Gizmodo: Meizu

Meizu M8's New Interface Almost Makes Me Want It

matt buchanan — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EDT

Meizu M8, maybe the most legendary knockoff gadget around, maintains its "inspired" tradition with a refreshed UI that feels faintly of the Palm Pre in terms of graphical styling. I like it, even if I know, really, I'd hate it.

[Meizu via Meizu Me via Engadget

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.
The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

Is the Meizu M8 iPhone Clone Getting… Android?

Adam Frucci — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:20:00 EDT

Do you want an iPhone but wish it ran Android instead of Apple's mobile OS? No? Well, too bad, because Meizu might be bringing Android to its M8 iPhone clone.

Meizu has announced that the M8 is getting a UI update with its firmware 1.0 release, due in August. And apparently Meizu has gathered a team up "with the sole purpose of investigating the Android platform."

Android on an iPhone clone? I guess stranger things have come out of China (and this probably isn't even coming out of China), but it just seems…unnatural. [MeizuMe via Engadget]

Meizu Pondering Follow Up To M8 With 3G, GPS And a 5-Megapixel Camera

Sean Fallon — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:38:00 EDT

Despite years of unfulfilled hype about the M8 iPhone clone, it appears that Meizu's CEO Jack Wong is talking about a new installment that may or may not include 3G, GPS and a 5-megapixel camera.

Given their history, you probably have as much of a chance of getting your hands on the proposed Meizu phone as you do seeing Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster make out in a UFO. Prove me wrong Jack, prove me wrong. [Meizu Forum via The Gadget Site]

Meizu's M8 iPhoneclone UI Demoed, Looks Cloned Indeed

Kit Eaton — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 04:52:12 EST

Meizu's fabled M8 iPhoneclone may indeed be soon on sale, but until now we've only seen bits and bobs of its user interface: Now Meizu is demonstrating this with a neat little animation site. And guess what? Go on, you'll never guess! ...It's a pretty similar beast to the iPhone. There're some tweaks and differences of course, but Meizu's taken inspiration from Apple pretty deeply into their own design. We'll just have to see what it looks and feels like in the flesh to see exactly how similar it ends up being. [Meizu via Engadget]

Meizu's M8 iPhone Clone To Hit US Shores by Christmas Eve

Kit Eaton — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:31:00 EST

We recently mentioned that Meizu's M8 iPhone clonephone was really coming to the shops in China at the end of the year, but according to the head of the company, things'll be happening a bit sooner than that.

J.Wong himself has suggested that it'll be on sale in China no later than the 30th of this month, with Wi-Fi disabled as per China's legal requirements. A fully-enabled Indian version will follow... and then Europe, Hong Kong and the US should be happening by December 24th. The price has been fleshed out a little as well: the 8GB one should go for about $350, and the 16GB for $420. So it's not long until Apple's lawyers can get their mitts on one, and see how much cloning has gone on. [Electronista]

Meizu M8 iPhone Clone Hitting China, India In December

Kit Eaton — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:04:00 EDT

Meizu's iPhone copycatting M8 cellphone is to be vaporware no longer thanks to GeekITstores, who will be launching it in China then India from December onwards. The 8GB model is apparently due to cost somewhere between $380 and $470, and will be launched with "complete fanfare"...presumably because it's the "iPhone killer," or so says the press release. In fact, GeekITStores really seem to love the device, saying it was looking for a "better, cheaper alternative" to the iPhone for Indian customers. Read on for the press release.

Mumbai, Maharastra, IND, 2008-09-28 19:28:50 (IndiaPRwire.com)

Geek manufacturer of entertainment electronics, announced channel distribution for Meizu M8 phone, dubbed as "IPhone Killer", the much awaited M8 will be initially launched with complete fanfare in Chinese markets.

Geek will distribute M8 through its expanding franchise network in India. " We were looking for a better,cheaper alternative for Iphone to indian customer, since the beta launch of M8 testing is through, we are very confident to make M8 an success" said Mr. Nilesh Patel, Head Sourcing -Indian operations.

