US because you don't have an operator-created ROM. what do you have to say to that?
:: k790i blows a fat raspberry at frankenstein black ::

[SteveMB @ Jun 30th 2007 7:54PM]

ecobore, I think I have seem people post comments like yours before. Why does the miniOne look like "EXACTLY" like the iPhone? Because it's a rectangle and it has a touch screen?

[Raymond @ Jun 30th 2007 8:26PM]

Have you not looked at pictures of the two phones side by side? If the only similarities you see are that both are rectangular and have a touch screen then your hate for Apple must be causing some serious selective blindness. Try looking at the GUI.

[gary @ Jul 1st 2007 4:25AM]

seriously...don't you see the four application buttons? the position of the camera?

[Taylor @ Jun 30th 2007 7:55PM]

"Oh, and before you go... it looks like an iPhone. Ha, you didn't think you'd escape this post without some kind of Apple reference did ya?"

Umm... yeah, or the TITLE of the article...
-Taylor

[derek @ Jun 30th 2007 8:01PM]

Let's see here... do people just forget why the iPod is so big? It syncs with iTunes and is easy to use. Unless another company can make something that works that great, nothing will top the iPod/iPhone.

[ShaleX @ Jun 30th 2007 11:40PM]

Way to top the Phone
sub $500 price
IM through AIM
Multi-Carrier (Because, the biggest reason i can't get an iPhone is fucking AT&T)
MMS, video recording.

The iPhone is a swanky device... but the whole idea of AT&T only, that'' that's a deal breaker. It dosen't help that AT&T wants a $500 deposit for me to sign their 2 year contract. And they told me it can go as high as $800. But that thing about the iPhone missing features that my pissant RAZR can do, kinda makes me sad

[chris j @ Jul 1st 2007 1:14PM]

or maybe its because apple still hasnt made the ipods with flash memory instead of FAT 1.8" hdd's.

[Chris @ Jun 30th 2007 8:07PM]

I so hope microsoft partners with them and lets it join the zune marketplace, and keep it unlocked to work with any carrier... This babys gonna rock!

450$ no contract for 16gb ... bluetooth, wireless, 3G, a BETTER SCREEN THAN THE iphone!, Removeable battery, and i hear its gonna support a2dp and quite a few other features that the iphones lacking..

Also even without the zune software integration... There are lots of software that are better than itunes sorry to bust your bubbles, hell even urge shatters itunes in ease of use.

And heres the best part, any frigging windows app will work with the iphone, lets talk real SDK's and development platforms for Windows Mobile... not some stupid ass safari gadgets.

[Alex @ Jun 30th 2007 10:34PM]

Maybe Microsoft will adopt this as its Zunephone, sort like how they based the Zune off of the Toshiba Gigabeat.

[SteveMB @ Jun 30th 2007 8:09PM]

The iPod is big, but it certainly isn't the best.

[jere @ Jun 30th 2007 11:31PM]

Haha, how exactly is that related to this? I'm not disagreeing, but it's almost as if you just did that because you know that's what everyone around here likes to say.

[geezer @ Jun 30th 2007 8:10PM]

It'll never be on the market anyway.

[visitor @ Jun 30th 2007 8:31PM]

When will it be available in China? Check out how many people want one in "China view US" blog www.chinaviewus.com, like crazy as here.

[chris @ Jun 30th 2007 8:50PM]

At least it wont require a dreaded iTunes activation experience like I have had so far. 25 hours and counting...all i can say is that it can't do much worse...

[Camperton @ Jun 30th 2007 9:12PM]

Did you try undocking and redocking the unit. I heard that works.

[chris @ Jun 30th 2007 9:16PM]

yup, did that...and I've power Cycled it as well... I did both of those things 4 times spaced out since last night...all about 4-6 hours apart

[Camperton @ Jun 30th 2007 9:24PM]

This is the thread for you.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/having-trouble-activating-your-iphone-273972.php

[SteveMB @ Jun 30th 2007 8:51PM]

Raymond, is not the GUI made by Windows? Isn't it WinCE6.0?

