Review of the Meizu MX4 smartphone: a humane flagship. Design, dimensions, control elements

It can be very difficult to find a smartphone or, in general, a thing that you not only enjoy using, but simply enjoy holding in your hand and working with. Many companies are completely chasing marketing indicators, stuffing their products with a huge number of technologies, not adapting them for ease of use, but putting them “for the sake of a tick”... All the more valuable are companies that carefully approach ease of use, work out various use scenarios and bring their devices to almost to the ideal.
Let's look at an example of such work today - the Meizu MX4 smartphone and think about why it is so good...

Meizu has been known in the market for a long time. It has existed since 1998 and for a long time specialized in the production of audio players, where it gained some fame. In 2008, the company's first phone, Meizu M8, was released and the company immediately gained popularity.

Since then, Android has conquered the world, and Meizu has become firmly associated with its phones, not players. All this is not just like that, it’s about the careful approach with which the company creates all its devices. This is what helped the company find itself in the market and confidently remain in it. Meizu followed the path of Apple - releasing 1 smartphone per year and it is bearing fruit. In the fall of 2014, Meizu MX4 entered the market and immediately gained great popularity in the media and among buyers.

Let's look at characteristics:

• SoC Mediatek MT6595 8 cores (4 cores 2.2 GHz Cortex-A17 and 4 cores 1.7 GHz Cortex-A7)
• GPU PowerVR G6200, 2 cores 600 MHz
• Operating system Android 4.4.2, Flyme OS 4.0
• Touch display IPS (New Mode2) 5.36″, 1920×1152, 418 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16/32/64 GB
• TD-LTE / FDD-LTE / TD-SWCDMA / WCDMA / GSM networks
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.0 HID
• GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• USB 2.0, OTG
• Camera 20.7 MP, Sony IMX220 Exmor RS, f/2.2, autofocus, 4K video
• Front camera 2 MP, Sony IMX208, f/2.0
• Gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, gravity sensor, electronic compass, Hall sensor, infrared distance sensor
• Non-removable battery 3100 mAh
• Dimensions 144x75x8.9 mm
• Weight 147 g

And all this for about $300 (in China)! Fantastic!

The phone for China and for the rest of the world comes in different configurations. The version in the review is Chinese. It differs only in the delivery package and the initial absence of Russian in the firmware, therefore everything described in the article is true for a smartphone.

You can watch a video review of the smartphone here

It comes in a very modest box, but very laconic and opens like a “book”.

The kit only included a charger and a warranty. This version in China costs about $320 for 32 GB...

Meizu MX4 assembly video

Appearance

The phone fits perfectly in the hand, which is helped by the sloping shape of the body and rounded corners. Due to the very narrow frames and the manufacturer’s work with weight (only 140 grams!), the smartphone can be easily held in one hand, including a woman’s.

Battery

A non-removable 3100 mAh battery manufactured by Sony is used. This capacity is quite enough for reliable work during daylight hours.

You can watch a video on a smartphone with maximum brightness for about 7 hours, surf the net for 15 hours.

Communications and communication

This smartphone is based on the new MediaTek processor and has support for 4G LTE in addition to the standard GSM 2G and 3G frequencies.

4G works great in Moscow! A test is presented during working hours in the industrial zone of Moscow on MTS, which has the worst LTE in Moscow so far.

OTG works, there are no problems with BlueTooth 4.0 or WiFi either!

The only thing missing is NFC, but it’s strange to regret this in Russia.

Navigation and GPS

Traditionally, it was believed that navigation was the sore spot of MediaTek-based smartphones. Large manufacturers tried to fight this by installing expensive antennas and shamanic settings, but the accuracy of tracking along the highway was deadly, and in large cities it was deadly.

The new chip from MediaTek also supports work with GLONASS and the Chinese Beidou positioning system and here... everything is fine! As an example, I gave a track of movement along the road.

Memory

Meizu MX4 has 2 GB of LPDDR3 933 MHz RAM. Only the MX4 Pro version will have 3 GB, but 2 GB is enough for the eyes.

Built-in memory 16/32/64 GB depending on model. Memory cards are not supported, so we recommend that you carefully select the version. It won’t hurt to master cloud services for cleaning up memory.

Camera

One of the main advantages of the device.

The main camera is 20.7 MP with F2.2 aperture and CMOS Exmor RS IMX220 with back illumination, the front camera is 2 MP with F2.0 aperture for better “selfies” in poor lighting conditions.

She takes photos beautifully - good focusing, high detail, color reflections...

But the video presented an unpleasant surprise. Video can be shot in resolutions up to 3840×2176 pixels (UltraHD 4K) at 30 fps. There is slow motion shooting in HD resolution at 100 frames per second.

Great on paper, but in reality there are problems with exposure, especially in difficult lighting conditions. Examples below.

As you can see, there are noticeable problems with focusing. The cheaper Jiayu G4s copes better with video in difficult conditions... Although it’s better not to say anything about the quality of detail in general.

