• Which is better: Meizu or Xiaomi smartphones? Xiaomi or Meizu: how to choose a smartphone with the perfect balance of price and quality

    The Chinese company Meizu is gaining popularity by leaps and bounds and competes with leading mobile phone companies. After all, this company was able to combine everything that is so important for the consumer. Good assembly, high performance of the device, beautiful design and reasonable price. And so that you can easily choose a reliable smartphone according to your wishes, we want to present the ranking of the best Meizu smartphones of 2018, the choice of the majority, the six best Meizu models.

    The best Meizu smartphones of 2018

    7th place - M5s

    The latest and, accordingly, the new Meizu smartphone of 2018. Unlike the "parent" M5, it has been significantly improved with its metal body and technical characteristics. If you had an M5 that everyone loved so much, but you want a new thing, you can safely buy it. Very high quality screen and body of the smartphone.

    Main characteristics:

    • Android 6.0;
    • screen 5.2″, resolution 1280×720
    • camera 13 MP;
    • RAM: 3GB;
    • 3000 mAh;
    • two SIM cards;
    • weight: 189g.

    6th place - M3 Max


    It is smart with a large 6-inch display and a beautiful metal body. It is also one of the largest devices in our ranking of smartphones. For additional protection, a fingerprint scanner has been developed on the front side. You are a fan of watching movies or videos, or you can play games on the big screen, then it will suit you very well.

    Characteristics:

    • Android 6.0;
    • screen 6″, resolution 1920×1080
    • camera 13 MP;
    • RAM: 3GB;
    • 4100 mAh;
    • two sim cards.

    Pros:

    1. high-quality screen;
    2. very comfortable and beautiful design;
    3. fast fingerprint scanner;
    4. good battery;
    5. price-quality ratio.

    Minuses:

    1. camera focus.

    5th place - U20


    The most beautiful device The whole U line is distinguished by beauty and subtlety, but among them, the best Meizu smartphone of 2018 is, of course, the U20. It came out in two colors: black and white. The body is made of glass, which is what makes it look so good. Perhaps appearance is important to you, well then this model is just for you.

    Characteristics:

    • android;
    • screen 5.5″, resolution 1920×1080
    • camera 13 MP;
    • RAM: 3GB;
    • 3260 mAh;
    • two SIM cards;
    • weight: 158g.

    Pros:

    1. inexpensive;
    2. very attractive appearance;
    3. high-quality display;
    4. good battery;
    5. thin.

    Minuses:

    1. camera;
    2. external speaker.

    4th place - Meizu X


    After the release, he became famous for his camera and impeccable photography. This model is much more expensive than the ones we described earlier, but if you like to travel and photograph beautiful places and important moments, then this is the best smartphone for you.

    Main characteristics:

    • android;
    • screen 5.5″, resolution 1920×1080;
    • camera 12 MP;
    • RAM: 3 or 4GB;
    • processor: 8 cores at 2.3GHz;
    • 3200 mAh.

    3rd place - Pro 6

    First-class design and remarkable case. It ranked fifth in the 2018 Chinese smartphone rankings. And this place is well-deserved, not only because of the innovative design, but also the performance of the device is very remarkable. The combination of the phone's features and its pleasant price are surprising. Thus, if you are a fan of good and powerful devices, but do not want to overpay, it is simply created for you.

    Characteristics:

    • Android 6.0;
    • screen 5.2″, resolution 1920×1080
    • camera 21.16 MP;
    • RAM: 4GB;
    • 2560 mAh;
    • two SIM cards;
    • weight 160 g.

    Pros:

    1. appearance;
    2. comfortable Flyme shell;
    3. build quality;
    4. sound quality;
    5. fast charging;
    6. nimble enough.

    Minuses:

    1. slightly weak camera;
    2. sound in headphones;
    3. battery life.

    2nd place - Meizu M3s

    This is one of the affordable and budget smartphones, but at the same time it is in no way inferior in terms of performance. The most frequently chosen, which is why it takes an honorable second place in our ranking of Meizu smartphones. The metal body, different colors and these are not all the pluses of the model. The ratio of price and features will pleasantly surprise you, if you need a relatively simple device for every day, you are not a gamer or a movie fan, this model will perfectly complement and embellish your everyday life.