[SteveMB @ Jun 30th 2007 8:52PM]

Really Leonard? I didn't know you knew the prices. A sample might be $200-$300, but when you buy in bulk the price is a lot less.

[rnitch @ Jun 30th 2007 9:01PM]

it will definitely sell, they just gotta make sure that the headphone slot will fit a normal pair of headphones, and not just a crappy pair of white earbuds

[Camperton @ Jun 30th 2007 9:10PM]

Design wise, the word "Shameless" comes to mind.

Also, by the time this comes out I'll bet a new rev of Apple's phone is out or about to come out with a 3G option and more storage. So...

[tekdroid @ Jun 30th 2007 9:25PM]

Meizu would do well to have an easily-replaceable battery, too. Digital cameras have them. Nearly all phones have them. Why not this?

I'll never understand the trend to embedded non-removable batteries in a/v portable devices (and the downtime to charge them)

If it's Meizu, the answer to "Does it play FLAC and Ogg Vorbis?" will probably be yes, too.
http://flac.sourceforge.net
http://www.vorbis.com

[Caramelzappa @ Jul 1st 2007 12:41AM]

Just get a generic data plan with your provider. T-mo and others have regular data plans you can use with any phone. The point of an unlocked phone is you buy it from a third part and put in your sim, you don't buy it from the service provider, but pretty much all the providers will let you throw in a data plan at any time. Sheesh.

[Pun B @ Jun 30th 2007 9:41PM]

Oh my I am getting the Vapors . . . iSmelling salts, please.

[DanielJForman @ Jun 30th 2007 9:42PM]

All of this iPhone promotional jazz is making me seriously consider removing engadget from my bookmarks, and the last two sentences of this article only exacerbated the situation.

[Harry @ Jun 30th 2007 9:50PM]

kkeemm (clearing my throat here)

Just wanna point out first: Apple is not the only firm that's allowed to have products with circular angles. And also, what's the deal about LG PRADA?

Although the design of M8 is still subject to some final tweaking, I have some confirmed (official information, from inside sources. yes, I am Chinese) specs of M8 available.

Size: 58*105*11.8mm
OS: Win CE for Meizu (Based on Win Mobile 6.0)
CPU：ARM11 667MHZ + Video CODEC (30 frames/Sec)
Memory: 128m DDR SDRAM
GSM(quad-band) WCDMA/HSDPA/GSM/EDGE
Display: 3.3" TFT VGA+（720*480）160 dpi Color touch screen(use your fingers)
Camera: front:0.3 megapixels back:3.0 megapixels Auto focus
Battery: 1500mAH
WIFI: b/g
Bluetooth: 2.0+EDR
TV OUT\LINE OUT,USB HOST/OTG
Audio: All major formats
Video: All major formats (including but not limited to MPEG2 MPEG4 WMV, rm，rmvb) (no mov....)
Senors: light(the brightness of the screen will be adjusted automatically according to the environment), accelerometer, proximity sensors. Meizu will also have sensors similar to those in Wii remotes.

Contingent prices: 4G: USD 265 8G: USD 330 16G: USD 460

Release date: by the end of 2007

Obviously: no restriction on what software you wanna install or which carrier you are using. (Video call via Skype??)

[Thomas Ricker @ Jun 30th 2007 10:16PM]

Ok Harry,

Maybe you can help us. I believe J.Wong (CEO of Meizu) or at least the Meizu bulletins boards are probably your "inside source":

http://tinyurl.com/2qkpzf

The prices and date you quote are for the M8 when sold in China. When, if ever, will it be released to Europe or the US and for how much? Also, you might want to tell your inside source that s/he's long overdue for a press release. Meizu's got a potentially hot product here, but no one believes it because nothing is official (outside of China anyway).

Thomas