Meizu M1 Note on MT6752 is a powerful and youthful Chinese smartphone. Operating system and shell

Good day. Today I would like to tell you about a smartphone that is outstanding for its simplicity, power and stable firmware. And the fact that it is sold in a fairly wide range of colors gives it youth and individuality. For details about the Meizu M1 Note smartphone, please click below...

I would like to start my review of the smartphone with the technical specifications provided by the manufacturer’s website and a brief review plan.

The characteristics are not top-end, if you can call it that, but in many respects it is ahead of the Samsung S5. In this price category there is also the well-known brand JiaYu with its model JiaYu S3, but which is forever absent. In addition, after receiving it, a bunch of “sores” are discovered. And, even a little cheaper, but no worse, except for a smaller battery capacity. So, if this is not important for you, you can choose it, as tests show ECOO E04. It can also please you for a long time with its battery life.


What we will check and find out:
What does a smartphone look like and what is its configuration?
What materials were used to make the smartphone and screen?
Performance, tests
Let's check how long the battery can withstand stress tests and real use (autonomy)
Interfaces, general capabilities
GPS navigation test using GPS and Glonass satellites
Tests Wifi, Bluetooth and, of course, 2G communications
Let's test smartphone photo and video cameras
Let's evaluate the quality of the screen and its effectiveness under direct sunlight

Equipment and appearance.

The package does not have a large set of accessories. There is only a charger, a USB cable and, in fact, the smartphone itself, covered with an advertising film with tips. Charging was tested with several charges. I was pleased with its performance, it didn’t get hot and, apparently, it produces its maximum current or one close to it, and the current is considerable, like for charging a smartphone - 2A. Charging takes about 2.5 hours - the last half hour the charge was quite slow and the charging began to heat up even less, which means the charging current has decreased. Well, the USB cable, like a regular USB cable, is fixed well.

The appearance, to put it mildly, was taken from the Iphone 6. Although with its own vision of style among young people.
The shape is rectangular with rounded corners and a thin frame around the display, black. By the way, in all color schemes the front panel is invariably black. The back cover is glossy white plastic. To me, it doesn’t look very cheap and, oddly enough, doesn’t slip.


The quality of the materials does not cause any particular complaints, but, unfortunately, there is no delight either. Everything fits perfectly, except for the SIM card compartment. There is a slight backlash. And all the other parts fit like a glove. Nowadays it is fashionable to use metal in phones, but, in my opinion, plastic is nicer and warmer.
The first thing any potential smartphone owner pays attention to is, of course, the screen. It's quite big here. Diagonal 5.5 inches. Although by today's standards this is rather a standard. The screen has moderate contrast, and the image looks realistic.


But we'll talk about the screen later. In general, on the front of the Meizu M1 Note smartphone, in addition to the screen, there is a “Home” button at the bottom and... that’s all. The company decided to approach the design issue in a non-standard way and make it like the iPhone, but in its own way. Namely, the button was made touch-sensitive, which in my opinion is a completely logical decision. Why the guys from Apple didn’t think of this before is unclear))). This button is multitasking and backlit. On top there is a 5 MP front camera, a light sensor and a speaker.






At the bottom end there is a micro USB connector, with mounting bolts on the sides, a microphone and a speaker.


At the top end there is a headphone jack, an on/off button and another microphone.


On the left side there are volume buttons, made as two separate buttons, and not as rockers.




But the right side has a compartment for installing two MicroSIM-sized SIM cards. The compartment is opened with a special branded clip








All buttons are made of plastic. Press clearly and easily. The smartphone holds quite confidently and did not fall even once during testing :) And since the protective glass is Corning Gorilla Glass 3, I would not risk dropping it, and I was sorry to even try to scratch it on purpose. Here we’ll take the manufacturer’s word for it, we have a fairly large Chinese brand on the test, there’s no reason not to believe it.

The back cover is outrageously simple. Ordinary glossy plastic, but to my surprise it is not particularly easily soiled and not particularly slippery. At the top in the center is the 13 megapixel main camera, and below it is a strange-looking flash for me, with two LEDs of different colors. I don’t know why this was done, but the flash hits perfectly, about two meters, but if you really need it, then it’s enough for three. I'll try to show this when testing photos. As a flashlight it performs its function with a bang. Moreover, he compared it with his old Nokia, which also has two LEDs, and so our hero has brighter light and a wider lighting angle.

Screen from Sharp with proprietary IGZO technology. Judging by the tests that I could find, this technology is one third more energy efficient than that used in Apple smartphones and tablets.
5.5 inches seems huge at first glance. But due to the narrow frames on all sides, it’s not such a shovel, although it’s something in between a smartphone and a tablet. And the resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels cannot leave lovers of new technologies indifferent. The maximum brightness of 450 cd/m2 allows you to read the contents of the screen both in complete darkness and in the blinding sun. What’s nice is that it’s possible to set the brightness so low that you can read your favorite book or browse websites in complete darkness without blinding your eyes. Which also has a positive effect on autonomy.




Viewing angles are ideal, as expected. Gone are the days when only tube TVs had good angles!


And all this miracle is covered by protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Let's move on to autonomy. Only 3140 mAh is declared, which is not much for such a huge screen with such a considerable resolution. But overall the impressions were positive.
I ran several tests, including a test in the antutu battery tester. The result pleased me.


Let's see the video to see how real it is. A video in FullHD quality with an average bitrate was selected. I looped the video in a standard player and left it overnight. After 10 hours and 23 minutes, he cursed about the low battery charge. And this is with the mobile network turned on and WiFi turned on (although I think WiFi didn’t put much of a strain on the battery). In general, to be honest, I expected a little more. But the result is worthy.