Geek already has established a network of 18+ franchisees in tier-2 & tier 3 cities

[Techtickerblog]

Meizu M8 Captured On Film: Realer Than Big Foot But Not Nearly As Interesting

Mark Wilson — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Remember the Meizu M8? It was the iPhone clone, the one that we were all excited to see...back in 2007. Now that Apple's added 3G to the mix, expanded storage and lowered the price with contract, the prospect of a (still unreleased) 8GB iClone has gotten a whole lot less enticing. But just for those who thought Meizu could never do it, here's a decent walkthrough of their interface. Please note, however, that the clip contains some suggestive images of (underage?) females that you may not want to play at work. Stay classy, Meizu! [via Electronista]

Meizu M8 iClone Finally Coming in August?

Benny Goldman — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:30:00 EDT

Meizu will finally release the iPhone-wannabe M8 in August, according to a cryptic message board post by CEO Jack Wong. The first version will have 128MB RAM and an unspecified amount of storage, and a second version should ship in October with 256MB RAM and 8GB on-board flash. The funniest part? The M8 will cost around $320, or $120 more than the AT&T subsidized 8GB iPhone 3G here in the US of A. Luckily for them (and us) this probably won't see its way outside of China. [Meizu via Electronista]

Meizu Adding Live Messenger to iPhone Vaporware Clone

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:47:29 EDT

The apparently incombustible Meizu CEO, Jack Wong, has just announced that they are going to add Live Messenger to their M8 cellphone, the rather pathetic and sad motherboard that wants to be an iPhone clone when it grows up (if it ever gets released). In other words: new vaporware announced for vaporware. The usual cynics are probably asking themselves "why should I care about this crap?" Which is exactly what we are asking ourselves right now. [Meizume—thanks Heartwork]

Meizu M8 MiniOne UI Tweaked, Again

Haroon Malik — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:30:00 EDT

A whole week almost elapsed without there being any rework to Meizu's M8 MiniOne UI, which is so shocking, I almost fell of my chair. Thankfully, it was not to be, as some new images are making the rounds on the old tubes.
Update: Apparently, this is just a mockup by the guys at CNMO and not at all a UI refresh. Dammit.

The chaps at Cnmo have managed to grab pictures showing an all black M8 MiniOne cellphone and UI, which we think looks particularly hot. Unfortunately, we're not sure if the images are official, as there isn't anything confirming their validity up at Meizu Forum, but if they are accurate, it's a step in the right direction. Anything that distances the M8 MiniOne from the difficult-to-shake iPhone roots has to be a move in the right direction, or at least we would think so. Grab a batch load of UI eye candy by hitting the link. [Cnmo via PMP Today]

Meizu MiniOne UI Updated

Haroon Malik — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Meizu's CEO, Jack Wong has just posted a whole bunch of new images, all showing a tweaked UI for the hotly anticipated iPhone-esque cellphone. It is not a massive rework of what we have already been shown, but the pictures showing a new color scheme and number pad should keep the fanboys happy, even if the iPhone reference has incensed them with rage. On a side note, Meizu's MiniOne is a bit iPhoneish, no? Jump for a ton of visual eye candy. [Meizu Forum; Thanks, Alvin]

Cops Shut Down Meizu's CeBIT Booth for Ripping Off Apple

Adam Frucci — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:10:00 EST

It looks like we weren't the only ones not impressed with Meizu's M8 iPhone ripoff — its booth at CeBIT was shut down by the local police and all products and promotional materials were removed. Yikes! Apparently some other booths were shut down as well, as this was part of a wider initiative to protect patent and copyright owners. What does this mean for the fate of our favorite junk copycat Chinese ripoff phone? Time will tell. Stay strong, my friends.
UPDATE: The shutdown was actually due to a mistaken MP3-licensing issue and the booth is now back open. Apple had nuthin' to do with it. Carry on! [Heise via Electronista]

