Meizu M8 vs. Apple iPhone
Since the iPhone’s announcement back at the Macworld Expo in January this year, there have been a number of following announcements from various manufacturers of their own iPhones, thereafter labeled as “iPhone Killers” by the media. It’s always flattering for Apple to have its own products listed as the standard for that area of the market, but is it necessarily true? In the case of the iPod it certainly is, as it’s currently the single most popular MP3 player in the world, dominating the music scene with its partner in crime, iTunes. But the iPod has been out for 6 years and the facts and figures are there to prove its dominance and title of “the one to beat,” so how can a phone not yet given an exact release date be given the same title?
A number of manufacturers that have submitted their own entries into the iPhone-killing-market include Samsung, with its F700 touch screen SmartPhone, LG and its KE850 Prada mobile phone (also touch-screen), and the Neonode’s N2.
However, one phone that has caught my attention out of all of the ones announced is the Meizu M8 MiniOne, which certainly gives the iPhone a run for its money.
Today I’m going to compare the two phones and show you how the iPhone is given a beating by the M8, but isn’t quite knocked out just yet—here’s to hoping Steve Jobs can convince enough people that Apple’s phone is more worthwhile than the Chinese company’s M8.
The Look
One thing many people will notice upon first glancing at the M8 is the similarity to the iPhone, both in terms of hardware and software aesthetics.
In terms of hardware, apart from the 0.3 megapixel camera on the front of the M8, both phones have a similar style with a neat little slot for the headphone at the top and a single “home” button at the bottom of the face of the phone. Although the M8 is slightly smaller in height than the iPhone, and thus has a smaller screen, the overall widths and depths are virtually identical, with the M8 coming in at 105 (h) x 57 (w) x 11.5 (d) mm to the iPhone’s 115 (h) x 61 (w) x 11.6 (d) mm.
As far as software is concerned it’s a little hard to compare right now, as neither phone has actually been released for testing, but with the screenshots below you’ll see that the layouts are rather similar, despite Windows CE 6.0 running on the M8 where the iPhone is running the almighty OS X.
The Specs Comparison
Dimensions:
iPhone = 115 (h) x 61 (w) x 11.6 (d) mm
M8 = 105 (h) x 57 (w) x 11.5 (d) mm
Screen Size:
iPhone = 3.5 inches
M8 = 3.3 inches
Screen Resolution:
iPhone = 320 x 480
M8 = 720 x 480
Input Method:
iPhone = Apple patented Multi-touch
M8 = Standard touchscreen
Storage:
iPhone = 2 models at 4GB and 8GB non-removable flash memory
M8 = 2 models at 4GB and 8GB non-removable flash memory
Camera:
iPhone = 2.0 megapixels
M8 = 3.0 megapixels plus one 0.3-mega pixels on front for video calling
GSM:
iPhone = Quad-band 2.5G
M8 = Unknown but 3G capable
Wireless Data:
iPhone = Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0
M8 = Bluetooth 2.0 + TV-Out
Operating System:
iPhone = Mac OS X Mobile
M8 = Windows CE 6.0
At this point it’s unfair to compare battery life as we don’t know for sure what type of battery is being used on the M8 and how long it will last during normal use, but we do know that the iPhone has a pretty poor battery life of 5 hours talk time (compared to a basic 7 hours on most other phones) and up to 16 hours audio playback (or a combination of the two). The iPhone does, however, contain a few more features (listed below) that clearly beat the M8, but some of the features available (sensors) aren’t 100% necessary, unless the battery life on the iPhone really is that bad, in which case they are.
One thing that does bother me about the iPhone is its poor camera. Okay, as one user had commented on AM earlier this week, anyone serious about photography wouldn’t be using a mobile phone to take pictures, but by the time Apple gets around to releasing the iPhone the 2 megapixel camera will already be out of date.
As far as its 2.5G standard, I honestly don’t see this selling well in Europe, where any top of the range phone without 3G is not heard. Video calling, high speed internet, and fast MMS is what it’s all about over here and 2.5G standards just aren’t good enough. Apple should seriously consider giving the iPhone 3G standards before releasing it over in Europe.
The Price and Options
While you can take the above specs “war” with a pinch or two of salt, the pricing and options available for each phone are pretty eye-opening, considering what you’re being given. I think it’s also important to say at this point that the iPhone’s higher price tag can be somewhat justified given the iPod integration (better speakers), motion and proximity sensors, and the fact that we’re being given a tried, tested, and reliable operating system to use.
The iPhone comes in two versions, one with 4GB of memory and one with 8GB of memory, the price coming in at $499 and $599 respectively. However, the M8 has four options available.
As with the iPhone there are two memory models available at 4GB and 8GB, with those prices coming in considerably cheaper than the iPhone at $307 and $398 respectively, but there are also two other versions available without a built-in camera, knocking the price down even further. The 4GB model here comes in at $193 and $284 for the 8GB version. As you can see, price- and options-wise there is one clear winner here.
