The Meizu M5 smartphone, introduced in 2022, has become one of the main discoveries for lovers of high-quality budget mobile devices. If you have previously used a “state employee” and were not satisfied with its functionality, then you should not assume that all representatives of the budget line are like this!
An inexpensive phone can be good - you can be convinced of this just by looking at the characteristics of the gadget. Well, so that your doubts about this completely disappear, we offer our full review of the Meizu M5.
Specifications
- Screen: 5.2”, IPS, 282ppi, 1280×720, oleophobic coating;
- Operating system: Android 6.0 (Flyme 5.2.1.);
- Processor: Mediatek MT6750, 4 x Cortex-A53 1.5 GHz, 4 x Cortex-A53 1.0 GHz;
- GPU: ARM Mali-T860;
- RAM: 2GB (3GB) LPDDR3;
- Built-in memory: 16 GB (32 GB), supports microSD memory cards up to 128 GB;
- Cameras: 13 MP (f/2.2, phase detection autofocus, dual LED flash, 4x digital zoom), 5 MP (ƒ/2.0);
- Battery: 3070 mAh (non-removable);
- Dimensions: 72.80×147.20×8 mm;
- Weight: 138 g;
- SIM slots: 2 nanoSIM, combined slot;
- Connectivity: LTE (B1, B3, B5, B7, B20, B38, B40), WCDMA (B1, B2, B5, B8), GSM (B2, B3, B5, B8), Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS;
- Sensors: light, gravity, proximity, gyroscope, digital compass, mTouch 2.1 fingerprint sensor;
- Available colors: black, white, blue, mint and gold;
- Cost at the time of testing: RUR 10,990 for the 16 GB version, RUR 12,990 for the 32 GB version.
Equipment
If you are already familiar with Meizu products, either from our reviews or from personal experience, unboxing this smartphone will not be a revelation for you. Inside: packaged in separate small boxes, charging adapter (5V 2A) and USB-MicroUSB cable, plus an envelope with documentation.
Speaker, sound quality
The multimedia speaker of the Meizu M5 is disappointing - not the highest volume reserve (however, an incoming call can be heard even in public transport), a complete absence of low frequencies and, as a result, even the slightest hint of surround sound. It’s good for watching videos, but you can’t enjoy listening to music from a smartphone.
The sound in the headphones is fine. The smartphone has a balanced sound with a powerful, elastic bass, calm high frequencies and a well-developed midrange. An undeniable advantage is support for uncompressed FLAC 192/24 out of the box.
Appearance
Meizu M5 received a set of various colors. The store's assortment includes smartphones with cases in black, white, blue, mint, and gold. The test included the most modest version of Meizu M5 - black with 16 GB of internal memory and 2 GB of RAM.
The candy bar is enclosed in a plastic case, but the cover that covers the edges of the smartphone, the embedded slot for mobile operator cards on the left and two small screws on the sides of the MicroUSB connector at the bottom - all these industrial design details are typical of expensive metal smartphones. In addition, the Meizu M5 has another detail uncharacteristic for the price segment - a mechanical button with a built-in mTouch 2.1 fingerprint sensor.
Important details were not forgotten during the design, such as proximity and lighting sensors, an LED event indicator, and a 3.5 mm jack on the bottom edge of the device. But no matter how hard we looked, we didn’t find a second microphone for noise reduction.
The build quality of the smartphone is high, only the SIM card tray in our sample is slightly “wobbly” in its place. The only noticeable damage to the exterior is the soiling of the black plastic. We assume that other colors of the smartphone do not have this drawback.
Working hours
From the “passport” data it is known that a battery with a capacity of 3070 mAh is used. Compared to the previous model, the increase in capacity by 50 mAh is not critical, but taking into account the increased diagonal of the screen, I would like to see a larger battery.
With a standard load: Internet surfing, social networks, calls, photos - the Meizu M5 easily lasts for two daylight hours; with intensive use, you can count on a day of work.
Display
This component often becomes the weak point of inexpensive smartphones. The Meizu M5 screen is 5.2”, IPS matrix, HD resolution and oleophobic coating - it’s not even bad. A Full HD matrix of a comparable price would still have a negative impact on the performance of the smartphone, and, most likely, would suffer from color rendering deficiencies, which the M5 screen is practically devoid of. Yes, the image does not amaze with its richness, but it also does not fade, does not become cold and does not irritate with parasitic shades when viewed from an angle.
I also want to praise the backlight with a brightness of 380 cd/m2. Slight unevenness of black can be captured only in photographs with long exposures, and you can’t find fault with the white field at all. We also emphasize that, unlike the version of the smartphone intended for the Chinese market, our sample recognizes ten simultaneous touches to the screen.