    Main characteristics:

    • android;
    • 5″, 1280×720;
    • 13 MP;
    • 3020 mAh;
    • RAM: 3GB;
    • processor 8 cores at 1500 MHz;
    • two SIM cards;
    • weight 138 g.

    Pros:

    1. appearance;
    2. battery charge;
    3. metal case;
    4. smartphone performance;
    5. bright screen;
    6. inexpensive.

    Minuses:

    1. sometimes firmware curves;
    2. weak camera;
    3. quiet sound in the headphones.

    1st place - Meizu Pro 5

    We have described the best phones of this company, according to buyers, but according to all the characteristics, the top and best Meizu smartphone is the Pro 5. Many people think that this is generally the chosen Android device, which is why we want to take a closer look and talk about it.
    Design

    We will not hide that from the very beginning the company tried to approach Apple with its design. Pro 5 is no exception, which is very reminiscent of its outlines iPhone 6 Plus. Size, rounded glass and even an oval button on the front. And who is not trying to lick off the iPhone design now? But they have recently moved away from this trend and began to acquire their own individuality.


    Display
    In no way inferior to the top phone manufacturers. The picture quality is at a high level: brightness, clarity, viewing angle.

    Performance

    Perhaps this is the strongest side of this instance. A powerful processor, which is also used by other top companies. The performance of this device is enough for the phone to be up-to-date in terms of power for 2-4 years. It will pull any game and any application.
    Camera
    Buying this device, you can not worry about the quality of the photo. Maximum number of pixels, six optical elements, fast and accurate auto focus. With regards to the front camera, selfies will also be wonderful and beautiful.

    Working hours

    As we all know, a powerful display is responsible for the fast discharge of the device. The Pro 5 has a very good display, but it is FullHD, which allows the battery to drain much more slowly. According to the tests, he “lived” for two days, despite the fact that he was at work almost all the time.
    Soft
    Echoes of the iPhone are here too: similar icons, menus and even gestures. If you climb everywhere, then the similarity with IOS will be obvious.
    Audio
    Mobile device companies have been neglecting their audio systems lately. We believe that this is not right, because music and sound are an integral part of our lives. But the company we are talking about today focused on sound and made the right decision. You can see for yourself, compare it with even the most expensive models and you will be surprised how much better it is.
    Safety
    Being easy to use helps the fingerprint scanner, which responds very quickly to touch. And of course, it will protect your personal information and files from infringement.

    China has long been awarded the title of capital of fakes. Of course, at some point this was true, but, apparently, Meizu and Xiaomi companies decided to change their minds about Chinese products, and began to produce really high-quality smartphones. And not only cheap models, but also real flagships. Now buyers have a difficult choice - which is better Xiaomi or Meizu?

    Choosing devices of these brands, users cannot decide which is better. After all, as one so the second company has on its account models that for a long time remained leaders in sales. If we compare the characteristics, then both have quality products that are sold at an affordable price. Naturally, there are flaws in the configuration, but the low price more than compensates for the inconvenience of having them. Let's look at who is better of these two eternal competitors.

    Comparing Meizu and Xiaomi is one of the main topics on many sites. In addition, to find out what are the advantages and disadvantages of these smartphones, users can refer to the forums. Asking people who have already dealt with this technique is much more reliable than reading blogger reviews. Although the video review also has its advantages. Most importantly, choose a page with a lot of reviews to be completely sure that this is not a fake.


    Meizu has some advantages. Let's look at them in more detail:

    1. Original and stylish design. Perhaps this is the first thing the buyer pays attention to. Manufacturers took this into account and released a lot of beautiful devices. This is especially noticeable when examining budget models. They have several colors for the panel, the glass screen looks very stylish and expensive, despite the fact that the price of technology is relatively low. Take at least the Meise U10 and U20 - it is generally impossible to pick up analogues of these models at the same price.
    2. The availability policies of the companies differ in favor of Meizu. In the early stages, buying Haomi is much more difficult. This is due to the fact that the manufacturer does not limit the initial circulation, therefore, representatives who resell the device do not have the opportunity to set too high a markup.
    3. Audio in Meizu works much better, not only on flagship models, but also on conventional devices. This is due to the fact that they are equipped with discrete audio processors. Of course, they cannot compete with expensive models for a thousand dollars. But no one requires this from them, given the money for which the buyer took the device.
    4. So, in terms of sampling rate, users get relatively higher performance than smartphones from Xiaomi. The signal-to-noise ratio is also not ideal, but of high quality, and the sensitivity to the frequency potential is quite wide.
    5. The Meizu camera is also one of the advantages of the manufacturer in question. The best-selling models are specially equipped with flagship cameras, the video quality of which is very high, especially considering that this technique costs ridiculous money. It is important to recall that if we compare Xiaomi and Meizu phones, then the advantage will clearly be on the side of Meizu, although this does not mean that competitors have nothing to show. In general, the video of Meizu smartphones should be of high quality.
    6. An interesting feature of these flagships is the presence of a button. This key has many functions, in particular, it reads fingerprints, can lock or unlock the phone, opens the task manager, etc.

    Disadvantages of Meizu smartphones

    Naturally, such inexpensive models have drawbacks, like many other devices among Chinese flagships. So, let's take a look at the biggest problems in smartphone configuration.

    1. MediaTek chipsets do not quite fit the smartphones of this manufacturer, so users may experience various problems. But since the end of 2017, the situation may change, so it remains only to wait.
    2. As you know, timely updates affect the quality of a smartphone, and if they are not carried out, the system will start to malfunction, various glitches will occur, etc. So customers have to take care of their own safety. Unfortunately, almost all Meizu smartphones have a similar drawback. So if you're tired of looking for the right updates yourself, it's better to take a phone that works more reliably.
    3. There are also disadvantages of the OS, but they do not interfere with the good operation of the device. Of course, benchmarking against expensive flagships won't be in Meizu's favor, but the affordable price makes these small configuration issues very minor. The main thing is to monitor the system, carefully refers to the installation of various updates, and the smartphone will work more reliably.


    What is better Meizu or Xiaomi

    Xiaomi smartphones are very popular devices not only in China, but also in the global market. However, while these devices are relative newcomers to the European market. Nevertheless, they confidently capture the audience. Let's take the most important features of this manufacturer and find out how Xiaomi differs from other Chinese-made devices.

    • First of all, what attracts users to Xiaomi Redmi is the company's pricing policy. Prices are quite low as smartphones are only part of the investment the company is making. Also under this logo are TVs, network equipment, fitness bracelets and more. So it makes no sense for the manufacturer to overprice gadgets;
    • Considering the difference between Xiaomi Redmi and Meizu, we can highlight the presence of an infrared port. Thanks to him, users can use the smartphone as a universal remote control. The main thing is that the Mi Remote program is built into the device, which transmits the command from the smartphone to household appliances or electronics;
    • Considering which smartphone is better, Xiaomi will come first, because it works in its own ecosystem, like, for example, Apple. That is, all devices that were released under the Xiaomi logo can be combined into one network;
    • High-quality iron is put even on budget smartphones. Although the Xiaomi review shows that the more expensive the equipment, the better it is, the high price is a relative unit. The difference between Meizu vs Xiaomi is minimal, but if we consider the prices of top manufacturers, then the buyer will be able to save several hundred dollars on flagships that are practically not inferior in quality to models from Samsung or the like.


    conclusions

    Having considered all the advantages and disadvantages of these Chinese smartphones, one conclusion can be drawn - whether or not to buy a device depends on the personal preferences of the buyer. For example, Xiaomi smartphones are produced in a limited edition, so you will have to buy them from resellers, who, of course, profit from customers. Therefore, the low price suddenly turns into a high one.

    Naturally, distinguished by a different desire to find the cheapest model, buyers take decisive steps - for example, they go to China for a phone. If you want to save money, but not go anywhere, then it’s better to choose Meise, because their circulation is much larger, which means that it makes no sense to make a large margin for a domestic user. So, specifying what to choose, each person relies on his own selection criteria. Both of these manufacturers are worthy, even if they are not perfect.

    Answering the question about the smartphones of two well-known Chinese brands Meizu or Xiaomi - which is better to buy, is not so simple. On the one hand, both companies produce a lot of similar models of mobile equipment - both in terms of parameters, functionality, and even price.

