Video: Meizu M8 mini One
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Mar 4th 2008 6:03AM
posted Mar 4th 2008 6:03AM
Please note: If you're a current Engadget commenter, you do not need to re-register. Simply login and you will be prompted to select a username.
oh,ye!china!well done
a little disappointed..
Disappointed in what? Which part of early prototype didn't you understand? Let me help you http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=prototype o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prototype
the three holes on the top,the three buttons design and the white+black colors really disgusting,you dont feel that ? and their working process so slow....
Three holes at the top = more volume. Guess you missed the story about people poking holes in their iPhones to increase the volume. As to the three buttons both LG and Samsung use the same layout and a lot of people prefer it.
White and black? The casing? What colour is the iPhones case?
you man really indulged in the M8,so you'd like to forgive whatever the faults it gots ..
Not really just pointing out that what you don't like about this design exists in other phones already. Did you comment on the LG Viewty or Samsung Armani phone having three buttons?
And then there is your "and their working process so slow...." comment. IT'S A PROTOTYPE!
@carbonize
I can make this easy for you so you wont go crazy reading some of these replies.
Apple fans, including the Engadget crew, do not wish to see competition for anything Apple does. EVERY device that is released that could be a threat against an Apple device is automatically attacked and ripped as to put the most negative spin on it before it ever hits store shelves. Look at almost every "smart phone" with a touch screen that has ever been shown on Engadget, and you will see the same responses. Either they try to claim that it is "ripoff", a "knockoff", or some such term in order to dismiss it.
In short, they are running a protection racket so that no one dares considers alternatives to the Apple product.
I'd say, though, that this is a genuine rip-off. If it were made in a country with real copyright laws, it would not have got this far. That is saying a lot seeing as it's barely off the drawing board.
Forgetting all that though, this is still quite a laughable effort. They've been touting it for so long... and to what end? I still have my doubts, based on this evidence, that they're actually going to put these things on the market.
@Fred:
I've been begging for an iPhone competitor to come to Sprint, and so far, nothing has. It's not that the HTC Touch is a great phone and the "crazy apple people" are running some kind of protection racket, it's just that the HTC Touch is a turd.
I see what you're saying, and there certainly are some people eager to write off any possible competition as a knock-off, but A.) this M8 is nothing but a Chinese knockoff any way you look at it, and B.) the current iPhone competitors out there really are still behind the game (or playing a different game and so not a good competitor. there are other very nice smartphones out there that DON'T compete with the iPhone on any meaningful level.)
That's funny fred. And I likely agree if it wasn't the fact this Meizu continuously copies Apple. The did it with the iPod mini's name a packaging, the did it will a whole lot of iPods at the are doing it with the touch an the iPhone. I'm surprised Apple haven't sued them long ago. The whole thing is so obvious it's funny.
hehe, that looks gay... the digitalrise d800i looks a lot better... http://www.chinagrabber.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1531&HS=1 a lot cheaper too...
I have seen that phone in HK I think. I had to search for it because I wanted one of the iphone clones that china was selling and I couldn't find the Meizu in shanghai. If its the same phone its a piece of junk. Also it doesn't work in American because the frequencies are different. I think it may work in Europe though.
That seems pretty much done to me as it is; a handheld model to show off to your friends and a real, working model which you keep in your bag. I'd buy it.
Really don't know how much Meizu payed Engadget to constantly report progress of this iPhone rip-off...
I think you'll find engadget have been iphone fanboys and anti m8 for a while.
STFU
Ahhh ... fanboy, fanboy, fanboy ... How I love this nonsense.
Simply because a device is really well made, top of the user satisfaction lists and introduces novelities, that nobody else as done so well until now you must call somebody, who is absolutely right to say that this m8 is a boring device, riding the coattails of the iPhone, fanboy.
If you don't want an iPhone, that's I don't care. But to defend a uninspired, „yet-another-mediocre-device”, just because it is not Apple ... come on.
Be reasonable. I can't stand it anymore.
