Video: Meizu M8 prepped for full-scale launch, IP battle with Apple

Meizu's been on a tear since our last M8 update. Sitting atop a new 0.9.0.1 firmware release complete with working copy and paste, Outlook calendar synchronization, and a "full backup system," the M8 is now supported by a published SDK and licensed to ride the Chinese airwaves for what looks to be a March, mainland China release. With all the passion it could muster, Meizu posted the following announcement to its English website:

Let's bear witness together, to the great moment of MEIZU formally entering the big stage of mobile phone industry!

Currently, the M8 handset with its iPhone roots (but a WinCE core) is only available to an abiding Chinese press and die-hard Meizu fanatics -- a population said to rival the intensity of Apple's own sheeple elite. Having watched the M8 make the transition from art to part over the last few years, we're mighty stoked at the prospective launch to say the least. And while Meizu has clearly trumped Apple's spec sheet (not user experience) in terms of software (copy paste, background task management, video recording, and plenty more) and hardware (720 x 480 pixel display and beefier silicon), we'll bet there's still enough "inspiration" to get Tim Cook and Apple's legal counsel whipped up into a frenzy of Intellectual Property defense. Latest video after the break.

Read -- Mobile license approval
Read -- SDK release
Read -- firmware 0.9 release

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 23rd 2009 5:05AM]

was that mr. jackson reviewing that phone? whats the point of wearing one glove? youre marking it up with the gloveless hand tard.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 23rd 2009 5:40AM]

While I would not buy this phone, what does kind of impress me is that this is buit on a WinCE core similar to WM6.1 and they have been able to create sexy looking finger friendly ui. All be it inspired from the iphone, but it tells us that the windows mobile division have no excuses to be able to create a better UI.

I have a strong feeling we’re all gonna be disappointed by WM6.5!!

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 23rd 2009 6:38AM]

So apple is going to sue them for what exactly? Wouldn't they also then go after the half a dozen or so other companies making similar products? LG, Samsung, HTC, etc... It's dumb at this point to single them out - this doesn't look any more like an iphone than what Nokia is coming up with.

Do they have a license to alter and distribute WinCE?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 23rd 2009 9:24AM]

Is this guy the Chinese version of Michael Jackson with the single-gloved hand? lol

This is _so_ much closer to ToughFlo than to the iPhone interface. If anyone gets their attorneys' panties in a wad over the M8, it will be HTC. I highly doubt HTC will bother suing over their shell with an unknown IP value.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 23rd 2009 9:21PM]

If sprint were to release this phone for around $300 I'll hop in the car and get it day one and put my touch pro on ebay!

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 26th 2009 10:21PM]

Heh, he's basically flipping off the camera the entire time he demos the unit ;)