At a time when everyone’s mooning over the yet-to-be unveiled iPhone 7, any rumors relating to it will certainly make the rounds in the tech community. We’ve seen dozens of pictures that supposedly show Apple’s next smartphone, but as with any rumor about any device that hasn’t been unveiled yet, there’s always a chance that it’s not true. Or a case of mistaken identity, like with the new Meizu Pro 6.
Meizu Pro 6… iPhone 7 ripped off? Looks like…
In March, photos leaked out of an Eastern manufacturer that most assumed to be of the iPhone 7. However, BGR now reports that those photos were actually of the Meizu Pro 6—an Android smartphone that looks almost exactly like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6. The only visible differences appear to be that the device is thinner, which is expected with the iPhone 7 since Apple always wants to slim down its devices, and new antenna lines on the back of it.
Because of how many people were assuming that the photos of the unreleased device were of the iPhone 7, Meizu’s marketing chief released a photo of the phone before it was released to show that it wasn’t Apple’s next iPhone but rather one of their own making. Now the Meizu Pro 6 has been officially unveiled, and BGR calls it a knock-off that’s “even more shameless than we were expecting.”
The iPhone 7… from an Android vendor?
The similarities between Meizu’s new phone and Apple’s iPhones are so striking that it’s hard to believe the company won’t face a heap of lawsuits filed by the Cupertino tech giant. After all, the iPhone maker has sued Samsung and countless others accusing them of copying its smartphone. And perhaps the best way to attract buyers (and get some free marketing) is to copy one of the most popular smartphones on the planet.
The Meizu Pro 6 has 10 cores and runs on Google’s Android. It features a 21-megapixel camera and a technology that appears to be nearly identical to Apple’s own 3D Touch, which Meizu calls “3D Press.” The technology allows users to do different things based on how much pressure they apply to the touchscreen of the device. Further, there’s something called “Quick Actions UI,” which seems the same or equivalent to the Quick Actions feature in Apple’s newest iPhone models.
BGR goes on describe the 7.25mm thin casing on the Pro 6 as being “torn directly off the back of an iPhone,” adding that it does have some differences but that “it’s absolutely ridiculous how clear the similarities are.”
One thing that’s not mentioned is that the name is similar to a recent Apple rumor. Meizu’s phone is the Pro 6, and we’ve been hearing rumors about an iPhone 7 Pro version for quite some time. Of course it’s unclear whether Apple will actually release an iPhone with this moniker, but it’s interesting that Meizu snapped it up, nonetheless.
