Meizu M2 Note is the younger brother of the former legendary and discontinued Meizu M1 Note. Reviewers often like to say “working on mistakes.” But in this case this is not so - after all, the first version was a wonderful product. Should you opt for a budget smartphone from the already well-established Meizu? Answer this question yourself by reading or watching our review.
Telegram channel of the creator of Trashbox about technology
Telegram channel of the creator of Trashbox about technology
Specifications
- CPU: MediaTek MT6753, 1.3 GHz, 8 cores, ARM Cortex-A53
- GPU: Mali-T720 @450 MHz 3 cores
- Operating system: Android 5.1, Flyme OS 4.5
- Display: IPS IGZO (Sharp) 5.5″, 1920×1080, 401 ppi
- RAM: 2 GB, internal memory 16/32 GB
- Nano-SIM support (2 pcs), MicroSD support up to 128 GB
- Communication: GSM 900/1800 MHz; 3G HSDPA 900/2100 MHz; LTE Cat.4 (150/50 Mbit/s) 1800/2100/2600 MHz; Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct; Bluetooth 4.0 BLE; GPS, A-GPS, Glonass; USB 2.0 OTG
- Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, autofocus, 1080p video
- Front camera: 5 MP, OmniVision OV5670, f/2.0, fixed. focus
- Gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, gravity sensor, electronic compass
- Battery: 3100 mAh, non-removable
- Dimensions: 151×75×8.7 mm
- Weight: 149 g
Meizu M2 Note review
Somewhere at the end of January, I finally bought myself an iPhone 5S - my first and long-desired smartphone from the Apple company, which I still couldn’t fork out for. I’ve wanted to try the Apple OS for a long time; I had high hopes for it in terms of performance, which were later justified. But the iPhone let us down in terms of hardware: after 5 months of use, it simply stopped turning on, and repairs would cost a very large sum, for which you can buy a new smartphone. That's what I did. The new device is the Meizu M2 Note, a cosmetic update to the first generation of the smartphone in this series. The main criteria when choosing a device were a reasonable price (up to $200) and some kind of brand, because I was already fed up with nameless Chinese over the previous 2 years of operation.
The text may and most likely does contain grammatical, spelling, punctuation and other types of errors, including semantic ones. I strongly encourage readers to point out these errors and correct me through private messages.
Specifications
Screen:
IGZO (Sharp), 5.5 inches, 1920×1080, AGC Dragontrail
Processor:
64-bit MediaTek MT6753 (eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores on ARMv8 architecture), frequency 1.3 GHz
Graphics:
Mali T720 MP3
Operating system:
Android 5.1 Lollipop + Flyme 4.5I
RAM:
2 GB, LPDDR3-1600, 800 MHz
User memory:
16/32 GB, microSD up to 128 GB
Camera:
13 MP, autofocus, two-color flash, 5 MP front camera
Network types:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900/1800MHz), WCDMA/HSPA+ (900/2100Mhz), FDD-LTE, TD-LTE
Wireless technologies:
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (dual-band, 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 LE, GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS
Additionally:
USB-OTG, Light sensor, Gravity sensor, IR distance sensor, Digital compass, Hall sensor, Gyroscope
Battery:
3100 mAh, non-removable
Dimensions:
150.9x75.2x8.7 mm
Weight :
149 grams
Stated cost:
799/899 yuan ($125/140) for the 16/32 GB version, respectively
A few weeks earlier, a noise was made on the RuNet regarding the deliberate removal of the Russian language from the Chinese versions of Meizu smartphones. I suspect that purchases of smartphones from Chinese online stores significantly impact the income of official retailers, and hence the corresponding actions on the part of Meizu. Meizu M2 Note exists in 4 modifications of the software platform, which are determined by the presence of a letter in the Flyme firmware version: I, A, U, C. At the time of writing, the last 3 letters indicate the Chinese version of the firmware with no less Chinese pre-installed applications, the absence of Play Store and , now, by the absence of the Russian language. Firmware with index I, that is, International. speak for themselves - there is no Chinese software in them, but Google and Russian services are present. Most stores promise such smartphones by August, but they will be a little more expensive.
I suspect that those who are currently receiving a smartphone still receive it with OS version 4.5.1A, which contains the Russian language, and if you want to save it, I advise you to hold off on updating until the problem is possibly resolved. I, in turn, simply don’t see this problem and have been using smartphones with a system in English for a long time. Those who managed to update are now trying in every possible way to get out of this situation by installing an international version of the firmware on their device or returning the necessary files from the previous firmware version via ADB.
