Meizu's M8 ready to rock the US and Europe on an iPhone tribute tour?

Feel those little hairs standing up on the back your neck? That's guarded anticipation son, the kind that comes from a Chinesed iPhone landing Stateside with the impact of a giant set of balls. According to yet another launch-related post in the Meizu forums, Jack Wong has accelerated plans to kick his M8 cellphone into India and China (WiFi-less to meet local restrictions) by November 30th. Then "maybe" he'll launch in the US, Hong Kong, and Europe by December 24th. Oh sure. Our take? There's no way in hell that this highest of high-profile clones lands Stateside or on Western European soil without being met by a friendly Apple lawyer holding a court-issued ban on all M8 imports. No matter how much we're dying to play with it.

[Via Electronista]

[will @ Nov 5th 2008 3:38AM]

flop much?

[Shiva N Singh @ Nov 5th 2008 3:48AM]

When a company's got the money and skill (we hope) to make a good device like this, why not make it look Different to others? It probably costs the same for them!
Anyways, I hope this has all those features we've wanted in the iPhone, so the 'Geniuses' at Apple learn something!

[Technician @ Nov 5th 2008 4:06AM]

@ Shiva

This is what I am thinking too. Just change the shell and the software a little bit.

[DarkLight @ Nov 5th 2008 4:17AM]

Well, it does have copy & paste

That has to account for something

[derX @ Nov 5th 2008 4:58AM]

A company? Apparently you're not familiar with the work of Mr. Wong.

I'm absolutely convinced he's just technically gifted and is doing this as a joke.

[Rauha @ Nov 5th 2008 4:20AM]

Anything that winds up braidead macheads this much deserves to succeed.

[T.Chou @ Nov 5th 2008 4:18AM]

M8! Supporting u always~

[Henry The 8th @ Nov 5th 2008 9:16AM]

I'm buying one just because engadget hates it so much.

[Corey O @ Nov 5th 2008 5:00AM]

Banning the import of this phone? Ha! Apple and Google don't have that much lobbying power. Besides, I think the price it would sell for would keep any sales from being taken from other touchscreen smart-phones.

http://www.worldgonemobile.com

[Dave @ Nov 5th 2008 6:37AM]

I can't see anything really wrong with this copycat - everyones been doing it (cough samsung : )

[Imran @ Nov 5th 2008 6:45AM]

The interface looks nicer and *bit* less Apple-y. I don't understand why it has to look so iPhone-ish, the Meizu M6 http://en.meizu.com/product_m6sl.asp was such a nice little device, same sized screen as iPod Classic but smaller, such a shame.

[bebop @ Nov 5th 2008 7:31AM]

once you've decided on going with a no-button touchphone, you've basically settled on the shape and design ... I can't see how it could be what it is and not resemble the iphone...

[Anthony @ Nov 5th 2008 7:32AM]

if this tops my iphone .. im in =]

deciding features ...

-smooth iphone-like navigation
-Full Bluetooth capabilities or A2DP atleast!
-EDGE/3g teathering

[ipubs bastard child @ Nov 5th 2008 8:41AM]

if it's actually ever released... I'll be in

[Nick @ Nov 5th 2008 5:38PM]

Don't forget the KLIOP keyboard!! Oh yes, that does it for me.

[Mike @ Nov 5th 2008 8:38AM]

Does apple have a design patent on their Iphone design in the US?

[Brian @ Nov 6th 2008 10:05AM]

look on meizu me, the interface is actually pretty unique. The way you unlock it is spectacular, i believe it consists of moving a small circle around the screen to make a shape of your choice. other than a great interface it has SD cards, a great camera, movie camera, copy paste, GSM unlockability, and the list goes on and on.

[Snitch @ Nov 5th 2008 9:23AM]

I doubt that apple will even bother with this thing anymore, i mean this thing sounded cool a year ago but today who the heck is going to pay $350 & $420 for a Windows Mobile phone that doesn't even have 3G? can you believed they when with a FM tuner instead of 3G, what a bone head move right there, in case you haven't seen them here is a link to some unboxing pics of it http://en.meizu.com/userforum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2657

[kadajawi @ Nov 5th 2008 10:22AM]

You did notice that these pictures were rendered, right?

[Thanatos @ Nov 5th 2008 12:08PM]

Where did you get that price from? And im not willing to pay that much for a phone but 3G is a moot point for me as i will never be using this with a phone companys data plan.

[afro_thunder @ Nov 5th 2008 3:03PM]

It took them so long to get this product out...Meizu is trailing far behind now in the technology sector.

And without Wifi, 3G, and with that price tag, there are few reasons to want one. Would've been a fantastic competitor to the original iPhone, had it come out at the same time (or at least a few months after). I smell a flop.

[Ryan Trevisol @ Nov 5th 2008 9:56AM]

Is Meizu licensed by Microsoft? WinMo seems to be the OS of choice for KIRFs. I would think that would be a hurdle they'd have to overcome.

[oliver hart @ Nov 5th 2008 10:09AM]

I wasn't aware the M8 was a kirf

[Ryan Trevisol @ Nov 5th 2008 12:23PM]

http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/wp-content/phoneimages/2008/03/meizu-m8-minione.jpg

Of COURSE it's not! ;-)

[jeff @ Nov 5th 2008 11:14AM]

Less cost on R&D

[Mikey @ Nov 5th 2008 11:32AM]

Apple's claim of IP rights here would be specious at best, assuming they are arguing trade dress infringement (and I don't know what else they would be arguing). How many other ways can you make a touch screen phone look except to have it be generally rectangular shaped (hardly a shape innovated by Apple), with a large touch screen (again not pioneered by Apple). Sure it also includes a central button below the screen, like the iPhone, but that too is functional. Generally, functional aspects of a design cannot be protected by trade dress. These all seem functional, so they are perfectly within their rights to have their design look like this.

Apple fan-boi flaming in 3... 2... 1...

[j @ Nov 5th 2008 1:08PM]

"Chinesed iPhone"
WTF kind of stupid ass expression is that?

[j @ Nov 5th 2008 1:12PM]

I just can't understand how stupid you could possibly be to think this kind of term would be acceptable... that shit is just offensive.

[Dan @ Nov 5th 2008 3:02PM]

No WiFi no sale.

[Alan Strangis @ Nov 5th 2008 3:31PM]

Does ANYONE really care about the M8 these days? Although it's not officially coming to the US, the HTC Touch HD isn't vapour, and has what is probably the best GUI front end ever devised for a smart phone.

Manilla 3D FTW!

[summershoe @ Nov 5th 2008 5:34PM]

So what makes an iphone clone these days? anything without buttons on the front and a touchscreen? that was all there in previous touchscreen phones. maybe it was the rectangular form factor? what makes you so sure apple lawyers could do anything about this engadget? from the attached link it would be difficult to conclude the software is a clone....