A balanced mid-level model with a Full HD screen and a fingerprint sensor. Review of the Meizu M3 Note smartphone: a polished phablet.

?

There are several basic standards cellular communication that are supported modern phones. In Russia it is used almost everywhere GSM standard. For high speed transmission For data, 3G and 4G LTE standards are used - the highest speed of the existing standards. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

?

Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect the phone to wireless speakers, as well as for transferring files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as universal remote control remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

?

Built-in GPS modules and GLONASS allow you to determine the coordinates of your phone using signals from satellites. If there is no GPS modern smartphone can determine its own location based on signals from base stations mobile operator. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

?

Beautiful…
The Meizu brand is one of the most popular Chinese smartphone manufacturers at the moment. The company produces truly reliable, beautiful and well-balanced gadgets.

Budget...
The company has a line of budget devices, which in the Chinese market is divided into a separate sub-brand - Meilan, also known as Blue Charm. But for the international market they are simply called Meizu M1,2,3, etc.

Big…
Note (“Note” or, if you prefer, “Note”) in the names of the models indicates that they are equipped with large 5.5-inch screens with FullHD resolution.

We will now take a closer look at one of these beautiful large budget employees.

• Screen: 5.5 inches, FullHD (1920x1080 pixels), 2.5D glass, Dinorex T2X-1 protection.
• Chipset: MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755M).
• Processor: ARM Cortex-A53 (64-bit, 8-core – 4x 1.8 GHz + 4x 1 GHz).
• Video processor: ARM Mali-T860 MP2 (2-core, 700 MHz).
• RAM: 2 GB.
• Built-in memory: 16 GB (using micro-SD it is possible to increase up to 128 GB).
• Number of SIM cards: 2.
• Type: nano-SIM(2x nano-SIM or nano-SIM + micro-SD).
• SIM card operating mode: alternating.
• Cellular standards: 2G/3G/4G (including VoLTE)
• Wireless standards: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n, 2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth (4.0).
• Navigation: GLONASS/GPS/.
• Interfaces: micro-USB USB standard 2.0 (USB-OTG, USB-host), 3.5 mm for headset.
• Main camera: 13 megapixels (dual LED flash, fast autofocus, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection).
• Front camera: 5 megapixels.
• Operating system: Flyme OS (on Android based Lollipop version 5.1).
• Sensors: gyroscope, accelerometer, Light sensor, IR proximity sensor, magnetometer, orientation/rotation sensor, fingerprint scanner, Hall sensor.
• Battery: lithium polymer (Li-Pol), non-removable, 4100 mAh.
• Housing: Aluminum alloy with plastic inserts, glass
• Dimensions: 76x154x8.2 mm.
• Weight: 163 g.
• Year of release: 2016.

The company offers a choice of two versions - Meizu M3 Note 16Gb and Meizu M3 Note 32Gb. The devices differ only in the amount of RAM and built-in memory on board - in the second version, 3 GB and 32 GB are installed, respectively. Otherwise, the characteristics are completely identical. The price difference between these two versions is minimal, so there's no need to skimp on performance or capacity.

Appearance

Externally, the case resembles older premium models – MX5 and Pro 5, which in turn are very similar to the 6 Apple. And this is not surprising - the company has long been positioned among buyers as a high-quality Apple imitator.

The body is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy with small plastic inserts on the back side (top and bottom) so as not to shield the antennas with metal. They differ in color from the body by half a tone, but this is almost not noticeable.

The phone is in my hand, despite its size, lies well and comfortably. The combination of an (almost) all-metal streamlined body, rounded corners and 2.5D glass front panel makes appearance not only superbly elegant, but also very comfortable to use and provides a pleasant tactile sensation to the owner. Fingerprints on the back cover are almost invisible.

Three colors available – dark grey, gold and silver (light grey). The front panel is presented in two color options - white or black.

Connectors and controls

On the front side in the center at the top there is a speaker, to the left of him - front camera, and on the right there is a proximity sensor (infrared), a light sensor and a notification indicator.

At the bottom, under the screen, There is a wonderful multifunctional control key. This key is both mechanical and touch, and at the same time it is an mTouch 2.1 fingerprint scanner!