As we can see, the main consumer is the screen and less than a fifth was spent on playing the clip.
But what about in real life? In fact, I ran several performance tests, watched a few videos online, downloaded quite a few updates, and of course, surfed my favorite sites. I talked a little via Viber in video chat. And this is how long our hero lasted:

I came to the conclusion that if you do not plan to go too far and for a long time from the outlet, then the charge will last for two days without any problems. We can only hope that the manufacturer used a high-quality battery and it will last a long time before the capacity decreases to one day. Although in a couple of years you will probably want something newer and more powerful :)

By the way, let’s talk about something more powerful.

There is enough productivity for everyone. Although the processor is positioned as a budget processor, everything in the world is relative. Tests of a processor based on an 8-core MediaTek MT6752 with a frequency of 1.7 GHz (ARM cortex-A53 1.7GHz x 8) in conjunction with a Mali T760 MP2 graphics accelerator, 700 MHz have long been known to everyone, but for those who are reading for the first time, the result in ANTUTU in around 40,000.

Information from Antutu

More tests

As you can see, the result is at the level of top-end smartphones from late 2013 to early 2014. So for those who could not afford the same Samsung Galaxy S5, now there is an alternative, and even with a larger screen. But the main idea is not the performance of the processor or video accelerator, or even the presence of two, three or four gigabytes of RAM. The most important thing in modern Android-based smartphones is the smoothness of the interface and the stability of the firmware. And here I did not find any problems with either the first or the second. What can distinguish it favorably from other smartphones on similar platforms. It is also necessary to mention that it is planned to release new firmware for the new version of Android 5.0. In the meantime, updates and fixes are coming out regularly. You can update over the air or by downloading a ZIP file with firmware.

Connection

Oddly enough, smartphones still have cellular communications)) And for some, this is no longer the main indicator of the quality of a smartphone. But there were no problems here either. Although I was expecting at least a puncture somewhere. Regular 2G communication works clearly and without network loss. The voice in the speaker is very clear and not squeaky. It was not possible to check 3G. In our area, the speed is not very good, but it gives out its 2-3 Mbits. When other operators have the opportunity to cover the country with 3G, then I will be able to check normally. They promise real speed in the region of 10-20 Mbit. But there is no 4G at all yet, except perhaps in distant plans.

The Wifi module proved to be excellent. Energy consumption is minimal, reception quality is good. Below is a test from left to right (in the room with the router, in the next room, through two concrete walls at a distance of 10 meters)


The GPS test was carried out in cloudy weather and with light rain, so the result is not ideal, but I remember that previous series of processors on MTK showed more modest results. So the manufacturer is doing his homework. A cold start, practically the first turn on of GPS in my part of the planet, took about two minutes and caught 11 satellites and recorded 6, including 2 Russian Glonoss. Then, after another couple of minutes of walking, one more satellite was added and I didn’t check further. The connection was stable, I walked around the yards. The hot start took only 2-3 seconds. So you can safely take it on the road as a basis for your GPS navigator.

Time has passed. when high-quality pictures could only be taken on very expensive phones or so-called camera phones. The front camera in the device has a 5MP sensor from OmniVision OV5670 with a stated f/2.0 aperture, but does not have autofocus or flash, which would help take selfies in low light. Photos are obtained with a resolution of 2576×1936, and videos can be obtained in 1080p. To shoot in low light, you can turn on the HDR function. You can release the shutter either by touch button on the screen or by using the hardware volume up or down key, which is quite convenient, especially for creating self-portraits. The quality of the photographs taken is quite good.


Our hero has a 13MP matrix. Of course, many may say that the photo on your phone is not the most important thing, but the best camera is the one that is always with you. And in the smart we have a pretty good matrix from Samsung with zero shutter lag. This allows you to take high-speed photography at up to 30 frames per second. A powerful processor allows you to shoot not only in FHD format, but also with an increased number of frames per second. The matrix size is 1/3.06 inches with an f/2.2 aperture opening. There is a double flash of multi-colored LEDs installed on board. The same glass used on the Gorilla Glass 3 screen is used to protect the lens.






Next I tested the effective range of the flash. From left to right: 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters


The original photos were uploaded to

Next video at night.

And here is the promised video with an increased number of frames per second

Fascinating! Is not it?
The camera interface and main functions can be seen in the screenshots below.


Let me briefly list the modes: auto, manual mode, portrait, stroke scanner, high-speed video shooting, panoramic, night modes, there is also a specific mode, such as manual focus change, macro photography. The Focus mode is very interesting. After we have received the finished photo, we have the opportunity to change the focus to the desired focus with just one touch on various areas.

As a result, we get a camera that copes very well with scenes in good lighting, but as soon as you go into a room with insufficient lighting, the camera immediately fails. Noise appears where it shouldn't exist and many smartphones of the same class take better pictures. But if you really want to, you can take good pictures indoors.

A general view of the interface can be seen in the screenshots below. There is no point in going into detail and disassembling it, since if desired, it can be completely replaced with a different shell.

Those who like video reviews more can watch the video version

Conclusions.

The smartphone, one might say, is not the best in its class, but far from the worst. It has its positive and negative sides. Meizu M1 Note is simply of remarkable quality, a realistic and bright screen with a large diagonal and all this at high resolution. The assembly and materials are top notch. Although the back cover looks cheap, it is not at all. The plastic is clearly expensive and all the holes are made clearly and efficiently. The camera was not particularly impressive, but still boasts excellent pictures, especially during the day. Good sound and excellent performance. Some flagships could envy such performance. The network and communication modules of the device are at a fairly high level. Autonomy is one of the highest in its class. I think some Russians will be upset by the fact that there is no full LTE support yet. And another serious disadvantage is the lack of a slot for SD cards. As I understand it, this is a feature of many flagship smartphones. For a price around $200 (at current prices for imported equipment), our hero is an excellent choice.

