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Meizu's elusive founder returns to office as CEO amid resignations
As Chinese phone maker Meizu approaches its eleventh anniversary come March 14th, its notoriously reclusive founder Jack Wong made a surprise return -- in front of cameras, no less -- to his company's Zhuhai headquarters this weekend as CEO. Wong, who is now 40 years old, has apparently avoided setting foot in his office for years -- he even used to leave home just once a month to get his haircut, and he only held meetings with just a handful of key employees, according to our sources. During yesterday's recorded Q&A session, the slightly brash yet charismatic exec confirmed this odd little fact, blaming a series of events several years ago that led to exhaustion. But now he's ready to go full time again, instead of just occasionally posting on his company's online forum and designing prototypes at home. "I plan to lead everyone, lead Meizu, lead the whole team to make a new start, to a more extraordinary, more prosperous 10 years," Wong said in front of his employees.
Meizu teases three MX4G smartphones with giant screens
Meizu clearly isn't content to rest on its laurels. Just a few months after the MX3 first reached Chinese shops, the company's Jack Wong has teased a full range of MX4G smartphones that includes Mini, Uni and Pro variants. Wong isn't going into great detail at this early stage, but these will not be tiny devices -- even the Mini should have a screen that's at least five inches across, and he has already hinted that one or more variants will use a 5.5-inch, 2,560 x 1,536 display. The MX4G series may not ship for a long while; Meizu tends to launch flagships later in the year. Even if that's true, we suspect that many will like knowing what to expect so far in advance.
Quad-core Meizu MX may arrive in May with revamped UI, says company founder
We already knew that the dual-core Meizu MX will eventually meet its quad-core variant, but the question is when? Well, the ever elusive Jack Wong (who's actually taken a step back from the CEO position while acting as some sort of chairman) told fans on his forum that the new Android phone will probably arrive around May next year -- almost half way through the current one-year product cycle. Additionally, the Flyme OS's UI will see some big changes to accommodate Android 4.0. Can't say we're surprised, but we sure would be if the chip turns out to be something other than the leaked Samsung Exynos 4412 SoC from last month.
Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Meizu M9, MX, Jack Wong confirms
Ice Cream Sandwich continues to march its way across the market. Next stop? The Meizu M9 and MX. Confirmation came earlier this week by way of Meizu CEO Jack Wong, who nonchalantly mentioned the forthcoming update on his company's forum. Affirming that the MX's December "release date remains unchanged," Wong went on to say that both the MX and M9 "will upgrade to [Android] 4.0 as soon as possible." No further specifics were offered, though the exec did explain the MX's delayed release, attributing it to his company's ongoing efforts to incorporate a sharper, back-illuminated camera within the handset. Rest assured, we'll keep you up to date with the very latest.
Meizu MX now aiming for end-of-September "release," coming in dual-core and quad-core flavors
We weren't expecting to hear anything about the Meizu MX so soon, but as always, CEO Jack Wong loves surprises. Earlier today, our main man quietly mentioned on his forum that his upcoming 4-inch Android phone will now be released unveiled in China at the end of September (around the same time as the next iPhone event?), meaning we won't have to wait till the end of the year to see all the goodies. What's even more interesting, though, is that there will be two MX variants: the 16GB version comes with a dual-core chip, while the 32GB version will sport a quad-core beast. While it all sounds dandy, we're not entirely sure which quad core chip gets to cuddle with the MX next month, as Samsung (a known buddy of Meizu), Qualcomm and even ARM aren't expecting quad core chips until 2012 the earliest, whereas NVIDIA's Kal-El is due to debut in tablets only this month. Well, we shall find out in a few weeks. As for the rest, Jack also confirmed that the MX will still have a removable back cover, though it'll now sport a micro-USB port instead of the aging mini-USB socket -- a bold move in a country where the latter is still commonly used. Anyhow, for now, enjoy the latest batch of MX patent drawings in the gallery below. Update: At the time of writing this, we were assuming that the MX will be launched at the announcement event (Jack's wording was something along the lines of "release" and "announce"), but given the M9's pre-launch pattern last year, it looks like the MX's end-of-year launch still stands. But hey, at least we'll probably still find out what this mysterious quad core chip will be at the unveil event next month. %Gallery-130346%