    On the other hand, different users like their own features of smartphones - some prefer branded ones, others want better image quality, others are more interested in the autonomy of the device.

    Brand history

    Both Chinese companies cannot be called newcomers to the mobile technology market. However, the Meizu brand became known first - in 2003, several popular mp3 players were produced under it. But already at the end of the last decade, after, the company's management is betting on smartphones, predicting them to be more successful than players starting to become obsolete.

    In 2009, the first Meitsu touch phones appeared, the design and equipment of which were largely copied. Due to the too serious similarity of the Meizu M8 model, the production of the Chinese copy was discontinued a year after the company entered the smartphone market. Now Meizu does not repeat such mistakes, but its products still have a slight resemblance to iPhones.

    Xiaomi began its work in 2010 as a manufacturer of MIUI software shells, which is now considered proprietary for phones of this brand. However, a year later, the brand also released its first Mi1 smartphone with good parameters for that time - a four-inch screen, 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of ROM and a 1930 mAh battery.

    Over the next six years, the company released more than a dozen models of smartphones (tablets) and three tablets, which are in good demand for their cost and performance.

    Comparison of smartphone parameters in 2017

    In order to compare the products of the two brands this year, it is worth deciding on the evaluation criteria. Chief among them are the following characteristics:

    • variety of models on the market;
    • build quality and appearance;
    • performance of similar devices;
    • quality of sound and pictures taken with these smartphones.

    It does not hurt to also consider the features of the platforms under which the gadgets of competing brands operate. It is worth remembering one of the main characteristics of modern smartphones - autonomy, which affects the time of use.

    And as an additional evaluation criterion, you can analyze the presence of devices compatible with these phones and small design differences in the form.

    The lineup

    Comparing the number of devices released annually by both companies, you can see that they manage to release new items a little more often. The same brand currently has noticeably more smartphone models and their modifications. Moreover, both in the segment of expensive and powerful flagships, and among those whose price does not exceed $100.

    At the same time, in 2017, the picture changed - new smartphones and, sold at a bargain price and having very good parameters, increased the demand for the brand's products. And now on the network you can find an approximately equal number of offers to buy equipment from both companies.

    The prices for the models of the two Chinese brands do not differ much from each other. The price category is also the same - for both budget devices and flagships:

    • smartphones with 2 GB of RAM cost between $100 and $200 for Meizu and between $110 and $180 for Xiaomi;
    • models with 3 GB of RAM can be purchased for $150 to $350 and $130 to $380, respectively;
    • four-gigabyte phones cost between $200-550 (Meitsu) and $180-550 (Xiaomi).

    Flagship, that is, the most productive and expensive versions of both manufacturers will cost about $500-600. However, Xiaomi has many such options - Meizu has only one so far, Pro 7 Plus. Therefore, lovers of flagships with high power should pay attention to the Xiaomi brand, which offers a greater variety of characteristics (including screen sizes).

    Meizu is known and popular in many countries of the world today. It produces reliable, high-quality and fairly inexpensive equipment. Smartphones of this brand attract customers not only with a wide range of functions and stylish design, but also with a pleasant combination of affordable price and quality in their devices. In an effort to keep up in the frenzied race of competing companies for a place in the sun, the Chinese manufacturer is forced to improve every new phone model more and more. It is for those readers who choose which Chinese smartphone to buy inexpensively that we recommend that you pay attention to this manufacturer and present to your judgment the rating of the best Meizu smartphones for the middle of 2018-2019 with a detailed description of the design and technical characteristics of each presented model.

    Meizu U20

    This relatively inexpensive, but good smartphone from Meizu differs from its counterparts primarily in the material from which the case is made. Both panels, front and back, are made of glass. Moreover, the front panel is quite resistant to minor damage, thanks to Gorilla Glass 3. A thin silvery metal insert runs along the edge of the phone. Under the screen is the only button to control the Meizu phone capable of working with a fingerprint.

    Among the advantages of this model can be called a large and comfortable display diagonal of 5.5 inches, high resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels) with a density of 401 PPI per inch. There is an oleophobic coating, thanks to which the screen does not leave greasy streaks, and an anti-reflective filter that allows you to easily use your smartphone even in bright sunny weather.