I'm planning to buy +22 Add to favorites I liked the review +23 +47

2 years ago 0

The screen is great! still SHARP. fullHD+Gorilla glass 3+oleophobic coating -Design! many say that it was licked from iFruct, but this is not so. There are similarities, but he is much more attractive. -I liked the flyme shell. -Quite powerful (although I don’t play games, everything flies smoothly) -The front camera is good. -Battery! quite enough for a day (not a day, but a day) of active use (without games and movies, but with Wi-Fi, music, YouTube) -Good build quality (about the small minus below in the shortcomings) -Quality of music in headphones (I listen through Piston 3)

2 years ago 0

screen, battery

2 years ago 0

The speed of operation is pleasing, it has never slowed down, the screen is gorgeous, the design is excellent (with an apple bias, of course...), the materials, assembly are top notch, the size, the operating time are all top notch. It can handle any game-program, it will last for a long time.

2 years ago 0

The phone is just super for the money. 1 screen, this cannot be expressed in words, in the sun, without the sun, everything is visible. 2 battery, 2 days with intensive use 3 operating speed, but the truth is that out of 2 gigs of RAM I always have only 1 free. Maybe this is normal, I don’t know. 4 shell "flym", there are also some features. 5 camera 6 connection is very good

2 years ago 0

Screen, Battery, Flyme smart firmware and much more

2 years ago 0

In fact, the rating is 4.5 Good screen, bright, full HD, excellent performance, good camera, gesture control, in fact, the phone is decent and there is no point in listing all its advantages, it’s easier to take an ideal phone and subtract the following disadvantages.

2 years ago 0

assembly, screen, camera, battery, flyme

2 years ago 0

1. Screen (size, quality - everything is super!) 2. Capacious battery (3 hours is good, but FullHD requires a lot of energy). 3. 2 sim (no comments here). 4. Flyme OS (the best of Android and iOS). 5. Quite good cameras (at night so-so, but during the day it’s just space). 6. Excellent hardware (toys work well, I don’t play games myself, but I tested them). 7. Price (minuscule for such a high-quality device). 8. The quality of the materials from which the device is made. And the performance itself is excellent (light, thin, fits comfortably in the hand for its size). 9. LTE. 10. Sound (Meizu MX4 Pro is better, but I like the sound here too). 11. OTG support (no problems with lack of memory... you can also use the cloud).

2 years ago 0

The screen is truly one of the best! Comparing the quality of the screen with the iPad mini 2, I will say that it is much clearer, the viewing angles are greater, the overall impression is of a more expensive screen than in Apple. Also, the quality of the back cover materials is amazing - smooth curves with shiny reflections, it looks impressive in combination with the screen monolith, and considering the overall size of the phone, it is simply magnificent. And how cool it is that you just need to swipe your finger across the screen and the phone turns on from standby mode. Separately, I can highlight the touch button, which has the functions of a home button, and if you swipe it up, then the buttons go back, and it lights up equally evenly (someone wrote that it was uneven). The phone is completely Russified (RST), there are no gaps, the mechanical buttons press well, the SIM card cartridge fits tightly, protective

2 years ago 0

Good build quality Good battery - with active use, about 30% remains by night. Fast. Any (even very heavy) sites, social. networks, Youtube, watching movies in good quality. I don’t play with toys, but they say that everything works there without any problems. Nothing stutters, Pleasant screen quality. Everything looks very juicy. Build quality. The materials are cheap, but well put together. Doesn't hold together, doesn't play. Subjectively - very beautiful. I can’t say that I would choose the Flyme shell instead of the latest Android, but since Meizu doesn’t give us a choice, we have to be content with what we have. There are a lot of settings, I had to dig around. Intuitively clear. After a couple of days of use, Flyme is quite pleasing. 2 SIM cards. A useless function for me, but important to someone else. Would it be possible to replace the 2nd SIM card?

2 years ago 0

The main disadvantages for me in this phone:
-Quality of the conversational speaker (terribly wheezing at full volume)
-Perceptible heating in the upper part
-Lack of a slot for a memory card (note that there is a 32GB model)
From nitpicking:
-quality/volume of the external speaker (there is something to compare with) and its location (in a horizontal position it is often covered)
-the cover of the SIM card slot does not fit tightly and squishes.
-no headset included (although this may even be a plus, since usually complete headsets are of crappy quality, and their cost is included in the total cost of the smartphone. So here we are not overpaying for anything))
-the main camera sometimes works strangely

2 years ago 0

Flyme, microphone

2 years ago 0

1. Memory is not enough, on the 16GB version a little more than 10GB is initially available... it was necessary to take 32GB... accordingly, the lack of a slot for memory cards is a significant drawback. 2. Slippery! I’ve already ordered cases and film from China at the same time, I’m waiting... 3. Flymi... there are no comrades in taste and color, but I personally don’t like it. That's all for now)

2 years ago 0

Now about shortcomings, everyone has them, and this is no exception
1 is very slippery. It will not be comfortable for people with small hands
2 "Flym" has its own store. but everything there is in Chinese, it’s annoying, and not only in the store, in some applications too
3 sound. When someone calls me, the melody starts playing in ascending order, and the call can only be heard after 6-7 seconds. and the speaker is not very loud. but the headphones are the best, bass lovers will like it
4 android 4,4,4. They say there will be an update in June
5 does not support 4zh on a megaphone, although n+ is enough for me

