Some of you may have read about Meizu having intentions to release a media-centric phone that will compete with Apple iPhone. Well, it looks like the company is ready to launch the device, called MiniOne, in 4 flavours: 4GB without camera, 8GB without camera, 4GB with camera, and 8GB with camera. It looks like even the high-end model will be cheaper than the low-end Apple iPhone.

[attachmentid=8886]

This device runs on Windows CE 6.0 and is equipped with a 3.32" screen with 720x480 display and measures 57 x 105 x 11.5mm. The 2 models which come with built-in camera will have a 3MP camera as well as a VGA front camera. More photos of the device can also be found here.

I've heard of this one for a long, long time, and I'm actually interested in getting one. It doesn't seem to have anything over any current offerings except built-in memory, camera, screen size/rez and price point, tho - since AFAIK there isn't even a hint of UMTS or Wifi.

In fact, there's no news of possible memory expansion slots at all. Tho the chances of at least a microSD slot appearing are pretty good...

In any case, the device is "tentatively" dual-band GSM and T-SCDMA (this, by the way, is China's response to 3G). While we can take GSM (I think - who knows, it could be like GSM 800/900, which Singapore does not seem to have support for), T-SCDMA is a unique network currently being rolled out only in China. If it were compatible with Japan's TDMA-based networks, tho, then things will start get reeeal interesting...

I'm keeping my eyes on this and the OpenMoko project.

thks for posting this. i wasnt aware of this meizu. tried to go to the hyperlink in the above post but it's in chinese... sian... i cant read chinese...

but i m impressed with the reso and of course the price...

hi classy,

u can always translate it using Babelfish, tried it n the translation went quite well...

Part of it which was translated from Babelfish :

Design plan:

Outlook size: 57*105*11.5mm

Display monitor: VGA+ 720*480 3.32 inch 16600K color

Service pattern: GSM+TD

Operating system: WIN CE 6.0

CPU: ARM11 + video CODEC

Encoding and decoding of MPEG-4/H.263/H.264 up to 30fps@SD

Camera : Latter 3 million + first 300,000

Other: Blue tooth, 30 PIN expansion connection (TV OUT, LINE IN/OUT...)

Or, you could always check out www.engadget.com and www.gizmodo.com, since they have been reporting on this phone for ages (ever since it came out as part of Engadget's "Keepin' it Real Fake" series...)

WOW....SWEEETTTTT!!!!

How much will it cost? Any estimate on price and availability?

Pray it aint a fake.....

http://sg.vr-zone.com/?i=4548

for all to see

Pricing deets, courtesy of Engadget. Note: conversion rates and import taxes may influence what we have to pay. ROT when I rely on sites like this is that I take the listed price, and X2 to get what we may have to pony up if it ever gets out around here.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/03/05/d...inione-pricing/

Suffice to say, it's cheaper than some smartphones - tho it may not be as capable. Even if the specs don't turn out quite right (too good to be true?) - the basic models (without cam) may make good choices for those in government agencies that forbid camera-equipped phones.

(Unfortunately, Apple has a strong presence here, and may NOT even allow this to be offered; which means we'll have to plan a trip to HK just to get one... on hindsight, tho, phones in Singapore are heavily taxed, so getting one in HK is cheaper. Groupsense phones, for example, have a $400SG price difference between both countries...)

The price is inside the meizhu forum.

Without Camera 4GB (1499)， 8GB (2199)

With Camera 4GB (2380) ，8GB (3080)

All in RMB. Just divided by 5, that should be the round off price for Sing Dollar.

where can we buy it in S'pore?

Not out yet - Q3 or Q4 2007 is the release date.

(And I'd gladly wait for a few changes in spec I'd like to see. >_>)

thks guys for the info. i got to admit that i was turned off in the past by translation software so i never bothered.

also, ya man... shd hv checked out engadget they sure report these kind of stuffs. but guess long long time never surf their sites already... in fact sometimes, a bit tiring and long to keep up with their news... information overload :P

Well, we do not know whether Apple Iphone had alot restriction in Software installation. And also is there many software developed to support Iphone.

WINDOWS CE still had it favour over software.

laugh

It's kind of official that iPhone will be using a closed OS. So, 3rd party software developers have to go through Apple in order to have their software installed on the device. I wonder how can 3rd party developers even start developing apps for iPhone in the first place with such restrictions.

Definitely WIN CE still favour in the market. With so many well developed application.

Hmm, I saw this Google Phone building with Linux OS.

There's no googlephone, but there's the OpenMoko. Funny thing - the devkit's out and the devsite's up waaay before the phone's due for release.

In any case, I don't know if our vaunted WM apps can work on the thing, since CE is very different from WM, and it uses a fairly new ARM processor (ARM11 - most of our devices are XScale, Bulverde or ARM9). Still, we should thank China for mandating miniUSB connectors for charging, since it almost garuntees we don't get no stinkin' unnecessary charging dock with it.

Unfortunately, most Windows Mobile applications won't work on Windows CE. There are some minor differences between developing software for Windows Mobile and Windows CE. In any way, Windows CE is not a closed OS and it's easier to develop, customise and tweak the device, which is a still huge advantage over Apple iPhone.

WINCE 6 is the present Windows Mobile 6.0, to the China. As meizu report it will be running in Crossbow 6 (WINCE 6)

They have 'Suny Ericssom' phone, and 'Nokir" phone. The clone of the handphone Sony Ericsson and Nokia.

