Meizu MX Review:
At first glance, it looks very similar to an iPhone – but run through it a little longer, you’ll find yourself exploring through a very powerful rendition of Android. What is it really, to hold something like the Meizu MX in your hands? Is it the perfect convergence of all the good things? Find out in our full review after the break.
Design and Construction
Almost everyone I know mistook the design of the Meizu MX as an iPhone at their first look. This is caused by the single home button, which has a weird feel to it, found below the display. On top of the 4-inch display you’ll find the earpiece and the front-facing VGA camera.
Few details that we’d like to emphasize was the capacitive buttons, which was composed of dots. Every time you change the orientation, the back & menu keys change orientation as well – which was a very nice yet simple addition.
On the left, you’ll find the volume rocker. On top you’ll find the 3.5 mm audio jack and the power button. Below is the micro-USB port and the microphone while on the right, there is nothing for you to see. On the back is the 8 megapixel camera, Meizu’s branding and the speakers.
All-in-all, the device feels solid, even if it’s made out of plastic. In fact, up to a certain extent – we can even say it’s premium.
Display
The Meizu MX features a 4-inch qHD display which gives out a resolution of 640 x 960. The display is sharp, vibrant and responsive. Viewing angles were beyond acceptable. We were very impressed with the screen.
4-inches could be perfect for some people, but if you’re a multimedia lover – it may lack in size.
OS, Apps and UI
The device runs Android, though not perfectly. It lacks Google apps out of the box and will need some downloads from the Play Store. It runs on what Meizu calls Flyme OS.
There is no app drawer. Like iOS, all you have is a homescreen of apps, a notification bar and that’s it. However, with this one, there is the availability of widgets, live wallpapers and more – the openness of Android. Bloatware is available too – which was very bugging. We just had them stuffed away in a folder to hide it.
Meizu exerted a lot of effort in making their own apps (they replaced Google apps with their own version). We’re happy to say that they did a better job than most manufacturers with their own skins. It feels more polished and functional – although there are a few bugs with the keyboard and some elements.
Multimedia & Camera
The speakers delivered clear audio, but it was somewhat weak in volume. On the other hand, video playback was smooth and pleasant – but the screen size might be too small for some.
The 8 megapixel delivered sharp shots, but can be quite lacking in saturation. On the other hand, video recording lacked in sharpness and clarity in audio, and panning was a bit shaky. It handled light well however, and auto-focus was acceptable.
Performance & Battery Life
The Meizu MX is nothing but speedy. It rages through the benchmarks and delivers significant amounts of agility through the 1.4 GHz dual-core Exynos processor and 1 GB of RAM.
Benchmark results were very surprising. At first, I thought it was packing a quad-core CPU as it got 12,949 on Antutu, 4,046 on Quadrant and 56.9 fps on NenaMark.
While the back cover is removable, the battery isn’t – so don’t try to yank it off as it is stated in fine print not to. For the most part, the 1,600 mAh battery did a good job – especially on standby. When you expose it through heavy tasks, that’s when it will deplete fast. It manages to get through a day and more, depending on the usage.
Conclusion
There is a lot to like about the Meizu MX. It symbolizes a nearly-perfect convergence of all the good stuff – but it needs more polishing and modernizing. The software is functional and fluid, but there are some bugs to come with it. Also, the device itself is a multimedia powerhouse – only held back by the small display.
Meizu is already prepping up quad-core successors to the MX, but by today’s standards, 4-inches is quite small for power users. Other than that, it’s a great all-around device with software bugs and bloatware.
Meizu MX specs:
4-inch ASV qHD display (288 ppi, 640 x 960)
1.4 GHz dual-core Exynos processor
1 GB RAM
32/64 GB Internal Storage, no external
8 megapixel camera, 1080p
VGA front facing camera
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
1,600 mAh battery
Php13,790
What we liked about it:
At first glance, it looks very similar to an iPhone – but run through it a little longer, you’ll find yourself exploring through a very powerful rendition of Android. What is it really, to hold something like the Meizu MX in your hands? Is it the perfect convergence of all the good things? Find out in our full review after the break.