    The smartphone has an 8-core Mediatek Helio P10 processor, the OS version is Android 6.0, the mobile device is equipped with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, microSD cards up to 128GB are supported. The phone has a good main (13 MP) and front (5 MP) cameras with autofocus and LED flash. The pictures are bright and saturated with good sharpness. At night, the quality of the shooting is quite acceptable. The phone is equipped with two slots for SIM-cards, 3G and 4G LTE standards are supported. The battery in the phone has a pretty good capacity reserve of 3260 mAh.

    Meizu M3E

    The body of this rugged smartphone is made entirely of metal. The front panel is made in the tradition of all previous models. Below the screen is a familiar button with a full range of management functions and the ability to scan the owner's fingerprints.
    The display is large, has a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a high resolution of 1920 by 1080, while the pixel density is 401 PPI. Such characteristics contribute to the fact that individual pixels in the image are not visible. The display is protected by a high quality oleophobic layer, viewing angles are wide. High contrast and a wide range of brightness create a high-quality picture.

    The eight-core Mediatek Helio P10 processor and 3 GB of RAM create the preconditions for high performance of a reliable and high-quality smartphone, while the device does not overheat, even when working in enhanced mode. The amount of built-in memory is 32GB, there is a slot for a second SIM card, which combines a tray for a memory card (its capacity can reach up to 128 GB). The OS version used is Android 6.0. A non-removable battery with a relatively good capacity of 3100 mAh, which will allow you to enjoy the device for a long time. The camera has the usual 13 megapixels (main), frontal resolution - 5.0 megapixels. The lens is equipped with phase detection autofocus and dual LED flash, which makes your photos and videos even more vivid, high-quality and rich.

    Meizu Pro 6

    The design of this model of the popular smartphone remains true to tradition, still equaling Apple. This attracts buyers, forcing them to choose this particular smartphone. The case is almost all metal, there are inserts made of plastic, its shape is rounded on all sides, the device fits nicely in the hand. There are no noticeable fingerprints on the surface of the panel, the metal surface does not slip. There is only one control button, it is mechanical, but it combines touch functions and scans prints.

    The screen of the smartphone is protected by 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3, it is slightly convex and looks very stylish. The display diagonal is 5.2 inches, the dot density is 424 PPI, the high quality resolution is Full HD (1920 by 1080). It has a grease repellent finish. It is convenient to use the phone both in bright daylight and at night. There is also a distinctive feature: the display supports 3D Press technology, reacting to the force of touch. By pressing the screen a little harder, you can use the context menu, which has quick access to certain functions (play music, create an event in the calendar).

    This is a good phone with good sound. And it doesn't matter how you listen to the audio recording (with or without headphones), the sound quality is high anyway. The main camera has a resolution of 21 megapixels, as well as fast phase laser autofocus, front - 5 megapixels. The camcorder can shoot cool videos with a resolution of 3840 by 2160. There is a slow recording. The picture quality is rich, detail and sharpness in perfect order. The smartphone is powered by a powerful Mediatek Helio X25 processor, which has as many as 10 cores to work at the highest level. Fast memory is 4 GB, built-in - 32 GB. The operating system version is the popular Android 6.0. The model is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 2560 mAh, it is non-removable. It charges quickly, one hour is enough, the operating time is enough for a day in passive mode, it can withstand about 13 hours of constant conversation. A phone with two SIM cards can work equally fast.

    Meizu MX6

    The case is made of metal, one-piece, no plastic. This is a thin, streamlined, elegant and, according to users, almost the best Meizu smartphone with a good screen and battery in our top. I would like to note one interesting feature right away: there is only one SIM card slot, but it can accommodate two cards at the same time.
    The diagonal of the IPS display is 5.5 inches, the image size is clear - 1920 by 1080. The pixel density is 401 PPI. There is a special function "eye protection".

    The smartphone of this model is equipped with a cool camera: there are two modules of digital cameras. The front has a resolution of 5 megapixels and a fixed focus. The main one has a resolution of 12 megapixels, fast phase autofocus is used during operation, a dual LED flash for bright and beautiful photos. The level of sharpness and color reproduction is high, the image quality is excellent.