About Flyme OS - I really liked the system, despite the Chinese version of the device with a bunch of pre-installed software. It is clear that they are working on it and it is clear that they draw their inspiration from the iOS cup. Perhaps this is why I liked this system so much: a peculiar combination of the open and customizable Android with the convenience of the iOS interface. When we turn on the device for the first time, we are prompted to select a language and log in or register for the Flyme service. In the latter, as in Google services, you can store and subsequently synchronize notes, contacts, messages, etc. The desktop consists of 3 screens, the number of which varies in proportion to the number of installed applications. The first thing I did was demolish the Chinese applications, because... the likelihood of me using them inexorably approaches zero. Installing Google Play on Chinese versions of Meizu smartphones is extremely simple. In the search for the AppCenter application, type in “installer” and install the first application in the list with the name “Google Installer”. Next, open the downloaded program and install Google services.
As I already said, Meizu's OS is somewhat similar to iOS. For example, before the release of Android Lollipop, I spat a lot about the lack of a quick system search, which in iOS is called Spotlight and opens by swiping from top to bottom on the desktop. Why do applications need alphabetical order, why search for them at all if you can just enter the first 2 letters. In Flyme OS, a similar search is opened by swiping in reverse, i.e. from bottom to top on the desktop. Thanks to this search, the issue with the lack of Russian T9 letters on the keyboard in the dialer is resolved: swipe - enter the first few letters of the contact - “poke” - call. The notification shade is also radically different from what is currently available in Android 5.0. The only thing that the developers used from the system provided by Googl were drop-down lists next to the Wi-Fi, data transfer and brightness icons. The curtain is called by the usual swipe from top to bottom anywhere on the desktop or from the top edge of the display in applications. Repeated action opens the second and third row of icons, the location of which can be changed according to the principle of shortcuts on the desktop.
Control of the operating system is tied to a single button, which is both touch and physical. Touching this key corresponds to the back button, and pressing it will take you to the desktop. In general, I have a certain love for the front physical buttons in modern smartphones, perhaps because my first device was one, or maybe I got used to it while using the iPhone, but the fact remains a fact. Despite the ability to “wake up” the smartphone by tapping the display, I press the front button out of habit. In addition, in the settings we found a function to turn off the display by pressing it for a longer time - even more convenient. Meizu has done a good job on gesture control. From the switched off display, you can unlock your smartphone, open the notification shade, scroll through tracks by swiping left and right, or even assign a letter to launch a specific application.
But there is another feature called SmartTouch. Honestly, there would be no price to cross it with a touch-physical key and Meizu. SmartTouch is a touch-sensitive trackpad (which for some reason is not shown in the screenshots), similar to the physical one in Lenovo's ThinkPad series laptops. You can move the trackpad after holding it for a long time, and the list of available functions is presented in the screenshot. What I liked most was the ability to switch between running applications by swiping left and right on the trackpad. That is, to get to the previous application, you do not need to open the multitasking window or return to the desktop - just swipe in the right direction. Video demonstration of work:
The display locking is interesting. Ever since my first Android smartphone, I got used to a graphical password, when you simply type a given sequence with your finger, and if it weren’t for Touch ID in the iPhone, I would have been spitting long and hard at pressing the buttons one by one. Meizu simply combined both types of blocking and thus earned another plus from my point of view. Customization in Flyme OS is also at the level. This is evidenced by the enormous number of both paid and free themes in the default Personalize application. When I turned on the device, I agreed to some synchronization of contacts, SMS and notes, but I had to work hard to find all this data. However, as a result I found another interesting function - phone search. First, go to the address cloud.flyme.cn, where you will need to log in with the name and password of the account that was created when you first got acquainted with the phone. The service has a significant drawback, which repeatedly overtakes us throughout the entire journey of using this smartphone - it is in Chinese.
Then we get to the control panel of the smartphone. Here we can get acquainted with general information, edit contacts, view SMS, notes and, in fact, find your smartphone in the last menu item. Previously, Google maps were used even in the Chinese version, but now this is a service from Baidu and in Ukraine, the most that can be done is to determine the city, nothing more. You can also send a message, take a secret photo with the front camera, turn on the nasty siren, which cannot be removed except by rebooting the smartphone, or block the smartphone altogether. A standard dialer consists of 3 items: contacts, call history and dialer. Everything is done in a simple style characteristic of the entire system. Also worthy of mention are the additional functions of the dialer, which can be found in its settings: the ability to set a contact to the dialer digits (as in old push-button phones), blocking unknown numbers and automatic call recording. The built-in “Security” application replaces an entire folder of third-party software from the Google Play Store. Here you can clean your smartphone of file junk, scan your phone for malware, configure autorun settings, notifications and application rights, set traffic restrictions and configure energy saving modes.
