M8 miniOne
Encyclopedia
The Meizu M8 is a touch-controlled, multimedia and internet-enabled smartphone
. It is popularly regarded as a Chinese iPhone
-like phone due to its similarity to the features, UI, and physical design of the Apple iPhone. The M8 runs a version of Microsoft Windows CE 6 with a modified GUI
, similar to that of the iPhone
. It was created after the success of Meizu's 2 MP3/MP4 players—the M6 Mini Player
and the M3 Music Card
. The phone has been delayed several times due to not meeting Chinese cellular phone guidelines. Already it has drawn attention in the US, due to its similarity to iPhone
, and also because of its unique features. Originally announced in two versions - an entry-level version with no camera and a standard version - only the standard model was released.
and Guangzhou
, drawing positive reviews.
on March 4, 2008 with a non-functional, plastic prototype
of the M8 able to display three screenshots of the UI, and a development board running partially working UI with most phone functions. No fully working unit was shown though.
On the second day of the exhibition, March 5, German police initiated by Sisvel raided 51 booths including Meizu; where a newly developed MP3 player was thought to infringe a Fraunhofer Society
patent and confiscated.
and Apple Inc. because of its close similarities to the iPhone
. Apple also was looking to ban all sales of the M8 as well, which some media outlets have speculated could bankrupt the company due to losses from unsold inventory , but no official word on this has been heard.
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
. It is popularly regarded as a Chinese iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
-like phone due to its similarity to the features, UI, and physical design of the Apple iPhone. The M8 runs a version of Microsoft Windows CE 6 with a modified GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
, similar to that of the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
. It was created after the success of Meizu's 2 MP3/MP4 players—the M6 Mini Player
M6 Mini Player
The M6 miniPlayer, from Meizu, is a flash-based portable media player that plays audio files in MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, APE and Ogg and is also capable of AVI video playback on a 2.4-inch QVGA screen...
and the M3 Music Card
M3 Music Card
The M3 Music Card from the Chinese company Meizu, is a Flash-based MP3 player that allows users to play MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC and OGG audio files. The player is also capable of video playback at 25FPS on its 1.5-inch screen. Also included is an FM tuner, voice recorder, calendar, stopwatch,...
. The phone has been delayed several times due to not meeting Chinese cellular phone guidelines. Already it has drawn attention in the US, due to its similarity to iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, and also because of its unique features. Originally announced in two versions - an entry-level version with no camera and a standard version - only the standard model was released.
Announcement dates
CEO Jack Wong had announced the Meizu M8 four days after the announcement of the iPhone as a direct competitor. The product was soon set for an October/November release. The M8 was released for public testing on December 8, 2008 in ShenzhenShenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
and Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, drawing positive reviews.
Specifications
Some expected specifications of the M8 (not final):- Dimensions: 108 mm × 59 mm × 12 mm (H × W × T)
- Processor: Samsung ARM11 667 MHz CPU
- Display: 3.4-inch 16600K (OS 65536 colors), 720 × 480 pixel resolution, LTPS TFT LCD, with multi touch (2 points)
- PC Interface: USB 2.0 Ultra Fast Data Transfer
- Flash Memory: 8 or 16 GB of built-in basic Memory
- Operating System: Windows CE for Meizu M8 (Based on Windows CE6.0) (Mymobile)
- Video Playback: AVI, MP4, RM, RMVB, 3GP, MOV, ASF, WMV, MPEG, MKV, FLV, MPEG-4/H.263/H.264 at 30FPS
H.264 Baseline Profile :2.5Mbps,720×480,30fps; MPEG-4 Simple Profile :2Mbps,720×480,30fps; WMV 3 :3.2Mbps,720×480,30fps; H.263 :1.5Mbps,720×480,30fps; DIVX :5Mbps,720×480,30fps; XVID :4Mbps,720×480,30fps; DX50 :6Mbps,720×480,30fps; MPEG-1 :1.5 Mbps,720×480,30fps; FLV :500kbps,720×480,30fps - Camera: 3.2 MPx camera on back. Supports auto-focus, no flash (Front camera to come later)
- Battery: 1200 mAh Li-ion. Removable battery
Additional features
- Light sensor allowing the phone to automatically adjust screen brightness in accordance to the lighting in the environment.
- Tilt and movement recognizing sensor that will allow it to auto-adjust screen orientation in accordance to tilting. It can also recognize movements (i.e. shaking), a feature which can be used for games.
- Proximity sensor for calling
CeBIT Appearance
Meizu appeared at CeBITCeBIT
CeBIT is the world's largest and most international computer expo. CeBIT is held each year on the world's largest fairground in Hanover, Germany, and is a barometer of the state of the art in information technology...
on March 4, 2008 with a non-functional, plastic prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
of the M8 able to display three screenshots of the UI, and a development board running partially working UI with most phone functions. No fully working unit was shown though.
On the second day of the exhibition, March 5, German police initiated by Sisvel raided 51 booths including Meizu; where a newly developed MP3 player was thought to infringe a Fraunhofer Society
Fraunhofer Society
The Fraunhofer Society is a German research organization with 60 institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science . It employs around 18,000, mainly scientists and engineers, with an annual research budget of about €1.65 billion...
patent and confiscated.
Production Halt
On October 9, 2010, it was reported that Meizu had shut down production of the M8 due to pressure from the Intellectual Property OfficesState Intellectual Property Office
The State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China , also known as the Chinese Patent Office, is the patent office of the People's Republic of China . It was founded on 1980, as the Patent Office of the People's Republic of China, the predecessor of SIPO...
and Apple Inc. because of its close similarities to the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
. Apple also was looking to ban all sales of the M8 as well, which some media outlets have speculated could bankrupt the company due to losses from unsold inventory , but no official word on this has been heard.