Design and Construction
Almost everyone I know mistook the design of the Meizu MX as an iPhone at their first look. This is caused by the single home button, which has a weird feel to it, found below the display. On top of the 4-inch display you’ll find the earpiece and the front-facing VGA camera.
Few details that we’d like to emphasize was the capacitive buttons, which was composed of dots. Every time you change the orientation, the back & menu keys change orientation as well – which was a very nice yet simple addition.
On the left, you’ll find the volume rocker. On top you’ll find the 3.5 mm audio jack and the power button. Below is the micro-USB port and the microphone while on the right, there is nothing for you to see. On the back is the 8 megapixel camera, Meizu’s branding and the speakers.
All-in-all, the device feels solid, even if it’s made out of plastic. In fact, up to a certain extent – we can even say it’s premium.
Display
The Meizu MX features a 4-inch qHD display which gives out a resolution of 640 x 960. The display is sharp, vibrant and responsive. Viewing angles were beyond acceptable. We were very impressed with the screen.
4-inches could be perfect for some people, but if you’re a multimedia lover – it may lack in size.
OS, Apps and UI
The device runs Android, though not perfectly. It lacks Google apps out of the box and will need some downloads from the Play Store. It runs on what Meizu calls Flyme OS.
There is no app drawer. Like iOS, all you have is a homescreen of apps, a notification bar and that’s it. However, with this one, there is the availability of widgets, live wallpapers and more – the openness of Android. Bloatware is available too – which was very bugging. We just had them stuffed away in a folder to hide it.
Meizu exerted a lot of effort in making their own apps (they replaced Google apps with their own version). We’re happy to say that they did a better job than most manufacturers with their own skins. It feels more polished and functional – although there are a few bugs with the keyboard and some elements.
Multimedia & Camera
The speakers delivered clear audio, but it was somewhat weak in volume. On the other hand, video playback was smooth and pleasant – but the screen size might be too small for some.
The 8 megapixel delivered sharp shots, but can be quite lacking in saturation. On the other hand, video recording lacked in sharpness and clarity in audio, and panning was a bit shaky. It handled light well however, and auto-focus was acceptable.
Performance & Battery Life
The Meizu MX is nothing but speedy. It rages through the benchmarks and delivers significant amounts of agility through the 1.4 GHz dual-core Exynos processor and 1 GB of RAM.
Benchmark results were very surprising. At first, I thought it was packing a quad-core CPU as it got 12,949 on Antutu, 4,046 on Quadrant and 56.9 fps on NenaMark.
While the back cover is removable, the battery isn’t – so don’t try to yank it off as it is stated in fine print not to. For the most part, the 1,600 mAh battery did a good job – especially on standby. When you expose it through heavy tasks, that’s when it will deplete fast. It manages to get through a day and more, depending on the usage.
Conclusion
There is a lot to like about the Meizu MX. It symbolizes a nearly-perfect convergence of all the good stuff – but it needs more polishing and modernizing. The software is functional and fluid, but there are some bugs to come with it. Also, the device itself is a multimedia powerhouse – only held back by the small display.
Meizu is already prepping up quad-core successors to the MX, but by today’s standards, 4-inches is quite small for power users. Other than that, it’s a great all-around device with software bugs and bloatware.
Meizu MX specs:
4-inch ASV qHD display (288 ppi, 640 x 960)
1.4 GHz dual-core Exynos processor
1 GB RAM
32/64 GB Internal Storage, no external
8 megapixel camera, 1080p
VGA front facing camera
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
1,600 mAh battery
Php13,790
What we liked about it:
- Fast & fluid performance
- Sharp display
- Solid construction
- Software bugs & Bloatware
- 4-inches doesn’t compliment the phone’s capabilities
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