Finally, I'll show you the keyboard. It is also in many ways similar to iOS, but has a number of its own advantages that are generated as a result of crossing with Android. First of all, moving the cursor: in iOS this is done only with a magnifying glass, which is called by a long tap on the input field; in Android, a slider often pops up, which we can drag, or simply poke in the right place. Here these functions are combined and you can either move the carriage to the desired place with your finger or use a magnifying glass. The keyboard itself is far from ideal: Swype is completely absent here, and predictive typing has bypassed the Russian language. I default to my favorite Google Keyboard.
In principle, I can describe for a long time and tediously every application present in the OS, the ability to get root in a few simple steps, security settings where I can set a password for a specific application, but more than one Internet resource has already done this for me and get acquainted with A good review can be found, for example, here. I like the shell, I like its design, although many criticize it for its lack of “materiality”, I like the presence of iOS-like functions, I like its functionality in management and in many other aspects. I like it in general.UPD. While preparing the review for publication, I poked several familiar managers of Chinese online stores about the absence of the Russian language in the new Flyme OS firmware. To which they assured that they had received information from Meizu representatives regarding the return of the Russian in the new firmware version. Let's see how it turns out in practice. I will update the review as information becomes available.
Assembly and some body elements could be better
Let me take a second to look at the box in which the smartphone comes. It has changed slightly compared to the previous model, but the equipment remains the same: power supply, cable, paperclip and some pieces of paper.
The power supply is 2A, which is confirmed in practice by really fast charging of the smartphone: up to 50% in 60 minutes and up to 100% in 2.5 hours. Partly, it was the second version of the M2 Note smartphone that won my attention due to the presence of a gray version with a “back” made of matte plastic. There are no fingerprints left on it, and it looks somehow more solid. The front of the smartphone is covered with AGC Dragontrail protective glass. Actually, after a month it is difficult to detect any traces of use on the coating. The oleophobic coating initially left much to be desired. The front key is a completely different matter. Most likely it is made of ordinary plastic, and therefore quickly becomes covered with micro-scratches. At the same time, it is pressed clearly and with a noticeable tactile response. At the top of the front panel there are (from left to right): proximity and light sensors, an indicator LED (informs about notifications with a white glow), a voice speaker and a front camera. There are absolutely no complaints about the quality of communication, microphone and speaker performance. The vibration alert is average in strength. In general, I don’t like “shovels,” but on the other hand, a large display is damn convenient in our time. Watching videos and photos, editing text or code on the go, surfing the Internet - everything can be done on a smartphone, but at the same time it causes certain inconveniences. When I take a general photo with the front camera of the iPhone 5S, I have absolutely no worries and am not afraid of dropping it from my hand, which cannot be said about this Meizu. You already grab it this way and that, but it’s still not very comfortable. The smartphone, in general, fits well in the hand, and over time I have already gotten used to using it with one hand, intercepting it when necessary to reach the top edge. Initially, I didn’t understand why everyone noted the fact that the Power key was moved to the left side was so strange. Personally, I don’t use it at all - the front one performs similar functions. But in reality, the execution of the button leaves much to be desired: it “dangles” and is pressed a little tightly. Perhaps the problem is specifically with my copy, because... Everything is fine with the volume buttons - they “sit” elastically and are pressed with a clear response. The camera and dual LED flash are located strictly in the center of the back of the Meizu M2 Note. The glass covering the camera (Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3) is slightly recessed relative to the surface of the body, which allows you not to worry about the coating when you place the smartphone with the back cover on the table. The bottom end of the smartphone consists of solid holes. No matter how funny it may be, all the holes, including the slots for the speaker and microphone, are quite large in diameter and after only a month of use I had to clean them from the dust that had accumulated there. At the top end there is a headphone jack and a second microphone hole. In Meizu M2 Note, the SIM card tray has been radically changed. In addition to the transition to the Nano-SIM format, it became possible to install microSD cards. For gamers or fans of uploading several tens of gigabytes of music to a smartphone, this is an excellent innovation. I, in turn, easily fit into the amount of built-in storage: my photos are synchronized with Dropbox every month and sent there, and the required set of music in AAC format takes up just under 3 GB. By installing a MicroSD card (sizes up to 128 GB are supported), you will have to sacrifice one SIM card, but this is better than having no choice at all. Based on a combination of factors, everything is more good than bad. They worked on the design as much as a budget device deserves. Having been using the Meizu M2 Note as my main phone for just over a month now, I have absolutely no desire to highlight any shortcomings, because everything suits me. However, like the advantages, you can deduce them for yourself by reading the above text or reviews of other authors, but ideally, of course, come to the store and “touch” the smartphone yourself.