Perhaps the manufacturer will correct this oversight in future firmware.

Hardware and performance.

The “heart” of the smartphone here is represented by MediaTek’s current flagship – MT6595. This is an 8-core processor, made using ARM big.LITTLE. It implies that 4 Cortex-A17 cores (2.2 GHz each) can work simultaneously with 4 Cortex-A7 cores (1.7 GHz each). Depending on the load, “unnecessary” cores are turned off, the device should save energy.

The graphics are handled by the PowerVR G6200 (4 cores at 600 MHz) codenamed Rogue. Supports DirectX 10, OpenGL 3.x, 4.x, OpenGL ES 3.1.

As a result... Games run ABSOLUTELY ALL at the settings possible for them. You can see this in my video review.

This is the most powerful smartphone on the market as of December 2014.

System and interface

The smartphone runs Android KitKat 4.4.2. There is a proprietary Flyme OS 2.0 shell.

Compared to regular Android, there are a lot of changes and you need to get used to it.

Great emphasis is placed on gestures. To unlock the screen, you can press the round button and “swipe” up as before, or you can set the unlock in the settings by simply swiping your finger up on the locked screen. The status bar is called up from top to bottom. From right to left – the camera starts, from left to right – calls. “Double tap” also works to turn on the backlight. A “bottom-up” gesture on an unlocked display starts the search.

I suggest you get acquainted with Flyme Os in

In general, I would rate the ease of working with the system as a 5-, with a discount for the need to get used to it. During the entire period of use, I did not notice any system reboots.

Conclusions.

Let's start with the pros and cons.

Excellent FullHD screen
- Great camera
- Uncontested performance
- Excellent build
- Thoughtful interface
- Excellent build
- Easy
- Availability of 4G LTE

Problems with the video camera (exposure performance in difficult lighting conditions)
- No microSD slot
- Non-removable battery

Missing “whistles” that are of real benefit - 0.01

No NFC
- no QHD screen with a diagonal of 55 inches. And yes, this is not a TV
- no 4 stereo speakers and built-in subwoofer
- no case included
- android not version 5
- does not read eye position for unlocking

At a price of 350-400 dollars, this smartphone outperforms much more expensive rivals. In comparison with OnePlus One or Mi4 it also has advantages over one and the other. Which? Camera he immediately leaves no chance for any of these contenders. There are many comparative tests of smartphone cameras on the Internet, where the MX4 is head and shoulders above all smartphone competitors. The system based on MTK6595 also surpasses Qualcomm in tests, this is confirmed by tests. Also important is the initial “dampness” of the firmware, which plagued the OnePlus One (and not only the firmware). I would also note that the Meizu MX4 is the only one of these smartphones that is sold in Russia officially and with a guarantee, which will be an extremely significant advantage at current prices.
Among the “branded” competitors, it is also worth remembering Sony Z3, LG G3, ZTE Z7, Samsung Note 3. Each of these smartphones has its own pros and cons; it is better to read more about each separately.

I held both MI4 and OnePlus One in my hands, even when gripping with my hand, the MX4 had a more pleasant experience. Therefore, I confidently recommend this phone to those who want to get a high-quality and powerful thing for good money. Although at the moment there is also a Pro version of MX4 with 3 GB of RAM and a number of additional improvements, but that’s another story.

Meizu MX4 review - the best Chinese smartphonehttps://i0.wp.com/www..jpg?fit=560%2C519https://i0.wp.com/www..jpg?resize=150%2C150 2017-01-15T17:49:47+03:00 Komandin Reviews Smartphones meizu It can be very difficult to find a smartphone or, in general, a thing that you not only enjoy using, but simply enjoy holding in your hand and working with. Many companies are completely chasing marketing indicators, stuffing their products with a huge number of technologies, not adapting them for ease of use, but putting them on “for the sake of a tick”... All the more valuable...Komandin Andrey Komandin [email protected] Administrator Real Review

It's time to take a closer look the most powerful smartphone of this year according to Antutu, not cheap at all, but incredibly attractive Meizu MX4. When purchasing there were several questions, the simplest was 16 or 32 gigabytes inside, and it’s a pity for money and there is no expansion for memory cards, so the advantage here was obviously 32 gigabytes and the second question was between choosing Meizu MX4 - Oneplus One - Xiaomi Mi4. I looked through a bunch of reviews of each, re-read the characteristics, all three smartphones are great, but I only need one. I opened the ancient aphorisms and read: “if you can’t choose the best, choose the worst and discard, in the end the best will remain”, - so I did.
The first to be rejected Xiaomi Mi4 lack of networks 4G Now it’s unacceptable in a flagship, and although my operator does not support 4G, who knows what will happen to us tomorrow. Oneplus One confused by the forum 4pda and the message that there are many batches, half of which are defective, my friend received them with dead pixels straight out of the box and of course the huge dimensions of the device. So it remains the best Meizu MX4, the sweetness of this choice was also added by the glory of Meizu as a master of making high quality sound in my devices, and I love clear sound, those who follow my reviews know.
So, it’s October, the price tags for Meizu MX4 make you feel slightly despondent, but on the website groupb.ru- these are group purchases of equipment, a coupon appears for a 100 usd discount on any Meizu MX4, I ordered when the sign “the promotion is closed” already appeared, I managed to break into the remains in the warehouse, although many were offered a 16 gig version or a refund. Here, of course, the readers will have a suspicion, but is it “a sent Cossack?” - I will answer - my Cossack, screenshots are attached, personal information had to be covered up, don’t blame me.

