Which phone to buy meizu or xiaomi. Which is better Xiaomi or Meizu

There are heated debates online about which company is cooler than Xiaomi or Meizu and whose smartphones are better. In this article we will try to explain once and for all which brand is better and why, based on facts. And so, Meizu and Xiaomi fans, let's go!

History of Xiaomi and Meizu

The first thing I would like to note is that both brands come from China and both offer cool phones with excellent characteristics at affordable prices. But still, these companies are different. Meizu started as a manufacturer MP3 players, and then after the stunning success of the first iPhone, it began to make smartphones that were very much like Apple products. What to hide, even today many Meizu devices very much resemble Apple brand phones.

Xiaomi has a slightly different story; the company started with its own brand MIUI shell. This is the first product that Xiaomi released and won the love of fans around the world. After some time, the company began producing its own MIUI-based smartphones and developing parallel businesses. Today, the MIUI ROM shell has about 200 million users around the world.

Whose smartphones are better?

Hardware: MediaTek VS Qualcomm

Both manufacturers offer smartphones that are approximately the same in hardware, design and price, but the difference between them is hidden deeper. Approximately 90% of Meizu products are equipped with Taiwanese brand processors MediaTek, this applies to both budget and flagship models. Xiaomi's flagships (and some budget phones) are equipped with more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon chips.

Xiaomi also offers smartphones with more capacious batteries; for comparison, the entire Redmi/Redmi Note line is equipped with 4000-4100 mAh batteries, while the Meizu Blue Charm and Blue Charm Note receive 3000-3500 mAh batteries. Accordingly, the average Xiaomi smartphone lasts longer on a single charge than a similar Meizu phone.

As for the other parameters, they are approximately the same for the handsets, this applies to RAM and flash memory, microSD slots, wireless interfaces and support for LTE networks.

Cameras: almost identical

The entire budget line of Xiaomi and Meizu is equipped with approximately the same cameras; they hardly differ in shooting quality. Let's be honest, the camera on smartphones from the Redmi and Blue Charm lineup is lousy. Both companies save money on this.

But for their flagships, the situation is different. Meizu smartphones from the Pro line rely on photo quality in the dark. The manufacturer equips its top devices with a powerful 10-LED ring flash (Meizu Pro 6). Xiaomi is more inclined towards a stable picture in the frame and uses image stabilization technologies OIS(like the flagship Mi5).

Xiaomi also has two smartphones with a dual camera on board for the first half of 2017, these are the Redmi Pro and Mi Note 2 models. Meizu is still lagging behind in this regard.

Design: who copies whom?

But in terms of design, Meizu certainly outperforms Xiaomi in most cases. Meizu phones look more modern and European than Chinese Xiaomi handsets. Perhaps the whole point is in the strict inheritance of Apple's design by the company. Meizu's scanner is always located in front, while Xiaomi's is always located as it turns out (either in front or in back).

Also, most Meizu smartphones have more practical body materials than Mi smartphones. Most often it is durable and lightweight metal (aluminium), and not glass or ceramics like Mi5 and Mi Max.

Operating systems: Flyme VS MIUI

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for fans of these two brands is, of course, the proprietary operating system, which is different for each company. Xiaomi phones are equipped with MIUI firmware based on Android source code. Its competitor Meizu releases its own Flyme OS based on Android or YunOS. If everything is simple and clear with the Flyme shell on Android, then YunOS is intended for the domestic market of China and it causes some inconvenience to users.

Meizu is doing much better with software localization; even if you buy a smartphone directly from China, you will be able to use it out of the box; Flyme supports the Russian language. Not all Xiaomi smartphones have global firmware, and if you buy on one of the Chinese trading platforms, you risk getting a phone with English and Chinese (which one is closer to you?). To install the Russian language on a Mi smartphone, you will have to delve into the firmware and figure out how to do it.

But the MIUI shell is updated more often and offers more customization and settings. Both manufacturers are sufficient updates are rarely released the Android operating system itself for their smartphones, which is something users often complain about.

Ecosystem

Both companies produce not only smartphones, but also additional smart gadgets and related products. True, Meizu’s range of accessories is not as large as that of its competitor; the company offers a couple of routers, backpacks, headphones, power banks and several wireless speakers.