Right on. I have two suggestions, gonna put them in one post for brevity and promise this will be my last comment on anything meizu.
1 - Ban the word "fanboy" from engadget. It's so stupid, boring, tired. It's over. It's beyond over.
2 - Provide a meizu-free news feed, sorta like the apple free newsfeed. I honestly don't want to see or hear anything about this most blatant of rip-off artist companies. I have never seen a meizu product for sale anywhere - so why the obsession with their bad Apple clones? I don't even want to spend a tenth of a second browsing a meizu headline. Seriously. I want to have a meizu-free Engadget - please, make it so!
That's really quite pathetic.
I don't envy the amount of work the engineers need to do to get that ready for an August release.
http://en.meizu.com/
Good thing is that in the meantime they are selling drag-n-drop audio devices that play FLAC
http://flac.sourceforge.net
I think their iPhone-a-like gets way too much coverage, especially considering the progress so far :p
another thing, why do they call this thing the Mini One.
Mini compared to..?
Sorry, just rambling..
Wow, they really do have quite a way to go yet!
The 'demo unit' looked about as sophisticated as an image viewer and 3 JPGs!
I'd rather have seen the OS on that dev board to get an idea of what it actually runs like...
That looks like pure crap. I'm sure Carbonize just can't wait to stuff it down his pants though.
*yawn*
Apple fanbois and their playground insults. How old are you? 10? 12?
Carbonize... you think this looks GOOD? Stop resorting to shouting 'fanboi' [sic] and defend the product if you think it's good. I personally don't think this will ever make it to market.
quit unbelievable that it takes them this long to get a working knock off of the iPhone. And then they don't even improve it. What a piece of sh*t. And of course it's by no means a copy of the iPhone because this thing doesn't do anything in contradiction to the iPhone with which you can at least make a phone call.
So............what they basically had to show case is a portable picture fram with a bunch of still images??
Yup. I mean you can see the form but you would of thought they could of put something on there even if it was just a vanilla installation of Windows Mobile. Better yet slap Android on there. Call it the Mini One Android.
I really don't like the fact the UI is lets say "borrowed" form a certain phone that starts with the letter i
why do you give this cheap knock off so much coverage, its never going to come out! its been about a year now and it has no operations, shows 2 screens and they havnt even completed the hardware, this thing would see the light of day for another year at least. as for comparing it to an iphone, why bother, its not even as good as the lg's the touch screen doesnt even accept input lol.
I'm sorry, but that looks really cheap. Especially the back, it looks... so plastic.
I'm not an apple fanboi (in fact, don't even have an iPhone, I am happy with my HTC Touch Cruise / O2 Orbit 2), but at least the iPhone looks... nicer.
I am only talking about the actual phone, not the UI, mind. Can't judge this UI, as it's just JPEGs.
As a person whom English is not his first language, I was mildly insulted by your 'Who knew Enlgish is a second language could be so fun' comment, Thomas. For about 2 nanoseconds. Then I just realized how bloody ignorant you are.
What language do you think they speak in the plant where your precious iPhone is manufactured? Black Speech? The binary language of moisture vapouretors? What will it take for persons like you to realize it's a BIG world out there and not all of it speaks English.
When you tire of reading your copy of 'Green Eggs and Ham' do yourself a favor and pick up 'China Shakes the World' by James Kynge. Nice read. Hint: it's in their nature.
seriously, lighten up - Thomas never meant the reference statement to be racial.
Let me put it to you lightly: most of the products in this world come from China. Unfortunately, 90% of the junk from China is either
1) Poisonous, hazardous to health, and/or plain dangerous to human beings/and/or animals.
2) Pir8ed software/movies mostly come from China - they sell it on the streets with no regards to copyrights
3) Their automobiles have a one star safety rating.
4) They rip off every other country when it comes to design of cars, motorcycles, and clothing. Nothing is safe from design theft - which china ranks #1 in.
5) China steals US govt. secrets.
