The Apple iPhone / Meizu Mini One argument has been swelling since January. Did Meizu copy the Apple once again?

Evidence presented last time I cared to read on this subject says that the Meizu did embrace design cues introduced by Apple at MacWorld in January, but Meizu announced the M8, a full screen mobile, four days prior.

Arguments have sprawled several directions since. Can a “copycat” company produce a superior product at a cheaper price? Meizu has copied Apple products previously, and many state, those products have subtle improvements over the originals. Not long ago many considered Samsung second rate. Now, many of their products are in high demand.

Copying, adopting and improving upon an existing product (among consumers) is generally accepted and encouraged. What makes Apple to be the exception?

We have various handsets from Blackberry, the Palm Treo, the Motorola Q, the Samsung Blackjack and many others. All of which in some form or another have taken cues from the competition. Each handset was met with anticipation from the buying community and rightfully so.

We asked the appropriate questions of each phone and we all hoped that where the last device failed to meet our expectations that the company next in line would have listened to the market and adopted the technology accordingly. Is this a continuation of the process?

If we as consumers want the best products at the best prices for our ever-increasing demands, we must not only allow, but also insist on this type of competition.