Summary
All in all in the phones are pretty similar, but while the iPhone raises an eyebrow or two with its fancy spec sheet, the same can be said for its rather high price tag. The M8 is almost a “Windows” clone of the iPhone that comes in at a much cheaper cost, also giving you more options (camera or not) allowing you to adjust the cost accordingly. If you’re after the iPhone but just can’t afford it, the M8 appears to be there to clean up.
If it’s music you’re after the iPhone is clearly the better option, but with a higher resolution screen and better camera, videos and photos will be more suited to the M8, so perhaps that is something to take into consideration before making a purchase of either. Once again, details are still unclear on the M8 so it’s probably not fair to compare the software side of things right now, but I have no doubt Apple Matters will bring them to you the moment they arrive.
So what do the readers of AM think? Is the M8 virtually a cheaper but equally competent version of the iPhone, or is it literally a cheap ripoff? For those that seriously considered buying the iPhone, could you now see yourself changing your mind and opting for the M8 instead?
Stay tuned to iPhone Matters and Apple Matters for further updates on the iPhone and its competitors, including the M8.
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Comments
From an ethical perspective,
Yeah! Only Apple is allowed to lie to and mislead the public!
Speaking of which:
its talk time is only 3.33 hours
In fact, the RAZR claims a talk time range of 3.33 hours to SEVEN hours. You left off that last part. I guess ethics are for everyone but Apple and yourself.
I’m sorry but 3.33 hours of talk time is absolutely pathetic and, I feel I have to defend this point, the iPhone IS just a mobile phone and nothing more.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/the-iphone-is-not-a-smartphone/
Well, the RAZR claims a talk time range of 3.33 to 7 hours. Not sure what affects the range, but that’s what they claim. Apple is exactly in the middle of that, which isn’t that bad even for just a mobile phone.
But, and this is an extremely important point, you can carry an extra battery with you for the RAZR if you need more talk time. You cannot do that with the iPhone. You will either have to be tethered to a car lighter, a power outlet, or your laptop.
the information about no 3rd party programs is just a rumor, it’s not commented by apple.
and i have never carried backup batteries for any phone, it’s stupid to complain about something like that.
To N.R.
Just because you don’t carry extra batteries doesn’t mean that other people don’t. Plus this phone seems like it is trying to get a piece of the business consumer market as well and the general public. For business not having an extra battery can mean the difference of being able to make an important call after checking your e-mail or not. You cannot always be in a place where you can be charging all the time. Meeting, airplane, and long car trips with out access to the car lighter outlet, or don’t have one.
To beeblebrox,
When talking about computers there is next to nothing that has not been riped off, stolen, or adapted from. Although the meizu m8 seems to look a lot like the apple iphone and even have the same layout doesn’t mean it’s an exact replica. Granted meizu m8’s CEO/owner even mentioned they changed the look of the meizu m8 after the announcement of the iphone. That doesn’t mean they riped it off. Just means they noticed a good design and followed suit. There are only so many ways to do a rectangle phone. And that’s possibly a step up from apple who announced their phone after other models which look the same as well. Does that mean apple ripped them off?
Besides all of this fighting for who ripped who off I think is silly. Leave that to the corporate lawyers to decide. For me I just want a phone that meets my needs and want. I still don’t see a perfect phone for me but it’s getting closer and I am excited about the evolution of the Mobile phone. I wish more people could share innovative ideas and work together to get devices that were better instead of bickering I found this first and so you have to do something else and so you can’t help me make this better at all so there! Ridiculous. For me I hope open source takes over and takes care of all of this bickering.
the information about no 3rd party programs is just a rumor, it’s not commented by apple.
Steve Jobs: “I don’t want people to think of this as a computer. I think of it as reinventing the phone.
We define everything that is on the phone. You don’t want your phone to be like a PC. The last thing you want is to have loaded three apps on your phone and then you go to make a call and it doesn’t work anymore. These are more like iPods than they are like computers.
These are devices that need to work, and you can’t do that if you load any software on them. That doesn’t mean there’s not going to be software to buy that you can load on them coming from us. It doesn’t mean we have to write it all, but it means it has to be more of a controlled environment.
You don’t want your phone to be an open platform. You need it to work when you need it to work. Cingular doesn’t want to see their West Coast network go down because some application messed up.”
So much for that.
When talking about computers there is next to nothing that has not been riped off, stolen, or adapted from.
I totally and absolutely agree. I was making a comment more about how Apple fanatics accuse everyone under the sun of ripping of Apple (even when someone else comes out with something first) but somehow find a way to make excuses every time Apple blatantly rips someone else off.
Aaron Wright, whether the iPhone is a smart phone or not is a matter of opinion. It is irrelevant to my argument though. If you compare phones that have similar features (ie wifi, bluetooth, touch screens) you will see that 5 hours of talk time is above average.
