Meizu's MiniOne M8 GUI showcased further, still devoid of originality

If you had even a sliver of faith left in Meizu that it would change its copycatting ways and turn its heart to creativity, you're probably feeling quite foolish right about now. In a recent posting made to showcase even more interface shots of the MiniOne M8, we got a glimpse at the not at all familiar music interface, more insight on the calling screens and a few more looks (shown after the jump) at how it'll handle messaging. Needless to say, we can just swear we've seen a similar GUI before, but apparently, playing the ignorance card makes it easier to swallow. Oh, and the actual phone now sports a "new edge" with a somewhat grayish motif -- enthralling, we know.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 2:59PM]

Tags: clone, copycat, gui, interface, knockoff, m8, meizu, minione, ripoff

--Man, these tags are really harsh. Well deserved, I agree, but harsh. :p

[inkmaster Posted Oct 19th 2007 3:07PM]

Wow, this is getting more and more pathetic by the day. Each time Apple changes/adds something to the iPhone, Meizu somehow magically updates their own shit w/ a "brand new and innovative" interface which they claim have been in development for month before the iPhone...

I mean come on, ffs, its like when a company rips off someone else once in a while its like whatthehellever - forget about it -- but when its the exact same shit product after product - where not only the hardware, but also the software is a complete knockoff thats just utter bullshit.

I'm by no means against Chinese companies -some of them actually do make great innovative products, but shit like this is what gives China a bad name.

I for one am hoping this company will disappear under a pile of lawsuits - they do nothing productive for the industry, and have been just ripping off Apple's every step for the past few years.

BOOOOO!

[Duscrom Posted Oct 20th 2007 7:36AM]

Alright.. Things they have that innovate on the iPhone? Open software platform, replaceable batter, and memory, Carrier Unlocked too.. and who knows, probably 3G, a IM program, the ability to send and recieve MMS, or take videos.

It's funny how 100% of the iPhone innovation is in the UI, since it fails so much in functionality. I own an iPhone... which is now going to die in about a year and a half, since mine is Unlocked, so, getting Applecare is pointless. And that's not even including how AT&T ripped me off. AT&T is one of the worst cell phone providers i've had to deal with.

But the lawsuits won't come, cause the Gov says you can't copyright a User Interface on a phone... I mean, look at all other cell phones. Samsung, Motorola, and LG, all have very similar UIs

[Chris Bell Posted Oct 19th 2007 3:52PM]

Soon these will be peddled along with "authentic" Rolex watches and Prada bags on the streets of NY City.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 3:57PM]

Hey Apple & Apple fanboys, if you guys think you're so great -- go make something that can't be copied in 4 months by a couple of unschooled teenage engineers from a 3rd world country.

I would rather go for this than get ripped off by Apple.

[tbonet Posted Oct 19th 2007 4:14PM]

You do realize that copying is much much easier than coming up with your own ideas and successfully implementing, right?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 4:59PM]

...that and this thing is expected to cost more than the iPhone at this point...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 5:22PM]

China isn't a third world country... How do you merit copying of technology? The whole point of new products is to come up with new ideas that push the whole industry to advance.

[YpoCaramel Posted Oct 19th 2007 8:42PM]

I like their music choice, anyways.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 4:29PM]

Engadget bloggers sound pissed off, makes you wonder how many of them own stocks at Apple...?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 4:36PM]

Apple fanboys need to stop crying. Apple is much to blaim for their iphone with their many restrictions and lack of many other stuff. When any company releases a good product, don't expect to be blind and think other company don't want a piece of that pie.

I don't care if it's a ripoff of the iphone, Prada, Nokia or samsung's phone. All I want is a phone that's going to be better than the iphone. If Meizu can make an mp3 player that is better than the ipod, I'll welcome them to top the iphone.