Purchase Information

The smartphone was purchased and news appeared that did not add optimism - the fastest SingPost mail, which sent me the device, is now the slowest, the device took a month to arrive to me, after 7 days I ordered accessories with delivery from China Post and they arrived at the same time. Okay, it’s time to move on to the device itself, and I’ll add more narration as the review progresses.

The box came wrapped in film, that is, no one from the factory touched the device. By the way, both for me and for others, the box was slightly dented, it is unknown who is to blame for this, thanks to the Meizu packaging, not a single smartphone was damaged, at least no cases were identified on w3bsit3-dns.com.

Inside, the charger is right under our sockets, which is nice, at 2 amperes, the device charges for about an hour, I didn’t exactly time it. High-quality cable, before this the best cable was the cable from Xiaomi Red Rice 1S, but I liked this one better. Instead of headphones, I received a plug, as the seller wrote, they had only 100 copies with headphones, I was not included in their number and all that was left was to admire the cardboard informing me that they were not here.

According to Meizu tradition, the smartphone was kept in a little book.


There were films on the front and back, which I immediately removed.

In addition, I saw waste paper, the warranty card does not mean anything, since the warranty only applies to PCT devices.

To begin with, the characteristics:

Let's now look at the hero of the review, Meizu MX4, and carefully discuss all its charms and not-charms, one touch-sensitive round button is clearly visible in the center, it glows phosphor in the dark and flashes as an event indicator, there are no other indicators here, just as there are no buttons to the left and to the right of it, what to do? - I asked myself, before this I had Elephone p6i with one button, everything was decided by the number of clicks, once - back, twice - home, hold down - menu. Here it’s a little different, press the button - home, swipe up - back, quite by the way, it looks cool and convenient, but the menu only appears on the screen in applications where it is needed, here we encounter the first inconvenience - the absence of a “menu” button - Maybe this will be solved, for example, by swiping left or right, but for now there is an inconvenience.

2 megapixel front camera, speaker, light and proximity sensor - everything is in place. Between the screen and the side edges there is a layer, the purpose of which is to prevent damage in the event of a fall, they say it is very useful and no one has such protection.
The back part is the peephole of the main camera, a dual very bright flash. The back cover is plastic.

The upper part is a 3.5" headset (headphone) jack, a noise-canceling microphone, and the second drawback is the power button, look into the eyes of whoever came up with the idea of ​​leaving it on top, there are many reservations about it, that they say it only needs to turn on the smartphone and that’s it, unlocking with a double tap on the screen, locking by pressing the round touch button - that’s all right, and I’ll be honest - there is a plus in this, I saw it just the other day, when I had already put the smartphone in the case, then I saw that I hadn’t blocked it - that’s enough It was possible to press the top button - you didn’t have to take out your smartphone - this is a plus, but how to press it in normal use mode, see below, and yes - taking screenshots is also not convenient, you need to hold down the power button and any of the volume keys, hand yoga cannot be avoided.

The bottom part is very interesting, it is as beautiful as an iPhone, there is a latch for removing the cover, it can be removed, unlike older versions of Meizu smartphones, very easily, a MicroUSB socket. Round pieces with a mesh, under which there is a microphone and a speaker - I have never heard such a speaker, very loud and clear with bass, here I take my hat off, really very cool. The increase in volume and bass depth was achieved through the use of the second generation NXP SmartPA audio processor, writes the official website.

The left side edge contains a volume rocker, the metal buttons are pleasant, cool, and the action is elastic.

The right side edge makes us closer to Zen; there is nothing on it. Well, I didn’t just talk about the strips, the purpose of which is not clear, since the back cover is plastic and there is no need to draw conclusions for antennas.

What I liked most about the smartphone, I can’t remain silent any longer, is its squarer screen, I sometimes like to read, and those who share this hobby will understand me, usually the width of the smartphone is narrow, not sufficient, but here it’s simply magnificent, there were doubts Regarding the FullHD+ screen resolution, it is non-standard, but everything is fine, I have never met an application that was not displayed correctly. But there are pitfalls here, although the frames are very thin, the width makes itself felt. Let's see what it looks like. Basically, your thumb covers the screen and you can reach anywhere.

