Chinese media player designer Meizu is already developing a clone of the just released iPod touch, according to a brief statement by company president J. Wong on the official forums. While details are minimal and are accompanied by a quick mockup, Wong promises that the new device will have a 3-inch, wide-aspect touchscreen interface as well as a home button on the front face, much as with the new Apple player. The white coloring of the concept image is drawn directly from a source image for the existing M6 and might not reflect the finished design.
Feature and format support were left out of the initial imagery, though the player has been tentatively named the M7 — suggesting that the device will be a bridge between the media-only M6 and the iPhone-influenced miniOne, also known as the M8. The latter is expected to launch in China before the end of the year with a slightly larger screen than the M7 at 3.3 inches and with full phone support, including 3G Internet access. Meizu’s president declined to provide a release date for the M7, though the device is unlikely to be available before late 2008.