Performance is enough for most tasks, including games
When I bought it, I only knew that the device was built on one of the latest “stones” from MediaTek and that there had been a downgrade compared to the previous version.
For the rest, I trusted the manufacturer and was right. The interface works smoothly, and for the sake of interest and this article I installed several toys - they work without problems. For example, World of Tanks. In the settings I turned on “Perfomance mode”, and in the game itself I set the graphics to the absolute maximum settings and got the maximum for a normal game of 20-25 FPS.
At medium settings, stable 30-40 frames per second. For the Meizu M2 Note with its price tag, this is a very good indicator.
The shooter Modern Combat 5: Blackout, popular on the Play Store, also plays without problems or lags. With simpler toys there are no problems at all. The new Angry Birds 2 runs without glitches. I don’t know how Rovio did it, but I again spent the whole evening on these damn birds. 3D games and other applications that use the full power of the processor heat up the smartphone up to 45-47 degrees, which causes some discomfort on hot summer days. For fans of synthetic tests and those who like to compare themselves with parrots (nothing personal), here are screenshots of smartphone tests in various benchmarks. AnTuTu Benchmark: 3DMark Sling Shot (ES 3.1): 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited:
The device easily copes with most modern audio and video formats and only starts to falter at 4K/2K resolutions.
Unlike the previous model, the M2 Note has acquired an LTE module that operates in three bands in Russia (3, 7, 20). Accordingly, both SIM cards are capable of working in 4G networks, but in the settings you will have to indicate which SIM card will work in 4G, because In any case, the second card will be allocated only for GSM networks. In Ukraine, there were no problems with working in 3G networks.
GPS and Wi-Fi work at a similarly high level. The first one, if there is Internet access, starts in a matter of seconds, and Wi-Fi, due to support for the 5 GHz band, fits perfectly into my system headed by the Xiaomi Mini WiFi Router. The screenshot shows the Wi-Fi network signal level at a distance of 7 meters from the source and with an obstacle in the form of a brick wall.
It doesn’t matter at all how many cores my smartphone has or will have, the main thing is that it works quickly and without brakes in everyday use. So that when I press the unlock button or when taking a photo, I don’t have to wait several seconds for the smartphone to digest what they want from it. M2 Note completely satisfies my needs in terms of performance, for which thanks to the developers of this Chinese company.
Camera of stars from the sky is not enough, but fits perfectly into the price of the smartphone
Most budget phones, despite their attractive characteristics, are intimidating with their cameras, and this is not only due to the camera module itself, but also to the image processing algorithms, i.e.
Software of this very camera. Before purchasing the M2 Note, I was guided by the picture quality of the first generation of the Chinese smartphone, which suited me. I will compare the photo with the iPhone 5S, whose camera I currently consider to be one of the best on the market. Indoors: Outdoors:
Macro:
At night:
Who where?
Meizu is on the left, iPhone is on the right.
In addition to the quality of the images, the standard Camera application turned out to be no less attractive. First of all, it works consistently quickly and does not “go away for a few seconds” when you press the shutter button. There are 7 shooting modes to choose from, including:
- auto
- manual (you can set shutter speed, ISO, focus and adjust exposure)
- Beauty (has various sliders for correcting eye size or retouching skin)
- panorama
- Light field (a series of pictures is taken with focusing over the entire range, after which you can select the focus point on the photo after the fact)
- scanning QR codes
- recording Slowmotion 100 fps video in 480p resolution.
Switching modes is done by swiping left/right or through the menu, which can be called up by swiping your finger from top to bottom on the screen. At the bottom of the application there are shortcut keys: activating the flash, applying effects online, changing the camera and, in fact, advanced settings, where you can activate HDR, a grid or a level sensor. The front camera in “Beauty” mode allows you to take self-portraits like this (yours truly in the photo): And with the help of manual focusing, we aim for some previously unknown artistry (joke): An example of shooting FullHD video on the Meizu M2 Note: And finally, “home » Slowmotion: The camera is good, but there is one single drawback that haunts me - it often overdoes the shutter speed and the photos turn out blurry. Moreover, this happens even during daylight hours. I hope that this bug will be corrected in subsequent firmware versions, but for now it remains to shoot with what we have. By the way, follow my Instagram.
Rumor has it that the 5.5” Full HD IGZO display is from the real iPhone 6 Plus!
Viewing angles are maximum, there is no air gap, and colors are warm, although the temperature can be further adjusted in the display settings. I was pleased with the level of minimum brightness - using the smartphone in the dark is very convenient. The maximum brightness is also sufficient for reading information in direct sunlight. I don’t have any additional devices for measuring contrast or brightness values, but I can assure you in words that the screen is excellent and fully covers my quality needs.