    The smartphone uses the sixth version of Android with the built-in Flyme shell as the OS. A distinctive feature of this device is that it is equipped with a 10-core Mediatek Helio X20 processor. 4 GB of RAM contribute to the fast operation of the device. Built-in memory has a capacity of 32 GB. The capabilities of the working platform of the smartphone will be enough even for demanding games. The battery capacity is quite large (3060 mAh). There is a fast charging function.

    Meizu M3

    Outwardly, as always, the new Meizu smartphone model looks expensive and stylish. The case itself is almost all metal with plastic inserts in the upper and lower parts, the screen is protected by convex glass, it is resistant to minor damage and covered with an oleophobic layer. The scanner built into the control key, which has a pressing mechanism and a touch layer, can be called one of the best mechanisms among world manufacturers. The phone has a slot for two SIM cards or one SIM card and a memory card.
    A review of a smartphone cannot be complete without a description of the display. The display with a large diagonal of 5.5 inches and a pixel density of 401 PPI has an excellent resolution of 1920/1080. These characteristics indicate that individual pixels on the screen are not visible. The image is colorful, the low backlight level is convenient for night use.

    Your phone is running Android OS 5.1. The device is based on the processor of the same MediaTek brand (Helio P10). The processor itself has eight cores. The amount of built-in memory reaches 32 GB, and the RAM is 3 GB. This is a smartphone with a good battery (4100 mAh), which increases the operating time of the device. There is a mini USB port for charging.

    The smartphone of this model comes with a good 13 megapixel camera, has a dual flash and phase focus for detailed camera work during shooting. At any time of the day, high-quality shots are obtained. The 5MP front camera is great for taking selfies. Video quality is good, Full HD resolution and 30 frames per second contribute to this.

    Meizu M3s

    This is a budget option for a good smartphone, which perfectly matches the categories of best price and quality. The design is still the same: a metal back panel, plastic top and bottom, and a stylish rounded glass front. The model is universal, it will fit well in a woman's handbag and in the breast pocket of an office worker.

    The device is compact due to its relatively small size. The diagonal screen will be 5 inches. The model has a streamlined shape. All these characteristics make the phone very easy to use. The screen resolution is decent, as for a budget smartphone - 1280/720 pixels, viewing angles are good. The maximum video resolution is 1920 by 1080 pixels. Inexpensive smartphones of this model have quite decent performance due to the 8-core Mediatek MT6750 processor. 2 GB RAM and Flyme OS firmware make it possible to store up to 5 applications in memory, which is normal for the vast majority of users. The amount of built-in memory is 16 GB.

    A fairly capacious 3020 mAh non-removable battery holds a charge well. A fan of social networks can confidently use the phone all day long. In the mode with less load, the device will last longer (up to 40 hours). For a budget model, this is a smartphone with a good 13 megapixel camera, which has excellent photo quality. Available: LED flash, autofocus, 5 MP front camera. The frame rate per second is 30, which allows you to shoot video in good quality. The mobile phone works with two SIM-cards. It is possible to expand the memory up to 128 GB using a memory card.

    Outcome

    Today we reviewed the rating of the best Meizu smartphones for 2018-2019, in which our experts selected only the most purchased and functional gadgets based on reviews on the Internet. As you understand, the reliability of the phones of this Chinese manufacturer does not fail with the build quality, and the technical characteristics keep pace with global manufacturers. Read our articles and make the right choice!

    A few years ago, we had never heard of Chinese-made smartphones. The creators presumptuously broke into the domestic market with their gadgets, which at first aroused the distrust of compatriots. True, fears about Chinese goods dissipated when the realization came: this time the Celestial Empire offers a good alternative to expensive smartphones.
    The excellent balance of price and quality immediately caught my eye, but that's exactly what is better - or Meizu - many consumers have not understood until now. So, which Chinese brand should you prefer? How to understand which of the manufacturers to vote for and whose smartphone is better - find out from our article.

    Appearance of competitors

    Manufacturers do not hold back their imagination, taking into account fashion trends, consumer loyalty. In the production of even the cheapest devices, high-quality materials and different color schemes take part. This applies to cases and flagship models, and budget ones. Here, parity was formed between the two companies: a round Meizu And Xiaomi, dedicated to the design of phone models, ended in a draw.