A description of the capabilities and functions of this key will be below. We will mention only one “feature” right away, since they write a lot about it on the Internet. YES, this key is indeed set somewhat crookedly from the factory! Although this is practically unnoticeable, it can still spoil the impression for someone.

On the reverse side - the main camera is located in the top center, and below it is a dual two-tone LED flash. Below them is a stylized company logo. For those who are critical, let us inform you that the camera does not protrude, but is even somewhat recessed into the body.

The lower end is occupied by: micro-USB connector - in the center, the multimedia speaker is on the right, and the conversation microphone is on the left side. A 3.5 mm headset jack and a microphone for noise reduction and sound recording are located on the upper end on the left side. On the right edge of the smartphone, in a small recess, there are standard buttons: power/lock and volume control.

On the left side there is a closed tray for a nano-SIM card and expansion cards microSD memory(or for the second nano-SIM). Both SIM slots support 4G, but not at the same time! You can specify in the settings which SIM card will work in 4G/3G mode, while the second one will only have 2G mode.

Screen

FullHD screen with a resolution of 1920×1080 and 5.5 inches in size has a density of 403 pixels per inch, a brightness of 450 candelas per square meter and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. In reality, this means that the picture is moderately juicy, it’s difficult to see the pixels, and the maximum brightness is enough for working in any weather.

Instead of the usual IPS, an LTPS matrix is ​​installed here (Low Temperature Poly Silicon), usually used in more expensive models, which allows you to achieve wide (almost 180 degrees) viewing angles, lower power consumption and response time, and a better color palette. True, when the phone is tilted, there is an uncritical shift in the image to purple shades. Another drawback (or feature) – white gives off gray-blue.

Full lamination technology is also used here. – GFF (Glass-to-Film-to-Film), the essence of which is the absence of an air gap between the layers of the display. And this, in turn, reduces the reflection effect and gives the screen good anti-glare properties.

Auto level adjustment backlight present, but she makes transitions between states somewhat abruptly. The minimum level of backlight ensures comfortable work in the dark - the screen does not “hit” the eyes. It should also be noted that there is an oleophobic coating excellent quality, which was so missing in M2. Although fingerprints remain, they are in small quantities. You don’t have to put any effort into erasing them; they come off very easily. The finger glides across the screen well. Multi-touch can handle up to 10 touches simultaneously.

Fingerprint scanner

Conclusion

On this brief Meizu M3 Note review is over. Let us list the main pros and cons of this, which undoubtedly deserves close attention in budget segment, "Chinese".

Main advantages:

1. high quality build and great appearance.
2. large screen with excellent characteristics.
3. Protected 2.5D glass with good oleophobic properties.
4. powerful battery.
5. one of best scanners fingerprints.
6. fast and user-friendly interface Flyme.
7. good quality cellular communications, Wi-Fi and GPS

Main disadvantages:

1. lack of FM radio, infrared port and NFC support.
2. Average quality camera and external sound.
3. average graphics core performance.

To summarize, let's say that the Meizu M3 Note smartphone, unlike its predecessor M2 Note, has a metal body, an excellent fingerprint scanner, more powerful battery and a more sensitive camera, a good oleophobic screen coating, and the screen itself has become better. At the same time, it took on the appearance of the more expensive MX5 and Pro 5, and its performance is more than enough for “everyday” tasks.

I think there is something symbolic in comparing one of the best budget devices last year with a new low-cost successor. Meizu M3s mini and Meizu M5c in one comparison, why not? Both are inexpensive, fortunately, the M3s mini has already dropped noticeably in price and is almost equal in price to the new Meizu M5c, which represents the brand in the most affordable price category.

Who is more beautiful?

Design is a subjective matter, but the old Meizu M3s mini looks great for years and still pleases the eye with its design. The smartphone is small in size, well assembled, it has a metal body finish and good, well-thought-out ergonomics. Can the same be said about Meizu M5c? Yes, you can, but only the M5c has a plastic body, so it feels like a simpler device in your hand. Still, Meizu M3s mini had a claim to solidity, this cannot be taken away.