Hi Jeffwong,
There is no such thing as Crossbow 6. Please do not confuse Windows Mobile 6.0 (codenamed Crossbow) with Windows CE 6. Windows Mobile 6.0 is still based on Windows CE 5.0, same as Windows Mobile 5.0. The next version of Windows Mobile (codenamed Photon) will be based on Windows CE 6.0.

Whatever it is, I won't be surprised if it ends up running WM instead - I would think the CE builds are more expensive to license. <_<

Any comments on the difference, if any, between Apple's Multi-touch screen and the rip-off's plain ole touch screen?

I seem to recall that the Apple phone allows you to execute commands by moving your fingers in certain patterns on the screen.

Looks to me like the Chinese are trying to take a daewoo engine and stuff it into a BMW chassis. Albeit with a louder horn, and indicators that flash twice as fast.

The plain ol' touch screen is basically what we get on our WM devices. It is *possible* to program such a touchscreen to recieve movement pattern commands, you *do NOT* need a multitouch to do so. Every frickken current touchscreen device uses plain ol' touch technology.

That said, a multitouch can make certain commands work better, since it one-ups touchscreens by accepting more than 1 input at any one time. Drag-and-drop? What about moving by poking the file AND the location at the same time.

Oh, and if you own an iPhone, I'd like to know if it's possible to install third party programs into one. That's basically the deal breaker - after all, we don't want to spend $700 for an equivalent of the Prada. <_<

It's highly unlikely as it does not seem to conform the minimum number of buttons required for Windows Mobile devices.


Well, one of the top guys at Apple already mentioned at one of the press interviews that users can't install 3rd party apps into iPhone. It will probably mean that 3rd party developers have to go through Apple to have their apps installed on iPhones.

Well, in the first place, Aplle is well known for it's "not many software works with Mac" states in the PC and lap top world, right??

Actually, we still really cannot compare the iPhone with any of the PPC phones cause iPhone is not even born yet. But in the PC & laptop world, for me, windows really sucks!! My GF's 4 month old lap top, a core duo, many of times takes ages to just boot up, let alone doing work. I have not tried any PC with Vista yet, but from all the intro, its something like OS X which apple already have it 5 years back. futhermore, windows did not really offer more in their "copying" of OS X,, Just like Jack Neo's TV always copy Taiwan's stuffs and claims its "its his product", and all the program & ideas he "copy from", he did not improve much but instead make the program looks
hence for i will still not switch back to windows unless they offer more than what OS X do.

By reading what i have written, it is obvious that i am a pro-OS X guy. I was actually very happy when Apple anounce that iPhone will use OS X As OS X already out smart windows in many ways ( like i say, i still do not know how is Vista vs OS X, but from intro, its seems like OS X Leopard will be offering more than Vista, i.e Time Machine), hence with OS X as the OS of iPhone, i don't think it will lost out to the PPC phone even if no 3rd party developers. OS X offer a lot of cool software anyway.

The only thing i will agree is that by the time iPhone launch in Asia (2008, my god!!! ) it will lack behind in terms of technology. Maybe the second genaration of iPhone will be a better buy.

I personally refuse to believe iPhone uses full OSX for a phone OS, even if it does have a Linux core (you know what they say - you can make Linux run on anything. >_>). Until I see it for myself.

If it does, I would expect it to act like a touchscreen macintosh UMPC (which it isn't), and I would expect it to not be so closed after all (which I admittedly can't confirm). Remember that the processor isn't PowerPC or x86, so a "normal build" of OSX isn't possible... Tho granted the phone does have enough internal disk space to take OSX.

(Not that having a cut down OS is a bad thing, of course - could make the phone more stable.)

Apple fans, you can quote official lines all you want, but y'know, WinFS never made it into Vista even tho it was announced... After all the questionable business practices of OS vendors, I think I'll take all "official announcements" as the pure marketing BS they are.

While it says OSX, it can also mean that it is a stripped down version, which is like what Windows Mobile is compared to Windows. At least OSX allows users to install apps, but not in the case of the iPhone.

Agree, but when the normal OS X is already more stable than the normal window, i don't think the "mini" version of it can lost out to PPC that much

Although it is expected to be a stable system, it's still a closed OS after all. There isn't much to customise and there is nothing that can be installed. This is closing the doors shut tight to many interested/potential developers.

well, i'm interested to find out wat does the iphone run on? i mean the processor and mb r they like WM? like the macbook and windows actually run using the same kind of technology n u can actually install windows on a mac machine.

It's not running on Windows Mobile, so most (almost all) Windows Mobile software will not work on it.

1 very bad thing abt meizu, it doesn't have wifi.
also don't know bluetooth is which ver.


but i still feel like getting it.....yum yum

i wonder have you all notice or not.. how about the battery?
larger screen means bigger comsumption.. and can the battery be taken out? it seems like a 'SEALED' device to me.. just like ipod.. if that's the case.. i believe battery with constant charging will die off within 2 years of usage.. just nice after that 1 year warrenty.. bcoz my IPOD DIED after his 1 yr birthday!

the battery is changeable. I'm more concern with the OS. Its running on Win CE 6.0, hence most applications developed for window mobile cannot be used.

still not available....

http://meizu.com/bbs/dispbbs.asp?boardid=2...1&skin=0&Star=8

Hmm, don't know if the delay is due to "cease and desist" tactics?

Wow... the phone looks good.... any idea when will it come release in singapore? Maybe some kind soul over here is willing to help with a MO :)