Can you believe it? It's been over two years since we first got wind of what would become Meizu's high-end iPhone clone, the M8. Okay, we admit to being somewhat dubious at first, and won't be entirely won over until we get one to play with, but just a few days away from its Chinese release the handset seems to live up to its promises according to IT168's full review. Other than a few faults, including an "ear-piercing" integrated speaker and issues running third-party Windows CE applications, things sound surprisingly good. The 480 x 720 3.4-inch screen received high marks, performance was rated as very speedy, and the integrated 3 megapixel camera looks to be able to take great looking pics -- assuming you turn a few lights on. It does sound like a solid device, but is it a proper iPhone competitor? In China, where the iPhone still isn't officially available, we wonder if it isn't the iPhone that's the underdog now (cue raised eyebrow).

Can you believe it? After two years and any number of missed targets, Meizu's M8 cellphone is bound and determined to meet its November 30th 8 December launch date. As proof, they've shipped a first unit to China's PConline for review. Hmm, white earbuds, charger, and USB cable... imagine that.

[Via iTech News Net]

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]

A handful of M8 screenshots have found their way onto Meizu Me courtesy of our usual suspect, Jack Wong, and we've got to say: if these are real -- and by all indications they probably are -- then one of the most illusive, most vaporware-prone handsets in recent memory might just actually be ready to launch in December. There's still a heavy iPhone influence in much of the phone's interface, but they appear to have tarted up key areas like the home screen just enough to make an impact of their own. Looks a little too vertigo-inducing for our tastes, but it seems a heck of a lot more polished (and with a heck of a lot more original thought mixed in) than your average ripoff.

[Thanks, Lino]

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.]

The saga of the Meizu M8 is one of the more entertaining dramas in the phone biz these days, owing partly to the endless delays and tweaks, granted -- but owing much more to the truly masterful ripping of the iPhone's industrial design. Unfortunately, there's been very little actual bite to follow up the bark coming out of the Meizu camp, and it looks like we might get a real taste of this thing for the first time as soon as next month. A post on Meizu's website, seemingly from none other than CEO J. Wong himself, claims that a first cut of the M8 will arrive next month -- along with plenty more pictures and details -- but it'll be a somewhat neutered rendition that features just 128MB of RAM and zero flash. October will bring the real deal, a 256MB baddie that rocks 8GB of storage for 2180 yuan, which works out to about $320. Meanwhile, pictures have surfaced of the latest prototype floating around Meizu's labs, looking both as slick and as litigation-prone as ever. Bring these stateside, Mr. Wong, and we'll be the very first to sign up -- just don't be surprised if Apple is right behind us.

[Via Electronista]

Read - August for 128MB model, October for 256MB / 8GB?
Read - Prototype M8 in the wild

Now, we know the official story on the CeBIT Meizu shutdown was related to MP3 codec licensing, and not the M8's iPhone-like UI. Still, it does seem strangely fortuitous that more pictures of the phone's interface have just appeared that seem to showcase a move away from Apple's familiar look. The Chinese site CNMO has new shots of the device's music player, which now appears to incorporate song info, EQ display, lyrics, and volume / tracking controls all on one screen. The pictures also show a couple of different music browsing options, both in landscape and portrait mode. Is this a signal that the company is putting some distance between the M8 and the iPhone? Only time will tell.

[Via PMP Today]

While it appears that Meizu's infringement shutdown at CeBIT was for unlicensed MP3 usage, and not at all to do with the eerie resemblance to a certain iPhone, the company still seems eager to prove to the world it is brewing something unique with the M8 mini One. CEO Jack Wong posted a bunch of new shots to the Meizu forums with small interface tweaks that inch the OS a bit away from its iPhone roots -- but certainly not far.



[Thanks, Lino G.]

Remember how the folks at the Meizu booth swore up and down that the M8 Mini One wasn't that similar to the iPhone? Well apparently the Hanover police think otherwise. According to a report, the booth (shown above in its vacated state) was shut down by cops for piracy during CeBIT and passersby were told that, "The venue is closed until further notice." It appears that after stopping down the M8 show, cops proceeded to confiscate equipment and literature associated with the painfully obvious knock-off, and will be making a more detailed statement on Thursday in regards to the action. Meizu, it might be time to get yourself a makeover... and a good attorney.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in; Image courtesy Heise Online]

We've finally seen the M8 in the wild, made with real molecules -- sort of. The prototype being passed around doesn't really function beyond showing a few screens, though a rough cut of the full interface was available on a decidedly un-M8 looking prototype board. Check out our comprehensive coverage of the device, which looks nothing like the iPhone, below!

Read - Video: Meizu M8 mini One OS looks very, very familiar
Read - Video: Meizu M8 mini One
Read - Meizu M8 mini One vs. iPhone... fight!