Xiaomi relied specifically on repeat purchases from its fans and even created a separate brand called MIJIA, which includes all smart home gadgets. In addition to smartphones, this Chinese manufacturer produces drones, robotic vacuum cleaners, laptops, smart home appliances, air purifiers for the home and car, TVs, electric bicycles and small mobile accessories.

The range of Xiaomi accessories is very wide and almost every gadget connects to your Android or iOS smartphone and exchanges data with it. Many analysts predict that Xiaomi will become the top 1 manufacturer of smart home gadgets by 2020.

Prices and Availability

We will not compare prices for Xiaomi and Meizu for a long time, since smartphones are usually offered in the same price ranges. Both budget phones and mid-range and flagship models from these two brands cost approximately the same. Meizu phones are more common than Xiaomi, and the latter are also often in short supply (especially the older black models).

In terms of sales statistics, Xiaomi smartphones are sold in larger numbers worldwide than Meizu. Mi is one of the top 5 largest phone manufacturers in China. It ranked fifth in sales, just behind OPPO, Huawei, Vivo and Apple in 2016. Last year, Meizu entered the top 10 best smartphone manufacturers in China.

Advantages and disadvantages

Both companies have their pros and cons. Below are the main points that you should pay attention to when choosing a smartphone from Xiaomi or Meizu.

Pros of Xiaomi

• current platform from Qualcomm
• powerful batteries
• own MIUI shell
• developed ecosystem of products and services

Cons of Xiaomi

• not always a good design, often the body is made of glass and ceramics
• problems with software localization
• rare Android updates

Pros of Meizu

• beautiful product design
• excellent software localization
• Flyme's own firmware
• metal cases

Cons of Meizu

• MediaTek processors
• rare Android update
• some smartphones on YunOS

Which brand do you prefer and why, tell us in the comments!

Today, Chinese manufacturers have simply flooded the mobile device market with their smartphones. If we talk about our country, then perhaps the most popular brands among the population are Xiaomi and Meizu. Both companies have a large army of admirers. Since these brands are direct competitors, users constantly have the desire to compare their creations to find out which is better. Both manufacturers have good devices with their pros and cons, but people may have a reasonable question: Xiaomi or Meizu? It can only be answered by comparing different aspects regarding devices from these two brands from the Middle Kingdom.

The lineup

Both companies have recently been trying to fill literally all price niches. Therefore, at the moment the range of smartphones from Meizu and Xiaomi is quite extensive. There are budget employees, middle peasants, and flagships. Everyone can choose a device according to their taste and wallet. However, chasing the number of phones released is one thing, but creating a product that is truly attractive to the buyer is quite another. And here the differences begin, and this difference not in favor of Meizu, since she has a lot of pass-through, unremarkable smartphones. However, due to their low price, they are also in good demand. But, unfortunately, there are only a few impressive devices that you would immediately want to buy. These include the recently released flagship, which stands out for its unusual solution in the form of an additional screen on the rear panel. The budget M6 Note also looks very tempting, equipped with the best camera in its class, a powerful battery and productive hardware. But something doesn’t work out with the manufacturer’s middle class; truly interesting smartphones don’t come to mind. Only last year's mid-ranger looks decent, offering good hardware and a stylish metal body for little money.

Xiaomi has no equal in terms of the number of bestsellers it has released. In this regard, it is superior to its competitor Meizu. Thanks to more advanced technical components and low prices, devices from this manufacturer are conquering the world. In almost all segments you can find a smartphone from Xiaomi, which sells in huge quantities. Among state employees, the Redmi 4X has no equal. These devices are quite powerful for their cost, and they are also clad in metal. The middle level is represented by Xiaomi Mi Note 3. It is distinguished by a beautiful glass body and an excellent chipset Snapdragon 660, as well as a cool dual camera. The “trick” of the model is the increasingly popular facial recognition function. It is impossible not to mention, which caused considerable resonance, since it is based on pure Android without the MIUI shell. Well, in the flagship category, we note two devices – Mi6 and Mi Mix 2. Both are built on the most powerful platform Snapdragon 835, despite its availability. The first is a classic flagship with compact dimensions, while the second boasts a huge 18:9 widescreen display and an elegant ceramic body.

