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Meizu's miniOne packs more acronyms than you can handle
iPhone clone or not, we've got to hand it to Meizu for equipping its miniOne handset with a veritable what's-what of modern day mobile tech. According to Akhiabara News, freshly-updated specs allegedly indicate that the device -- assuming it makes it past Apple's legal gauntlet, of course -- will ship in configurations ranging from 4 to 16GB of internal storage and feature a 533MHz ARM11 core from Samsung, 128MB of DDR (yes, DDR) RAM, VGA front and 3 megapixel rear cams, Bluetooth, WiFi, DMB mobile television, and integrated GPS all wrapped up in a tight little Windows Mobile 6 package. Oh yeah, and don't forget the glorious 720 x 480 display and the 3G data. Sound too good to be true? Yep, and as long as we see nothing more than renderings of the miniOne floating around, we'll figure it is too good to be true.
Meizu updates miniOne: clearly, it's no iPhone clone
With high hopes of putting some litigation distance between it and Apple, Meizu just released these updated renderings of their M8 / miniOne. Still no actual product shots though we hear that a prototype is floating around Meizu offices somewhere in China. So what say you -- is this change enough to keep Apple's lawyers at bay? [Via MeizuMe]
Meizu discusses miniOne at CeBIT: US and Europe launches expected
No, they didn't have the miniOne on display here at CeBIT, not even a plastic mockup. Apparently, there is only one and it's back in the office with CEO, Jack Wong. Still, that didn't stop us from hounding the folks at Meizu for details about their flagship (i)phone offering. After some initial reluctance to discuss the product, we learned that Meizu is planning a miniOne release for the European and North American markets. But wait, there's a catch: it won't be a phone. According to Mrs. Wong and designer Mr. Young Su, Cho, the miniOne will break from China as an audio/video player, only -- no date was given, we asked... repeatedly. This miniOne "entrance" model (which will likely be called something else once the English is cleaned up) will lack a camera and cost $195 for the 4GB model and $305 for the 8GB version. So the $285 and $400 price tags we heard about will come affixed to the 4GB and 8GB miniOne "standard" media playin' phone. It also sports an integrated 2 megapixel camera and TD-SCDMA coupled with tri-band GSM/GPRS (no EDGE). Media on both devices will likely be protected by Windows Media DRM10 and feature the same codec support as their other devices. Meizu also confirmed that the miniOne will absolutely, positively play video at 30fps at the device's full 720 x 480 screen resolution. That's the plan, but anything can happen between now and the "end of 2007" launch in China, eh Jackson?
Meizu upgrades Music Card, spills deets on miniOne
Chinese manufacturer Meizu is nothing if not prolific, which accounts for not one but two bits of interesting news coming out of the company today. First up are some details on its Music Card digital audio player, which we now know will come in 2, 4, and 8GB varieties, each packing a 176 x 132 1.5-inch display, a built-in FM radio, and a promised 20 hours of juice from the battery, not to mention a whole range of interchangeable face plates. Apparently, these'll sell for as little as $65, $80, and $100 for the 2, 4, and 8GB models, respectively -- though not 'round these parts, obviously. On another front, Meizu has let loose some more info on its now infamous miniOne handheld, otherwise known as the M8. According to Meizu CEO J.Wong, the device will be available in two separate versions: an entry-level model without a camera and a standard model with one, each available 4GB and 8GB variations, ranging in price from $195 to $400. It's also apparently been confirmed that the device will indeed come with a 720x480 16-bit 3.32-inch display, although any word on an exact release date remains unclear.Read - Meizu Music Card [Via Engadget Chinese]Read - Meizu Me, miniOne detailsupdate:Meizu Music Card More pics and Meizu minione posts from engadget china.
