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Meizu M8 iPhone Clone Hitting China, India In December
Posted by Kit Eaton at 7:04 PM on September 29, 2008
Meizu's iPhone copycatting M8 mobile phone 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 $US380 and $US470, 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
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
altus
Posted 7:35 PM 29/9/08
So will applications run?
altus
pradster
Posted 8:00 PM 29/9/08
India? why us?
pradster
maxsquared
Posted 8:36 PM 29/9/08
This is prejudice, the interface looks nothing like iPhone, why when Samsung, Blackberry, LG, Google release a similar phone to iPhone people call it "iPhone's competitor", but when a small Company in China release a phone call it "iPhone clone"?
maxsquared
Cliff_Dangers
Posted 9:42 PM 29/9/08
@maxsquared: Idiot... they call it a clone because it looks just like an iphone. Not just a similar style like the others you mentioned.
Cliff_Dangers
oneclick
Posted 10:11 PM 29/9/08
I wonder how long before we will be able to purchase this in the US. I really wanted this Meizu but now I am leaning towards the Touch HD...
oneclick
Branedy
Posted 10:00 PM 29/9/08
Can we please stop using 'iPhone killer' as a descriptor? An iPhone competitor it is, nothing more.
Branedy
snitch29
Posted 11:50 PM 29/9/08
I been hearing this for almost 2 years now, i also wonder how close would a Meizu shop be if for some reason my new Meizu M8 needs to be swap?
snitch29
General Halfshaftery
Posted 12:27 AM 30/9/08
"an success"?
General Halfshaftery
Rain-man
Posted 12:21 AM 30/9/08
Seriously, I'm over this Meizu BS. Every single product they've made has been a ripoff of iPods or the iPhone. And if a Giz reader doesn't see that, they're totally delusional.
Rain-man
optical10
Posted 12:08 AM 30/9/08
this cannot be called a clone because if I remember rightly it was in development long before they iPhone? A fact that can be checked by the gizmodo editor as I'm pretty sure I read it here first.
Okay it took longer to come to market but surely the Apple development team had an inkling of its features etc while they were developing the iPhone. And with their budget and resources Apple were able to come to market before Meizu.
I say competitors to Apple or any other global giant is good for the common man with less money in his pocket. :-)
optical10
MINI Driver
Posted 1:29 AM 30/9/08
"We were looking for a better,cheaper alternative for Iphone to indian customer" - Better keep looking chaps, this does not meet any of those criteria!
MINI Driver
MINI Driver
Posted 1:28 AM 30/9/08
@optical10: This 'myth' has already been debunked a dozen times on Giz.
The M8 name was around before iPhone, but looked nothing like an iPhone at that time. Note is was only artists impressions at that time.
Then shortly after the iPhone was announced, it got a creative upgrade to it's looks, i.e. they ripped of the iPhone completely.
Pure Piracy.
MINI Driver
twilight-arc
Posted 3:51 AM 30/9/08
Why do all 'iPhone killers' try so hard to copy the iPhone? It is only worthy as an iPhone killer if it does something better without trying to be a 'me too'.
twilight-arc
TeagueCabbie
Posted 7:10 AM 30/9/08
WOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHHO WOOT, i have been waiting for this now for a year! for chirst sakes every one bak away from my meizu u bloody apple fan bois! grrrrr, if u notice meizu does everything apple does but BETTER, remember when u wanted the apple 3g to have a camera etc and apple didnt deliver, and remember when u expected great things from the new itouch and they didnt deliver again, thats why you choose meizu they listen and create bueaty and something the market wants, plus please stop calling them iphone killers and rip offs, they aint, its the new smartphone market , A MARKET, notice how all tvs look the bloody same?????? its kuz its a market, there is only so much one can do with a 3 inch touch screen they cant make it a flip so there left with a generic shape, if apple didnt want ppl to copy they should have chosen the easiest shape on the planet
TeagueCabbie
TeagueCabbie
Posted 7:05 AM 30/9/08
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, im a massive meizu fan and i just cant wait btw meizu is a competitior, becuase it does everything apple does AND BETTER
TeagueCabbie
RaffaeleMokap
Posted 9:02 PM 29/9/08
"This is prejudice, the interface looks nothing like iPhone" well actually it really does. They even made their own version of windows CE so they could totally clone the iphone without having to totally change windows mobile
RaffaeleMokap
kanon
Posted 9:25 AM 30/9/08
@Rain-man: And yet, Meizu pioneered the click-strip, not the click-wheel, and managed to invent one of the few media players that don't need special sovtware or cords to connect to the computer. (mini-USB is regularly available, and it can use the Mass Storage protocols instead of MTP)
kanon
EdgarDenby
Posted 8:09 AM 2/10/08
SO, what should I call you now ? Just coz all LCD TVs look the same are they clones ? All DSLR attachment lens manufactured by different companies look the same ( are they clones ? ). There are many more , if you did not know.
EdgarDenby
ShawBabalon
Posted 4:42 AM 5/10/08
First of all, I hate the iphone. Let's just get that out of the way. Secondly, this discussion is ridiculous. The hardware and software have been modeled carefully after the iphone. Any debate to the contrary is laughable and can only be the result of some sort of weird Asian indoctrination I was not previously aware of. Furthermore, a major strength of the iphone is not just it's appearance but it's application framework. How can a small company like this hope to best the iphone and attract 3rd party developers? This device is a joke. Get over it.
ShawBabalon