Meizu M9 gets Gingerbread update, taunts townsfolk to catch and eat it
We were admittedly a bit skeptical when Meizu CEO Jack Wong first starting talking up the M9 Android handset -- in fact, the word "vaporware" may have been tossed around a bit. The exec proved our caution unfounded, however, delivering the phone into the hands of China's incredibly enthusiastic smartphone buyers. Then Wong briefly turned his attention away from the handset to give us a taste of its successor, but now the he's back -- with a downloadable Gingerbread update for his beloved M9. Results of the upgrade have been mixed at best, with users reporting some minor power and display problems on one end of the spectrum and improved audio the other. If you must download, check out the source link below -- just don't say we didn't warn you. [Thanks, Mason]
Meizu MX to be Jack Wong's next dream phone, coming with HDMI-out by year's end (update: HSPA+)
It's only been 109 days since Meizu's remarkable launch of the M9 Android, but as we all know, there's nothing stopping our man Jack Wong from teasing his next flagship phone on his forum. Previously known as the M9II, Wong has now renamed this 4-inch handset to MX -- apparently short for "meng xiang" or "dream" in Mandarin Chinese, though X can also cunningly double up as the Roman numeral for 10 here. Also shared is the above real-life shot of an MX mock-up -- not far off from the earlier render -- which is appropriately seen chillaxing on the CEO's bed. In a separate forum thread, we're told that HDMI and coaxial digital audio outputs will be present on the MX, and a 16GB model will be released by the end of the year probably for ¥3,580 ($548). While this is a significant jump from the M9's ¥2,699 ($413), Wong insists that both phones share the same profit margin, and frankly, this will still be a pretty good deal for some Cortex-A9 goodness under a larger screen. We'll be right here waiting for you, Meizu; or we could just pop by your factory again some time. Update: Jack Wong's also confirmed HSPA+ support for some sweet 21Mbps download speed. The phone's getting better by the minute! Update 2: And we now have an 8 megapixel camera with flash.
Exclusive: A day trip to Meizu's factory (video)
Jack Wong is a very lucky guy. Or you can say he's very unfortunate. On one hand, his eight-year-old Meizu label -- literally meaning "the captivating tribe" -- has rapidly become one of the most popular brands amongst Chinese gadget lovers, yet all he's producing right now is just the one phone: the M9. On the other hand, the now-discontinued M8 had notoriously caught unwanted attention from Apple, and even the recent M9 launch saw accusations of Meizu hiring people to stand in line. But the latter points are irrelevant for now -- what we're really interested in is how a teensy MP3 player factory managed to outpace its numerous competitors to become a reputable smartphone maker with a huge fan base. To help us understand what drives the company, we decided to pay Meizu a visit. Go on, you know where to click. %Gallery-115342%
Meizu M8 ceases production amid pressure from Apple and intellectual property office
Well, can't say we didn't see this coming; we're just surprised that it's taken this long for Meizu to take a hit over its notorious handset. In case you have no idea what we're talking about, earlier this month said Chinese company's been in heated talks with Apple due to the M8 smartphone bearing an "appearance roughly similar" to the iPhone. Seriously, that's the only reason Apple provided for the accusation, if CEO Jack Wong is to be trusted (and hey, he did kinda ask for it). Anyhow, the latest development is that Meizu's bowing to pressure from both the provincial intellectual property office and Cupertino, and announced that it's shutting down production lines for its flagship M8 this month. This is no doubt a big blow to the company, but it might get even nastier -- here's what Jack said in one of his many frustrated forum postings: Apple requested that we cease manufacturing the M8 this month, we agreed but then [Apple] came back and asked for a sales ban instead. I can cope with a production freeze, but not with having our shops closed and thus not being able to use up our inventory. If Apple and the provincial IPO take another insatiable step, I can only go head to head against them. So, it looks like the M8's all set for an early retirement, either way -- it doesn't look like Apple's going to let this one go easily, and Jack's also expressed concern over the fact that the IPO has the power to shut his factory down without going to court. That said, things are still looking positive for the elusive M9 -- from the sounds of it, Meizu's upcoming Android phone isn't affected by this takedown (yet); but the question is whether Jack and co. can keep the shops running until a December launch for their next flagship device. Oh well, hang in there, Meizu!