But pressing the round button is no longer so convenient. Many will say, “you’re nitpicking,” yes, I’m nitpicking, but what can I do, the smartphone is very good, so minor quibbles are all that can be found and I’ll try to point out all of them.

Pulling out the top curtain is very convenient, since the smartphone is wide, but not tall.

In general, the Meizu MX4 feels very pleasant in the hand, I’ll say more, I want to put a bumper on it so that it’s a little thicker and heavier, and protection won’t hurt, but hiding such beauty is recklessness.

In addition to the screen, we can add that it is good, improved IPS, vibrant colors, brightness from almost completely absent to high, but the light sensor works so well that we didn’t have to adjust the brightness. Everything is perfectly visible in the sun, see the angles of inclination below.

Screen at angles

What else I would like to point out is the lack of MicroSD - this is obviously a minus, - I got out of the situation by reasoning, - I have a lot of cards, you can carry at least a dozen of them with you, which means you need a convenient reader, and I found one, earlier in my reviews you can find it. With such a reader, even a 16 GB version will be enough, because you can always transfer excess information to a card or, conversely, transfer the missing information to a smartphone. So the issue with the amount of internal memory disappeared by itself, I highly recommend the reader.

It remains to remove the cover to finish describing the appearance. The cover is thin with a plug for NFC - it's not here.

The smartphone itself is milky white inside, and only has a slot for MicroSim; it’s very good that the cover is removable, since Ali has something for every taste, bamboo, leather, and anything else.

Antutu
Let's look at the tests, Antutu squeals with delight, 51000 or 52000 for me depends on whether the Internet is connected, unfortunately, it is slow for me.

CPU-z
The latest eight-core MTK 6595 processor (4 Cortex A17 cores and 4 Cortex A7 cores), operating at frequencies up to 2.2 GHz and a whole bunch of sensors. The MTK website mentions that Meizu helped in the development of this processor.

Epic Citadel

Nenamark

What can I say, yes, Meizu MX4 is powerful, gamers will be absolutely delighted.

WiFi b/g/n/ac format

Photo, next to the router, one and two walls.

Mobile frequencies Full spectrum 2G 3G 4G LTE available

Job GPS and Glonass I was 100% satisfied, and my demands, as a tourist, are quite high, I caught the satellites themselves at the window in 3 seconds, the positioning accuracy increased for another 5 seconds. Compass on board.

Meizu MX4 works great with a smart bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band, but it does not support unlocking, you need miui.

The built-in antivirus monitors installed applications and warns in case of danger, a very nice feature, since not all applications are installed from the play market.

I will provide screenshots about the device and basic settings:

The smart bar, as you can see here, can be hidden, it will be shown only when necessary, a convenient feature. I was not pleased with the built-in keyboard, but I easily installed the keyboard from Xperia. Three types of work, the most optimal is balanced, others, in fact, are needed only in rare situations.

Opening access to the system means installing root rights. Route is installed in Meizu MX4 out of the box and is obtained by registering on the Meizu website. The sensor supports 10 clicks. Shell Flyme It is slightly inferior to MIUI, but overall it is very interesting, it has an antivirus, over-the-air updates, a drawing program and other additional applications.

Meizu MX4 battery capacity is 3100 mAh The manufacturer is Sony, and the reputation of the Meizu company is conducive to trust, the battery is not removable, it lasts for 2-3 days with my use, Internet, calls, photos and a little games and Youtube. The device hardly heats up during tasks and there is no waste of charge due to temperature as in the Snapdragon, which is why I always liked MTK better.
Camera
This is one of the most vaunted advantages of the Meizu MX4; here the device received the latest 20.7 megapixel camera from the flagship Sony Z3. The possibilities are listed below.

The quality of the images is truly amazing in detail and significantly surpasses the camera of my Xiaomi Red Rice 1S even at a comparable image resolution.

The front camera is 2 megapixels, which is enough for video calls and selfies.

Shooting with the rear camera in a dark room simply amazed me; there is nothing to say but emotions of admiration.

There are a lot of examples of pictures on the Internet, so I don’t see any point in repeating them. I myself don’t shoot at 20 megapixels, this feature is very useful when traveling, but for everyday shots, 12 megapixels, which are set by default, are enough, and even they are quite impressive.

The last thing left is what I love most - sound, for the test I used my favorite Vsonic VSD1S headphones and compared them with the Cowon J3 player. There is no point in comparing it with the sound of my Xiaomi Red Rice 1S, since the quality surpasses it many times over. Here, compare only with players with good sound levels on high-quality headphones. The Meizu MX4 itself does not have a dedicated audio chip, but the MTK 6595 has a fairly high-quality chip built into it Wolfson WM8281 During the comparison of MX4 and Cowon J3, no obvious differences were revealed, I can say that they sound at approximately the same level, the sound of Meizu MX4 is a little softer, a little missing volume is compensated from the engineering menu by changing the maximum volume value from 126 to 150 (maximum 160), then there is a reserve left with interest. The low frequencies are very lively and intelligible, the bass is excellent, the mid frequencies are also excellent, there is a slight lack in the upper frequencies, but just a little. I highly recommend purchasing high-quality headphones for this device and enjoying the soundscapes.