I’ll bet that regular uses that don’t constantly exploit the iPod portion of the phone will not complain about the battery life. I myself have never spoken on a cell phone for five hours, and given the horrendous plans and penalties services bring down upon you, I’d never even THINK of doing such a thing. If one is travelling, you’d think this person would have the sense not to kill their communication device’s battery by playing with secondary functions.
If your definition of a smartphone is just that it’s something that lets you install applications, then there’s no reason to continue this argument. The point is that the iPhone contains a very advanced operating system that *can* do that (but Apple chooses not to support that ability) and will have many other functionalities beyond that of a regular phone, along with a typing mechanism. That quote from Steve Jobs at Engadget was his way of saying that the iPhone is a simple device like other Apple products and it will not try to be a cluttered “everything but the kitchen sink” device.
3.33 is the RAZR’s “talk time” which is the iPhone specification you decided to harp on. The battery of the phone can of course last a lot longer if it’s just turned on and you’re not using it (i.e. the “standy time”, which I’m sure the iPhone has more than 5 hours of as well). If you want to play that game, then the iPhone’s battery life is “5 to 16 hours”.
I dare you to find someone with the battery that came with a RAZR V3c or V3m who can have a conversation for longer than 3.33 hours without their battery dieing. You were surprised by the iPhone’s talk time (which is greater than this), but yet one of the most popular phones has 1.66 fewer hours of talk time and doesn’t even come close to having the number of features and technological sophistication that the iPhone has.
The point is that the iPhone contains a very advanced operating system that *can* do that (but Apple chooses not to support that ability)
That’s like me saying that I’ve created a phone that has the ability to make calls but I’ve decided to disable that feature. THEN IT’S NOT A PHONE.
3.33 is the RAZR’s “talk time” which is the iPhone specification you decided to harp on.
The RAZR’s TALK time range is 3 to 7 hours. They are NOT referring to the standby time at all, which they actually claim is 14 days. So your comparison that the iPhone battery life is 5 to 16 hours in which the 16 hours refers to standby time is utterly absurd.
Also, you can carry a backup battery IF necessary with the RAZR. You have no such option with the iPhone.
And believe me, if the opposite were the case, you’d be screeching that feature to the high heavens.
the iPhone is a simple device like other Apple products and it will not try to be a cluttered “everything but the kitchen sink” device.
I’ve often pointed out the hypocrisy of Apple fanatics who at one time poo-poo extra features as “cluttered” and “feature creep” while praising Apple’s simplicity, but who then turn around and cheer at ALL of the features that any given Apple product has over its competition.
It is not often, however, that someone will do it in the SAME post:
and doesn’t even come close to having the number of features and technological sophistication that the iPhone has.
First of all, it’s not like that matters. Apple fanatics would buy it if all it did was make calls via a piece of string attached to another iPhone. You’d invoke your silly “but look how simple and elegant” argument because that’s what would be convenient at the time.
Second of all, the RAZR is $40. The iPhone is $500-600. The RAZR has a camera, plays music, plays video, makes calls, and even SHOOTS video, which the iPhone doesn’t do. It also uses the MicroSD card for transferring your info to a new phone.
The iPhone has a few great features, to be sure. That new voice mail feature is fantastic. But it ain’t worth $500, and it is likely to make its way down to other phones in the near future anyway. Maybe by then, the iPhone will have come down in price. Here’s to hoping.
I think we’re talking about different RAZR models. If you go to the Verizon website for their V3m, they only claim a talk time of “up to 200 minutes” (i.e. 3.33 hours), not “200 to 420 minutes” (3.33 to 7 hours). The 16 hours I was referring to iPhone’s specs, but it looks like that’s the number of hours you could listed to music for it. I was being sarcastic about using that figure to talk about the battery range. What matters is the talk time, since that’s what Aaron was talking about, and the iPhone has more than certain RAZR models (even if the range was 3-7, 5 hours puts the iPhone in the middle, but that’s not true).
A gadget can have a lot of features and be simple and sophisticated too. The way you can zoom into a photo by using your fingers is simple, but the technology behind it is highly sophisticated. OS X has a lot of features, but they’re all executed in an intuitive way without giving you everything but the kitchen sink. That’s design.
The starting price is expensive, but do you not remember how much the RAZR was when they first came out? They were over $400! Now you call them a $40 phone. I’m sure given the same life span as a RAZR, the iPhone will be much more affordable.
iphone good?
meizu m8 good?
I’m chinese,in China, most people are condemning the M8
I think it wrong ，M8 is a good product ，This is my point of view
sorry,I was a middle school students ，my English is so poor, forgive me Please
m8 is the Winner. . . think about all the third party softwares that can installed in the windows mobile-6 and the price. but if you a apple fan and have lot of $$ for AT&T;monthly Fee then buy a iphone
Aaron, whether you realized or not; you put yourself in the line of fire.
My wife is the mac fanatic, so I was not surprise to see some strong comments defending apple. Very familiar type of arguments from mac fanatics. Don’t worry and keep writing. I enjoyed your article.