Autonomy, sound and connection to a PC
After the iPhone 5S, it was very nice to return to full one-day battery life, because... The first one tended to run out before noon. Meizu M2 Note lives stably from early morning to late night, leaving 10-20 percent charge in reserve. And this despite the fact that I rarely worry about turning off Wi-Fi or GPS, and data transfer on 3G networks is constantly active.
I don’t make many calls, though—literally a couple of calls a day for a few tens of seconds. If we express the operating time in hours of screen activity, then it is from 3 to 5 hours - depending on the load. During the entire period of operation, I never had the opportunity to use the Power-saving modes, because... I always carry a backup power source with me, but I would like to note their presence. The most “powerful” of the modes turns your smartphone into a completely black and white dialer and promises an incredible extension of operating time. The sound quality in the headphones is no worse than that in the iPhone - tested on Xiaomi Piston Youth Edition and Piston 2. The external speaker is very loud and copes with its function of notifying about incoming calls perfectly well. You can also watch movies, but it is preferable to do it with headphones.
Happy with your purchase?
Like an elephant. No, I'm serious, this is not an advertisement or anything, this is a real review and impressions. And yes, I wasn’t lazy to write so much text for free, let’s consider it work on the portfolio. The smartphone fully justifies the ~160 dollars invested in it due to stable software, build quality, good display, camera and performance.
Who would you recommend?
For everyone who is now looking for a smartphone to replace some old one, the Meizu M2 Note will be an excellent choice. Looking at their Chinese counterparts at a similar price, what first of all frightens me is the quality of the software, whereas with Meizu I can even count on constant updates and support.
What about Meizu M2 Mini?
When I pre-ordered my older brother there was no rumor about him yet. And yes, perhaps 5.5 inches is still too much for me and I could save money by taking the M2 Mini. Among the obvious sacrifices for the sake of price: screen resolution (720p on 5 inches is basically enough) and performance (4 cores instead of eight), but judging by the few reviews online, this is enough for stable and fast work.
Reviews
Review from ITC.UA Review from ferra.ru Review from Mobile Review Video review from ROZETKED Review from Review from overclockers.ru Review from gagadget.com
Related links
Official website Official Russian website VKontakte group Topic on 4pda All questions and suggestions you are interested in can also be asked on social networks: Facebook, VKontakte, Twitter, Instagram.
PS In the period between the breakdown of the iPhone and the arrival of the M2 Note, I had the opportunity to visit a Chinese person sent for review by an online store - the Doogee IRON BONE DG750. So, don’t buy it, you should wait a little and, I think, the price for the same M2 Mini will stabilize, and this is a much more correct investment of money. I will, of course, write a review of Iron Bone, but it will be in an extremely negative way.
Equipment
The device arrived to us in a small, nice box made of thick white cardboard, with only a few logos printed on the sides.
Inside, in addition to the smartphone itself, there was a power supply, a microUSB cable, a proprietary paper clip and accompanying documentation. Not a lot, especially since recently companies have been equipping even the most budget devices with a wider scope of delivery. The “plug” in place for the headphones looks especially strange.
Packaging and delivery
Meizu M2 Mini comes in the usual packaging format of this manufacturer - its dimensions can be called average for the market.
The cardboard from which the box is made has a silky and smooth tactile sensation, looks expensive and pleasant. Its density is significant, which will certainly have a positive effect on the transportation of the gadget. It is quite difficult to express an unambiguous opinion on packaging design, since perception is always individual and depends on personal preferences. In my opinion, the device deserves a positive response. By focusing on the quality of packaging, the manufacturer rather hints at the low-budget nature of the product. There is minimal information on the box - just the name of the model on top and a neatly designed sticker on the bottom, which contains all the necessary legal and technical information.
Under the cover is the Meizu M2 mini itself, as well as a clip for removing the SIM tray. Under the smartphone there is a recess with documentation.
Under the lining with the smartphone you will see a modest delivery kit, which consists of a Micro USB cable and a charger. Judging by the molding, it should have included headphones, but, alas, not in the case of official deliveries to the Russian Federation and Europe. Instead of headphones, there is only a plug. However, if desired, the empty space can be supplemented with one of two branded headsets - EP-21HD or EP-20S. From my point of view, the decision to abandon the included headphones will not greatly upset a potential buyer. Price in this case plays an important role, and not everyone will want to overpay for a “weak” headset, as is usually the case. There are no complaints about the quality of the accessories.