Design, build quality and performance

In terms of workmanship, devices from both manufacturers have long been no complaints. Companies in this area keep their brand, putting smartphones in presentable cases without creaks or backlashes. In terms of variety of external design, the leadership belongs to Xiaomi; here the choice is wider. The product line of this brand includes both all-metal devices and those with a glass back cover. There are also plastic devices that represent the ultra-budget segment. Meizu also equips its cheapest devices with a plastic body, while more expensive devices have a metal design. The engineers of this brand do not like to experiment with appearance, so the smartphones of this brand do not differ much from each other. During Meizu's history, there have been glass devices, but this is a drop in the ocean. The standard for the company is an ergonomic and stylish, but still the same design with a metal back. Xiaomi has more variety in this regard.

In terms of productivity, the undoubted leader is this is Xiaomi company, since it equips its devices with chipsets from Qualcomm, and this applies even to entry-level smartphones. Meizu devices are noticeably inferior in terms of hardware power, and the reason for this is processors from MediaTek. The weak point of these chips is poor performance in games, since the accelerators in them are low-power. But fans of the brand began to hope that the situation would change for the better with the release of an inexpensive model that no longer runs on MediaTek, but on Snapdragon 625. Therefore, over time, the lag may turn into equality.

Camera quality and battery life

Both companies can be praised for not being greedy, installing high-quality photo sensors even in inexpensive devices. Any budget phone from these manufacturers is always better than similarly priced devices from third-tier companies. The camera results for devices from both brands are approximately the same. In some ways, Xiaomi smartphones are better, but in other ways, Meizu devices are better. However, in terms of camera parameters, Xiaomi is still slightly ahead. For example, the current flagship Mi6 has optical stabilization, but the similarly priced top-end Meizu Pro 7 does not. The inexpensive Mi A1 has a dual camera with optical zoom, while the competitor Meizu M6 Note does not have it.

Xiaomi's Redmi series, which includes budget devices, is famous for its excellent battery life. It's rare for the battery capacity of these low-cost smartphones to drop. below 4000 mAh. Users are already accustomed to this, as evidenced by the wild popularity of these phones. Meizu also has an affordable Melian line with devices equipped with high-capacity batteries, a prime example of this is M6 Note model with a 4000 mAh battery. As for more expensive products, there is also a good level here. Nowadays, flagships and mid-range products from these manufacturers, as a rule, have energy-efficient processors. For example, the “heart” is the Snapdragon 835 chip with a 10 Nm process technology, and the Meizu Pro 7 Plus has a Helio X30 with the same process technology.

Flyme or MIUI?

These are perhaps the most popular software shells in our open spaces, and it is not surprising, because, in fact, they completely replace standard Android. Not everyone likes this fact; some people like the “OS” without any intervention from the manufacturer. But there are also many people who hold the opposite opinion. For a long time now, the dispute between supporters of firmware from Xiaomi and Meizu has not subsided. Both interfaces impress with their functionality and design. But there are differences. The Flyme shell looks more neat and stylish, the icons look more harmonious. Multi-colored squares of application icons in MIUI are simpler in appearance and not everyone likes them. However, both there and there are different design themes, you can choose something suitable for yourself. In addition, Flyme is easier to understand; they have done a great job on systematization and proper structuring. It takes more time to get used to MIUI, since everything is not so well organized. In some aspects, this shell is inferior to its competitor, but for many it is ideal due to the abundance of fine-tuning settings and wide customization options, and with the release the situation has only improved. In terms of stability, the firmware from Meizu is ahead, but in MIUI the animation is displayed more correctly and faster. Minus one for everyone– this is the organization of icons only on desktop pages without the right to choose an alternative in the form of a separate application menu. Flyme is aimed at a simple user, while MIUI is aimed at a more advanced user, and this is their key difference.

Conclusions:

Pros of Meizu smartphones:

• separate audio chips in flagships;
• mTouch multifunction button;
• software;
• cameras;
• affordable price.

Disadvantages of Meizu smartphones:

• same type design;
• chip performance from MediaTek;
• no NFC.