In size they are very similar to each other, only the Meizu M3s mini turned out to be slightly lower than its younger brother, because the Meizu M5c received a larger display, which led to a more elongated body. In my opinion, you just need to decide what is more important: the finish of the case is made of metal or plastic, in addition, on the side of the Meizu M5c there is a range of multi-colored shells - suddenly you are tired of the silver style and want something new. Although so far in Russia they sell only 2 options: black and gold, but there are also red, blue and pink. Who cares, but I would choose the Meizu M3s mini for myself, it looks more solid.

Where is the best screen?

I liked the Meizu M3s mini more because it has 2.5D glass, curved at the edges, while the Meizu M5c has a simple “flat” glass. Yes, we are already accustomed to everything beautiful, we would like to see such screens in all phones, but we decided to save money on the M5c.

Has image quality suffered? No, both phones have IPS matrices, a resolution of 720x1280 pixels, oleophobic coating and 5-point multi-touch in place. The diagonals are the same, 5-inch matrices in both phones. I didn’t notice any difference in color rendition; in my opinion, the picture is the same.

Which one is more powerful?

Having run a bunch of benchmarks, you can see that Meizu M3s produces better results. Yes, these are simple and budget processors MediaTek, but smartphones themselves are inexpensive, so everything is logical. A simple smartphone simple filling, fortunately, everything is tested and debugged, it works quickly. Although a direct comparison shows that the Meizu M3s mini, despite its age, still has more potential.

Results of testing Meizu M3s mini.

These are the results of measurements on Meizu M5c.

By the way, Meizu M5c received Flyme 6, it has a more modern shell, while M3s mini runs on the old Flyme 5, although both smartphones have Android 6.0. If you want a newer Flyme, the choice is obvious, you need to buy Meizu M5c.

What's the difference in filling?

Meizu M5c does not have a fingerprint scanner, it has “just” touch button mBack, but Meizu M3s mini more reliably protects user data. Both the smartphone and individual applications can be closed from curious friends.

Meizu M3s mini has a MediaTek MT6750 processor and 3/32 GB of memory; the 2/16 GB version is no longer sold in the official store. Meizu M5c is available in one version: MediaTek MT6737 processor with 2/16 GB of memory.

LTE works, band 20 is supported by both models, but Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz is only available in the Meizu M3s mini, while the Meizu M5c works exclusively with the 2.4 GHz frequency.

What about the cameras, where is better?

The front cameras are 5 megapixels, the main camera is 13 megapixels for Meizu M3s mini and 8 megapixels for Meizu M5c. The quality of the images can be assessed in this comparison. Despite its budget nature, the Meizu M5c shoots well and pleases with slightly wider-angle optics. He also has no blurry details on the left side of the frame, but this can be attributed to individual characteristics test copy of Meizu M3s mini. The verdict is simple - the cameras, if you do not take into account minor differences, are of comparable quality. How not to get confused about what phone the pictures were taken from? The first photo is Meizu M3s mini, the second is Meizu M5c. I hope I didn't mix anything up during layout.

Comparison by operating time

The battery capacity is comparable, the Meizu M3s mini has a 3020 mAh battery, and the Meizu M5c has almost the same - 3000 mAh. Therefore, the results of the work are almost the same, you can count on a day or two battery life without connection charger. A function would be nice fast charging, but in these models it is absent; this is already a feature of the older Meizu M5s.

Results

Meizu M3s mini remains in the version with 32 GB of memory and costs 11,990 rubles.

Meizu M5c with 16 GB costs 8,990 rubles.

The difference of 3 thousand rubles is noticeable, is it worth paying extra for the Meizu M3s mini? A fingerprint scanner, a screen with 2.5D glass, a metal body - are they worth that amount? Of course, if we were talking about a more affordable modification of the Meizu M3s mini with 16 GB of memory, then it would be easier to choose, but now you wonder whether you need to pay more. I think that when we are talking about an amount of 30% of Meizu prices M5c, the conclusion suggests itself - the new plastic model is becoming a more practical purchase.

Meizu review M3 Note

This is a review of Meizu M3 Note 32GB 2016 - Chinese smartphone budget line of the currently popular Asian brand.