Appearance
Let's move on to the appearance of the smartphone. It's as minimalist as the box the M2 Note came in: a streamlined polycarbonate body with rounded edges. Depending on the chosen color of the case, it will be either matte or glossy. The rounded edges give their advantage - despite the 5.5-inch display and impressive size, the Meizu M2 Note looks and feels like a small and neat pebble. At least it is comfortable and convenient to hold in your hand.
The back panel is not removable; it smoothly flows onto the front side, framing the screen.
On the right side there are connectors for two nanoSIM cards. By the way, one of the connectors can be used to expand memory using an SD card. Right there on the right side there is a power button, which, it seemed to me, has a little tight movement. In addition, its location cannot be called convenient: it is located a little lower than standard, you will need to get used to this.
On the top of the back of the case is the main camera lens, which does not protrude beyond the panel and is covered with Dragontrail protective glass. There is also a multi-colored LED flash nearby.
The speaker was placed on the bottom end, positioned next to the microUSB connector and the conversation microphone.
At the top end there is a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones. Meizu M2 Note is available in white, blue and pink - all three are glossy, but the gray one is matte, and to be honest, it not only looks better and more presentable, but the matte finish is not so easily soiled, so leaving marks on it and scratches are much more difficult than on gloss.
Design and usability
In addition to the 5-inch display, on the front panel of the Meizu M2 smartphone you can find an earpiece, a front camera, a notification indicator and a hardware-touch mBack key. The indicator does not manifest itself in any way when the battery is critically discharged or while the battery is charging, but it begins to slowly blink with a soft white light when there are missed calls, messages and other notifications. The screen occupies 75.6% of the front panel area.
The mBack key is edged with a metal chamfer and slightly recessed into the surface of the front panel, making it easy to find both visually and by touch. A regular press of the key allows you to unlock the screen, minimize a running application, return to the desktop, etc., that is, in this case it performs the functions of the “Home” button. However, thanks to the additional touch layer, it can also be used as a “Back” key - all you need to do is lightly touch its surface.
The back and sides of the case are made in the form of a solid plastic part with a rounded transition between the panels and slightly protruding sides above the screen. The polycarbonate cover is non-removable, so the user does not have access to the battery, but this design has a positive effect on the rigidity of the case. On the back of the smartphone there is a 13 MP main camera with LED flash and the manufacturer’s logo.
There is an audio port on the top edge of the case, a Micro-USB connector, a microphone and a multimedia speaker on the bottom. On the right side you can find a volume rocker and a power button; the location of these buttons turned out to be very convenient, you quickly get used to them.
SIM cards and memory cards are installed using a dual-mode tray on the left side. The first slot is intended only for SIM cards, but in the second you can install a second SIM card or a MicroSD memory card with a maximum capacity of up to 128 GB.
Note that both SIM card slots support 4G (LTE) technology, so there is not much difference in which slot to install an operator card with fast Internet support. In the settings, you must select a card for data transfer, after which the second SIM will only be able to work in voice mode. However, nothing will prevent you from changing these cards in the settings if necessary, without resorting to physically replacing the cards in the tray.
The overall dimensions of this 5-inch model are 140.1 x 68.9 x 8.7 mm, and the weight is 131 grams, including a 2500 mAh battery. Compare, for example, with the performance of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s – 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm and weighing 143 grams (1715 mAh). Thanks to the minimum width of the screen bezel, the developers managed to maintain a comfortable width of the body, which will be especially appreciated by those with smaller palms.
We tested Meizu M2 in gray; the manufacturer also offers white, pink and blue versions of the model. Note that only the gray version boasts a rough surface of the case, while the other three versions use glossy plastic.
Display
The smartphone has a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 and a pixel density of 401. It uses an IPS matrix, which is known for good color reproduction and wide viewing angles. The display is protected by AGC Dragontrail/NEG T2X-1 glass.
The brightness of the display is adjusted both automatically and manually, and the auto-adjustment is adequate and does not cause any complaints.
Multi-touch technology supports up to ten simultaneous touches. There is an oleophobic coating.
There is an anti-reflective coating, which is not ideal, but with the brightness set to maximum, you can easily read any information from the screen when exposed to bright sunlight. A little more about brightness: in the dark its level is also comfortable for reading.
As for the contrast of the display, it is quite high, but the colors do not have oversaturated shades; rather, on the contrary, they are as natural as possible, but not faded.
Overall, we can say that for a budget smartphone, the Meizu M2 Note has a good display with excellent performance. I was pleasantly surprised.
Sound
Despite the fact that the smartphone does not have any software features, “surround sound” and the like, the sound quality of the speakers is very good. And it remains the same in headphones. No wheezing or noise even at maximum volume.