Pros of Xiaomi smartphones:

• processors from Qualcomm;
• MIUI shell;
• low price;
• the ability to install custom firmware;
• cameras;
• IR port.

Cons of Xiaomi smartphones:

• belated release of global firmware;
• Smartphones of the same model contain components from different manufacturers.

Chinese smartphones have recently become very popular not only in China, but also in many other countries. The most popular Chinese smartphone manufacturers are Meizu and Xiaomi. Both companies produce high-quality and modern devices, but each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Considering that Chinese manufacturers are good at copying well-known brands and selling them at low prices, minor shortcomings can be forgiven. Review Meizu and Xiaomi will tell you which smartphone manufacturer is better.

What are the best smartphones from Meizu?

The main advantage of smartphones is their appearance. Even the most budget devices come in a modern and stylish design. Each model has its own characteristics. It is worth noting that Meizu began to be used for their smartphones 2.5D glass almost from the very beginning, and Xiaomi I recently started using this glass for more expensive models.

Even new products from Meizu are always available for sale at a reasonable price. There is no crazy markup on such devices, and the circulation is not very limited. Anyone can easily purchase a new product from Meizu.

The manufacturer equips budget-class smartphones with good cameras. And if Xiaomi only has top models equipped with powerful cameras, then Meizu even has a decent camera with a wide viewing angle.

An important advantage is the button mTouch, which is included in all Meizu smartphones. It is both touch and mechanical, and also has a built-in fingerprint scanner.

Why are smartphones from Meizu worse?

Despite their advantages, smartphones from this company have their drawbacks, which include the processors found in budget models. Powerful processors are expected only in 2017 models. Currently, the manufacturer equips even flagship models with chips designed for the budget and middle class.

Another significant disadvantage of Meizu is unstable updates. It's not uncommon for an updated operating system to start to glitch.

What are the best smartphones from Xiaomi?

The company produces good smartphones at an affordable price. The manufacturer practically does not increase the cost, and states that there is practically no benefit from smartphones. The company makes profit from the sale of other equipment.

The big advantage is that every Xiaomi smartphone is equipped with an infrared port. It is necessary to control household appliances from the manufacturer. Using the IR port window and special software, you can control your air conditioner, TV and other equipment.

The manufacturer installs powerful processors in devices not only in top versions, but also in budget ones. As for Xiaomi's mid-range models, they all have powerful hardware and are capable of handling any demanding game.

Why are smartphones from Xiaomi worse?

The main disadvantage is limited quantities. Basically, you can only order a smartphone from Xiaomi via the Internet, where large price markups are possible.

U Xiaomi also unstable updates for the operating system. In addition, there are minor flaws in the OS.

The most important drawback is the lack of Russian language in the menu. In order to use a smartphone in Russia, you will have to find suitable firmware that does not have side bugs.

Conclusion

Review Meizu and Xiaomi showed that both companies produce good smartphones at an affordable price. For lovers of high-quality reportage photography, smartphones with powerful cameras from Meizu, and fans of hard games can choose Xiaomi with powerful iron.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers Xiaomi and Meizu are confidently heading towards the position of world leaders. The growth of such popularity is due to affordability, attractive design of gadgets, as well as high-quality hardware, which today is not inferior even to the shell of famous brands. To understand what is better than Xiaomi or Meizu and what parameters you should pay attention to when buying a new phone, you need to sort out the strengths and weaknesses of competitors of Chinese products and weigh the balance of power between them.

Which Chinese is better and why - a little history of brands

Meizu vs Xiaomi are manufacturers of a large number of smartphones, each of the companies offers budget class phones and flagships at affordable prices. The meizu brand previously positioned itself as a manufacturer of MP3 players, but soon began producing smartphones similar to Apple; meizu is still called the Chinese apple. Xiomi products differ from their competitors, capturing the love of customers with the miui shell, on the shell of which they began to produce phones.

Xiaomi vs meizu: whose shell and hardware is better

A comparison of xiaomi and meizu phones shows that xiaomi uses Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets for almost all of its phones, even for budget versions. But about 90% of Meizu gadgets are manufactured by MediaTek, this applies to both budget and fashion smartphones. Also, Xiomi products are smartphones with capacious batteries, for example, some redmi models have 4100 mAh batteries, but the meizu blue charm has a capacity of only 3000 mAh.