Meizu M8, Something You Burn in a Paper Bag on Someone's Porch

Mark Wilson — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:59:02 EST

Engadget scored some time with a Meizu M8 mini One prototype board at CeBIT. And even while this demo is not constrained by the size of the M8 final hardware, the experience leaves a lot to be desired. The touchscreen has major, persistent lag issues (though Meizu claims it's a demo hardware issue) and, as you'll see, the software is too buggy to last two minutes before crashing. While we've been looking forward to Meizu's iPhone knockoff for a long time now, we're wondering if it's not too early for our anticipation to throw in the towel. [engadget]

Meizu M8 Goes on Sale to Suppliers?

Haroon Malik — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:55:00 EST

The much hyped Meizu M8 seems to have gone on sale to suppliers via Alibaba. The companies listed to be holding stock are Fujian Huaxia Trade Co., Ltd, Samsin Trade Co., Ltd and Fuzhou ZhongTianLi Trade Co among others. Update: An Adminstrator over at Meizume, the Meizu fan's forum, ensures us the M8 is not out yet. Further, it is stated in the post that the release of the M8, whenever that should be, will only be made official on the Meizume forum. Nothing is mentioned regarding the new white paint job the M8 in the above image is sporting. [Meizume]

The specifications seem to be in agreement through each distributor/manufacturer. Additionally, Samsin is listing an all white edition of the M8, which we have not seen before. Word is still out on a definite release date, but the online retailer, Elite-Electronix is listing the launch date as 03 March, this year. Whenever it does hit, we'll be sure to wet our pants in excitement/relief. [PMP Today; Elite-Electronix]

Meizu Patents the Knock-Off

Mark Wilson — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:55:51 EST

The Meizu M8 may not seem like the most...original concept on the market, but that hasn't stopped the company from pursuing a patent on the device. Filed back in February 2007, Meizu proclaimed to the world that, sure, their M8 may be just an iPhone clone. But clones have rights too, dammit! [meizume via wired]

Meizu MiniOne M8 iPhone-Clone Triples Buttons, Tries to Patent It...in China?

Haroon Malik — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST

Meizu's CEO dropped an interesting nugget about the hardware of the highly anticipated MiniOne M8. Apparently, the smartphone will feature three physical buttons, as oppose to a single one right in the center. That means it will differ from another phone that it bears a striking resemblance to. AND they're trying to patent this. AND that is going to do them a lot of good in native China. Of course, the new information means any screenshots we have seen of the hardware in the past are now inaccurate, from the front at least.

Meizu's trio button design is currently being patented, so images have not been released. Fret not. To tide you all over, an image of the front cover, taken from behind, has been released. Yes, from behind...just how you like it pictures of phone facias. Inset is a concept for the design in question; expect it not to look anything like the image suggests. [Meizume]

Actual Meizu M8 Image Surfaces

Jason Chen — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:02:17 EST

The folks over at Meizu have decided that it's finally time to unveil actual shots of the Meizu M8 iPhone-inspired phone, and they've got some low quality shots to prove it. You can see that it's got a miniUSB port, a camera just like where the iPhone's camera is, and button placement just like the iPhone. The only major difference that we can see between this and the iPhone is that it's entirely black instead of silver. That's about it. [Meizu via MeizuMe]

Rumor Smashed: Meizu Didn't Rip Off Artist For Phone Renders

Jason Chen — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:00:13 EST

Despite making a Meizu phone that looks way too close to the iPhone to be a coincidence, the latest news about Meizu ripping off an artist to pimp their work is off-base. It's true that someone placed Deviant Art artist Lithium Picnic's photo onto a Meizu M8, but it turns out that the image was actually rendered by a fan on Meizu's forums. Not that it makes things any more legit, but Meizu themselves aren't to blame for this round of appropriating someone else's work and calling it their own. [Meizu]

Meizu M8 Gets New Look, New Price

Mark Wilson — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:08:45 EDT

Our favorite iPhone iClone, the Meizu M8, has gotten a face lift and new price. But interestingly enough, the M8's design (aside from growing 1/10 of an inch) has been altered to look less like the iPhone, ditching the shiny, metallic edges and rear for an iPod Touchesque charcoal shading. In fact, it looks almost just like the Touch. But I thought I was buying an iPhone knockoff! But no complaints, since the new pricing information has been released.