The result is

Minuses:
- one SIM card;
- no support for MicroSD memory cards;
- no NFC;
- power button at the top;
- no hardware “menu” button;
- wide, not for any hand.

Pros:
- excellent camera from Sony 20.7 megapixels;
- decent sound;
- very high quality screen;
- the most powerful processor MTK6595;
- loud high-quality speaker;
- Wi-Fi ac class;
- Sony 3100 capacity battery;
- more square screen;
- narrow screen frames;
- very light for its battery (147 grams);
- 4G LTE support.

What can be said as a conclusion, it is obvious that the smartphone is great, do I recommend it? - of course I recommend it, anyone who picks up the Meizu MX4 will never let it go. This is truly the best smartphone of this year.

I looked at the Pro version, I can only note an even better sound chip, everything else is not significant, like a higher resolution, increased dimensions, a slightly better front camera, the processor is not the latest from Samsung. Some may find the Pro version tempting, but its price is still high.

Happy shopping everyone, Black Friday is coming, you still have time to buy Meizu...

Great news, the MINUS100 coupon for 100 bucks still works on Meizu.

I'm planning to buy +25 Add to favorites I liked the review +61 +108

Characteristics

• Class: smartphone
• Case materials: plastic, glass and metal
• Operating system: Google Android 4.4.2
• Network: GSM/WCDMA/4G LTE
• Processor: 8 cores, MediaTek MT6595
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage memory: 16/32/64 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0 HID, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
• Screen: capacitive, IPS 5.36"" with a resolution of 1152x1920 pixels
• Camera: 20.7 MP Sony Exmor RS + 2 MP Sone Exmor R, dual flash
• Navigation: GPS+GLONASS
• Additionally: accelerometer, proximity and lighting sensors
• Battery: removable, capacity 3100 mAh
• Dimensions: 144x75x8.9 mm
• Weight: 147 g
• Price: from 18,000 rubles (Q4 2014)

Contents of delivery

The box, made of white cardboard, is packed in a thin transparent cellophane bag. The inscription “MX4” is printed on top, and colored balls are depicted around it.

Inside, traditionally for Meizu, you will find a booklet-box with a smartphone. Under it is a USB cable, a warranty card and a place where the headphones should have been (they are not included in the package, they must be purchased separately). To the right of the booklet is a power adapter with a standard plug.

Introduction

The presentation of Meizu MX4 took place on September 2 in Beijing. Before this event, spy shots were circulating on the Internet, and they were interspersed with shots of the MX4 Pro, so it was immediately clear that the MX4 would be released earlier, then the Pro version would be shown. For those who are not up to date: the presentation of Meizu MX4 Pro took place not long ago. It will go on sale on December 6, the price is not yet known exactly, I think we should aim for 25,000 rubles.

However, today we will talk about the younger model MX4, which is already on sale at a price of 18,000 rubles, depending on the amount of built-in memory.

What is so special about this device? First of all, a metal body, or rather, a metal frame made of aircraft-grade aluminum. It is also worth noting that between the protective glass and the frame there is a special shock-absorbing layer.

The second is the “heart” of the MX4 – the chipset. If in the last generation Samsung's quad-core Exynos was used, this time it is eight-core MediaTek. Tests have shown that the processor is one of the fastest on the market.

Third is the camera. Meizu decided not to waste time on trifles and “slapped” a cool module from the Sony Xperia Z3. Apparently, Chinese programmers have surpassed the Japanese ones in terms of photo processing algorithms, so it seems to me that the footage taken on the MX4 is slightly better than the footage taken on the Z3.

Everything else is familiar, but will be discussed in detail in the text. Below you will find a video review, it is long, 40 minutes. I immediately apologize for the sound quality. In the well-known expression of one of our politicians: “they wanted the best, but it turned out as always,” that is, he tried to increase sensitivity, but “went too far.”

Design, dimensions, control elements

In terms of appearance, the MX4 differs little from the MX3: the same rounded corners, smooth contours of the rear surface, approximately the same dimensions and weight. The MX3 uses a metal frame and a thin frame, the MX4 does everything the same, only the frame has become larger, this time you definitely understand that the body is “not made with bast.”

Of course, it’s worth mentioning that the MX4 resembles the iPhone 6 in many ways. I don’t know whether the Chinese craftsmen were inspired by leaks from the Six network or made it up themselves, the main thing is that it turned out very well. The smartphone has sloping edges, light weight, and interesting materials.

However, it seemed to me that its body shape was too streamlined: it often slipped out of my hands, despite the fact that the back surface is made of porous plastic. Naturally, this is my personal opinion.