Strengths of Meizu smartphones

Even models with budget-class prices and characteristics have a stylish design. Compared to its competitor, Meiza uses glass in almost all of its models. The plastic dividers on the rear panels are not noticeable, which is a big plus for the brand. Meizu smartphones are equipped with an excellent quality audio processor, with a high sampling rate and wide frequency potential, which increases the signal-to-noise ratio. Budget meizu is pleased with the quality of its cameras, due to the fact that the developers use the same matrices for both flagships and middle-class phones, while optimizing their functionality.

Advantages of Xiaomi phones

Xiaomi smartphone manufacturers provide their gadgets almost at cost, explaining that the company’s main income is the sale of electronics and services. Therefore, it is quite problematic to find an analogue that will have high-quality filling and cost the same as a budget Sony. Xiaomi's big advantage is the use of powerful chipsets even for budget versions. These are Qualcomm Snapdragon chips or Taiwanese MediaTek ones; Meiza uses the latter only for flagships.

Additional gadget features

To attract customers, each company brought its own trick. This feature of the Meizu can be called the mTouch touch and mechanical button, which is combined with a fingerprint scanner. Due to the fact that the Xiaomi company produces household appliances, almost all smartphones are equipped with an infrared diode; thanks to the built-in Mi Remote program, you can control household appliances using your phone. Xiaomi is leading in the formation of an entire ecosystem, releasing various products with the “smart” prefix.

Disadvantages of meizu smartphones

The disadvantages of meizu smartphones have increased due to legal disputes between the meizu brand and qualcomm. Therefore, the brand often uses MediaTek chipsets, which are not doing well with flagships. The company provides top-end hardware that is on par with qualcomm's budget-class chipsets. Another disadvantage of meizu smartphones is that the use of hardware from different manufacturers creates minor bugs, updates are not released on time, and some programs are completely unfinished. MediaTek sometimes lacks customer support, this concerns the transfer of new Android OS kernels and drivers to outdated chips. As for the pricing policy, flagships with similar parameters for Meizu will cost about $400, for Xiaomi – 300.

Disadvantages of xiaomi

The smartphone has frequent problems with Android updates, this applies to hardware on MediaTek chips. There are minor bugs in the operation of the operating system. The miui firmware is tested by volunteers, for whom the bugs do not always disappear, because of this, even at the beta testing stage, defects fly into the public domain. Localization is another software problem. Due to the fact that the brand’s firmware does not have the Russian version of Google services. But even with the presence of firmware, you should not be sure that it is made without side bugs. Xiaomi phones of good quality have limited circulation due to the presence of only a few stores outside of China. The main sales are conducted through the official website. There is a tendency to resell gadgets with a significant markup.

To efficiently release new phones, Xiaomi uses the services of various assemblers and suppliers. This affects the quality of produced models. The same models in different batches may have parts from different assemblers. In this connection, software development and its optimization become more complicated. It is also inevitable that one device works smoothly with an identical firmware version, while another constantly has bugs.

Since the Chinese learned to make good smartphones, their products have become popular not only in their homeland, but throughout the world. The companies Xiaomi and Meizu have captivated the audience with their low prices, so the competition between them is raging both in China and here. For an affordable price tag, they are willing to forgive many minor shortcomings, but it’s still worth figuring out who is better and who has fewer of these disadvantages. To do this, it is worth analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each brand’s products and weighing the balance of power.

Meizu has some advantages over its competitor, why exactly are they better - read below, point by point.

Design

The models (especially budget ones) that are selling the most actively at the moment, Meizu turned out better and more beautiful in appearance. For example, the M3 Note does not have plastic dividers (like the Redmi Note 3) for the antennas on the rear panel. Xiaomi started installing 2.5D glass only in the 4th generation of Redmi, but Meizu has been using it everywhere for a long time. And Xiaomi has no analogue models at all.

Availability

At the first stages of sales, Meizu is easier to get than Xiaomi, since the company does not greatly limit the first edition. As a result, they appear faster in retail, and sellers do not impose inappropriate markups.

