Meizu’s M8 copy of the iPhone will take even more direct cues from the Apple device with its interface, according to an update from the Chinese company’s chief, Jack Wong. While stopping short of claiming similarity, the executive has published information revealing that the user interface for music will effectively duplicate the Apple phone’s iPod section, including the ability to view covers while browsing albums and the alphabet strip that helps users jump to a particular letter in the catalog. The abilities to scrub through a track by dragging the timeline or to issue a star rating will also be intact, Wong notes. Minor extras like a sound spatializer effect are available.

The Meizu chief remained silent on any other changes to the device, which continues to resemble the iPhone in appearance. Prior release indicators remain the same and would have Meizu release the M8 in China before the end of 2007 at prices between the equivalents of $259 and $453 for models that store between 4GB and 16GB of flash memory. The M8 is not expected to leave its home country due to stricter copyright laws in other countries.