2 years ago 0

slippery without a bumper

2 years ago 0

The original flame firmware is both a plus and a minus, I am completely satisfied, but it still lacks flexibility, android has become more like iOS than itself
- does not want to work with my 5-channel headphones, although it worked fine with a computer and other phones, but not with mezu
- there is no hair on the screen, it’s visible only on a white background and if you know where to look, it’s a factory defect
-mediocre quiet speaker
-a bunch of Chinese junk that cannot be removed (in all versions of the phone except i)
- heats up well
-fdd 4g in my city no one supports, but in Moscow it works

2 years ago 0

2 years ago 0

It couldn't have happened without them.
1. Lock button in the upper quarter of the case (although locking/unlocking is done using gestures and double tapping on the screen)
2. Glossy plastic (prints are noticeable).
3. There is no way to customize the visual effects of transition between screens.
4. Swift key missing from the box.

2 years ago 0

The main drawback is that there is only one official sales point in St. Petersburg, and at the time of purchase there were no protective cases and glass films for the phone, I had to order by mail, and this is a pain in the ass...
There are no shortcomings in the phone itself, of course you can find fault with the camera or speaker, but this is not appropriate in this case, because There are high manufacturability and quality of the device at a given cost. As for the amount of memory, it’s everyone’s personal decision, for some, 8GB is fine, and for others, 120GB will not be enough, as with the screen size, some will find it large, but it’s not big, but as convenient as possible, on such a screen you get a positive effect from use (games, movies, reading text), and if it were smaller, it wouldn’t be the same...

2 years ago 0

Camera - The quality of the main camera was disappointing. After Samsung note 3 the quality is really disappointing. It’s nice to have manual settings, with which you can get a good shot, but you won’t have to manually adjust the ISO before each photo.
It gets very hot. But only if you load it well.
Slippery. It tries to jump out of your hand or crawl away from even a slightly uneven surface.
Quiet and "not juicy" speaker.
Applications crash constantly. Especially social clients. networks. I hope they fix it.
Unlocking with a double tap and swiping from bottom to top does not always work the first time. Even more often, “back” does not work (swipe up from the touch “home” button) and the application is minimized.
LTE - during a week of use in different areas of St. Petersburg, 4g from MTS accelerated to a maximum of

Camera	13 million pixels, LED flash
Interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB
Standard	GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE
Battery capacity	3140 mAh
RAM capacity	2 GB
CPU	MediaTek MT6752, 1700 MHz
Number of SIM cards	2
Built-in memory capacity	16 GB
Diagonal	5.5 inch

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Meet: a stylish and practical smartphone - Meizu M1 Note. The new product is equipped with a large and colorful 5.5-inch high-resolution display, an excellent 13 MP camera, and more than decent sound and performance. Even some flagships may envy such characteristics. The communication capabilities of the M1 Note are excellent, the level of autonomy is also (3140 mAh) - there is almost nothing to complain about. Alas, there is no slot for memory expansion; however, the manufacturer did not promise anything of this. For a price tag of less than 13,000 thousand rubles (younger version), Meizu M1 Note is a gift to fans and users of Meizu products. It is not easy to find the same powerful, stylish and high-quality gadget among officially certified devices on our market at this price.

Meizu M1 Note review

This smartphone, according to the company, is aimed at young people; indeed, its colors are cheerful, and the device will be able to satisfy those needs that a teenager needs to satisfy. Well, almost everything... The body materials are also immature, i.e. This is not noble metal, but only plastic and glass. The plastic is good, not flimsy, but due to its “glossiness” it is quite easily soiled, so it is better not to touch it with your hands after eating chips or fries. The gaps between the edges of the third generation protective glass and the edges of the plastic are minimal, or rather almost non-existent.

Design:

From an ergonomic point of view, everything is quite deplorable. After all, no matter how large the case is, you can see the dimensions in the corner. The block button is on top, it’s absolutely inconvenient to reach for it, and the slightly dangling volume rocker is on the left, which is also inconvenient, since personally I can’t reach them except with my middle finger, and if I suddenly feel the urge to adjust the volume in a crowded place, They might even take it personally. Yes, and of course he is a slippery type, plus the body, although not of poor quality, is one that is prone to abrasion.

However, I must admit that all the contradictions of ergonomics can be dispelled by the chips of the shell. But more on that later. And in appearance, it is an 80 percent copy of the MX4. In subsequent video reviews you will definitely see their comparison.Well, of course, this smartphone can be called cool. The pink backdrop conveys the feeling of a bumper rather than a native body. And when I saw him, it was he who made me like him and smile, but then I remembered that I was not in the 8th grade, then I would have considered myself the most fashionable. But I still lost my love for colorful flowers.

Screen:

But the love for bright displays remains. The display is made using IGZO technology. A large screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, with a resolution of no tricks - Full HD, and a density of 403ppi. The brightness varies in a wonderful range, there is no desire to turn it up more when the slider is at maximum. The picture is smooth and contrasting. Color rendition has a natural tint, and viewing angles lose the picture quite a bit if they deviate. Plus a good oleophobic coating and sensor. It doesn’t slow down in games, and in AnTuTu it shows 10 simultaneous touches. It is quite difficult to convey the quality of the picture through a camera, so take my word for it, everything is clear in life.