Still scheduled for a December release, the pricing has been slightly more finalized at $265 (4GB), $320 (8GB) and $400 (16GB). Sure, those prices don't look all that cheap...until you realize there's no two-year contract rebate involved. Wait a second...what does the iPhone really cost??? [meizume via wired]

Meizu M8 Rips Off the iPhone UI and Why That's a Good Thing

Jason Chen — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:10:39 EDT

Although the Meizu M8 Phone may rip off the iPhone with its music UI (and every other UI), it could be a good thing. First, take a look at the photos in the gallery and see just how similar they are to the iPhone.

This situation reminds me of an article in the New Yorker, except instead of technology, it's fashion. To summarize, the author says knockoffs are good for fashion because 1) it brings high fashion down to a price range that normal, working people can afford, and 2) it forces designers to change up their looks for the next season.

The knockoffs apply much the same way to the tech world. By taking Apple's UI, Meizu's bringing technology to the people who can't afford to buy a phone for $399 (Meizu's prices are between $259 and $453). They're also forcing Apple to innovate and become even better in order to stay one step ahead of the game.

We're not saying it's right or legal for Meizu to steal Apple's UI, we just think it could be a good thing for consumers in the end. After all, that Meizu Miniplayer is actually a pretty decent PMP even if it's essentially a nano. [Meizu via Electronista]

[New Yorker via Boingboing]

Meizu M6 Mini Player SL Hands-on Video

Jason Chen — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:40:58 EDT

The folks over at MeizuMe got their hands on a new M6 Mini Player SL and compared it to the old Mini Player model. The Mini Player, if you don't remember, is a nano-like competitor with similar features, but a less usable UI. The new version is essentially the same player, except noticeably thinner and smaller, and with some slight new UI features. Take a look at the video (but turn down your volume) to see what's new. [MeizuMe]

iPod Touch-like Meizu M7 Miniplayer Gets Specs, Price

Jason Chen — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:40:56 EDT

Meizu's at the copying game again, showing off some renders of their upcoming Meizu M7, along with specs and pricing information. We suppose that leaving all the UI work to Apple and co-opting it later allows them to keep prices at a low $100, $110, and $150 for the 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models respectively. As for the size, it's got a 2.8-inch display with 480x228 resolution and measures 3.5 x 1.9 x 0.3 inches externally. If Meizu can really pull out an iPod touch-like player for $150 with the same UI, they've got a winner on their hands. [Meizu via Meizublog via Uber Gizmo]

The iPhoney Award

blongo3 — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:17:20 EDT

Judging by the fact that the new Nano looks a bit like an iPod knockoff itself, we thought it would only be fitting to show off the iPhoneys, a contest for those who create the most blatant iPod/iPhone ripoffs of all. Current front runners include the Meizu m8, Microsoft Zune and Teclast t59. They always say good artists copy, great artists steal. [oobject]

Meizu mDock Speaker Dock Coming Soon For M6, M3 Music Cards

Jason Chen — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:10:46 EDT

Meizu Me reports that Meizu will release a speaker dock slightly reminiscent of iPod speaker docks for their M6 player. The M6, if you recall, is a small nano-ish player that's actually quite good, despite taking much of its design influence straight from Apple. This dock will be 88 grams and measure 208x87x86mm. That's 0.2 pounds and 8.1x3.4x3.3 inches. That weight seems a bit off, but the mDock will have replaceable docks to fit the the M3 Music Card as well. [MeizuMe]