The speaker is also good, the interlocutor can hear you perfectly, as well as you, even if you are on the street or in a noisy room.
The only sound enhancement feature is Dirac HD Sound.
There is no FM radio, but it is possible to record phone calls: to do this, you need to touch the corresponding key on the screen during a call.
Camera
Meizu M2 Note received a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front camera. The latter is equipped with an OV5670 OmniVision sensor with a wide-angle lens and a 4-element lens. It does not have autofocus or a flash, but nevertheless the pictures are of good quality, suitable even for posting a selfie on Instagram.
The camera also copes with video chat with a bang.
The camera interface is simple and intuitive, there are automatic, manual, panoramic and portrait modes, as well as the ability to set focus and a barcode recognition option.
The pictures come out good, with rich color reproduction and no noise. Even when shooting in the dark, noise is not critical and is mostly suppressed.
An excellent result for a device in the budget segment.
Due to a terrible failure and the phone being reset before transferring photos, we are attaching photos of a user of the Yandex.Photos service: ra2fgk
Connection
Meizu M2 Note supports 2G, 3G and LTE networks. Supports Wi-Fi communications (2.4 and 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, and the ability to create a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.0 channels.
During the test, I had no problems with Wi-Fi, but SanSanych reported some lags and glitches. Subsequently, such lags were discovered on other devices and were obviously caused by us.
Micro-USB 2.0 supports connecting external devices (USB Host, USB OTG).
Supports GPS and Glonass, satellites are found quickly (about 10-15 seconds on a cold start).
Working with two SIM cards is standard; the user himself chooses which card will be the main one. Both cards can work with 3G/4G networks, but not simultaneously.
Memory and memory card
This line of phones includes models with 2 GB of RAM, but the amount of internal memory can be 16 GB or 32 GB. The phone has LPDDR3 RAM with a frequency of 800 MHz, which is a fairly common type in this price segment. The internal memory can be increased up to 128 GB, thanks to support for memory cards, which the M1 Note lacked. Meizu M2 Note supports memory card formats: micro-SDXC, micro-SDHC and micro-SD.
The phone has a “hot-swap card” option, which allows you to change cards without having to turn off the device.
OS and software
The smartphone runs Android 5.1 with the proprietary Flyme OS shell.
The interface is very simple and intuitive; even users who have not previously worked with Android may not have any problems. The interface is very beautiful, minimalistic and simple. I have only pleasant impressions of Flyme OS. Multitasking is built on a similar principle to the old version of iOS.
There is a virtual SmartTouch key, which is designed to simplify working with the display: it can be used to move the interface menu down.
Since there is only one touch key - the central one, it performs most tasks. See how it works in our video review.
Pleased with the minimum number of pre-installed applications, and those that are available are the most frequently used.
Operating system and shell
The Meizu M2 smartphone runs the proprietary Flyme OS 4.5.3I, based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. We talked about this operating system in detail in the reviews of the Meizu M2 Note and Meizu MX4 Pro models, so we will only recall the main points.
The interface controls are noticeably different from standard Android due to the fact that the user only has the Home and Back keys at his disposal. The missing Menu key has to be replaced using gestures and a redesigned interface. The system does not have a separate application menu; all installed programs immediately appear on the desktop and are just as easily removed.
A swipe from top to bottom brings up the notification panel and the top line of the curtain with service icons, a second swipe in the same direction reveals all three lines. Swiping from the bottom up brings up a panel of recently running applications; they can be deleted one by one, all at once, or vice versa, recorded in memory with a long tap.
The settings menu contains all the usual Android OS items that allow you to configure any necessary parameter. Note that there is an “easy mode” that will make it easier for older users to use the smartphone. But regular themes will have to be downloaded from the Chinese app store Flyme, which is not very fast.
The proprietary Security Center allows you to quickly clear memory of unnecessary files and applications, evaluate the use of mobile traffic and adjust energy consumption, including using a detailed user mode.
Performance
Meizu M2 Note runs on an 8-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with a clock speed of up to 1300 MHz.
The graphics are handled by a triple-core Mali-T720 with a core frequency of up to 450 MHz.
The amount of RAM is 2 GB, the built-in memory is 16 GB, there is the possibility of expanding the memory.
The interface works smoothly and responds quickly to tasks. Heavy 3D games launch well, but the game process itself is difficult, not as fast as we would like. In addition, the back panel of the smartphone heats up noticeably when starting games.
Hardware, performance and software platform
Meizu again gave preference to MediaTek's solutions when choosing a hardware platform.
