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m8 posts

New Meizu M8 beta firmware looking desirable, bordering on original

by Paul Miller posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 10:33AM

It's been almost three years since we saw our first taste of the Meizu M8, which was at that point a fairly shameless rip of the iPhone, albeit mostly theoretical. In the ensuing years we've seen an ever-changing OS and two generations of hardware, but we might be finally coming upon something worth lusting after. The new M8 Firmware 1.0.0.1 beta has been demo'd on video, and seems to be taking some new cues from Android and Windows Mobile -- along with some original and sexy UI elements of Meizu's own devising -- that really set it apart from its iPhone-aping days of yore. We're particularly fond of the unlock screen, which has three icons at the bottom that can be swiped-up like an Android app drawer, but with quick access to phone and messages, similar to how Windows Mobile 6.5 can be unlocked into multiple modes. Apparently the OS is only 50% ready, and there's no telling how many changes we might see between now and when it's finished, but for now we're fairly impressed. Video is after the break.

Continue reading New Meizu M8 beta firmware looking desirable, bordering on original

Meizu M8 Second Edition rights all of the M8's wrongs, or not

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 22nd 2009 at 5:30PM

You could fault the infamous M8 for being eons late; you could fault it for shipping without a quadband EDGE / WiFi / 3G version; you could fault it for dancing in and out of the straight-up iPhone ripoff arena from its very inception; you could fault it for being really hard to find and buy outside of China. Most of that bellyaching can't be solved with a few tweaks here and there, but that's not stopping Meizu from whipping up a facelifted M8 SE with a few carefully-planned changes here and there. As far as we can tell this isn't the 3G remake we've all been waiting for, rather just a handful of minor touch-ups to keep the original model fresh for a while longer: better signal strength, an easier-to-use SIM slot, new firmware, and new packaging, just to name a few. Sounds like it'll be shipping for 1,999 yuan (about $293) in China, which would actually make this a nearly-perfect midrange unlocked Android set.

[Thanks, nice2know_u]

Video: Meizu M8 seemingly runs Android, definitely sets expectations too high

by Darren Murph posted Sep 11th 2009 at 9:23AM

Ah, the Meizu M8. Undoubtedly the funnest smartphone ever to talk about, though based on shipping success rates, it's probably not the phone to order if you actually value the whole "getting what you paid for" thing. Dodgy ownership aside, we've been waiting for Google's own mobile operating system to splash down on the M8 since June, and if the video seen down there in the read link is to be believed, said scenario has finally become reality. All we're shown are a few swiping motions, but when you're talking Meizu, that's all you really need to believe.

[Thanks, Bidur]

Magazine hints at Olympus E-P2 before year's end, Leica M9 for September

by Donald Melanson posted Aug 4th 2009 at 12:58PM

There's not exactly much in the way of specifics on either of these just yet, but the usually-reliable French magazine, Chasseur d'Image, has seemingly revealed in its latest issue that Olympus will be rolling out its E-P1 followup, the E-P2, before the end of the year, and that Leica will be releasing its M8 successor, the M9, as soon as September. The real kicker is that the E-P2 is said to be bringing with it an oft-desired viewfinder, while the M9 will reportedly be a full-frame camera, and presumably cost more than a small car. Of course, neither are anywhere close to being official, but it may not be the worst idea to stick with your current gear a little while longer to see how things shake out.

Read - Photo Rumors, "Chasseur d'Image magazine: Leica M9 in September"
Read - Leica rumors, "Olympus EP-2: released before the end of the year, with a viewfinder"

[Thanks, Tony]

Sneak peek at Meizu M8's new user interface

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 8:08PM

Heads up, Meizu fanboys! We just got a sneak peak at the M8's new UI (said to be dropping in August when the handset gets its firmware update) and you know what? It looks like a UI. Pretty k-rad, right? Check out the other two face-melting pics after the break, if you dare.

[Via Meizu Me]

Continue reading Sneak peek at Meizu M8's new user interface

Meizu CEO: current M8 upgradeable to 3G, estimated cost about $190 to $220

by Ross Miller posted Jun 21st 2009 at 5:51PM

We know, we know, it's gonna be awfully hard to part with the comfort of your current beloved Meizu M8, but trust us, change can be good. We've already heard reports of an Android-centric UI refresh, and now company CEO J. Wong has chimed in to outline a tentative upgrade plan for the upcoming M8 3G. Current users of the eerily familiar 8GB / 16GB device will need to pay approximately 1,300 RMB to 1,500 RMB (translation: about $190 to $200 US) for next year's model. Oddly enough, despite these estimates, he's not confirming any market selling price. Wong also adds the screen size has been expanded from the initially planned 3.54 inches diagonal to 3.6, with same 720 x 480 resolution. Keep saving your pennies, last we heard launch date was still (lightly) penciled in for March 2010.

Meizu M8 gets new UI, possibly Android?

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jun 19th 2009 at 9:31AM

This one's for all of you Meizu fanboys out there: To tide you over while you wait for the M8 3G launch in March 2010 (with a possible M8 3G S planned for Smarch 2043 or thereabouts) the company's announced that the handset will be getting a UI refresh with its firmware 1.0 release come August. Keep in mind that the above image only shows the flowchart that the kids at the eico design lab are using to concoct all their fantastic new transitions and animations, and not the interface itself. And if that isn't enough to keep you entertained this fine morning, it looks like Meizu has put together a team "with the sole purpose of investigating the Android platform." Whether or not this "investigation" will amount to anything remains to be seen, and it doesn't look like the company has any serious intentions for this device beyond the domestic Chinese market, but who knows? Maybe there is a Meizu handset with the open source OS in your (distant) future. Stranger things have happened.