I repeat that the back cover is made of porous plastic (polycarbonate) that is rough to the touch. At one time it was fashionable to call plastic the beautiful word “polycarbonate”: thoughts of something unusual immediately arose in my head...

The surface gets dirty over time and marks remain on it: for example, when “soft-touch” black plastic rubs against the body of the MX4. This behavior is quite natural, there is nothing wrong with it, the main thing is that they are easily erased.

By the way, about color solutions. Everything here is like the iPhone: white, dark gray and gold. The latter is not yet available in Russia.

The frame, as already mentioned, is made of aircraft-grade aluminum. It is painted in the color of the body. I don’t know where the fashion for painting metal came from, but there is such a strange “fad”. Samsung, for example, released two completely metal gadgets that feel plastic to the touch - it’s all because of the paint :)

The edge of the frame is polished, looks nice, plays great in the light. If we talk about whether the metal is felt in the hand or not, then no is more likely than yes. But in the cold you will immediately understand where the metal is and where the plastic begins :)

The screen is protected by third generation Gorilla Glass. After several weeks of active use, not a single scratch appeared. An oleophobic coating is applied on top. Fingerprints, of course, remain, but are erased quickly. Anti-glare properties are average.

Between the glass and the metal frame there is a special shock-absorbing material. It reduces pressure on the display if the device hits the edges. And I thought it was the Chinese who couldn’t remove the glue from the grooves.

At the top center is a speech speaker covered with a thin black metal mesh. It is very loud, the interlocutor can be heard in any conditions, be it the street or the subway. You can compare it with the iPhone 5/5S, Samsung Galaxy S5/Note 4, only the MX4 has a different sound timbre, it is higher. To the right of the speaker are light and proximity sensors and a front camera.

Below the screen is a traditional round touch button with a bright white backlight. If the screen is on, the button is dimly lit; if you press it, it flashes brightly; if the screen is off, it glows faintly with a greenish tint for some time.

At the bottom end there is a microphone (covered with a thin light mesh), micro-USB and a speaker hidden under four round holes.

On the left side there is a volume rocker key, painted in the color of the case. The silver border indicates that the button is metal. It is thin, long, almost recessed into the body. The pressure is firm, the stroke is minimal. There are no elements on the right.

At the top there is a 3.5 mm audio output, a second microphone (only for noise reduction, since audio is recorded in mono in video) and a power button. It is also metal, painted in the color of the body. The button is tight, the travel is minimal. In my opinion, it would be better if it was on the right - there is space there, and the ergonomics of the design would be much better.

On the reverse side there is a large camera eye, framed by a metal ring. The camera protrudes above the body by about half a millimeter. Just below there is a dual two-color LED flash.

The cover, unlike the MX3 and other Meizu smartphones, can be easily removed, you just need to pry it off by the recess at the bottom end. Below it you will see a non-removable battery and one microSIM slot.

In general, the Meizu MX4 device made an excellent impression in terms of appearance. The device turned out to be quite nice, well-built and sturdy. But the gadget is a little big for my hand. Maybe because I'm used to the dimensions of the Nexus 5 and iPhone 5, which I almost never part with.

Display

Meizu again wanted to stand out and therefore released the MX4, the screen diagonal of which is 5.36". Let me remind you that in the MX3 it was 5.1 inches. Why bother like that when you could have made 5.2" or 5.3", and it would have been better to leave 5.1 ". Moreover, the aspect is non-standard - 15:9.

The physical size of the display is 70x117 mm, the frames on the right and left are 2.6 mm, the top and bottom are 14 mm. That is, the usable screen area is approximately 75%.

The screen resolution is also non-standard - 1152x1920 pixels, density - 418 PPI. The IPS matrix (OGS - without an air gap) was made jointly by Sharp and JDI. The matrix has wide viewing angles without visible image distortion. According to our data obtained by measurements, there is a slight shift to bluish tints. The color gamut slightly exceeds sRGB in the red and green areas. The maximum white brightness is 409 cd/m2, the minimum white brightness is 1.4 cd/m2, the maximum black brightness is 0.44 cd/m2, the contrast is 930:1. Naturally, our indicators may differ from those indicated on the official website. And it says this: contrast ratio 1100:1, maximum brightness 500 cd/m2.

In simple terms, the backlight brightness of the display matrix is ​​enough for you to comfortably read information in direct sunlight, and the minimum brightness will be enough even on the darkest night.

Black color

White color

Viewing Angles

Battery

This smartphone model uses a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh. Manufactured by Sony and Samsung. There is no official information about the operating time of the device, so I tested it myself:

• Playing 1080p video (MKV) at maximum screen brightness and headphone volume – approximately 6 hours
• Browsing via Wi-Fi – about 18 hours
• Browsing via 3G – about 10 hours
• The total average operating time of the device (3G, calls, SMS, letters, Twitter) is approximately 20 hours, about 2.5 hours of screen operation.

