Meitu

Meitu Inc.
Native name
 厦门美图网科技有限公司（美图公司）
Public
Traded as SEHK: 1357
Industry Consumer electronics
Founded 2008 (2008)
Headquarters Xiamen, China
Products Smartphones, Software
Website http://corp.meitu.com/en/

Meitu Inc. is a Chinese technology company established in 2008 and headquartered in Xiamen, Fujian.[1][2] It makes smartphones and selfie apps.[1] Meitu's photo-editing and sharing software for smartphones is hugely popular in China and other Asian countries, attracting 456 million users who post more than 6 billion photos every month.[3] As of October 31, 2016, Meitu's apps have been activated on over 1.1 billion unique devices worldwide.[4] According to App Annie, Meitu has been repeatedly ranked as one of the top eight iOS non-game app developers globally from June 2014 through October 2016, together with global Internet giants such as Alibaba, Apple, Baidu, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Tencent. MeituPic, their top app, has 52 million active daily users and 270 million MAU.[1] On December 15, 2016, Meitu went public on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Hong Kong Exchange has not seen a technology offering of this size in nearly a decade.[5]

Mobile apps

Meitu 2 Smartphone (MK260)

Meitu currently has 13 apps installed on more than 1.1 billion unique devices worldwide, generating approximately 6 billion photos per month. Outside of China, Meitu's three flagship products include:

About 70% of social media users in China upload at least one picture to social networks every week, according to a report by iResearch, a China-based analytic agency, in June. More than half of the masses of selfies and other photos posted on China's major social media platforms were processed by Meitu's apps, it said.

According to App Annie, Meitu is the fourth largest app developer in China.[9] Meitu's most popular apps in China include:

Mobile Devices

In 2013, Meitu developed its first selfie smartphone called the Meitu Kiss[12]. Since then, Meitu has developed several selfie phones with the two latest models, the T8 and M8, launched in February and May of 2017, respectively.

Both the Meitu T8 and M8 are the first and only smartphones in the world to include dual pixel PDAF on the front-facing camera.[13] The T8 cameras use a dual pixel Sony IMX362 sensor — the same sensor used for the rear camera of the Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2. Dual pixel cameras are touted to provide much faster autofocus, as well as clearer low-light pictures. The phone's built in beautifying software will also brighten teeth, smooth skin, under eyes and slim the face. The AI will apply Meitu's facial recognition tech across its vast database of selfies, in order to guess the age, gender and skin tones of the individual, so it can make a better guess at how to auto-tweak your looks. [14]

Meitu M8 packs a capable pair of cameras. An impressive 21MP shooter rounds out the back, but the Sony IMX362 12MP sensor on the front is the highlight. Its dual-sensor, which means it lets in more light than most, and is equipped with a phase-detection autofocusing system that locks in on subjects at the “millimeter level.” Other high-tech accouterments include optical image stabilization, which improves low-light performance, and Meitu’s proprietary “dual image engine,” which accelerates post-processing. [15] Meitu M8 also comes in a limited edition Hello Kitty and Sailor Moon edition, with a selfie stick designed to look like Sailor Moon's wand. The officially licensed set has also received its blessing from the original Sailor Moon artist, Takeuchi Naoko. Only 10,000 Sailor Moon phones have been produced, available for purchase June 2017 in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.[16]

Offices

Meitu is based in Xiamen, China. Outside of China, Meitu has set up offices in Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and the United States.[17]

Controversy

On January 20, 2017, CNN reported Meitu apps are collecting information about users for advertising purposes, and sends that data back to servers in China.[18] But Meitu denied CNN's report that the app is leaking user's privacy. The company said collecting users' data is to "optimize app performance, its effects and features, and to better understand our consumer engagement with in-app advertisements" in an official statement.[19][20] The permissions include certain geolocation and app-checking code to comply with advertising network requirements in China, where jailbroken devices can be used to defraud advertisers, and advertisers may demand that their messages be geofenced to appear only in certain regions. Apple confirmed that the app was and remains in compliance. [21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Millward, Steven (August 24, 2016). "In China, a startup that turned selfies into a billion-dollar business". Tech In Asia. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  2. ↑ Chen, Carrie (April 14, 2016). "Xiamen Meitu mulls HK IPO". The Standard. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  3. ↑ Pham, Serenitie Wang and Sherisse (2016-12-14). "Meitu: Chinese startup that helps you look slimmer is worth nearly $5 billion". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  4. ↑ "About Meitu - Meitu,Inc.". corp.meitu.com. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  5. ↑ Tsang, Amie (2016-12-06). "Meitu of China, built on the selfie, could be worth $5.23 billion in IPO". CNBC. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  6. ↑ "Meitu". Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  7. ↑ "Meitu". Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  8. ↑ "Meitu". Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  9. ↑ "Who Are The Top Chinese App Publishers? - App Industry Insights". Business of Apps. 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  10. ↑ "Meitu". Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  11. ↑ "Meitu". Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  12. ↑ "Meitu - Beauty Themed Photo & Video Apps". Meitu, Inc. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  13. ↑ Meitu. "Meitu Launches T8 - The World's Smartest Selfie Phone". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  14. ↑ Ng, Yi Shu. "Meitu's latest smartphone is for the selfie-obsessed". Mashable. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  15. ↑ "Meitu M8 Hello Kitty and Sailor Moon phones blend cuteness with capable cameras". Digital Trends. 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  16. ↑ Ho, Victoria. "Live out your Sailor Moon cosplay fantasies with her official phone and selfie-stick wand". Mashable. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  17. ↑ "Meitu Linkedin".
  18. ↑ "Viral selfie app under fire for sneaky data collection". CNN. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  19. ↑ "IT firm Meitu denies US media reports photo-editing app invades privacy". Global Times. January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Meitu selfie-editing app denies invasion of user privacy". ZDNet. January 24, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Here’s How To Track The Smartphone Apps That Are Tracking You". Fast Company. 2017-05-30. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
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