Genuine Meizu M8 Pictures Unleashed in the Wild

Haroon Malik — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:45:00 EDT

We have had a keen eye on the Meizu M8 since it surfaced. Today, real images of the device have come to light. The pictures certainly do not shed any light on the feature set beyond what we know. What we can confirm is that the M8 appears to be every bit the phone sex-god, as we were led to believe by earlier computer generated depictions. Hit the jump to see pictures of the M8's bum and a comparison alongside the company's miniOne PMP. [myminiOne].
Thanks, Rick

Meizu M8 Phone Shipping 8GB First, Gets $70 Price Increase

Jason Chen — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:30:23 EDT

Meizu's CEO let everyone know (via a forum posting, no less) that their first Meizu M8 MiniOne version will be the 8GB mode, and it will ship for about $400. That's a $70 increase from the previous price data, but is much better than the totally off figures we saw last month. Good news, other models with 3G/3.5G support will come in the second phase of releases.

Specs:

• ARM11 667MHz CPU
• 128MB DDR SDRAM
• GSM + EDGE
• Windows CE 6.0
• 3.4-inch display (720x480 resolution)
• 1400mAH battery
• Wi-Fi
• TV Out
• USB 2.0
• USB Host mode
• H263/264 MPEG2 MPEG4 WMV RM RMVB code support

[Meizu via Meizume]

Meizu MiniOne Real Pricing, Availability

Jason Chen — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:20:55 EDT

Either this site is overcharging by a crapload or the previous pricing was totally off, but the Meizu MiniOne is up to $988 for the 16GB model, compared to $450, which was listed before. What could cause such a rise in price? Hard to say.

We do know that the phone should be available around December 7, but such a lofty price compared to the iPhone may just put a damper on any plans for the Meizu being any sort of real competition. Full specs after the jump. [NegriElectronics]

Update: It seeems the Negri Electronics pricing was just a guess before real pricing was announced. So far there hasn't been any change (says Meizu) that the pricing will be any different from the $450-ish for the 16GB model that they announced before. Availability is still targeted around late 2007 or early 2008. Thanks SSJMichael!

- ARM11 533MHZ (perhaps Samsung S3C6400) processor
- 128MB DDR SDRAM cache (two 16 512Mb chip components 1024Mb 3 2)

GSM+EDGE+WCDMA

- WIN CE6.0 based on the Windows CE kernel FOR MEIZU M8

- Video decoder CODEC (Possible Samsung S3C6400 built-CODEC)

- 3.32-inch TFT VGA （720 x 480 16 million colors Touchscreen

- 3-megapixel camera and a .3-megapixel VGA for conferencing (Autofocus, no flash)

- 1600mAHBattery : 1600mAH

- Bluetooth (with GPS access) , Line Out with DMB support, Wi-Fi connectivity with wireless card

- Plays 30fps 720 x 480 AVI, MPEG4, WMV videos and other mainstream video formats, even Real Player through decoder, also video recording, and digital TV and GPS through DMB with downloadable maps.

Dimensions: 105mm*57mm*11.5mm(H*W*T)
Display: 3.32-Inch 16-Bit (720x480 px) TFT Screen
PC Interface: USB2.0 Ultra Fast Data Transfer
Flash Memory: Built-in basic Memory (4GB/8GB)
GSM + SCDMA Networks
Bluetooth Support
TV-out Support
Line-in Support
Video Playback: MPEG-4/H.263/H.264 at 30FPS
3.0 MPx + 0.3 MPx Dual Cameras (Optional)
Video Conferencing (Optional)

