Gizmodo: m8

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]

Leica's $11,000 Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 Lens Is a Nightvision Owl Eye For Your Camera

John Mahoney — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EDT

Yeah, you read that right: f/ zero point nine five. As in less than f/1, which was where Leica's legendary Noctilux was positioned before and as low as Canon goes with their 50mm f/1.0L glass, making it the world's fastest major consumer lens on the market today (f-numbers are logarithmic, so that's over a full exposure stop lower for over double the light of an f/1.4 lens). The new Noctilux was leaked by a French magazine with details of a Photokina release later this month, and it looks like it'll use Leica's standard M mount, so it will work with your M8 digital or any other M-mount camera (Epson RD-1s owners, all five of you!) to let you take pictures like this:

Yeah, that's candlelight only. Taken with the previous f/1.0 Noctilux, natch, so you could even swap it for an even smaller candle and still pull off the same shot, or try some insane depth-of-field bokeh effects. Awesome stuff, all for €8,000 ($11,260).

And now that you're in a tizzy about super-fast, super-expensive lenses, take a look at the incredible story of the custom Zeiss lens Stanley Kubrick demanded for candle-lit scenes in Barry Lyndon. It opened up to a crazy f/0.7. Well worth the read.

[Leica Rumors via Gadget Lab, Photo: lylevincent]

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]

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]

Leica M8 Getting Full-Frame Sensor at Photokina?

matt buchanan — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:00:24 EST

Even though a Leica rep explicitly told us at PMA that there would be no M9 or M10—Leica plans to perpetually upgrade the Inspector Gadget of digital cameras, the M8, instead—some customers received a letter from the big L that a full-frame M camera is on the way.

Since it was stressed that Leica can (and will) be upgrading the M8's mechanical AND digital components, and that they want to impart the same kind of value into it as other Leica wares, we're guessing that this new full-frame 35mm sensor is in fact the next upgrade package.

Given what Leica fanatics expect, the move to a full-frame sensor isn't surprising—the current Kodak-made CCD sensor has been sorta crummy, and the official fix isn't on par with Leica's usual line. And obviously, a truer 35mm sensor holds a much greater appeal for that crowd. Photokina's not 'til September, so we might have a while to wait. [Adorama via Gadget Lab]

Leica M8: A Camera for Life

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:08:12 EST

Leica fanatics are different than regular people, so it's no surprise Leica's taking an entirely different—but brilliant—approach with its M8: It's everlasting. Instead of dropping an M9 or M10, Leica is offering substantial upgrades to the M8 itself—mechanical and digital components, so it'll slowly evolve into a new camera. The first package is a sapphire LCD screen, which can only be scratched by a diamond, plus a new, quieter, less shaky shutter, at a cost of around $1,800.

Here's how it works: You reserve an update spot at leica-camera.com, and then they'll tell you when you can send in your camera. They'll pick it up, ship it to Germany and install the updates and the latest firmware, then send it back to you. In a nice move, participation in the upgrade automatically extends your warranty by another two years. This first sapphire update package will be available in March, and they'll offer up fresh ones as they develop them, including, from the way it sounds, even a new sensor at some point. [Leica]

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]

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]

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

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]

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]

Update: You're right, Meizu M8 Totally NOT iPhone Clone

Gizloco — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:05:04 EST

Here's more incriminating evidence that the Meizu M8 rips off the iPhone hardcore, which we first noticed two weeks ago. One thing's for sure: the Meizu dude needs to cut his fingernails. – Nicholas Deleon

iPhone Look A-Like, Meizu miniOne To Make Its Debut [VR-Zone via My iPhone]

Meizu M8 PMP/Phone Looks Awfully Familiar

Travis Hudson — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 14:15:04 EST

Dapreview has—what appears to be—concept renderings of the M8 PMP/cellphone from Meizu. No word if these are real or not, but something about it looks really familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but this player looks like something we have been covering non-stop for the past month or so. This is going to drive me crazy if I can't remember which fruity product the M8 looks like. I think it starts with eye-something. EyeJack? EyeZune?

This player runs WinCE 6.0, includes a 3-megapixel camera, 3.3-inch VGA+ screen, GSM support, TV-out and more. I don't know whether to think this is fake, or a real knock-off. This isn't the first time Meizu has borrowed design elements from another company. –Travis Hudson

Meizu M8, the Chinese iPhone [dapreview]

Leica's Plans To Fix the Flawed M8 Flagship...Kinda

Jason Chen — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 13:40:23 EST

After recognizing that its Leica M8 camera had various problems like IR sensitivity and banding, the company's announced a plan to fix early adopter's cameras free of charge.

The plan is tricky, though:

register your M8 on Leica's website and they will send you instructions on how to send in your camera to the service center in Solms. All new cameras made from this date forward will have the problem already fixed. And to solve the IR sensitivity problem, Leica is going to give users two free filters to attach onto the lens. A better solution would have been to fix the IR issue in the camera, but what do we know? – Jason Chen

Leica announce fixes for M8 [dpreview]