[Evow04] has been working hard to run Android on a Meizu M8 smartphone and we’re beginning to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The Meizu M8 is a Chinese cell phone very similar in appearance and hardware to the iPhone. The factory firmware runs Windows CE 6 but there is no official support for Android. It looks like [Evow04’s] upgrade method is fairly easy; copy an IMG and BIN file to the root of the phone, backup the Windows CE portion, and then use the upgrade mode to flash the two files.
We’re pretty impressed with Android, especially the potential that it represents. Having another device that runs the OS is a good thing but at $350-$400 this isn’t any cheaper than just buying an Android phone.
Very nice. I love the idea of Android on iPhone hardware, and this is pretty close.
Not sure I’d give up my iPhone 3GS anytime soon, but if Android on the same hardware was an option that “anytime soon” might come a little earlier.
This is pretty cool. You don’t need a contract, it has a big screen and it has a lot of flash memory. I think it has potential as a high end Android PMP, like the Archos 5 PIDs.
Now if we could just get a Android ported to the Iphone and Ipod Touch.
I wish there was more development for pocket pc devices. I know there was a few who tried porting it for the X50v/x51v but it seems like all the development has stopped.
They aren’t phones but are often less than $100. The ipod touch does pretty well, same OS as iphone without the phone feature so… android might be fun.
No 3G, wifi drivers not working, GSM module not working, about the same price as other Android phones.. I’d do it if I had one, but nah. I wish the phone would be like 100€, I’d do this then, I could live with an EDGE connection.
@aw
Seconded, I have an Axim X50v and it is a great device. I don’t need phone capability on a portable device, I need features like media (audio and video) playback, basic emulators/games, Internet browsing, file transfer via WiFi, etc. Android would be nice on the X50v as an alternative to Windows Mobile.
it would be nice if some enterprising hacker would do it on the cheapest windows mobile phone around (I’m looking a you)
http://www.dealextreme.com/advsearch.dx/search.windows/searchType.s/adv/PriceMin.p/0/PriceMax.p/9999/InStockOnly.s/0/IsReviewedOnly.s/0/PrimaryCategoryID.c/599/ReleaseDateRange.t/0
Here in Estonia for example Android phones are definitely not cheap (HTC Tattoo being the cheapest at 6000.- EEK == ~550$) as all phones are sold unlocked. So I for one welcome a cheaper alternative, even if I have to wait a bit for the drivers.