Meizu M8 interface gets tweaked once again. A few pixels to the left, please?

While it appears that Meizu's infringement shutdown at CeBIT was for unlicensed MP3 usage, and not at all to do with the eerie resemblance to a certain iPhone, the company still seems eager to prove to the world it is brewing something unique with the M8 mini One. CEO Jack Wong posted a bunch of new shots to the Meizu forums with small interface tweaks that inch the OS a bit away from its iPhone roots -- but certainly not far.

[Thanks, Lino G.]

Gallery: Meizu M8 interface gets tweaked once again. A few pixels to the left, please?

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[Byzil Mystwing @ Mar 16th 2008 3:43AM]

That's weird. I was looking at this gallery a few hours ago on the right, figured I had just missed the article somewhere. Guess the gallery goes up long before the post xD

[Mike @ Mar 16th 2008 1:06PM]

kinda ironic considering the song is What I've Done.. anybody get what i mean?

[Greg Fabry @ Mar 16th 2008 2:22PM]

The funniest part is they don't have copyright access or whatever for the album, so they use a mock up of the album art. That cracked me up :P

[CubeGuy @ Mar 16th 2008 4:57PM]

Mike-"kinda ironic considering the song is What I've Done.. anybody get what i mean?"
Yeah, yeah. We see what you did thar.

[mushrooshi @ Mar 16th 2008 3:44AM]

Both look so nice, its hard to tell which is the Meizu and which is the iPhone interface.

[pscs @ Mar 16th 2008 6:00AM]

a bit more vista-looking...

[N30 G30 @ Mar 16th 2008 10:07AM]

I wonder if Microsoft and Apple ever sued the same company...

FANBOYS UNITE!!!!

[Frankenstein Black @ Mar 16th 2008 10:31AM]

No, Apple chased them off and now they are using LG's Prada UI. That's Right that UI is ALL LG!!

[Tiptup300 @ Mar 16th 2008 1:56PM]

Sweet, I was just sitting there thinking. What the hell!? They took all my photoshop templates!

[roole @ Mar 16th 2008 3:11PM]

The more interesting issue to me is, it's a year after the iPhone. Where are the big boys with multi-touch **anything** that is mass-produced and in the consumer's hands at a reasonable price?

Meizu is the only one that is attempting to yap at Apple's heels.

For all the tens of billions being spent on R&D by these fancy tech companies, what we have is an innovation wasteland!

[thef1re @ Mar 16th 2008 3:45AM]

i for one, am eagerly waiting for this. if it ever comes out.

[JAmerican @ Mar 16th 2008 3:50AM]

This device is basically for people who like imitation Apple design and UI without the unnecessarily cocky limitations!

JAmerican

[monkfishbandana @ Mar 16th 2008 5:36AM]

At least this one doesn't come with that crappy QWERTY that everyone's going on about.

This comes with a genuine KLIOP.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Mar 16th 2008 9:07AM]

That's what I was thinking. It's gotta be the worst keyboard layout of all time.

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Mar 16th 2008 11:07AM]

@ JAmerican,

1) The iPhone costs $400, not $600 for the 8GB model.

2) The processor was originally under-clocked to around 400MHz when first released but has increased to around 420Mhz with software updates. I suspect it was improvements in power management that led to the increase.

3) There are limitations with everything. If you want a tightly developed product from Apple you understand that they can't open it up to everything to fill out a Tech Specs sheet as it would no longer meet the requirements of the intended market: Non-technical people.

The M8 is no using smaller icons, this means that aren't going to have a capacitance screen that allows for finger interaction but require a stylus. This is a limitation. The slowness of the UI compared to other devices is another limitation of the M8. It won't be fast. It can't be fast. The lack of integration and syncing with your email, contacts, media is yet another; as well as the WinCE it's sitting on once you get past a couple of initial screens.

If you are holding out for the M8, fine, but don't fool yourself into thinking that it has no limitations.

PS: Last I heard the use of a HVGA or better display has been dropped for a cheaper and less power hungry display; the CPU speed has been lowered due to price, heat and lower power usage; the front facing camera was removed; the price keeps creeping higher; and there is no (and here is a big one) 3G network capabilities.

I doubt fault Meizu for that. That was bound to happen. They are using vaporware to create hype and it worked but creating a Photoshop of a copycat of another phone and producing one is another story. They have had over a year now to steal everything they want for the UI and we still haven't seen anything other ethan a slow, unstable UI on a punchboard.

PPS: It's ironic that the iPhone will probably have a 3G version out before Meizu has their first 2G model ready to ship.