6) SARS outbreak was covered by govt...until it got extremely contagious spreading to all of HK and elsewhere
7) AIDs is a major issue now in China. Yet the govt. does not believe HIV exists among chinese people because it is something foreigners only can get.
8) This damn iphone knockoff.
@Poonanny
Nothing is safe from design theft - which china ranks #1 in. and apple #2!
1) Yup it is very hazardous, that is why you're typing on a made in Chinese keyboard right now, sitting in front of a made in china keyboard, having a Made in China MP3 player.
2) I spell hypocrisy, I would not be surprised if one of you here use a pirated version of Microsoft word, excel to save you more than 100 bucks, and it is Chinese piracy that allow some people to watch movies online without having to pay a penny. Ironic.
3) The latest Chinese car crash test performed by Spain ( a western country that abide by European standards) got 3 stars.
4) Everyone else ? Well I admit that apart from Japanese and Western companies like US, German and French, Italian, British.... I wonder how many other countries in this world have technology anyway. Use the word "every" in a proper context.
5) Off-topic
6) Off-topic, this place is about electronics not disease.
7) Off-topic, this place is about electronics not disease. (btw who told u this ? , this sounds so funny, the chinese government does recognise HIV.)
Poonanny I'll knock off some stuff for ya (in no particular order). DISCLAIMER: I'm not defending the chinese. This is more matter of fact:
HIV/AIDS is bad in the entire planet. There are varying degrees of responsiveness, yes. But this has nothing to do with IP theft.
Poisonous/dangerous products: China's not the only one. Do you remember a couple of weeks ago about tainted drugs from Pfizer (or some pharma) manufactured within US soil? Regulated by the FDA? How many cases a year do we NOT know?
American cars don't rank quite well on safety. Some of them do, but most of them don't.
A state government covering up something embarrasing, like SARS? How could they? The US covering the torture of illegaly held prisoners in Guantanamo Bay using waterboarding techniques? Impossible!
State governments stealing secrets to each other? Pray tell how old are you? Are you old enough to remember the Cold War and the Space Race? How do you think the Soviets did this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_%28spacecraft%29 Friendly collaboration?
Now to the crux of the issue. Companies complain about their IP being stolen by China, India, Brazil, etc. What did they expect? That they would get a 150%+ markup on a product manufactured on the cheap on third world countries and that those same people living on those same countries would pay astronomical amounts of money for the products they themselves made, so that an American CEO has his nice stock options and seven figure salary and bonus? Because when you boil it down to the basics that's why things are priced so. The iPod Shuffle costs $50 in the store. How much do you think it costs to manufacture? Windows Vista is a pile of dung. Why does it cost more than $150?
Remember you pay for the IDEA and a PERCEPTION of a brand. Which is what ultimately a brand is. A purse is a purse is a purse, unless it's Prada or Coach. Then you pay $400 for three pieces of leather put together by a middle aged Chinese woman that earns $15 a day and can't afford herself the luxury of the Prada brand.
The funny thing about all of this is that they (the Chinese) are imitating for imitation's sake. I don't think they realize or fully comprehend the mechanics of free markets. Yet.
Here's what's happening in China:
1) Japanese and Korean gadget, phone and car makers release sleek, innovative new devices or vehicles domestically in Japan and Korea.
2) Chinese rip-off companies buy one, and return to China where the whole thing is copied.
3) The Chinese companies sell the fake version domestically in China.
4) when the original is finally sold in China, Chinese consumers think the original is a counterfeit of a Chinese original, since the Chinese phone was sold first, and are OUTRAGED at the copyright violation. Counterfeiters cost legit companies about $600 billion per year and growing fast, and the overwhelming majority of it happens in China.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200511/200511060022.html
http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/keepin-it-real-fake-part-xxxvii-china-car-makers-strike-again/
Here's the reason why chinese cars (or other chinese crap) are "deathtraps":
Anybody who understands East Asian culture and history will tell you how they are drastically different from each other. Just because something happened in one location at one time doesn't mean it will repeat at another location at another time. You only need to see the history of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan to tell that global brands like Toyota, Sony, Samsung, and Hyundai won't emerge from China. Why is that? Because of Chinese tendency to pursue short term profits in exchange for a long term growth, and the government's failure to establish an economic plan with a long term vision.
