Meizu iPhone clone to ship in December?

Meizu's frequently delayed M8 touchscreen phone should finally have a release date, Taiwans' Geek IT Stores claims today. The device is now purportedly set to ship at the start of December and will initially be available only to China-area buyers with an Indian release later. It should also carry a single 8GB trim level and is described as selling between $384 and $469, though whether this involves contract changes or the distributor's planned pricing isn't known.

The M8 was built to capitalize on news of the iPhone and was announced as the MiniOne just weeks after Apple's handset was revealed in early 2007. However, the device has experienced multiple delays following hardware design changes and attempts to both duplicate and modify an iPhone-like interface.

Meizu's current design is said to use Windows CE underneath and carries a 3.2-inch touch display, a three-megapixel camera, FM radio and cellular data access over EDGE. The firm hasn't announced plans for a North American M8 launch and is commonly thought to be avoiding this due to copyright issues.

Filed under: iPhone, industry, mobile phones
Other story tags: Meizu, Windows CE