Meizu CEO: we only kind of knocked off the iPhone
Funny, we rarely, if ever see a company producing Chinese knocks of high profile devices start defending themselves, but it sounds like Meizu wants to (partly) shed the bad light cast on its M8, er, miniOne non-iPhone. According to some posts in their forums by someone who appears to be Meizu's CEO, J.Wong, the original M8 design for a massive-touchscreen cellphone debuted four days before Macworld -- however, the design was still undergoing changes, and when Apple launched their product, so Meizu reworked the aesthetic, added some metal, slimmed it down, and voila, M8 cum miniOne. We recognize that's some serious gray area for Meizu to be treading -- kind of the design equivalent of double-checking your answers with your neighbors' before turning in your test -- but let's face it, a phone like that coming out of China, it would have been pegged an iPhone knock either way. Plus, they were still ahead of the game with that insane 720 x 480 res screen they've apparently spent $1m US ordering in bulk. So take this one for what you will, but we think Meizu's among the first to keep it somewhat real while still managing to keep it real fake.[Via Engadget Chinese, thanks Kevin]
Meizu M8 / miniOne closer to production, litigation
Last we saw Meizu's curiously familiar M8 handheld device, it was looking like it still had a long ways to go before we'd actually see one out in the wild. As these latest tantalizing shots show, however, the device seems to be rapidly winding its way into reality whether Apple likes it or not, also picking up a new name in the process: the miniOne. Although if that one sticks, Meizu could well be facing problems of originality on multiple fronts, as the admittedly-catchy name is already in use by another company and presumably trademarked. C'mon Meizu, we know you're fans of Apple, but this is taking the imitation a little too far. Unfortunately, there's no further word on specs for the device, though you can get a couple more good looks at it after the break.[Via Meizu Me]
Meizu's M8? Apple lawyers, start your engines
We're not sure if the pics above are the result of an engorged, Chinese fanboy fantasy or actual product renderings of Meizu's rumored M8. We wouldn't be surprised either way what with China-based Meizu's history of uh, Apple inspired design. Posted by a senior discussion-forum jockey on the Meizu site, the M8 is now said to measure in at a scant 57x105x11.5-mm and packs both a GSM and Chinese TD-SCDMA 3G radio, a 3.3-inch 720x480 pixel display, Bluetooth, a 3 megapixel camera, and an ARM11 CPU capable of recording video at 30fps at the device's full 720 x 480 resolution. Too good to be true? Perhaps, but if not Meizu than certainly some other nimble Chinese outfit will be unveiling their iPhone clone soon enough and likely well before the iPhone hits Asia sometime in 2008. And as we've seen, even Apple's tenacious legal team can be helpless in the face of shutting down copycats on foreign turf. Picture 'round back after the break.[Via dapreview, thanks Vinn]
Venzero getting Lifesaver, miniONE, lil'ONE and ONE out the door
Those crazy kids over at Venzero have been so busy padding their product line, it seems like they keep forgetting to actually ship their growing group of media players and on-the-go storage devices. Well, they've finally gotten around to prepping these things for reals, and are now taking pre-orders for their initial shipments on October 2nd for the miniONE and lil'ONE players, along with the Lifesaver storage unit. Of course, they couldn't help themselves with one more spec announcement: they're bumping the Venzero ONE to 12GB of storage, and will be shipping it on October 17th. As for prices, the Lifesaver comes in 8 and 12GB flavors, starting at $149, the miniONE does 1 or 2GB, starting at $119, the lil'ONE starts at $199 with 6 and 8GB options, and the 12GB ONE tops 'em all out at $289. Venzero also has a "mystery" product on their page, that looks to have the rough dimensions of a closed DS lite, which seems to imply they're prepping a widescreen video player of sorts for their next project -- but we'll be happy enough if they actually manage to ship this first batch next week.
Venzero's LilOne HDD-based 6GB MP3 player
While everyone else has been busy watching the World Cup, it appears Venzero has been in the labs, creating a new middle child for their ever-expanding One line of DAPs. At 6GB, the LilOne fits snugly between the original, full-featured 8GB model and the minimalistic, flash-based Mini version that was announced last month. Like it's siblings, the LilOne will play MP3s and WMAs (with and without DRM), with a 1.5-inch screen providing access to short videos and photos. Other features include a 20-hour battery life, a €200 pricetag and the kitschy MusicMarker feature that helps you identify songs you hear on the radio. We're assuming it was size restraints that kept this player from getting the handy retractable USB connector of the original One, but that shouldn't prevent it from giving players like iRiver's E10 and Sandisk's Sansa e260 a little gentlemanly competition.[Via DAPReview]Update: Even though we've seen this around for €200, Venzero is insisting that it'll only cost $200 when it drops in the US. Score!