The protective glass of the smartphone is slightly curved, but the 2.5D effect is neutralized by the plastic frame in which the screen is recessed. This is what you feel to the touch, and not a pleasant roundness. There was no room for an anti-glare filter between the touchscreen and the protective glass, which is a pity; it would have been useful in the summer.
Benchmark testing
The processor performance is good when it comes to operations that support the Android system. As soon as the task becomes more complicated and requires the work of all eight cores, the Meizu M5 cannot compete with other models.
Testing in the GeekBench 3 benchmark (single core performance)
GeekBench 3 benchmark testing (multi-core performance)
The graphics data of the Meizu M5 is no different from the M3, although it supports the latest OpenGL ES 3.1. However, thanks to the resolution of 1280*720 pixels, the performance of the smartphone has improved significantly. By the way, the Meizu M5 Note smartphone is based on the Helio P10 chipset, which is equipped with the same graphics processor, but here it operates at a higher frequency. That's why testing with the BaseMark X benchmark showed such a big difference between the results of the Meizu M5 and Meizu M5 Note. This is a case where the smallest improvements make a huge difference.
BaseMark X
Comprehensive benchmarks such as AnTuTu and BaseMark OS II give us a more complete picture of overall performance. Here Meizu M5 is presented in its best light due to its eight-core processor and lower screen resolution.
AnTuTu 5
AnTuTu 6
Basemark OS II
According to the benchmark results, the Meizu M5 can be classified as a smartphone with average performance that is capable of meeting the needs of the average buyer, although many may have expected more from this model.
Playing audio content
Unlike Meizu M5 Note, Meizu M5 is not impressive in this regard either. Only the external speaker sounds loud enough, but the audio in headphones is much quieter. The same goes for sound purity. Frequency transfer function, signal distortion, stereo quality - not a single parameter was “at its best”, so this smartphone will definitely not appeal to those who like to listen to music always and everywhere.
| Tested model | Frequency transfer function | Noise level | Dynamic range | Harmonic distortion | Crosstalk and noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| Meizu M5 | +0.02, -0.11 | -93.3 | 93.2 | 0.0043 | 0.0086 | -90.7 |
| Meizu M5 (headphones) | +0.73, -0.18 | -89.2 | 88.9 | 0.0076 | 0.415 | -49.8 |
| Huawei Honor 6X | +0.47, -0.06 | -87.9 | 88.1 | 0.0052 | 0.014 | -86.4 |
| Huawei Honor 6X (headphones) | +0.28, -0.49 | -86.9 | 87.1 | 0.0037 | 0.108 | -55.8 |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) | +0.02, -0.32 | -93.1 | 93.3 | 0.0039 | 0.0032 | -90.2 |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) (headphones) | +0.29, -0.09 | -88.3 | 87.7 | 0.015 | 0.232 | -60.2 |
| Motorola Moto Z Play | +0.04, -0.02 | -93.0 | 93.1 | 0.0018 | 0.0085 | -93.8 |
| Motorola Moto Z Play (headphones) | +0.05, -0.02 | -92.7 | 92.8 | 0.0023 | 0.054 | -52.4 |
| Asus Zenfone 3 | +0.03, -0.30 | -86.6 | 83.6 | 0.0017 | 0.049 | -91.1 |
| Asus Zenfone 3 (headphones) | +0.06, -0.03 | -92.4 | 92.4 | 0.0018 | 0.021 | -88.2 |
Iron
The Meizu M5 is equipped with the same hardware platform as the Meizu U10, which we tested at the end of last year. Eight-core Mediatek MT6750 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage (of which 14 and a half are available to the user), support for memory cards up to 128 GB.
As our regular readers may remember, this configuration showed good results both in office applications and in mobile games. The Mediatek MT6750 did not disappoint this time either.
Android works responsively, and the games from our test package demonstrate, although not the maximum, stable frame rates, sufficient for playing dynamic projects.
The mTouch 2.1 fingerprint sensor, on whose ability to recognize gestures all navigation in Flyme is based, works correctly in the Meizu M5. Contrary to fears, the recognition speed is no less than that of the company’s older models. Moreover, it is possible to protect not only the lock screen, but also individual applications using bioidentification.
Competitors
Like any other mobile device, Meizu MX5 has its competitors. The model competes for a place in the sales market mainly with two models:
- Huawei P8;
- LG G4.
As for the first, in terms of technical characteristics it lags a little behind in almost all indicators. But for a more accurate analysis it is necessary to carry out a detailed comparison. In terms of price, this Huawei is in the same category as Meizu.
If we talk about the fairly well-known and long-famous company LG, then the device here is close in performance to the MX5, but costs more. The explanation for everything is the brand.
