Meizu Minione M8: The Second Coming of iPhone

Jun 30, 2007 08:39

Out of all the iPhone news floating around on the Net out there, this is the best quote I've seen:

Jesus has come back and he's a phone now!

And, of course, every Jesus must have an anti-Christ, and the Chinese-produced Meizu Minione M8 seems to have ascended that fiery throne.

Now, when comparing the design of the Apple iPhone and the Meizu Minione... well, let's just be kind and say if imitation is, indeed, the greatest form of flattery, then Apple is feeling pretty flattered right now!

Check the side-by-side comparison:


Now, I know there are a lot of cheap Chinese knockoffs out there. I wrote about a cheap iPhone knockoff already. But before anyone jumps the gun and groups the Minione in with those cheap Chinese i-Wannabees, you might want to take a look at the specs:


Source

And if the quick specs don't impress, you might want to check out the price tag. In comparison with the US$500-$600 Apple iPhone, the Meizu is a little more affordable. Though Apple price cuts may be coming.

Anticipated pricing for the Meizu Minione:

• 4GB model: About 2,000 Chinese RMB (approx. US$263)


• 8GB model: About 2,500 Chinese RMB (approx. US$328)


• 16GB model: About 3,500 Chinese RMB (approx. US$460)

Looks like decent pricing to me. And remember, there's no crazy AT&T service charges like with the iPhone!

It should be mentioned that as of right now, Meizu apparently does not yet have a license to produce phones, but it is working toward it step by step according to the Meizu boss J. Wong. If I understand it correctly, Meizu also has the option of pursuing ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) status, thus producing the phone under someone else's brand if need be.

Bottom line on the Meizu Minione:

One way or another, there's an inevitable Second Coming of the Jesus-phone to look forward to later this year. Meizu may not have the glitz and glamor of the Apple iPhone, but it does have enough guts in it to produce more than a few Hallelujahs. And if my good, old Catholic upbring serves me correctly, Jesus was never much interested in flashy User Interfaces anyway.

So whenever the Apple iPhone makes its glorious ascension over the Great Wall, the Meizu Minione will be here waiting--likely with legions of Chinese followers who support the homegrown iClone phone.

But then again, never underestimate the Chinese infatuation with owning the number one brand name... Think of all the face that a real iPhone would get ya!



Special thanks go out to my own personal Jesus, Willy Zhang, for providing some great Chinese sources on this one!

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