Operating System: Windows CE 6.0
Processor: ARM11

Meizu MiniOne Out Next Year

Mark Wilson — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 10:16:16 EDT

Meizu has confirmed that their MiniOne will be released early next year. Meanwhile, importers like Negri Electronics are still listing a December 7th launch date (which looks to be jumping the gun at this point) along with their revealed price of $989. So much for our New Year's resolution of picking up a cheap iPhone knock-off and bragging to everyone that we're better than them. Instead we'll have to rely on booze for feelings of self-worth, just like last year. CORRECTION: Meizu's formerly announced price is $450 for this model. Don't buy from Negri.

iPhone Rival Coming... [pmptoday]
Negri Electronics

New Meizu MiniOne Pic Released While World Keeps Watching Mike Matas

Addy Dugdale — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 07:49:37 EDT

Here's a new picture of the Anti-Jesus Phone just released by Meizu's CEO Jack Wong in their bulletin board. Looks like the false prophet wants to steal some thunder off the iPhone launch, because he says that there are more to come very soon. In the meantime, the rest of the world keeps watching some dude in a train again and again. – Jesus Diaz

Meizu Planning New M8 Mini One Photo Release [Meizu Me]

Specs on the Meizu M6 SE Revealed

Mark Wilson — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 11:10:24 EDT

Remember the $130 Meizu M6 SE PMP we told you about, sporting 8GB of video in a 7mm shell? Good. Meizu just announced more details the unit.

The M6 SE will handle MPEG4, MPEG2, WMV9, H263/264, RM(VB) videos running at 720x480 while pushing 30 frames a second—all of which can be spewed to TV via video out. Viewing angles are improved to 80 degrees from each direction (a hike of about 20 degrees). Battery power was confirmed for 30 hours music, 5 hours QVG or 3 hours VGA.

We're really liking the looks of this updated Meizu M6, but word is there could be delays from its late summer target to sometime in Q4. – Mark Wilson

Meizu Spills More... [meizume]

Meizu M3 Get Updated, Slightly

Travis Hudson — Tue, 29 May 2007 15:40:05 EDT

The Meizu M3 is a player that seems like it always had some potential. Meizu must agree (I would hope so) because they have revised the player as the Meizu M3se. All of the changes seem to be of the aesthetic variety. The M3se will be a tad bit (.2 inches) shorter and they have redesigned the touch-sensitive control bar, eliminating the side button and widening the vertical touch-strip. Also the previous glassy surface will be replaced with a brushed metal surface that is less prone to scratching. –Travis Hudson

Meizu Revises the M3 [Dapreview]

Meizu MiniOne Specs Revealed: It's Actually Got Some Juice

Jason Chen — Thu, 17 May 2007 18:40:58 EDT

If you thought the only thing going for the Meizu MiniOne was the fact that it looks like an iPhone, well, you'd be wrong. The recently released specs show that it's actually got a lot of stuff going for it besides its software design.

The MiniOne will have a 533Mhz Samsung processor, 128MB of DDR SDRAM, TFT touchscreen, 720x480 resolution, 3-megapixel back camera, 0.3-megapixel front camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, DMB TV Tuner, GPS, video output, AVI/MPEG4/WMV support, and a 4GB to 16GB size.

The best part? It's only going to be about $260 for the 4GB version and $450 for the 16GB version. Are you excited yet? We are. – Jason Chen

MiniOne, the telephone by Meizu [Akihabara News via Uber Phones]

Dealzmodo: 4GB Meizu Miniplayer $99

Jason Chen — Fri, 04 May 2007 21:00:07 EDT

Who'd have thought that the cheapest place you can find a 4GB Meizu Miniplayer was Walgreens. Who knew Walgreens even sold electronics? That's just weird.

And if you're curious about the Miniplayer, check out the review. It's actually very good. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Walgreens - Thanks Tim!]

Meizu M3 Music Card Preview

Jason Chen — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:15:32 EDT

We're actually fans of Meizu's players, despite (or maybe because of) their similarities to Apple's offerings. Their latest, the Meizu M3 Music Card, has 8GB of storage, 1.5-inch display, FM radio, 20-hour battery life, and a $100 price point.