It is noteworthy that this device incorporates the bulk of the solutions used in the company’s flagship, released a year earlier.

That is, at a relatively low cost (about 17 thousand rubles in Russia at the time of writing), the buyer receives a set of flagship technologies of 2015, many of which smartphones from famous brands still cannot boast of.

Specifications Meizu M3 Note

• Dimensions: height - 153.6 mm, width - 75.5 mm, thickness - 8.2 mm
• Weight - 163 grams
• Display - 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1920×1080
• Camera - main 13 MP and front (for video calling, selfies) 5 MP
• Processor - 8-core Helio P10
• RAM - 2 or 3 GB
• Graphics - Mali-T860MP2, 550 MHz
• Built-in memory - 32 GB
• Memory card support - microSD up to 128 GB
• Battery - 4,100 mAh
• Work in networks: 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE
• Number of SIM cards - 2 Nano-SIM
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB (for charging and transferring files), 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones
• Operating system - Android 5.1 with proprietary modifications
• Navigation - Glonass and A-GPS
• Equipment: fingerprint scanner, light and proximity sensors, accelerometer

Who is this smartphone suitable for? Everyone!

This universal device, covering most of the requirements that a modern city dweller of any gender and age places on a phablet.

The recently seemingly large 5.5 inches has already become an unspoken standard.

Meizu M3 Note perfectly copes with the tasks of a phone and instant messenger, takes excellent pictures, shoots videos with Full HD resolution and offers a lot of other features.

Design

Meizu M3 Note can be purchased in one of three colors:

with white front panel and gold back cover;
with white panel and silver cover;
with black panel and dark silver cover.

The price of the smartphone depends on the colors of the case.

There are no complaints about the appearance of the device: the smartphone is similar to the flagships of the same company released a year earlier - the MX5 and Pro 5 models.

The body components are made of high quality materials: metal and glass.

There are plastic inserts only in the upper and lower parts of the case, but they are painted to look like metal and do not stand out.

But to make it clear what a phone is like in advanced games, you can turn to the popular “Tanks” today.

And here everything is not so rosy. In general, it’s possible to play, but it’s very difficult to call it a comfortable game.

Periodically gameplay“lags”, and the number of frames per second can drop to 16-17 fps (but also rise to 50). That is, the M3 Note is not suitable for gamers, or only at a stretch.

Battery

Battery Meizu M3 Note

The Meizu M3 Note smartphone is equipped with a capacity of 4,100 mAh, which, although not a record value, is very rare among devices of this type.

Taking into account the power of the device and decent amounts of electricity consumption, 4,100 mAh should be enough for two days active use smartphone.

This is quite a lot, considering the complaints of most owners of Android smartphones from other brands about discharge within one day.

The Meizu M3 Note will “live” much longer when used as a dialer and Wi-Fi is turned on only when necessary.

In continuous video viewing mode, the phone will work for up to 17 hours, and as a device for listening to music - up to 36 hours of sound without interruption.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that a capacious battery is the main feature of this model.

Fingerprint scanner

mTouch 2.1 - fingerprinting in M3 Note. Its main feature is very fast work. It can determine the fingerprint of the smartphone owner in just 0.2 seconds.

Important: this fingerprint scanner can be used both as a means of unlocking the smartphone screen and as protecting access to certain applications from strangers.

Technological solutions

A review of the M3 Note wouldn't be complete without mentioning its features. motherboard smartphone.

Yes, it is hidden from view, but the developers of the device for its manufacture used flagship technology and made the board 10-layer!

This made it possible to more compactly fit all the components into a miniature area, and the “motherboard” itself turned out to be very durable.

This is a significant plus for protecting your smartphone from possible damage.

Balanced mid-level model with Full HD screen and fingerprint sensor

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu continues to annually update and expand its product lines mobile devices. On at the moment among them there are three main ones: the top-end MX and Pro, as well as the budget M Note, where, as usual, it is best to look for a favorable combination of price and quality. As for quality, Meizu has everything in order: all smartphones of this manufacturer even the cheapest ones always evoke respect among users, since in their case it is very rare to come across outright defects or a careless attitude towards the assembly. Currently the most popular among available models Meizu are, of course, representatives of the younger series - M1 Note and M2 Note, which were released quite quickly after each other. Today we will look at the third modification called M3 Note and find out whether it is worthy to stand on a par with its popular predecessors and what new it can demonstrate to fans of the brand in the new season.