Operating system:

The device runs on Android and, of course, on Meizu’s favorite and native shell, and only for this company, the Flyme shell, or Fly Me, whichever you prefer. I won’t say anything; it’s obvious that the shell is unpleasant. You can work with it, there won’t be any problems, but it’s just not pleasing to the eye at all. What can be highlighted are features related to ease of use. Let's start with the fact that the touch button is an indicator of missed events, but this is not so important. In general, in order not to reach for the block button, you can double-click it on the screen and the display will be activated. On the contrary, to block the gadget, you just need to hold down the touch button. I can’t say anything extraordinary about the settings, since for the most part they are limited or scattered in folders that are not always related to what these or those settings regulate.

It should be noted that the smartphone is dual-SIM, but with one radio module. This device also has LTE, but it does not always behave in the best way. The speaker is loud, it won’t be possible to objectively demonstrate it through a microphone, but I’ll try, so as not to be unfounded. In addition, there is a fairly convenient pre-installed player. I can also note the nice earpiece and microphone. The sound is both received and transmitted well. No slowdowns or lag + it is possible to record conversations.

Performance:

As much as I don’t like all kinds of wars, evil games, I was stuck playing Mortal Combat for a long time, the graphics are super, very beautiful. The processor is made using a 28-nanometer process technology, has 8 cores, 64-bit architecture, Cortex A53, each core clocked at 1.7 GHz. The processor itself is MediaTek MT-6752. By the way, two gigs of RAM. There is no memory card, but from the memory available to the user, there is a choice of 16 or 32 GB. Such good graphics are a credit to the Mali T760.

In AnTuTu text, M1 Note scores 38968 Points. And it is in a not entirely objective and fair ranking in the eighth Position. However, the data has not been verified, although there is a network during the test, it says “do not test” and possible causes of the error.” And in the 3D brand he earned 10669 points.

Of course, if you use it mercilessly, then the maximum that this device is capable of is a day of use, but if you still pick it up, extremely sparing its processor, then two days and then charge again. The battery is not weak (3140 mAh), but the display is large, and the performance makes itself felt; if not for the 28-nanometer process technology, the operating time would have been noticeably reduced.

Camera:

The cameras in this device also do not fall flat on their faces. The main one is 13 megapixels, with a 5-element lens, camera aperture 2.2. Dual flash with cold and warm glow. The photos are no worse than those of the flagships. There are quite a lot of settings and modes inherent in many Meizu smartphones. Video can be recorded in Full HD, at fifteen and thirty frames per second. The front camera can also record video in Full-Hd resolution; it has a four-element lens, 5 megapixels, and an aperture of 2.0. I think you would also like these cameras.

Result:

For the money, the smartphone is very good. There are a number of disadvantages that lie in the design, or rather ergonomics. There is no memory card, and an unattractive shell, otherwise everything is fine. I will especially repeat that, compared to the more top-end Meizu models, it costs acceptable, despite the not so significant difference in characteristics.

While conducting a review of the meizu m1 metal, we studied all its characteristics and appearance in order to ultimately talk about its strengths and weaknesses. This year the manufacturer released 4 models, each of which deserves the attention of buyers. Some were worried about the deterioration in quality, but it still remains at the highest level. The meizu m1 smartphone is interesting because it is sold in five colors, supports the installation of two SIM cards, and is also based on the new MediaTek MT6752 processor.

Equipment Meizu m1

The manufacturer has always offered its customers a very meager package, which contained only all the essentials. Oddly enough, they made an exception for this model, offering the following equipment: the smartphone itself, documentation, microUSB cable, 2A charger, and also a pin with which you can easily access the SIM card tray. Headsets and protective bumpers are not included in the kit, although this may be for the better, because manufacturers often include accessories that are not of the best quality.

Design

The meizu m1 phone is available in 5 color options: white, blue, green, yellow, and pink. Regardless of the option selected, the front panel will be black. Only the lids are different. If you are a fan of Apple technology, then remember that the iPhone 5 was released in similar colors.

The metal cover is glossy, in some versions it turns out to be quite slippery, so the device can be dropped from your hands if used carelessly. If you don't take care of protecting your gadget, its back side will quickly become covered with scratches.
Key design and layout

The design of the meizu m1 note and its characteristics are not very different from the MX4, although there are some features. Above the screen there are distance and light sensors, a speaker and a good 5-megapixel camera. Below it is a round-shaped touch button. On the left side you can find separate keys for adjusting the volume, and on the right side there is a tray for placing two micro SIM cards. At the bottom there is a mucroUSB port, a microphone and the main speaker holes.

On top of the device there is a 3.5 mm jack and a power button. It was not placed in the most convenient place, but due to successful hardware and software solutions, it does not create any inconvenience. A 13-megapixel camera peephole is installed on the back side, and under it there is a high-quality dual LED flash of various tones. The round key is also used as an event indicator. When alerts arrive, it lights up white, and when pressed, it lights up bright green in the dark and some time after moving into a bright room.

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The smartphone could not attract buyers only with its beauty, so in addition to this, it was equipped with good hardware. The multifunctional key is responsible for several tasks at once: “home” (simple press), “back” when swiping from bottom to top, when you briefly hold your finger on the key, a lock occurs. The manufacturer has provided the ability to use gestures even when the screen is off: double tap to activate the display, swipe up to unlock it, swipe down to lower the notification shade, patterns to turn on your favorite applications. You can quickly access the camera from the lock screen.

Display and sound

The meizu m1 smartphone is equipped with a Sharp/AUO touch panel, which is made using modern IGZO technology. The screen is covered with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3. The Meizu m1 display has FullHD resolution and this is with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. The aspect ratio is 16:9, and the ppi value is 403. The brightness is 450 cd/m2, and the contrast is 1000:1. In terms of capabilities, the display is slightly inferior to the MX4 panels, which is quite predictable. But still it is of really high quality, bright, rich and with excellent viewing angles. The monolithic design is a great advantage, due to which there are no backlashes or creaks.