[Thanks, nice2know_u]

Read - Meizu M8 interface getting completely redone
Read - Meizu Android squad hard at work

Meizu M8 3G gets full specifications list, "planned" March 2010 release date

by Darren Murph posted Jun 5th 2009 at 9:12PM

That little phone thing that Apple maybe-probably has planned for Monday? Yeah -- totally pales in comparison to what Meizu has up its sleeves. The long (long!) awaited M8 3G has finally been detailed, and the full specifications list is now available for your perusal. We're seeing TD-SCDMA and WCDMA radios, an 800MHz or 1GHz Samsung processor, 3.54-inch display (with a staggering 720 x 480 resolution), USB 2.0 connectivity, 8GB or 16GB of flash storage, a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and of course, the infamous Meizu OS. There's also support for Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, multi-touch, a light sensor and tilt sensing. Go ahead and mark your iCals, folks, 'cause this one's got a rock-solid "planned" release date of March 2010. Where's the time machine when you really need, it?

[Via PMP Today]

Keepin' it real fake, Part CCXI: MeiLi M8 is a Meizu clone, sans the drama

by Paul Miller posted May 18th 2009 at 11:16AM

There's just too much inherent greatness here to bothering nursing it out: Meizu's iPhone-aping M8 just got its very own imitator in the $99 MeiLi M8. The phone harbors all of those design distinctions that Meizu so carefully implemented into its hardware to differentiate from the iPhone, but oddly goes for an iPhone cloning interface. Best of both worlds? Something like that.

[Via PMP Today]

Meizu talks M8 followup: 3G, GPS, 5-megapixel camera

by Donald Melanson posted May 15th 2009 at 3:58PM

The Meizu M8 may have only just recently ceased to be a figment of our collective imagination, but the always talkative J. Wong (Meizu's CEO, if he needs any introduction) is already dropping some hints about the next version of the phone, which may or may not actually be the M9. While there's no word on any changes to the design of the device just yet, it will apparently get a much-needed 3G upgrade (as earlier rumored), along with built-in GPS, a new and improved 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash and, no doubt, entirely new levels of KIRF. Still itching for more vague details?Just wait a bit, Meizu has this down to an art at this point.

[Via thegadgetsite]

Keepin' it real fake, part CCIII: New York Times undercover edition

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Apr 28th 2009 at 4:54PM

When the New York Times sent one of its ace reporters to Shenzhen to check out the KIRF scene, they came to a startling conclusion: these things are really quite popular. And why not? Your iPhone might be a terrific device, but is it really $400 better than the Hi-Phone, or the iorgane? Well, it's probably $400 better than the iorgane -- we'll give you that one. The article sites a general lack of concern from the Chinese government, new technology such as Mediatek's turnkey circuit board solution, and a significant drop in the price of parts as reasons that knock-off phones are so prominent in that part of the world. There is also a bit of cultural pride at work, too: "shanzhai" technology, as it's known, is seen as a way to thumb your nose at the big players in the industry and throw some work to your local bandit. That said, we do have to cry foul at the way the paper lumps our beloved Meizu M8 in with the usual assortment of knock-offs: the thing sports nary an Apple (or "organe") on its handsome exterior. Check out the price breakdown on a typical $40 KIRF after the break.

[Thanks, Ben]

Continue reading Keepin' it real fake, part CCIII: New York Times undercover edition

Leica M8 Special Edition White on sale in June for a very special $9,000

by Thomas Ricker posted Apr 23rd 2009 at 3:49AM

Sure, that white leather and chrome looks good now, but how's it going to look after a few months of handling? Is a beige Leica M8 with muck and ass accents really worth ¥882,000 (about $9,000)? Rangefinder fans will undoubtedly say yes when this goes on sale in Japan in June.

Leica special edition white M8 spotted at car show in Tokyo

by Laura June posted Apr 17th 2009 at 1:48PM

Some keen-eyed fellows at the Audi Forum Tokyo car show were just hanging out, checking out an R8, when bam! The recently announced special edition white Leica M8 appeared out of thin air, ready to impress. We don't know what the circumstances were, or how the cam came to be there, but it's looking really fly, we can tell you that much. There's still no official word on pricing or availability, but rumor has it that it's going to appear sometime in May and might cost around €7,000 (about $9,150). One more shot after the break.

Leica rolls out truly special Special Edition white M8 digicam

by Laura June posted Apr 7th 2009 at 4:12PM

Seems like Special Edition white digital cameras are quickly becoming a trend, and one that we'll freely admit to being fans of. The Leica M8 has gotten a fresh coat of paint (as you can see above) and it's looking pretty good. We're not hearing many details yet -- no release date or price -- but don't expect it to be cheap. The wild stuff never is.

Meizu M8 unboxing and hands-on!

by Joshua Topolsky posted Mar 27th 2009 at 1:33PM

Yes, folks -- things are about to get really real. We have managed, through a series of delicate negotiations, to get our hands on an honest-to-goodness Meizu M8 -- heretofore the stuff of pure legend. At first glance, the build quality of the phone is actually pretty decent -- it's mostly plastic, but everything seems to snap together firmly. The battery (which is removable, naturally) is quite large, though we haven't had a chance to test its life in any significant way. Of course, the real showpiece here is the software -- which admittedly owes its entire existence to the iPhone. We've found that it's quite snappy, and the styling and functionality of the UI is really kind of impressive (though this did spend a long time in the oven). Still, the phone's KIRF roots are clear -- you can judge for yourself in the gallery below.