You cannot compare Chinese auto industry with Japanese/Korean auto industry for following reasons.
1. Japanese/Korean auto makers had tiny domestic markets and were forced to crack US and EU markets just to survive from the beginning. China's domestic market is rather large and Chinese auto makers don't have to go to overseas to survive. In fact, engineering cars to be US/EU regulation compliant could be fatal in a market condition where there is zero regards for safety and quality, and consumers shop only based on pricing alone. Make your car better than your competitor and raise your price, your competitor undercuts your price with an inferior but cheaper car and you are dead in China where the prices drop every quarter.
2. Chinese consumers themselves no longer consider Chinese brand vehicles when the intended price budget is more than $5,000. Accordingly, almost all Chinese brand vehicles are priced below $5,000. This heavy focus on low-price vehicles prohibit Chinese makers from higher priced and higher quality vehicles suitable for the US and EU markets.
- Japan(5-star-ratings): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGr38YSIn4
- Korea(5-star-ratings): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhX2Q8X9ha4
- China(Zero-star-ratings): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06LjugtIUo
@CitizenKlaw - I agree. English is my first language but I totally agree. This is the writer's Job and he should take crap like this more serious. If you consider your job at engadget serious then consider yourself a writer. I'm sure if a writer was able to publish something like this in the ny times people would be offended. Its amazing that engadget writers try so hard to be cool with a sense of humor. Trying too hard to be cool when your not can lead to you making and idiot out of yourself. I bet you read these comments where people pop off at the mouth about anything and seem to believe that you can do the same when posting a story. Get another name and talk trash in the comments like half the people do here. But please do us a favor and be more responsible when posting your stories.
^^^video: @1.28
specs:
======
GSM: 4-band 850/900/1800/1900
Wifi: wirless b/g
Screen Resolution: >>> 720x480
continued (being chopped off):
Touch Screen,
Camera: 3MP auto focus
Clearly this is NOT an iphone knockoff...
介绍的人英语差了点。
To all people complaining about the crappy looking white plastic, what part of "EARLY PROTOTYPE" can't you understand? Why spend money making a early prototype look good when that money can be used for R&D and production?
I like the other model better... the one with just the huge circuit board and tiny screen. Reminds you of those suitcase laptops they used to have.
You want to get noticed? Try lugging one of those around and answering calls on a subway with that! Impress your friends with the "ULTRAFAST" UI - but don't try to play a song cause that will never work. It's just a picture of music, but that's enough, right?
P.S. Meizu is poor quality. The Mini One will likely never be released (it was SUPPOSED to be released last year at the same time as the iPhone).
As much as I hate the iPhone, it's clearly a better product than the mini One-giant pile of crap.
Uhm, yeah, that's why earlier Meizu products were reviewed pretty well, and can easily hold up to iPods of that time.
However, the M8 is taking waaay to long. Still, it improves on the iPhone in several ways, and I think they want to make a device that is better than the iPhone. Many Chinese knock-off companies have released iPhone clones long ago (which are crap). Meizu takes time, and they have proven to be serious about their products.
I wonder when this is getting released though, I highly doubt an august release date.
Funny, they WERE reviewed well, because for the first 6 months (ish) there are no problems. Afterward, the M6 went to shit. Touchpad became unusable and the player was useless without it. Well reviewed? Who takes a player and reviews it for more than 6 months?
... yeah, GREAT quality
How ironic that i'm in china right now using my iphone to view this... i win.
Well said Poonanny... three words I never thought I'd use together.