[StalkerZERO @ Mar 16th 2008 11:53AM]

So it has its own SDK too then?

NOT! = FAIL!

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Mar 16th 2008 1:07PM]

@ StalkerZERO,

If it ever gets out of beign vaporware it will run WInCE which has an SDK. Though I 'think' the SDK costs $1500 or $2500, not the $99 that Apple charges to purchase an electronic certificate to host apps.

But they also don't take 30% of your profit. There are tradeoffs here and it depends on the amount of apps you can sell, but Apple's centralized App Store and cheap licensing will surely bring about dozens if not hundreds of quality, free apps in the first year alone for the consumer.

[John @ Mar 16th 2008 1:26PM]

Apple, I believe takes 30% of the revenue, not profit.

[Fraggle.Rock @ Mar 16th 2008 4:08AM]

I understand that there are outstanding issues concerning copyright infringement, but it seems to me that the Meizu device is really trying to set itself apart from the iPhone. The GUI is clearly similar, but it's still a work in progress, and similar does not equate to same.

I am certainly looking forward to the M8, particularly *IF* the hardware is more robust than the iPhone, the OS and software are more open and supportive of third-party apps, and the price is more competitive. Of course that remains to be seen, but I would LOVE to have an Apple-like product that doesn't include Apple-like repressive behaviour.

[JAmerican @ Mar 16th 2008 4:27AM]

or reconsider when Apple frees iPhone

[JAmerican @ Mar 16th 2008 4:28AM]

BTW, I wonder how many "Made in China" products you unsuspectingly own.

[ooda @ Mar 16th 2008 4:37AM]

Wow JAmerican, quite the asshole, aren't you?

Really, for the added "repression" that you get with the iPhone, you're also getting an exquisitely made device, with an OS that you know will be rock solid. The Meizu may be more open, but I'd be interested to see which one you'd be cursing more after a month of use.

But um, yeah, fight the revolution!

[JAmerican @ Mar 16th 2008 5:17AM]

I'm more of a person who would like to see the iPhone SDK open and not locked down by silly limitations. I mean the device supposedly runs 667MHz processor (which is blazing for a phone processor). Why not allow devs to multitask. Multitasking is the reason I went from Palm OS to Windows Mobile.

All I am saying is that if I paid $600 for a device Apple keeps locked down some way some how, I'd be pissed.

[Jakob @ Mar 16th 2008 6:04AM]

Developers CAN get the applications to run in background.

[Phoenix @ Mar 16th 2008 9:57AM]

No

[willy nelson @ Mar 16th 2008 11:10AM]

yes. developers can make their apps run in the background. the same technique used to let apps like apolloIM multi-task (you can stay online while you're using safari, on the phone, or even while the phone's locked) works with the current SDK. all you have to do is override applicationSuspend. now, whether or not apps that don't behave will be allowed in the store remains to be seen- that being said, there's been an unofficial "app store" for months...

personally, i don't think making snap decisions about stuff you don't understand based on beta software you don't have is particularly wise. best to hold off until you know what's real and what's just fearmongering.

[KnightRider @ Mar 16th 2008 4:41AM]

A LOT unfortunately. I try my best to avoid though.

[KnightRider @ Mar 16th 2008 4:45AM]

Trust me, robust hardware and or more features dont mean anything. I own a phone with ROBUST HTC hardware and sucky Windows; its called Tilt.

[Kyanges @ Mar 16th 2008 4:53AM]

"What I've done"? That's a great question Meizu. What have you done?

[Akshay @ Mar 16th 2008 5:22AM]

Each for his/her own opinion. Everyone may not agree with each other, so no point arguing. The M8, if, has certain advantages like more support of formats and more open ness to third party apps, could very well be a good alternative for a person who wants a product with a slick interface but not with the limitations apple puts in their products. For some, these limitations are negligible but for those for whom these matter, could have a good look at this. There is, no harm in competition anyway.

[Ricky @ Mar 16th 2008 5:44AM]

U idiot..Tibet has always been part of China since thousands of years ago.Goto learn history thoroughly!

[omnicloud @ Mar 26th 2008 4:23AM]

It's coming along nicely.
But they shouldn't sacrifice a pleasant experience to be different from the iPhone if they want to differentiate.

[ooda @ Mar 16th 2008 6:16AM]

I know that analogies are used to death, but it's like throwing a V12 in a Mini and wondering why, with the same gas tank, you can barely get out of your driveway. These limitations are being done so as to make sure that the iPhone experience will be seamless one cell to the next. That way, Apple knows that if at whatever point they want to put out some new firmware, they can pretty much be guaranteed that it will work. Maybe cell phones running Windows are more flexible, but judging by the rapidly rising market share of the iPhone, I don't think people are really complaining.