Communication capabilities

The main thing that I would like to note in this section is support for 4G LTE (TD-LTE / FDD-LTE / TD-SWCDMA / WCDMA / GSM) in Russian networks. Can switch manually between 2G/3G/4G.

There is dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) of not only a/b/n standard, but also AC; Bluetooth version 4.0 with HID protocol.

The USB OnTheGo function works, that is, third-party devices (for example, flash drives) can be connected to USB! By the way, there is no NFC here.

There are no problems with GPS and GLONASS. Below are screenshots from the tracker program.

Memory and memory card

Meizu MX4 has 2 GB of LPDDR3 933 MHz RAM. At the moment, this is the typical volume of most smartphones in the mid-price segment, and there are still few devices with 3 gigabytes. For those who don't have enough, they can safely run for the MX4 Pro in December.

Built-in memory 16/32/64 GB depending on model. I advise you to take more, since there is no memory card here, and 20 MP pictures and 4K videos will “eat up” a lot of memory.

Camera

As always, there are two camera modules: the main one is 20.7 MP with an F2.2 aperture, the front one is 2 MP with an F2.0 aperture for the best “selfie” in poor lighting conditions.

The main module came from Sony - it is the well-known CMOS Exmor RS IMX220 with backlight. Matrix size – 1/2.3 (diagonal 7.87 mm), maximum number of pixels – 21.01 M, effective – 20.84 M, active – 20.65 M, cell size – 1.2x1.2 μm. More details can be found.

In my subjective opinion, the Meizu MX4 takes great pictures: accurate and fast focus, almost always perfect white balance, minimal noise (I like the non-aggressive noise reduction). Unlike many smartphones with good cameras, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S5/Note 4, the MX4 tries not to cover up noise. Sony devices behave the same way. However, it seemed to me that they did not quite succeed in achieving a high-quality result.

At the moment, I think that the MX4 camera is one of the best in terms of photo detail and HDR performance (there are glitches when the camera takes a long time to shoot in HDR).

In addition, it is worth noting that the device is equipped with manual settings for shutter speed, ISO value, exposure and focus. This does not function as efficiently as on the Nokia 1020 (I still consider it the best camera phone), but such options are present.

Meizu MX4 can record video at a maximum resolution of 3840x2176 pixels (UltraHD 4K) at 30 fps. The picture is very clear, you can take still pictures and get 8 MP pictures from them. The only thing I didn’t like was the exposure: it “jumps” sharply depending on the lighting, there is no smooth transition in image brightness. Another nuance: the codec for 4K recording is H.265. It is not as widespread as H.264, so some video players on PC or MAC may not open videos; YouTube does not understand this codec. So, it is not yet possible to upload clips shot on MX4 to the Google service.

There is slow motion shooting in HD resolution at 100 frames per second. The video itself is played at 25 fps.

The front camera is normal (4 Sharp lenses with a blue glass filter). Characteristics: Sony CMOS Exmor R module, matrix size – 1/2.3 (diagonal 3.1 mm), maximum number of pixels – 2.22 M, effective – 2.17 M, active – 2.12 M, cell size – 1.4x1.4 μm. More details can be found here

“Tap” adjusts the exposure. Videos are recorded in HD resolution at 30 fps. The angle is not the widest.

The interface is simple: swipe right or left at the top to scroll through the modes, at the bottom there is a video recording button, taking a photo, gallery; even lower - “Back”, flash, effects, front camera and settings.

Modes

• Manual mode
• Portrait
• Panorama
• Changing Focus
• Scanner (Bar/QR codes)
• Slow motion
• Macro

Settings

• Net
• Level
• Countdown
• Photo size (from 5 MP to 20 MP)
• Video size (480p, 720p, 1080p, 4k)

EXIF information

Video file characteristics

• File Format: MP4
• Video codec: HEVC, 42 Mbit/s
• Resolution: 3840 x 2176, 30 fps (or 24 fps at night)
• Audio codec: AAC, 128 Kbps
• Channels: 1 channel, 48 kHz

Sample photos

Day

Twilight

Night

Flash

In room

Examples of photos taken with the front camera:

Performance and Software Platform

At the beginning of 2014, MediaTek announced the MT6595 single-chip SoC with an eight-core processor, LTE modem and hardware support for Ultra HD H.265. If the company called the previous generation of the chip the first true 8-core, then the MT6595 is the first 8-core with support for 4G, ARM Cortex-A17 and the H265 codec.

The system processor is made using the familiar ARM big.LITTLE technology. In short, 4 Cortex-A17 cores (2.2 GHz each) can work simultaneously with 4 Cortex-A7 cores (1.7 GHz each). Naturally, everything depends on the load, so, in theory, the device should save energy.

The graphics are handled by the PowerVR G6200 (4 cores at 600 MHz) codenamed Rogue. Supports DirectX 10, OpenGL 3.x, 4.x, OpenGL ES 3.1.