Apple's lawyers finally going after Meizu, or so it seems
C'mon, let's all color ourselves shocked at once. It'll be fun. We promise. If you've been calling the underside of a rock home for the past decade or so, you may have missed out on a Chinese outfit by the name of Meizu. For all intents and purposes, the company has done its darnedest to copy Apple in every respect, particularly with the software on its M8 and M9 smartphones. Strangely, we've never actually heard confirmation that Cupertino's best lawyers were breathing down Meizu's neck... until now. As the story goes, Meizu CEO Jack Wong's forum postings have been rather tense of late, and one in particular seems to explain why: Apple's all up in his grille. The details are hidden beneath a good bit of pent-up rage, but what is clear is a mention of Apple's lawyers and their "unreasonable negotiation tactics." In essence, Jack finds it absurd that Apple could claim rights to the touchscreen smartphone form factor, and while Apple could only serve a relative few in China, he (obviously) expects Meizu to serve far more. We won't pretend to be sad on Jack's behalf -- we mean, the guy had it coming -- but we can't shake the looming depression when thinking of a world with no future Meizu devices to chuckle at.
Meizu CEO Jack Wong: Oh hey, the new iPod touch 'looks a bit like the M9II'
Should there be an international award for Cheekiest Man of the Year, it'd have to go to Meizu's shameless Jack Wong. Shortly after Apple's keynote last week, the CEO of KIRFdom seized the opportunity to cry foul on the new iPod touch, claiming it "looks a bit like" his forthcoming M9II Android phone, as pictured above. Wait, M9II? Turns out even though the M9 has yet to materialize in early October, Mr. Wong already has an enhanced model to be brought forth by his faithful unicorns. Assuming both M9 series devices will carry the same Meizu-fied Android 2.2 software, the only known differences on the M9II include a larger 4-inch display (as opposed to 3.5 inches at 960 x 640), the additional front-facing camera plus flash for the rear camera, and a Cortex-A9 CPU. To play devil's advocate, we'd actually suggest Wong skip the M9 for this lovely dream phone, but we're probably too late -- check out his snazzy prototype M9 after the break.
Meizu CEO Jack Wong spills more M9 details: Android 2.2 and retina-busting 960 x 640 screen
It's hard to call Meizu a straight-up KIRFmeister at this point, but the company certainly does like to flirt with copyright disaster. The M8 started off as an iPhone clone, but we've been hoping its successor, the M9, will be a bit more original. Meizu's Jack Wong has been dropping hints about the thing since January, and now he's tossing out a few more nuggets, like a Retina-matching 960 x 640 display -- making us wonder if this isn't just going to be an iPhone 4 wanna-be after all. Jack indicates the phone will run a heavily customized version of Android 2.2 (shown above) and is now pledging a proper release by the end of this year, with demo units making the rounds in October. Please forgive our cynicism, but we'll be using something non-permanent to mark that onto our calendar. Update: It's 960 x 640, not 480.
Meizu CEO: M8 3G launch pushed, original M8 getting Windows Phone apps (maybe)
In his latest routine forum visit, Meizu CEO Jack Wong dropped a couple of teasers about what's coming up in his fancy Zhuhai-based factory. First is that the M8 3G will need at least another six months to brew, which is slightly off the March release date we last heard. Initial versions will pack W-CDMA (aka, UMTS) and China's own TD-SCDMA radios, then maybe a CDMA version whenever Jack's ready to pay "premium license fees" to enter the "narrow international market [of EV-DO]." Next up is word that apparently the infamous Windows CE-based M8 may get a dose of Windows Phone apps in a future firmware update, courtesy of "a project that Microsoft is working on." Sure, it all sounds great, but given Meizu's record of underestimating the complexities of manufacturing mobile phones, we'll believe it when we see it.