But yes, I will admit, I do love my iPhone to death, and using the same car analogy you could do a complete 180 with my argument. Sorry about the "asshole" comment.

[Andrew @ Mar 16th 2008 7:09AM]

Ricky: Goto learn English thoroughly.

[Josh @ Mar 16th 2008 7:12AM]

Ok then... that looks like the iPod theme that I helped make with the iPodWizard/iPodHackingForums guys based around the iPod touch now. =\

[j.r @ Mar 16th 2008 7:27AM]

Sure hope they licensed the rights to that Linkin Park song

[jaalin @ Mar 16th 2008 7:43AM]

meizu CEO announced sometime last month that m8 will be adopting multi-touch ... as soon as they figure out how to do it

[B' @ Mar 16th 2008 7:50AM]

im guessing they didnt bother to get permission to use the background in pic18 - vector from a dude on deviantArt.

[ijyt @ Mar 16th 2008 7:46AM]

You need to learn to recognise purposeful mistakes that mock another, and genuine mistakes.

[w00t @ Mar 16th 2008 7:49AM]

The irony is, since this runs a custom WinCE (No WinMo apps) and the already buzzing iPhone developer community thanks to the SDK (and the hackers!) by the time this is out I expect the iPhone to have a far more interesting selection of third party software!

From what I can see the M8 will require software to be ported so there is precisely no third party apps available nor any word of an SDK yet!

And seriously what were they thinking with that sort-of-qwerty but with letters in the wrong place keyboard?

[bobrhine @ Mar 16th 2008 9:59AM]

The CEO actually said that Windows Mobile apps should work on the device. Of course there are programs that are made for certain resolutions so those will have to be redone, but he said Windows Mobile apps should work.

[w00t @ Mar 16th 2008 10:07AM]

Oh really? Thanks I didn't know that...

It'll be interesting to see how well they cope with the GUI, resolution and input differences, might be a bit hit and miss but better than nothing :)

[sola6loria @ Mar 16th 2008 10:35AM]

Not everywhere in the world uses the same keyboard arrangement. I don't know about China specifically, but I would venture to guess that this might be the case.

[w00t @ Mar 16th 2008 10:45AM]

@sola6loria

That's not a localized layout, some keys have been shifted to an additional row above as they would not fit without being reduced in size.

I'm guessing they couldn't get it working well enough with smaller keys.

[sola6loria @ Mar 16th 2008 11:02AM]

@ w00t

Yeah, I made this mistake of not looking at the photo in question before I responded. Definitely an odd choice of layout. I'm curious of they're going to include a standard landscape keyboard layout to make up for it (although, using the iPod touch as an example, I've found, rather counterintuitively, that I'm both faster and more accurate with the smaller, portrait layout.) I'm hoping that your guess about the layout vis-a-vis the quality of the touchscreen is incorrect, but given the seemingly low responsiveness of the demo unit, it could be right on the money.

[albtms @ Mar 16th 2008 9:01AM]

The song highlighted in that second picture says "White Lover". I wonder if white has some cultural meaning in mainland China or if it really is just mentioning the color of the person.

Anyways, I wish Sony would put out their Xperia X1 sooner rather than later so I can be robbed.

[ryan @ Mar 16th 2008 10:07AM]

Now the interface seems to have 'borrowed' a few things from the voyager making a weird frankenstein UI

[John @ Mar 16th 2008 10:16AM]

Read: As soon as they get around Apple's patent.

It really irks me how many copyright infringement apologists are on this board. I seriously hope you all are just a bunch of trolls.


It also bothers me that you love "Apple design" but completely reject the fact that it has nothing to do with the fact that the iPhone runs Core Animation, which not only makes animations look smooth but also uses minimal battery life. The iPhone is built from the ground up with design decisions in mind, which is why Steve can pull off his marketing shticks so well. I'm willing to bet the finished product here will be sluggish and, if it even has animations, will probably be slow and/or choppy.

[sola6loria @ Mar 16th 2008 10:26AM]

The civility in these comments thus far is kind of eerie. Where's the blind, unthinking fanboy hatred?

I, for one, am glad to see Meizu moving ever so slowly away from the iPhone template they've been using. It makes the device much easier to judge on its own merits. That said, unless they can truly match Apple's silky user experience, I don't really see myself with one of these anytime soon. Competition is good, though, and I'm curious what Apple has planned in response, other than a lawsuit.

[freight88 @ Mar 16th 2008 11:03AM]

Close to perfect but display does really look like a knock-off of iphone. Freight88