I can't believe some poeple here are bitching. I mean if I/you like the iphone and can't afford it, but if a copycat of the iphone that's coming out for a much cheaper price with a better functions and less restrictions, I'll support it. The same thing I'll totally support if another company that can release a cheaper blu-ray/HD players.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 5:01PM]

You have a point, but to me there's an inherent difference between directly copying a GUI vs releasing a hardware player that will play discs of a given standard.

[mindstormmaster1 Posted Oct 19th 2007 5:35PM]

Can wait to see cover flow. on this thing.

Ethan

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 5:40PM]

Imitation is the best form of flattery.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 11:09PM]

Anyone that thinks this will really be the functional equivalent of the iPhone is extremely naive. I don't expect this to be comparable to the iPhone any more than I expect "Vii" games to approximate Wii games.

[dinino345 Posted Oct 19th 2007 9:16PM]

when i last checked..didnt this phone have a intergrated camera on the front panel?....

where did it go?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 10:21PM]

Hmmm, it's interesting how they chose to use an incorrect QWERTY
keyboard. That keyboard layout, among other things, seems a little
bootleg to me (or do people use this sort of layout?)

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 19th 2007 10:23PM]

wow, what a shuffle icon

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 20th 2007 6:47AM]

when will the meizu m8 come out in asia (more specifically in thailand) and how much would it cost?
does anyone know?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 20th 2007 4:11PM]

I love the look mainly because it is more windows based. But iphone wins this battle easily... price on this thing is crazy....

[Turnipus Posted Oct 20th 2007 9:13AM]

i've said it before and I will say it again. None of you seem to know any of the facts about this product. You all just chat s**t about something you have no clue about or have not researched at all. Just read to spec before you open your dumb traps:

http://www.meizume.com/showthread.php?t=888

There is no doubt the GUI is almost a copy of the iphones. So what? many phone shave the same GUI. WM6 or symbian platforms. But look at the hardware. what chinese clone uses an ARM11 667MHz processor?(which is infact better and faster than the iphones processor). What cheap chinese clone uses legitimate windows CE 6.0 firmware? What cheap cinese clone has all this technology? (wifi, bluetooth, motion sensors, light sensors, USB OTG) Never underestimate the chinese, in 10 years they will be the most powerful nation in the world. 90% of your electronics are made their, as well as clothes and all the rest, with out china all you fat yanks would not be able to be the greedy, polluting F***ers you are. If the chinese stoppe dtrading with you your economy would collapse. There is still a possiblity this will be vapourware, but I doubt it strongly. No iphone will have this type of functionality........ever.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 20th 2007 9:37AM]

Is it weird that I'm a Mac user and think this thing is kinda bitchin'?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 20th 2007 11:08AM]

Correct me, if I'm wrong, but AFAIK Engadget (and other news/media companies ie, CNET) reporters/bloggers are not allowed to own stocks of companies they report news about because of a conflict of interest. Say Ryan Block reports something good about Apple, and it causes the stocks to rise, Ryan could be charged with manipulating the market, etc.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 22nd 2007 3:26PM]

I've long suspected that engadget writers hold Apple stock.

[iComment Posted Oct 22nd 2007 2:07AM]

Wld the M8's keyboard be as smart as the iPhone's "Trust the Keyboard"?

I tried the iPhone's keyboard (portrait, not landscape) and i took to it like a fish to water.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 22nd 2007 2:28PM]

Does this copycatting hurt your feelings Engadget? It sounds like it does.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 23rd 2007 1:28AM]

Meizu may be the only cellphone brand from China which can be found on Engadget, but only a few people Chinese knows Meizu, I asked 23 of my friends living in big city in China, but NONE of them knows Meizu. This is interesting and I just wrote post about this on my blog, feel free to tell me what do you guys think: http://iivee.com/meizu-famous-on-engadget-not-hometown/39/

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 19th 2007 1:49PM]

I live in northern California (Humboldt County) The iPhone is only avalable here if you sign with AT&T or Vorizon. I would welcome a knock-off the allowed me a choice of providers. It sucks that I have to deal with AT&T or do without. This company (though clearly shadey in their business practices) are providing a service that would be otherwise unavailable.