Meizu M8 Flash demo hits the scene, looks mighty familiar
How much ASCII will be spilled, how much bandwidth utilized on this legendary (if vaporous) iPhone killer before it becomes a real reality? Like the tail end of a torrid love affair, we're not even sure if it's the phone itself that we dig or the soap opera that we enjoy so much. And now, hot on the heels of the hands-on video that has captured the imagination of the entire world, Meizu has posted a flash demo of the M8's UI for those of you thirsting for a closer look at the thing. SPOILER ALERT: It bears a strong resemblance to the interface of a certain Apple product.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Meizu M8 captured on video looking smooth, doing multitouch
Oh M8, you've grown up before our eyes. It seems like just yesterday we were looking at your early incarnations and their uncanny similarity to certain other devices. And how could we forget those times we spent together waiting for you at trade shows, and mocking checking out your early hardware? And now look at you, all grown up and caught on video doing your thing. You know what? This actually looks pretty damn nice. Sure, the obvious major iPhone influence is still there, but we have to say, Jack Wong and co. have done a pretty good job of smoothing out this UI -- and we didn't expect to see multitouch working this nicely. Of course, the clip says more than we ever could, so go and wrap yourself in your grandmother's afghan, grab a steaming cup of coffee, head out to the porch of your 19th century farmhouse, and just listen to the wind chimes and smooth sounds of this video as you take a tour of the Meizu M8... after the break.[Via MP4 Nation Blog]
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]
A functional Meizu M8 UI, CEO Jack Wong finally caught on video
After what feels like centuries of waiting (and suffering through that painful CeBIT demo), we finally get to see the Meizu M8's OS in action... and it's not as bad as you think. Sure, the interface is totally derivative of the iPhone, and there is that pesky cursor floating around, but all-in-all it looks like the company has managed to knock out a decent -- if incredibly familiar -- UI for its long-delayed phone. Still, there's some low rent hilarity in this video. Our favorites? The smattering of soft porn pictures and video, and Meizu CEO and all-around bon vivant Jack Wong revealed in a reflection... wearing a face mask! Check the clip after the break (and freeze frame of Mr. Wong). Update: Despite our excitement about Jack Wong in a face mask, some readers have pointed out (and we agree) that it's actually the camera he's using to film the video.[Thanks, Patrick P.]
Meizu M8 gets detailed in new words, pictures
As you may have noticed, Meizu CEO J. Wong just can't seem to stop talking about his pride and joy, the M8, and he's now let loose yet another pair of new pictures, as well as some further details on the phone. Somewhat surprisingly, J. Wong says that the device will only be available in white initially (which he apparently likes better anyway), and that it will officially be called simply the M8, and not the "M8 mini one" as it had been officially known before. He also reiterates that the company plans to finally release the phone in October, or November "at the latest." Head on past the break for the second pic, and hit up the link below for a few more tidbits.[Via PMP Today]
Meizu M8 interface redesigned yet again, gets all sparkly
In the latest of what's becoming a long history of tweaks to the Meizu M8 interface, Meizu CEO Jack Wong unleashed some new shots of the upcoming UI to his adoring fans. The new interface is designed by eico design -- who have also worked with Google, Lenovo, and Philips -- and looks to have a visually-satisfying sparkle animation for selected items (unless the battery above is just leaking). Another addition appears to be LED-styled status updates to applications, like number of missed calls and unread messages. Until we see this all in motion, though, we'll quietly speculate and hope the pretty pictures are real.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Meizu MiniOne to miss CES; Jack Wong promises it'll be at CeBIT, your next softball game
We would have honestly been more surprised if Meizu had actually shown up at CES with a working MiniOne, but according to CEO Jack Wong it's not going to a happen because Meizu is busy "finetuning" the device -- and that it'll make its long-awaited debut at CeBIT in March. We'll see when we see -- Apple's lawyers would have us stalling as well -- but we were definitely suspicious when Wong also promised that the MiniOne would take us to California next week to meet its pro skateboarder friends and then drove off in an white '89 Camaro.