Dragontrail tempered glass keeps your screen protected from scratches even when used in harsh environments. The oleophobic coating is excellent, so the display only needs to be wiped occasionally to remove fingerprints. In terms of display and speaker quality, the smartphone will be one of the best in the mid-price segment. The only disadvantages relate to poor balancing, but it can be easily corrected by making your own settings. White in the device gives off a slightly bluish tint, so we recommend setting your color temperature settings when you turn it on for the first time.

The meizu m1 note smartphone performed well when testing the sound in headphones. He even pumped up a budget headset to an excellent volume level. The sound quality is standard, so a player with a good equalizer will come in handy, allowing for fine tuning. When using the multimedia speaker, the sound was not so good. It is average in clarity. Everything is audible in ringtones, but the accompaniment doesn’t sound as clear.

Filling

Meizu m1 note 16gb characteristics are very good, for a device in the mid-price category. The Mediatek Helio X10 processor is not the best option in terms of performance and is inferior to the latest developments from Samsung and Apple. Under load, it quickly eats up battery power, and 8 cores provide only average performance in FullHD games. The processor is well suited for everyday use and is comparable to Kirin in Huawei or Snapdragon 615 smartphones. There is enough power with a small margin. There is only 2 GB of RAM, which by today’s standards will not surprise anyone.

Software

While reviewing the meizu m1 note, we studied its interface in detail. Modern Chinese smartphones have a beautiful interface, well translated into Russian. The smartphone runs on YunOS, based on the Android OS, but with proprietary changes. There is a difficult situation with this smartphone. The interface was almost completely redesigned from “pure Android”, and therefore Russification was only partially carried out. All the main tools and menus are in Russian, so using the smartphone will be convenient, although sometimes there are foreign names. The system works quickly, but its operation consumes a lot of RAM (about 1 GB). Users have access to a call recording function and a proprietary antivirus.

Cameras

Meizu m1 note camera quality will be one of the best in the mid-price segment. It provides good clarity in every shot and is fast, allowing you to quickly take a good photo. Of course, this is not the best camera on the modern market, but it is very good for a smartphone with a price tag of up to 20,000 rubles. The manufacturer used a simple formula for success: the more light, the better the picture. The sensor capabilities are insufficient, and therefore there is insufficient detail at the edges of the image if the central focus is set.

White balancing in automatic mode works very well, but sometimes there are problems with exposure: sometimes the pictures turn out to be underlit or vice versa. This drawback can be eliminated using the built-in editor.
In terms of image quality, the device can compete with Huawei P8 Lite, Honor 5X, and ASUS ZenFone 2 in the best configuration. The front and main cameras allow you to get high-quality images under various shooting conditions. The main camera uses a 13 MP Samsung sensor, and the front camera is only 5 MP.

Example photo:

Meizu m1 battery

The Mediatek MT6795 processor wastes energy when compared to similar Snapdragon models. In this regard, even with a battery capacity of 3140 mAh, the autonomy of the meizu m1 note 16gb did not show the best results. When used for surfing the Internet, music and games, the charge lasts until the end of the day. If you often use a smartphone, then it is better to use the proprietary energy saving mode, which can be customized to suit your own needs.

Bottom line

At the moment, Meizu m1 price is only 11,000 rubles and this is an excellent option for that kind of money. When purchasing, you get a device with a high-quality display, good sound in headphones, decent cameras and excellent performance.

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Your rating for the smartphone:

Financial support from Alibaba benefited Meizu, which, instead of releasing one model a year, introduced four devices in a row - MX4, MX4 Pro, M1 Note and M1 Mini. There were concerns that quantity may not translate into quality, but so far there is no reason to worry. Before I got my hands on the M1 Note, I was more concerned about whether the company could maintain the quality bar when developing this affordable model. Also of interest was the fact that the M1 Note is offered in a bunch of different colors, supports two SIM cards and is based on the new 64-bit MediaTek MT6752 chip. Overall, it's nice to take on a device that is intriguing and raises a lot of questions. Let's figure out what and how.

Our dear reader, remember that officially Meizu smartphones in Russia are sold only by MyMeizu.ru and PixelPhone.ru. There is a guarantee, service and cool accessories :)

Technical characteristics of Meizu M1 Note:

• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900/1800 MHz), WCDMA/HSPA (900/2100), FDD-LTE (1, 3, 38, 41)
• Platform (at the time of announcement): Flyme 4.1
• Display: 5.5”, 1920 x 1080 pixels, Sharp/AUO, IGZO, 403 ppi, contrast 1000:1, brightness 450 cd/m2, Gorilla Glass 3
• Camera: 13 MP, autofocus, dual LED flash in different colors, f/2.2, Samsung sensor
• Front camera: 5 MP, OmniVision 5670, f/2.0
• Processor: 8 cores Cortex-A53, 1.7 GHz, 64 bit, MediaTek MT6752
• Graphics chip: Mali-T760MP2, 700 MHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Internal memory: 16/32 GB
• Memory card: no
• Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• microUSB
• 3.5mm jack
• Two SIM slots
• Audio chip Wolfson WM8281
• Battery: non-removable, 3140 mAh
• Dimensions: 150.7 x 75.2 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 145 g

Video review and unboxing

Design and equipment

Meizu has never pampered customers with a rich package package. And it would be strange if an exception were made for the affordable M1 Note. In addition to the phone (built-in battery, 3140 mAh), the box contains documentation, a microUSB cable, charging (2 A) and a cool needle for removing the SIM card tray. No headset, no protective case. I don’t regret the lack of headphones one bit, since I think they would sound bad (as is almost always the case with complete “ears”), but a case would not hurt (of course, no one forbids buying separately, but branded ones are free – this is at least pleasant).