You can get 2 and 4GB models for $65 and $80, which really makes this a lot cheaper than getting a Nano. Too bad you can't use this with the Nike+iPod kit, which we're still cursing as the reason why we're forced to buy a player we otherwise don't really need. Anything to get sexy, we suppose. – Jason Chen

Ultraslim Meizu M3 Music Card Video Preview [TechEBlog]

Meizu Minicard Details: 2/4/8GB and Cheap

Jason Chen — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:45:52 EST

You know that design winner of the Meizu's design-your-own MP3 player contest? Here's some actual details on it. The player has a 1.5-inch display at a 176x132 resolution, an FM radio, 20-hour battery life, and 2/4/8 GB versions. It definitely follows Meizu's stance on having an iPod-like design but at a much lower price. It will be around $65, $80, and $100 respectively.

But at this point, we think we're happy if Meizu sets their entire development team on the M8 and gets that thing out as soon as humanly possible. – Jason Chen

Meizu Music Card Details [Anything But iPod via Uber Gizmo]

Sizemodo: Meizu M8 vs. Apple iPhone

Jason Chen — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 14:30:21 EST

Speaking of the rather affordable Meizu M8, here's how that delightful "iPhone clone" stacks up to the real deal. Surprisingly enough, it's actually smaller than the iPhone—no doubt because it exchanges a few key iPhone features for ones even Apple doesn't have.

Nevertheless, Apple's 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.45 inches vs. Meizu's 4.1 x 2.2 x 0.45 inches is pretty much negligible unless you're Barry, Robin, or Maurice Gibb. – Jason Chen

Thanks to sizeasy!

Meizu M8 Pricing Revealed: Most Affordable iPhone Clone Yet

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:23:59 EST

When it comes to affordable iPhone clones, Meizu seems to be leading the pack now that they've unveiled the pricing for their M8 cell phone. The 4GB model with built-in camera will go for $310 while the 8GB version will go for $400. The entry-level model (with no camera) will go for only $195 at 4GB and $285 at 8GB. Compare that to the iPhone's $499/$599 price and suddenly Meizu's option doesn't look so bad. Though it's still an iPhone clone. – Louis Ramirez

Meizu iPhone Clone's UI, Pricing Revealed [Electronista]

Franken(P)review: Attack of the iClones

Mark Wilson — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:30:06 EST

It's like that episode of Beverly Hills 90210 when Brenda and Kelly both say they hate that black dress with the big white bow on it, but then they each show up to the dance wearing the thing. And then they had a pillowfight in nothing but their hot pink scrunchies to battle for my love. Yeah...

Some people call them iPhone clones, others call them showing up in the same touchscreen. Whoever started developing first doesn't matter anymore; we just want to know which sexy iPhonish smartphone deserves our children's "college fund" the most. Hit the jump for our Frankenpreview of the different "iPhone clones" coming to the market, and see how they stack up against the Vision of Apple.

iSoftPhone
Price: $100
What??
It's not actually a phone. It's VoIP software that just looks like a phone.
But!
Hold your Macbook up to your ear, and that hipster chick eyeing you up at Panera will never know the difference.

Neonode N2
Price: N/A
2-inch 176 x 220 display
2 Megapixel camera
GSM Quadband
GPRS
Mini-SD slot
OS: Proprietary

What? ?
The N2 uses a innovative, but non-intuitive gesture interface. But its bigger problem is its limited data capability since it lacks newer, speedier transmission standards. And without WiFi as backup, there is a limit to just how "smart" this phone can be.
But!
It's only half the length of the iPhone and weighs just a little under 2 Nanos (about half the weight of the iPhone). You have to appreciate the aggressively small form factor coupled with an interface that, at the very least, confronts the issue of impossibly small buttons.