    • The Meizu phone is a one-piece, strict, but slightly rounded monoblock at the corners - it looks presentable, no worse than apple technology, and fits in the hand like a “native”.
    • Plastic (the Chinese claim that it is strong, reliable) Meizu case is not only the usual colors. The company's designers diversified the strict black-gray-white variation with soft pink and rich blue shades.
    • The attractiveness of the front panel does not interfere with the keys - there is only a central “home” button, without which, apparently, nowhere.
    • Next to the upper speaker in the phone is an indicator - glows with a pale blue light and notifies you of new messages and missed calls.
    • The screen occupies almost the entire space of the phone, with the exception of narrow strips of plastic at the top and bottom. Even on a small 5-inch model, the display will be large enough for comfortable use.

    Xiaomi have focused on the maximum simplicity of their smartphones. Coupled with the metal case, the minimalism of the design does credit to the overall practicality of the device. A nice bonus is that fingerprints do not remain on the metal. Most Xiaomi models have a small bezel around the display that protrudes approximately 1 millimeter above the screen surface. This increases the protection of the device's screen from scratches - now it's not so scary to accidentally drop the phone or put it on the table with the screen on the table.

    Hardware: which smartphone is more productive

    If the competitors' smartphones are practically the same in price and visual terms, then it's worth looking deeper - namely, in the hardware of phones - and everything becomes clear. For example, most Meizu smartphones are powered by MediaTek brand processors from Taiwan. The manufacturer strives to maintain equally good quality for both flagship and democratic models, because high-quality processors are on both of them (in total, about 90% of all Meizu smartphones work on MediaTek).

    Xiaomi is slightly ahead of its competitor in terms of processor and puts Qualcomm chips on the models, which have better performance. Among the additional advantages of the processor, one can single out, for example, an excellent move of mobile toys with “heavy” graphics - it will be already difficult for Meizu devices to cope with such. True, the “tasty” goes to the flagship models, which are more expensive, and the budget models use cheaper processors.

    In essence, the filling of both devices will perform well all the tasks that you entrust to it: it will be able to make a call, quickly load pages on social networks, games, you will be able to google something or read a book.

    Another iron difference between gadgets is batteries. Xiaomi has more capacious ones: Redmi models, as an example, and Redmi Note use 4000-4100 mAh batteries. Their competitors from Meizu in the parallel models Blu Charm and Blue Charm Note have batteries of only 3000 and 3500 milliamps per hour, that is, they “live” from charge to charge an order of magnitude less than competitors. Respectively:

    • the average Meizu phone will be able to work for about 6-7 hours, and its opponent works tirelessly up to 8.5 hours in a row

    Users whose phones are mostly in their purse on “receiving calls” will hardly notice a change in battery life.

    Journalists or Internet surfers who, on duty, need to use the device around the clock, will like Xiaomi. With active work, it holds a charge almost twice as long as Meizu.

    cameras

    The cameras of Chinese smartphones are of satisfactory quality, given the price niche occupied by both firms. Even budget models have additional settings for photography - for example, you can independently set the white balance, brightness / contrast, or even a timer.

    You can analyze the quality of cameras from each manufacturer by the most popular and average-priced models - for example, Meizu M5 Note and Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.

    Before a scrupulous examination of the advantages and disadvantages of manufacturers, it is worth mentioning that the quality of photos is also influenced by the hardware installed in the device: for example, Qualcomm chipsets in Xiaomi make it possible to take pictures with high detail and good clarity, in addition, the camera of this smartphone has a wide dynamic range.

    Smartphones usually have MediaTek processors, which allow the device to render colors more naturally and make much less mistakes in the process of setting white balance settings. Thus, if Meizu always raises the exposure a little more than necessary, then the competitor, Xiaomi, increases the contrast.

    Meizu M5 Note

    13MP camera with autofocus

    Aperture f/2.0

    Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

    Dual camera with 2 lenses: the main shoots at a resolution of 13 megapixels, and the secondary one - 5 megapixels.

    f/2.0

    Photographing during the day

    Technique Xiaomigave (compared to a competitor) clearer photos, with high image detail. This phone showed a much more honest color reproduction and automatic white balance (overexposure control) in the pictures.