@tekdroid
its smaller that the iphone!
again
沒有那麽大的b，就不要吹那麽大的牛
號稱10億資金，號稱3年利潤積累（扯吧，三年一山寨能積累10億retain earning)
‘研發'第一年，出了個用os x壁紙的3d效果圖
'研發'第兩年，出了個塑料模型
本來干的就不是什麽能見人的盜版勾當，還他媽真把自己當回事兒了。山寨就山寨，還他媽不認！到處搞宣傳，誇海口，還他媽CEO在用戶論壇保證，看丫就一傻b，内點兒操行，把他媽山寨厰的臉都丟光了。
我操，Meizu，真他媽希望你是魅族殊式會社
"has that big b, do not have to blow the that big cow"
.....what?? Blow a cow? What's that got to do with the M8?
you are rubbish
its a chinese slang, meaning
"if your tasticle (b)is not as grand as a cow's, don't show (blow) it off in front of others"
Here's what's happening in China:
1) Japanese and Korean gadget, phone and car makers release sleek, innovative new devices or vehicles domestically in Japan and Korea.
2) Chinese rip-off companies buy one, and return to China where the whole thing is copied.
3) The Chinese companies sell the fake version domestically in China.
4) when the original is finally sold in China, Chinese consumers think the original is a counterfeit of a Chinese original, since the Chinese phone was sold first, and are OUTRAGED at the copyright violation. Counterfeiters cost legit companies about $600 billion per year and growing fast, and the overwhelming majority of it happens in China.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200511/200511060022.html
http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/24/keepin-it-real-fake-part-xxxvii-china-car-makers-strike-again/
You get one thing wrong:
We don't need to buy one.
The 'originals' and 'counterfits' are manufacturered from a same assembly line.
Westerns that have balls feel free to move your production to vitnam or iraq, see how it goes.
lol
The sad part is apple china is right. companis love the cheap labor 9-5 but hates the fact that the factory reopens 6pm-8am to make more counterfeit stuff. Then they say boo hoo poor us we are loosing billions. Here is a novel idea stop making stuff where you know it will be stolen.
I am Chinese. No matter there are many difficulties in the development of M8. I will support unconditionally. Moreover this is only a project machine. There must be improvement in the sample when listed. And I like his operating system
支持魅族盜版侵權？
你想通過支持Meizu來發展共產主義嗎？LOL
Here's the reason why chinese cars (or other chinese crap) are "deathtraps":
Anybody who understands East Asian culture and history will tell you how they are drastically different from each other. Just because something happened in one location at one time doesn't mean it will repeat at another location at another time. You only need to see the history of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan to tell that global brands like Toyota, Sony, Samsung, and Hyundai won't emerge from China. Why is that? Because of Chinese tendency to pursue short term profits in exchange for a long term growth, and the government's failure to establish an economic plan with a long term vision.
You cannot compare Chinese auto industry with Japanese/Korean auto industry for following reasons.
1. Japanese/Korean auto makers had tiny domestic markets and were forced to crack US and EU markets just to survive from the beginning. China's domestic market is rather large and Chinese auto makers don't have to go to overseas to survive. In fact, engineering cars to be US/EU regulation compliant could be fatal in a market condition where there is zero regards for safety and quality, and consumers shop only based on pricing alone. Make your car better than your competitor and raise your price, your competitor undercuts your price with an inferior but cheaper car and you are dead in China where the prices drop every quarter.
2. Chinese consumers themselves no longer consider Chinese brand vehicles when the intended price budget is more than $5,000. Accordingly, almost all Chinese brand vehicles are priced below $5,000. This heavy focus on low-price vehicles prohibit Chinese makers from higher priced and higher quality vehicles suitable for the US and EU markets.
- Japan(5-star-ratings): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGr38YSIn4
- Korea(5-star-ratings): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhX2Q8X9ha4
- China(Zero-star-ratings): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06LjugtIUo
Korea (1 star rating) : http://youtube.com/watch?v=9srrmYYJE3o
Korea (??? just look and be surprised ) : http://youtube.com/watch?v=VQE2O7FSjF0
China (3 stars) : http://youtube.com/watch?v=7e9XuG0WYS8
Not to support china but in many parts of china you tub is blocked so they cant vote.