Sound

Flagship (and not only) Meizu models are often equipped with a discrete DAC (audio processor). Although not the same as in Hi-Fi players for hundreds of dollars, but integrated into the chipset it is clearly of better quality. The sampling frequency is higher, the signal-to-noise ratio is better, and the frequency potential is wider.

Cameras

Top Meizu are equipped with flagship cameras that take excellent pictures, but Xiaomi also has something to show in this niche. But Meizu’s budget and mid-range models are better in terms of cameras. The company uses almost identical matrices for a wide range of models, so it has the opportunity to better develop and optimize their functionality.

mTouch button

Meizu equips its smartphones with a universal button under the screen. It combines the functions of a fingerprint scanner, a physical key and a touch tracker. Tapping and pressing on the locked screen unlocks the smartphone, a short press is similar to the home key, and using touch gestures you can open the task manager and call up other functions.

Disadvantages of Meizu smartphones

With all the positive aspects, Meizu also has disadvantages.

MediaTek chipsets

At the moment, Meizu and Qualcomm do not have the most friendly relations caused by legal disputes. Only, but Meizu smartphones with Snapdragon processors will appear no earlier than the end of 2017. Therefore, the company can only buy chipsets from Samsung and MediaTek. Koreans work, first of all, to satisfy their needs, and do not sell all SoCs, not to everyone, and not always. They only have inexpensive budget chips, good mid-range SoCs, but not everything is going smoothly with flagships. Top-end MTKs are roughly on par with mid-range Qualcomm chips.

Update instability

MediaTek sometimes lacks customer support in terms of transferring new Android OS kernels and drivers for not the latest chipsets to developers. Because of this, users risk not waiting for the new version of Android for their smartphone, receiving only updates to the Flyme OS shell, but not the OS kernel. However, Xiaomi is not immune from this either: Redmi Note 2 on the half-forgotten MTK Helio X10 is unlikely to receive Android 6.

Minor OS flaws

The release of many devices, albeit on similar but different hardware, complicates the process of user support. As a result, the firmware may have minor bugs that spoil the impression of the device and complicate its use. Updates may not be released on time, they are rare, but there may be cases when the treatment of one glitch led to the appearance of a new one. There are also problems with menu items and programs that are not fully translated, and in devices aimed at China, there is no Russian language or Play Market at all.

Value for money

Despite their cheapness, relative to some Samsung or HTC, equivalent Meizu smartphones from Xiaomi are more expensive. The difference is not very significant, but if Xiaomi asks about $300 for the flagship, the competitor Meizu will cost about 400.

Why are Xiaomi smartphones better?

In response to all the advantages of Meizu, Xiaomi can also show off its advantages. Xiaomi is still better in some ways.

Price policy

Xiaomi representatives officially state that smartphones themselves are not a source of income for the company. The main method of earning money is selling services, as well as other electronics and accessories (this includes TVs, rice cookers, network equipment, headphones, fitness bracelets, external batteries and much more). The company sells mobile devices almost at cost; finding something with better characteristics for the same amount is problematic.

IR port

Since the company also produces household appliances, its engineers considered the function of a universal remote control to be very important. Almost all Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with an infrared diode. It, in combination with the built-in Mi Remote program (or an analogue from the market), allows you to control a TV, air conditioner, multimedia center, home theater and other consumer electronics. In this regard, Xiaomi is better not only than Meizu, but also the lion's share of other smartphones.

Own ecosystem

Like Apple, the Chinese have created their own ecosystem, combining proprietary electronics into an organized infrastructure. This includes cloud storage with convenient synchronization of devices, as well as free 5 GB on the server (can be expanded to at least 1 TB, but this is not very cheap), and well-developed interaction between devices. Unlike Meizu, all synchronization functions work normally on any firmware and anywhere in the world.

Powerful iron

The company even develops budget smartphones based on mid-level chips. The only current device with a quad-core SoC is , but this can be forgiven for it due to the price of $75. But the Redmi series phablets are equipped with mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets or top-end MediaTek chipsets, which Meizu only installs in flagships. For games, Xiaomi is definitely better, except for the cheapest models (those are on par with Meizu).