Five colors: white, blue, green, yellow, pink. The front part is black in all cases, but the covers are different. And attentive readers will be right if they remember that the iPhone 5C was offered in similar colors. However, no one makes a secret of this. Meizu even openly says that the case material is of exactly the same quality as that of the Apple product, that is, it is not shy about contrasts. The cover with a metal frame is glossy and in some cases can be slippery, so be careful when handling the phablet (and it’s easier to drop the M1 Note than a dwarf iPhone). Small scratches will inevitably appear on the back, and if you don’t take care of protection immediately after purchase, you’ll probably think about it after some time, when you just want to hide the abrasions that frighten you and those around you.

The design of the M1 Note is close to the MX4 and MX4 Pro, although there are some nuances. Above the display there are light and distance sensors, a speaker, a front 5-megapixel camera, and a touch key in the form of a circle is placed under the screen. There are separate volume keys on the left side, and a tray with two micro-SIMs on the right side. At the bottom there is a microUSB, a microphone and four holes for a loud multimedia speaker. An audio jack, a microphone and a physical power button were placed on the top side (the location for it is not the best, but thanks to Meizu’s hardware and software solutions, you don’t experience any inconvenience at all). On the reverse side, a peephole of a 13-megapixel camera looks at us, under which there is a double LED flash of different tones.

The round button has a white backlight for notifications, flashes when touched and, due to the phosphor layer, glows green in the dark for some time after being moved from a room with lighting. It looks cool in pitch darkness. As you understand, if this element was notable only for its appearance, then it would not be so loved by users of Meizu smartphones (MX2, MX3, MX4), who protested against the rectangular button of the MX4 Pro. The multifunction key has the following functions: “home” (single tap), “back” (swipe from bottom to top) and “lock” (short-term finger hold). Gestures on the switched off display are also intended to make life easier for the device owner: double tap to wake up, swipe up from bottom to unlock, swipe down from top to lower the curtain, patterns to launch any applications. From the lock screen, you can go to the camera (from right to left) and launch any program (from left to right).

The touch panel from Sharp/AUO is made using IGZO technology and covered with Gorilla Glass 3. With a diagonal of 5.5” and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (it happened, the ratio is 16:9!) the pixel density per inch is a solid 403 ppi. Contrast – 1000:1, brightness – 450 cd/m2. Visually, the screen is inferior to the excellent panels of the MX4 and MX4 Pro, which is to be expected. However, it itself is of very high quality - bright, juicy, with good viewing angles. In general, Meizu is true to itself when it comes to displays. The monolithic design of the Meizu M1 Note does not give a single hint of creaks or backlash.

Software

At the time of writing the review, the device is based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat with proprietary firmware Flyme OS 4.2.0.3I (the letter I indicates the internationality of the software) and an incomplete translation (there are English words here and there, the text in some places does not fit completely). The software and features are generally consistent with the MX models.

Meizu's own shell has little in common with stock Android, but that doesn't make it worse. All programs are located on desktops (by the way, vertical scrolling has long been removed from Flyme 4), the notification panel opens by swiping from any height, swiping from bottom to top starts a search, and the list of active applications appears by swiping from the bottom edge (where a swipe up closes a specific program, down - all are closed, holding with your finger adds the application to the white list).

In the settings you can change the order of items. “Personalization” has a switch of icons of popular applications in the Flyme style, themes with transition to the store with paid and free offers (still in Chinese). In “Accounts”, be sure to register a Flyme account so that you can root in one touch and block the device in case of loss. Dual SIM functionality is configured in the appropriate section. “Battery” contains three power modes (energy-saving, balanced and productive) and a not very clear menu with charge consumers. There are three keyboards - branded from Meizu, Fleksy and TouchPal X - you can use one of them, and if you don’t like it, then welcome to the Play Store. In “Special Features,” gestures are configured, the backlight of the button is turned off, and the smartbar (a strip with virtual buttons at the bottom) is hidden for applications that are not optimized for it.

There are not very many pre-installed programs; even the Google services package is presented in a shortened version.

The music player has a five-band equalizer with several presets and a Dirac HD Sound software solution for different plugs and droplets. In conjunction with good headphones, neither one nor the other will be needed, since the Wolfson WM8281 audio chip was implemented very well by Meizu programmers - much better than Lenovo revealed the potential of the Vibe X2 with the same DAC (X2 review). I’ll say more - I like the sound from the M1 Note in combination with the Denon D600 headphones better than the MX4. It is a little more detailed and its lower frequencies are more balanced. By the way, after a series of updates, the MX4 itself began to sound better and louder - the difference with the MX4 Pro has become more difficult to discern (if at the same volume level), and with cheap headphones it’s completely unrealistic. Therefore, do not be confused by the fact that the WM8281 is built into the MediaTek chipset and is not a dedicated one. It is necessary to judge by the result and specific implementation.

A photo editor and a face editor are integrated into the “Gallery” (automatically detects a face in the frame and then suggests performing all sorts of manipulations).

The omnivorous video player is able to work in a window.

Manipulations with files are supposed to be done in Explorer.

AppCenter is the company's Chinese store, which can only be figured out at random.

Notepad with a list of tasks.

Judging by the examples, “Risovalka” can become an excellent tool for creating small masterpieces.

“Security Center” includes cleaning unnecessary data, a utility for displaying a list of heavy files, an antivirus, a function for controlling program permissions, and traffic management.

The calculator contains different converters and is able to work in a window.

The calendar is designed for a smart bar.