Bottom line
What is popular in China will not always be relevant for Russia, for example. This can be concluded if you carefully examine the Meizu MX5 phone. With its characteristics, this device can be purchased on the Chinese market for almost half the price. That’s why it gained such popularity in its homeland – the “domestic manufacturer” released a new competing smartphone model.
But in Russia things are not like that. The problem is that its price in rubles does not allow you to simply buy the gadget. You have to compare long and hard.
Of course, you can’t complain about the “filling” of the Meizu MX5. Everything was done well. But in order for it to compete with more well-known brands in its category, developers should still work not only on the characteristics of their devices, but also on PR. Of course, there is a buyer for every product, so let everyone determine for themselves what they need.
Software
The firmware loaded into the Meizu M5 at the factory is based on Android 6.0. and has its own name - Flyme OS. If we saw the Meizu U10 version numbered 5.2.3, then the Meizu M5 software is a little older - 5.2.1. The latest security update dates back to December 2016. The software is up-to-date and will remain so, thanks to over-the-air updates, for a long time to come.
Meizu's new policy regarding Google services for pre-installed applications this time too. Instead of the usual Google Play catalog, you will first encounter the Meizu application store. Fortunately, the manufacturer did not create any special difficulties with the installation of the usual set of Google services. The installation package is available in the Hot Apps lists.
Free games are preinstalled in the device’s memory; if additional space is needed, they can be easily removed using standard firmware, which, by the way, is still just as convenient and multifunctional.
It seems that when developing it, they primarily thought about those users who do not understand the nuances of Android, and sought to provide everything that might be needed right out of the box. All sorts of minor improvements complement the device's setup menu. Is the phone owner afraid of viruses? You don’t need to install anything, much less buy anything—there’s a built-in antivirus in the Security Center. Does the user feel that too many applications are taking up RAM? There is an “accelerator” for it. And it doesn’t matter that essentially both are placebos, the main thing is that you don’t need to look for third-party solutions that can harm the smartphone’s autonomy much more than the built-in ones and, for example, disrupt the normal receipt of notifications.
Connection
In terms of frequency ranges, the Meizu M5 is superior to many Chinese devices due to its support for band 20 LTE. All other things being equal, the high-speed Internet on this smartphone will be more stable.
If you refuse additional memory, the slot will fit 2 nanoSIM cards. With them, the M5 demonstrates high quality voice communication, but the only microphone is sensitive to extraneous sounds and it is difficult to talk on the Meizu M5 in the subway, near highways and in other noisy places. In addition, the main speaker lacks volume, and in such conditions it is easy to miss an incoming call.
The remaining communication protocols are implemented in the best possible way. Energy-saving version of Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802 at 2.4 and 5 GHz, support for connecting flash drives via USB-OTG. Accurate navigation using GPS and GLONASS.
Battery
The Meizu M5 has a 3070 mAh battery; from the included adapter (2A), it is fully charged in 100-110 minutes. With very active use, the smartphone confidently lasts a working day; if you save charge and use preset energy saving modes, then it is quite possible to get two days of battery life from the device.
During testing, the M5 lasted 7.5 hours with HD video playback at maximum screen brightness, 3.5 hours with continuous gaming, and about 50 hours with music playback. The indicators are not bad, and there is also a “super-saving” mode that turns the smartphone into a dialer. In extreme cases it is quite useful.
However, when buying an M5, it is worth considering that many smartphones, including the sample we tested, have a problem with accelerated discharge in standby mode. In short, the smartphone does not go into deep sleep, which is why it loses 8-10% of its charge overnight, while 2-3% is considered the norm. Meizu said that this is a software problem and the company’s engineers are working to fix it. If you don’t pay attention to this, the autonomy of the smartphone can be called quite normal - it lasts an honest working day on one charge.
Camera
13 MP with f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, dual LED flash, 4x digital zoom, as well as a 5 MP front camera with ƒ/2.0 aperture – it seems that these cameras are installed on a good half of Meizu’s budget smartphones, moreover, Every time it turns out that in some aspect the cameras are not debugged.
In the case of the main camera of the Meizu M5, a characteristic problem was the blurred areas at the edges of the frame. Blurring is clearly visible on cropped crops, and, apparently, you will have to put up with it. Otherwise, the photographic capabilities of the smartphone are unremarkable and do not stand out from the competition. You can easily get an idea of them by looking at the examples in the gallery.
The camera application is standard for Flyme OS.
Results
The Meizu M5 smartphone has a number of advantages:
- It is compact in size, making it easy to use
- Although the cover is plastic, the phone weighs less
- Case colors are varied
- The front camera performs high-quality selfies and video recording
Flaws
- The matte black body quickly becomes susceptible to scratches and fingerprints.
- The main camera takes poor quality pictures in low light
- No radio
- No NFC chip