In practice, without unnecessary marketing words and exaggeration of capabilities, you get one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, device on the market. The device does not slow down or glitch. Games run ABSOLUTELY ALL at the settings that the games themselves allow.

Screenshots from games

brief information

Performance tests

The Meizu MX4 smartphone operates on the Google Android operating system version 4.4.2. There is a proprietary Flyme OS shell. Currently (at least on my device) the update is version 4.0.4.

The Chinese company Meizu, with its example, refutes the stereotype “Chinese means bad.” The first smartphone of the MX line went on sale on the first day of 2012 and turned out to be quite competitive even among models from popular brands. After 2 years, Meizu is confidently pushing out competitors in the high price segment of the smartphone market thanks to a thoughtful approach to developing the design and packaging of its products. The flagship model Meizu MX4, which went on sale in October 2014, deserves the most serious attention.

Meizu MX4 smartphone - performance and efficiency

The smartphone is powered by the MT6595 chipset with four ARM Cortex-A7.2.2 GHz and four ARM Cortex-A17.1.7 GHz cores. The ARM big.LITTLE architecture on which the processor is designed allows you to use all 8 cores to solve a complex task or leave 2 A7 cores active in standby mode. In this case, the chipset determines the frequency at which each involved core should operate. This technology (PilotCore) allows you to achieve maximum processor performance with minimal power consumption. The smartphone runs Android 4.4 OS with the proprietary Flyme 4.0 interface.

The integrated 4-core PowerVR G6200MP4 graphics accelerator copes well with heavy games and watching videos.

The Meizu MX4 smartphone is available in 3 modifications: 8, 16 and 32 GB of internal memory. It will not be possible to expand it, since there is no slot for external memory cards. The RAM size for all models is 2 GB.

The display of the Meizu MX4 smartphone with an aspect ratio of 15:9, a diagonal of 5.36” and a resolution of 1920 x 1152 pixels is made using Nega liquid crystal technology, which provides high-quality color reproduction and a wide viewing angle. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Multi-touch supports up to 10 touches.

The rear 20-megapixel (20.70 million pixel) camera of the Meizu MX4 smartphone is equipped with a two-color LED flash, autofocus and digital Zoom 4x. ClearMotion increases the frame rate when shooting video up to 100 frames per second. There is a front 2 megapixel camera.

The body of the Meizu MX4 smartphone is made of aircraft aluminum and covered with matte plastic covers in three colors: gray, silver and gold. The corners and side edges of the back panel are rounded, which visually makes the product thinner and more elegant.

Customer reviews about the Meizu MX4 smartphone

The owners unanimously note the ergonomics of the case and the pleasant design of the device. Durable plastic is resistant to mechanical damage. Heavy games run without freezing, sites with a lot of graphics open quickly. The display is really good as the manufacturer advertises it: excellent color rendition, high contrast, the screen does not fade in the sun. The sound from the stereo speakers is powerful and rich.

Some disappointment is the non-removable battery, which runs out after 5-6 hours of active use with LTE turned on, despite its not small capacity of 3100 mAh. In general, the Meizu MX4 smartphone is an excellent choice in terms of price/quality ratio.

Technical characteristics of the Meizu MX4 smartphone

• Processor - MediaTek MT6595 8-core;
• Operating system - Android 4.4 OS, Flyme 4.0 interface;
• GPU - PowerVR G6200MP4 4-core;
• RAM - 2 GB;
• Permanent memory – 8/16/32 GB;
• Display - IPS 5.36 inches, resolution 1920x1152, multi-touch;
• Rear camera - 20.70 MP, LED flash, autofocus;
• Front camera - 2 MPx;
• Maximum video resolution is 3840 x 2160 pixels. / 100 fps;
• LTE, 3G, GSM;
• GPS/GLONASS;
• Non-removable battery - 3100 mAh;
• Dimensions - 75.2x144x8.9 mm;
• Weight - 147 g;
• Number of SIM cards - 1 pc.;
• The price of Meizu MX4 32 Gb in Russia is about 450?480 dollars, in Ukraine - 7300?8000 UAH.

Video review of the Meizu MX4 smartphone:

Every modern person has touchscreen mobile devices. Smartphones are convenient, functional, affordable and stylish. World-famous manufacturers never cease to amaze their consumers with bold ideas and updates. They systematically improve their models, introduce additional functions, make them lighter and more beautiful, and use innovative solutions.

Phones allow you to stay up to date with all the news, always be in touch with loved ones (via social networks, messages), improve yourself (read books), work, relax (play, watch movies). To become the owner of a popular and functional gadget, you should not only carefully study the characteristics, but also choose a worthy seller.

Our online store is considered the country's leader in the sale of mobile devices and accessories. The catalog presents a large and varied selection of models from the Meizu manufacturer. This brand has managed to establish itself on the positive side. Its products have a modern filling, stylish design, good build quality and an affordable price.

To make it easier to choose, you can use the filtering window and select models by color, diagonal size, price range, year of announcement, etc.