China is an ex-communist country, give it 20 more years and you'll see.
Google "Huawei" btw.
Hmm. No. China is still Communist last time I checked.
China is about as communist as the Apple computers. They talk good of people and make money hand over fist using any cut throat way. You checked I've been there and seen.
Koreans copy Motorola's Razr
http://www.physorg.com/news66496443.html
Another Korean knockoff
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/21/tomato-disappoints-with-its-video-touch-knockoff/
Another Korean knockoff again
http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/01/09/iriver.iphone.clone/
Samsung itself was once a copycat
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2002/04/01/320613/index.htm
cool...a touchscreen with three .jpg files
Quite frankly I was a little bit insulted by the writer's last sentence. But I guess after all engadget is not created by professional writers or else I would not be leaving this comment right now.
way to go engadget, keep loosing viewers outside of america
Since people here want to go off the topic. I would like to state something here.
China's number of patents are amongst the highest in the world, ranked 7th in 2007 with a growth rate of 40%, highest growth amongst the top perfomers
Chinese technology company Huawei's number of patents alone rank 4th in the world after Panasonic, Philips and Siemens.
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2008/article_0006.html
All the patents granted, published, ranking, data were all done by the UN.
Wow this device looks awesome! The UI looks great!! I wonder how they came up with such a neat device with a sleek UI. It almost like a dream! Like a device I've seen before, may be in a dream or something. Oh, wait, I know where I seen that before... An Apple store!
But to be honest though, I think I like the black edge on this device (also on the ipod touch) better than the shiny silver edge of the iPhone.
this thing makes me sad.
where's the REAL iPhone competition? (for Sprint!)
lol,,, the d800i whips this phone... bet this won't be out for another year!!! the d800i just came out.. http://www.chinagrabber.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1531&HS=1
@ whoever said its a ripoff from a country with no copyright laws
ALl Meizu products are FCC approved shithead.
the FCC has absolutely nothing to do with IP law, and copyrights don't apply to devices only books and written material.
Ok thats it, wheres the fucking admin. So many fucking racist messages on here its not even funny. Where is the filters?
They should rename the company "MeeToo".
Secondly, why should i feel bad for American companies they do it to
themselves. Reserve engineering is mad a lot easier when you are
given the parts. Companies love to have stuff made in China because
of low labor cost and stuff. They figure it cuts cost increasing
profits. i worked for Nike, the real "cost" was that the shoes had
to be shipped greater distances which thy figured was ok. You know
what cost the miss, little thing called IP, intellectual property.
The chinese take there stuff, parts, components, whole thing and
remake them or resell they(think of it like a bonus since their labor
costs are low.) Noone figures that when they say close the american
factory we can make it in china cheaper. They should that
"lost" $600 billion when they ask again whether its better to close the
$12/hour us factory for a $6/hour chinese one. The US has IP laws China does not enforce theirs.
For the record I am a business and law student by no means a blue collar worker. Further I've been to china. Those are the facts US companies want to have their cake and eat it too and its not going to happen.
are laws protecting IP, in china there are not.
Damn knock offs can't the chinese come up something original of their own?
and DAMN that girl is UGLY!
to 移动建造厂（基地车/mcv）
darwin也是开源的。
http://developer.apple.com/opensource/index.html
这里下载。但是没有aqua。
————————
霉族要是有本事也完全可以利用开源的darwin搞个mPhone，但是事实是不能。
————————
忽然发现miniplayer从外观到内核都是高丽人搞的么？今天播放视频的时候没电了，下面出来一行红色的韩国字，然后自动关机了……
可是偶对你现在比较有兴趣地说...ha ha
无所谓有无偷换概念，你始终没明白真正的“行迹和事功”的区别。
1，我依旧对MZ的做事方式觉得反感，现在加深到不耻；
2，MZ还戴不起“放弃稳妥敢于挑战”的高帽，无非就是尝到了甜头想再尝点甜头而已...
3，MZ只不过是在赌，无后路只能赌而已...
只是这样而已...