Cons of Xiaomi smartphones

The picture is slightly spoiled by shortcomings, which Xiaomi also had its share of.

Limited editions and sellers' markups

The company sells its smartphones independently, through the official website. It has practically no stores outside of China; you can buy a smartphone on the Xiaomi website only in countries where the company itself has an office (and not its dealer), and the devices go on sale in limited quantities.

Taking advantage of the demand and initial shortage, at first sellers buy up all circulations in minutes, and then resell them at a significant markup. For the same, with the official price of just over 500 dollars, in the first days after the start of sales, resellers asked for 1000 USD.

"Lottery" with components

In order to quickly release new models to the market, Xiaomi simultaneously uses the services of several suppliers and assemblers (although many do this, like Apple). However, a feature of Xiaomi is that different batches of the same model can use displays, cameras, sensors and other components from different companies.

In addition to the fact that there is a slight variation in quality (the Sharp screens on the Redmi Note 3 look slightly better than the BOE and Tianma), this makes software development and optimization more difficult. After all, you have to include drivers for different components in the OS assembly or write universal ones. Because of this, sometimes situations arise when one device behaves perfectly on an identical firmware version, while bugs are noticed on the other.

Unstable updates

Xiaomi is prone to problems with Android system updates, although in this regard everything is a little better. Usually, smartphones based on MediaTek chips, like Meizu, do not receive the latest OS version. On models with Qualcomm, minor updates appear more often, and the new version of Android is made faster. For example, Android 6 for the version of Redmi Note 3 on MTK is not (and most likely will not be), but for Qualcomm it is, Android 7 is also expected.

OS flaws and shortcomings

In addition to problems with the update, there are also bugs in the system. The roots of the reason for this are indicated two points above. Due to the large model range, as well as the lack of tangible benefits specifically from smartphone sales, Xiaomi cannot maintain a large staff of engineers and testers (like Apple).

Beta versions of the MIUI system are being tested by volunteers, for whom bugs do not always pop up (see the moment with different hardware). As a result, a glitch missed at the beta testing stage flies to the people with the official update. This also happens with Meizu, but on average they do better.

Another software problem is localization. Smartphones that are not aimed at international sales do not have the Russian language and Google services. If the seller has not updated the firmware assembly from the Russian or European MIUI community, you will have to do some magic with localization. And even if I reflashed it, it’s not a fact that the localization was done well, and the firmware was rebuilt without side bugs.

Conclusion

As the analysis showed, both Xiaomi and Meizu have a number of advantages and disadvantages. Both brands have a characteristic advantage in the form of an affordable price. The fact that the official prices for Xiaomi are lower is offset by the seller’s markup, if you do not order directly from the official store through a Chinese friend. It is not easy to purchase Meizu from us at the recommended price, and even more so for Xiaomi.

Both companies also have a number of shortcomings, mainly related to software. Meizu's situation with it is a little better, but there are some shortcomings. Therefore, if the choice of successful firmware and other problems are not for you, then Maze will be better.

The second common disadvantage of companies is that their flagships do not have slots for memory cards. The first reason for this problem is the reluctance to listen to complaints from users of cheap MicroSD that reduce performance. The second is the desire to earn extra money by renting cloud storage. However, if you need space on the server, it’s better to take Xiaomi, since there will be no problems with their MiCloud, regardless of the firmware version and location.

The Meizu camera software (from drivers to application) has been designed to a higher quality, which is important for amateur photographers. The flagships are more suitable for music lovers, as they are equipped with a discrete DAC. For fans of a fingerprint scanner and a multifunction button on the front below the screen (like the iPhone), this brand is also more suitable. Finally, it is better to buy Meizu if you want a beautiful smartphone at an affordable price.

Xiaomi is better if you are interested in an affordable smartphone with top-end hardware or a budget phone with mid-range stuffing. You shouldn’t expect perfect camera performance or Hi-Fi sound from them, but performance in games and heavy programs will be higher than that of Meizu. If you want to control all the equipment in your home using a budget device, Xiaomi is beyond competition. And, finally, it’s better to buy Xiaomi on Qualcomm chips if you want to receive updates regularly and wait for the new Android to arrive on your device.

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