Meizu M2 mini is equipped with a quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor, which is capable of operating at frequencies up to 1.3 GHz. The Mali-T720 chip is responsible for the graphics. The smartphone has 2 gigabytes of RAM and 16 GB of storage space. MicroSD memory cards up to 128 gigabytes are supported. Before we start talking about how a smartphone works in real life, I suggest you evaluate the testing results in some popular benchmarks. Let me remind you that the manufacturer chose HD display resolution, most likely this will have a positive effect on performance.
Test results, caution, original resolution
Stability testing (Classic test - up to 20 minutes, and the final result in 45 minutes)
In general, the end result does not amaze the “consciousness”, but calling a smartphone weak or budget in the truest sense of the word simply does not work. But these are just numbers, what do we get when actually working with a smartphone? Fast launch of applications, almost complete absence of lags in them and the interface, moderate heating under heavy load. There is enough RAM to keep all the necessary software running at hand (objectively, up to 10 applications with average RAM consumption). As for game compatibility, as well as texture display, no serious problems were noticed. 3D games are generally doing well. According to statistics, most of the tested games, like GTA: San Andreas or Asphalt 8, ran on medium graphics settings. The only thing is that in Real Racing 3 problems were identified with loading textures, but I can’t say that this problem arose often and the game status went into “unplayable”. Although even the graphics settings were clearly not maximum and average. There are no problems with the stability of the smartphone.
The choice fell on Android 5.1 as the basis of the operating system. But there is practically nothing left of the native interface in the Flyme shell. At the same time, there is an update over the air. Based on the manufacturer's experience with previous models, it makes sense to expect further updates to the system over time. We have already talked in more detail about the Flyme system in our review of Meizu MX5 and its features. In the case of the M2 Mini, everything is approximately the same. To familiarize yourself with the interface, as usual, I will provide a package of screenshots.
It is worth noting that the manufacturer did not clutter the system with unnecessary applications, but only preinstalled the essentials. As for official supplies, all Chinese services are excluded from them. In other versions, they are not only present, but also supplemented by the absence of the Russian language. In part, Meizu made a strange decision related to the Russian language, but from a certain point of view it can be explained... In order not to start empty talk and then not enter into polemics, we simply state it as a fact.
In general, getting used to the firmware is not difficult. It is made logically and clearly, many actions will be familiar from standard versions of Android. There are also some bugs, exactly those described in the MX5 review, but in principle you can live with them and it’s not even possible to find out about them at first. Let's just say, you need to look ☺. Now about the video playback capabilities and other multimedia features. Using AnTuTu Video Tester, I checked the exact number of supported video formats. I suggest you look at the results, they are clearly worth it.
A music player with a nice appearance and a common interface style. It is easy to use and compatible with most formats. Subjectively, the device plays well, I liked it. The device was tested with Sony-MDR 1R headphones. The smartphone plays loudly, there is enough volume reserve, the sound is not as clear and detailed as the MX5, but clearly better than the Xiaomi Mi4i, for example. I was also pleased with the sound of the speaker, both the main one and the voice one. In the case of the voice speaker, I would like to note its volume, you can hear it even from a little distance. There are no problems with the microphone.
Battery
The device received a battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh, which, in fact, is not much for a smartphone with a good 5.5-inch screen and a powerful processor that can handle heavy games. But in our test, the device showed good results - more than 10 hours of continuous operation with Wi-Fi turned on, the display at 50% brightness and Chrome running.
We can safely say that the device has good autonomy and will easily last for a day of work.
Battery life and performance
The smartphone is equipped with a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh. This parameter is very common in this price segment of smartphones. Regarding the battery capabilities, its resources last for about 20 hours: about half an hour of telephone calls, about 4-6 hours for using 4G mobile data, about 15 hours for surfing the Internet via a WI-FI connection. In a more energy-efficient mode (without using 4G, several hours of operation via WI-FI), the device can operate for 2 days.
It takes just over two hours to fully charge the battery.
Let's sum it up
Meizu M2 Note turned out to be an excellent smartphone. Despite the fact that it sometimes loses to other smartphones, it nevertheless remains a good device that can attract many potential buyers. Good design, excellent technical characteristics, good battery life and of course the proprietary Flyme OS shell - the advantages, in my opinion, outweigh the disadvantages.
We thank the official MEIZU store in Russia for the provided device: https://mymeizu.ru/
Working hours
Meizu M2 is equipped with a non-removable battery with a capacity of 2500 mAh. With a typical model of use in dual-SIM mode with several sessions of active use, the model easily lasts a day on one charge.
If you use your smartphone only for calls, then the battery life may well be two full days. Thanks to a very detailed system of power consumption settings, you can independently configure the performance/autonomy mode that suits you.