Dual SIM functionality is implemented as follows: in the settings we can select active SIM cards, specify cards for default functions, and on the dialing or sending SMS screen we can choose which card to perform the action from.

Camera

The main camera with a 13-megapixel Samsung sensor has an f/2.2 aperture, autofocus, and dual LED flash in different colors. There are 13 filters and 7 shooting modes, including manual with adjustment of shutter speed, ISO, exposure and focus. The camera copes equally well with close and long distances, and also takes acceptable shots in low light. There is no escape from noise, but with proper skill it can be reduced.

The front 5-megapixel camera with OmniVision 5670 sensor and f/2.0 aperture in portrait mode can apply effects in real time. The detail in the images is high, so there is no reason to doubt the honesty of the stated resolution (interpolation very often occurs). The front camera does not focus, but touching it adjusts the exposure.

The maximum video resolution is 1080p. There is no tracking autofocus; the user is asked to perform touch focus, and when the focus is adjusted, clicks are heard (caught by the microphone). The sound is recorded with a bitrate of 128 kbps - the voice is captured well, loud music is also more or less. Electronic stabilization is ineffective and there are problems with fps when shooting at night. With sufficient lighting, if you shoot from one point, the result is pleasing.

This filling does not serve as the hardware basis for top-end flagships, so I did not expect any revelations from it. But in fact, the MT6752 is not much inferior to the powerful MT6595/6595M, and in a number of synthetic tests it even surpasses it. Need I say that there are no problems with games, both heavy and light? GTA San Andreas, Modern Combat 5, Dead Trigger 2, Asphalt 8, Overkill 3, World of Tanks have a comfortable fps value. Benchmark results: AnTuTu 5.6.1 – 40,111, Geekbench 3 – 812/4122, 3DMark Unlimited – 10,732, GFXBench 1080p – 5.8/16 fps (Manhattan/T-Rex), Epic Citadel Ultra – 40.1 fps , Basemark OS 2 – 917. As you can see, the MT6752 is not only better than the MT6595, but also the Snapdragon 801 in some respects.

It was said above that the battery settings provide three power modes - energy-saving, balanced and productive (benchmarks were tested in it). With their help, the processor frequency is adjusted, that is, there is no impact on wireless functions or limiting the operation of applications in the background. The interface works smoothly even with the energy-saving mode, so if you don’t play at all or play, preferring non-resource-intensive 3D titles (although even they run tolerably, except that the fps is uneven), then you can turn it on for constant work. Operating frequencies in different modes were determined using a 30-minute run of Stability Test and CPU Spy. In productive mode, the popular frequencies were distributed as follows: 1.6 (37% of the time), 1.7 (32%), 1.4 (18%), 1.3 (7%) and 1.2 (4%) GHz. That is, high frequencies of 1.6 and 1.7 GHz accounted for a total of 69% of the time, and weak frequencies of 1.2 and 1.3 GHz accounted for 11%. In balanced mode the picture is as follows: 1.6 (27%), 1.7 (25%), 1.3 (23%), 1.4 (13%) and 1.2 (9%) GHz. It turns out that the high 1.6 and 1.7 GHz lasted 52% of the time, and the low 1.2 and 1.3 GHz took 32% of the half hour. In energy-saving mode, the processor does not reach 1.6 and 1.7 GHz at all (more precisely, it was not possible to establish it due to problems with the Stability Test). In other words, throttling is typical for all performance modes of the Meizu M1 Note. The interface is smooth in all of them, you can also play in all of them, but for 3D games it is better to turn on the optimal or performance mode (the difference between them is small, and when playing for a long time with heating, it disappears completely).

MediaTek MT6752 is well suited for modern games, providing high levels of performance. And not at the cost of high energy consumption or heating. In the entire history of testing Meizu smartphones, the M1 Note model is the longest-running and least heated! The device lasted almost 6 hours in video playback mode with maximum brightness of the display and all active wireless modules, which is an hour better than the result of the MX4 and half an hour longer than the result of the MX4 Pro. In the game GTA San Andreas, the phone with eye-friendly brightness dropped by 9% in half an hour, and in the game Modern Combat 5 - by only 8%. Power consumption was assessed in the optimal processor operating mode. The maximum battery temperature I recorded was only 41 degrees - the heat under load and during games can be felt by the hands, but without any unpleasant sensations. In everyday life, you can expect 2-3 days of operation from the device with 4-6 hours of screen time.

The performance of wireless connections was not satisfactory. As for 4G LTE, Band 7 and Band 20, which are common in Russia, are not on the list of supported M1 Notes. However, the presence of Band 3 indicates the possibility of connecting to LTE in several regions from MTS (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa), Tele2 (Tula) and MegaFon (south and southwest of the Moscow region (without Moscow)). I guess the M1 Note should be considered a 3G device.

conclusions

This doesn’t happen often, when the middle ones in a model range, based on the totality of their qualities, look better than the more top-end offerings. Meizu M1 Note is an unexpectedly pleasant and balanced device. There are many advantages: high speed, good operating time, high-quality cameras, nice display, cool Flyme software features, stylish appearance with a branded circle. It was not possible to find any specific disadvantages, but there are some rough edges. These include: localization that requires improvement, lack of tracking autofocus and poor stabilization of the video camera, unclear support for Russian LTE frequencies, as well as glossy plastic, which not everyone will find tactilely pleasant. In my opinion, the positive aspects more than compensate for the negative ones, turning the Meizu M1 Note into one of the best smartphones on the market. In the segment of phablets up to 20 thousand rubles (M1 Note is offered with 16 and 32 GB of memory for 16 and 18 thousand rubles) it is difficult to find something more interesting.