Teclast T59
Price: N/A

3.5-inch display (VGA)
3G
Wi-Fi & GPS
OS: Windows CE

What? ?
The T59 is 100% concept renderings at this point. As far as we can tell, they haven't even built a mock-up for beautiful models to pretend to be talking to us on yet. So until we see it...let's just say we've been hurt before, ok?
But!
The largest model (as in product, not the hot model mentioned above) is said to hold a massive 16GB of music and videos, which is double that of Apple's phone and bigger than any company's options on this list. But more importantly, it sports an FM radio!

LG Prada
Price: $778

Specs:
3.0-inch display, 240 x 400
GSM Quadband
EDGE data
2 megapixel camera
microSD
OS: Proprietary

What??
The Prada lacks both WiFi and built-in storage—considering the hefty price tag (you are charging even more than Apple, LG), these features will be more than missed. Plus, Europe and Asia get the Prada first while we convince ourselves that the pink Razr is still all the rage.
But!
The Prada is a bit smaller than the iPhone, can't be worse than the Chocolate and...it's not the iPhone—as they made clear. And Apple has become so bourgeois...

Meizu M8/MiniOne
Price: N/A
3.3-inch VGA touchscreen
GSM and TD-SCDMA
3MP camera (back), .3MP camera (front)
TV-Out
OS: Windows CE 6.0

What??
This product is the real deal knock-off, actually changing their design post-iPhone announcement. Consider the MiniOne the technological equivalent to breast implants. Sure they look may look good, but do they really offer the same user experience? (That question isn't rhetorical, btw).
But!
720x480 video playback at 30fps might mean we'll actually use the Meizu for ~~porn~~ daily tasks, especially with its TV-out option. Maybe the more important aspect of PMPs is less regarding the 3-inch screen clarity, and more about the device's ability to interact with home theater equipment—wherever you may be.

However, the long and short of it is that most of these Apple alternatives won't see American releases soon, if at all. So even though it may seem like the market has flooded abruptly with thousands of magical touchscreen phones, the choice may (unfortunately) be easier than you'd think. – Mark Wilson

Enemies Line Up to Beat Unreleased iPhone While Jobs Fixes Tofu Pancakes for Breakfast

www.gizmodo.com — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:53:06 EST

Just in case you weren't sick enough of it, Newlaunches has a summary of the top competitors for Apple's iPhone, all of them previously featured in Gizmodo. They start at number 5 with the Meizu we-swear-we-really-didn't-clone-it! M8 PMP, the Windows Mobile 6.0 smartphone that really wants to be an iPhone when he grows up. Going up is the small Neonode N2 which, like the iPhone, lacks 3G connectivity, and the phone that could actually fly if fully open and thrown with enough brute force: the Nokia N95. At the top, the LG KE850 of Prada and Laura Ocaña fame and, finally, the Samsung Ultra Smart F700, the smartphone of choice for korean ninja cyborgs and people with skin allergy to screen-based keyboards. We will have to wait a few months to see which phone really grabs the cash of consumers, but looking at them now, would you sign up for the iPhone or any of these five? – Jesus Diaz

Top 5 competitors to the iPhone [Newlaunches.com]

Meizu CEO Says They Didn't Copy The iPhone That Much

Jason Chen — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:55:05 EST

Despite Meizu's history of "borrowing" design ideas from Apple (their entire Miniplayer series comes to mind) their CEO is denying that the M8 phone is copied from the iPhone. Seems like everyone's denying influence from the iPhone these days.

Here's what the CEO said in a forum post on their website.

First, he acknowledges that the design is very similar, but says they announced their M8 phone January 5, a whole four days before the January 9 iPhone unveiling at MacWorld. Plus, he says, the designs were already shown publicly in 2006, and when they saw the iPhone in January, Meizu actually changed their phone to make it look less like the iPhone.

Despite already spending $1 million on research to design a screen with 720x480 resolution, which they made because they didn't want to go with 3:2 or 16:9 like other phones, Meizu said they will change the design if Apple desides to sue. Which, well, seems like an inevitability. – Jason Chen

Meizu [via Engadget Chinese via Engadget]