    Night shooting

    Night shooting test, on the contrary, withstood bettermeizu.In this case, the phone showed clearer images. And the smartphone is able to automatically set more correct exposure indicators.

    Front-camera

    The front cameras of both devices work tolerably, but in different ways, therefore, for selfie lovers, the choice already depends on taste: if you like contrast, take Xiaomi, if you want a “soft” picture and a minimum of brightness, then Meizu is for you. The Meizu front camera has a less wide range, and therefore the colors do not look as natural as those of the Xiaomi competitor. The sharpness is good, but the main thing here is to "hit" the exposure - before you take a shot, make sure that the focus is on the face, otherwise errors in exposure and white balance cannot be avoided.

    Advantages

    In this model, the developers have improved the general condition of the camera in comparison with other models: the “blurring” of pictures has disappeared, as a result of software refinement, the noise that used to appear when shooting in poor lighting conditions has disappeared. There is a manual mode - if you like to set up the camera yourself and want to improve the quality of the photo, you can adjust the white balance and exposure yourself, manually adjust the focus.

    The camera has its own module for taking pictures in different conditions (“beach”, “sunny day”, “snow”, “night shooting”). Previously, such settings could only be found in cameras - now the phone works on the same principle.

    The device helps to straighten the picture if you hold the camera unevenly in relation to what you are photographing: the phone itself will crop the photo to the desired state.

    Meizu camera in different lighting

    OS

    The Chinese, lovers of “finishing” and improvements, have created their own operating system for their equipment. The Meizu/Xiaomi pair is no exception to the rule: Meizu uses Flyme as its operating system, while Xiaomi uses MIUI.

    flyme

    Localization

    Supports software localization at a good level. The Russian-language version is embedded in smartphones already at the production stage, so you can confidently buy Meizu even from China - and you can use it as soon as you get it out of the box - the device has a Russian language. In fact, there is no need to reflash such a smartphone to introduce new functions into it.

    In terms of localization capabilities, Xiaomi loses a lot in comparison with Meizu: the phone focuses mainly on the Chinese market. This means that it not only does not support the Russian language, but also does not allow you to use Google services. A way out of this situation is usually found by enterprising sellers who, before selling the devices themselves, perform a flashing. But even here there are risks, for example, in the form of bugs that may appear during the installation process.

    Updates

    A common drawback of both companies is the infrequent provision of their customers with an upgrade directly for Android itself, on which the internal OS of smartphones is based.

    When choosing this manufacturer, be careful and pay attention to its firmware: in addition to Flyme, Meizu release mobile devices on YunOS. The second option is designed only for the domestic Chinese market, respectively, both using and updating such a system can and will cause problems. Things are better with Flyme - the system works on Android and is updated as it should.

    MIUI offers to install updates more often than competitors, provides its users with much more options for customization and use more user settings.

    Software deficiencies common to both brands

    From time to time, small bugs can occur in the operation of models from both manufacturers (for example, in firmware), which in a certain sense complicates the operation of smartphones, but they do not appear so often, which can be forgiven for the low price of phones.

    Meizu and Xiaomi users also often have complaints against developers for delaying the release of updates for Android.

    Sound: who is louder?

    Meizu

    Xiaomi

    Advantages

    On many models (especially flagship ones), Meizu installs discrete audio processors - in such a smartphone there will be a more harmonious ratio of noise and signal, and the frequency width, as a rule, is many times wider.

    A good choice for music lovers who like to listen to music on their phone. In headphones, the sound changes quite acceptable, in addition, there is an equalizer and even an additional proprietary utility to improve the sound for a specific headset.

    In more "older" models like the speaker is located next to the USB port and gives a louder and clearer sound, which can not be said about younger models. The sound is mainly dominated by high and medium frequencies, but for a smartphone they are quite enough.

    Flaws

    The manufacturer's average models perform well at low frequencies, but get dirty at high frequencies. In flagship phones, such problems do not arise. While listening to tracks through headphones, a barely perceptible hiss may be heard in quiet parts of the recording.

    The audibility of sound is lame. Last but not least, this is due to the fact that the device's speaker is located at the back - watching videos with such an arrangement is not very convenient, and the alarm clock (if the phone is placed with the screen up) is completely problematic to hear.