Main characteristics of Meizu M3 Note

• SoC MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755M), 8 cores, 4x1.8 GHz and 4x1 GHz (ARM Cortex-A53)
• GPU ARM Mali-T860
• operating room Android system 5.1
• Touch display IPS 5.5″, 1920×1080, 403 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 2/3 GB, internal memory 16/32 GB LPDDR3
• SIM cards: Nano-SIM (2 pcs.)
• Map support microSD memory
• GSM networks 900/1800/1900 MHz
• Networks WCDMA 900/2100 MHz, TD-SCDMA
• LTE networks FDD Band 1/3/7, TD-LTE
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2 bands), Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.0 BLE
• USB 2.0, OTG
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass
• Direction, proximity, lighting sensors, accelerometer, geomagnetic
• Fingerprint scanner
• Camera 13 MP, f/2.2, autofocus, LED flash
• Front camera 5 MP, f/2.0
• Battery 4100 mAh
• Dimensions 154×76×8.2 mm
• Weight 163 g

Appearance and ease of use

Design last generations Meizu smartphones remain virtually unchanged from model to model and remain well recognizable, and this applies to both flagships and budget solutions. The hero of today's review belongs to the affordable mid-range smartphones, but its design and materials are practically no different from the top models of the MX and Pro lines.

Most of the Meizu M3 Note body is made up of a metal cover made of anodized aluminum, and only at the ends, as usual, there are plastic inserts painted in the general color of the body. The corners and sides are quite rounded, thanks to them the body of the smartphone is streamlined on all sides, like pebbles ground by the sea.

All surfaces are hard, but matte finish, which not only does not collect fingerprints, but also does not slip in the hand. The smartphone itself is quite large and heavy, but thanks to its coating it is held comfortably. The appearance of scratches, of course, is possible; they will appear most quickly on the plastic ends, but in general the body of the Meizu M3 Note can be called practical and durable.

Meizu M3 Note received 2.5D glass with sloping edges, covering the entire front panel. The glass used is AGC Dragontrail (T2X-1) - the same as was installed in the previous M2 Note model. In addition to the sensors, camera and grille, this device has a speaker above the screen LED indicator events.

Below the screen, as usual, there are not three buttons, but one, it is located in the center and has an oval shape. This is a mechanical key with a built-in fingerprint scanner pad. The button performs the function of going back when touched and the function of going to home screen when pressed, unlocking can be done by touching a finger held at any angle. mTouch 2.1 fingerprint scanner high speed(0.2 seconds) can recognize the owner’s fingerprints not only to unlock the screen, but also to authorize access to any applications. The central key is not backlit; It also does not have adjacent buttons, which are familiar to other smartphones on the Android OS.

The back side of the case is given over to the large eye of the main camera and a powerful dual LED flash, consisting of multi-colored elements. The camera is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The camera module does not protrude beyond the surface, so it is comfortable to use the smartphone lying on the table; it does not wobble when you touch the screen.

A side connector is provided for installing cards; it is a hybrid one, that is, two Nano-SIM format SIM cards or a microSD memory card can be installed in the retractable slides instead of one of them. Hot swap supported.

Mechanical buttons are located on the opposite side edge. The keys are large, easy to find blindly, their travel is perhaps a little harsh, but you can get used to it.

The main speaker is located at the bottom end, behind one of the grilles, while the second is a prop, the sound does not come out through it. Between the two grilles there is a Micro-USB connector that supports connection external device V USB mode OTG.

At the top end there is an audio output to a standard headphone minijack (3.5 mm), adjacent to a microphone for noise reduction.

The colors for the Meizu M3 Note cases are the same: light gray with a white front panel, dark gray with a black facade, and golden, which has a white front panel under the glass.

Screen

The smartphone is equipped touch screen IPS with physical dimensions 68x121 mm, diagonal - 5.5 inches. The resolution is 1920x1080 with a pixel density of 403 ppi. The frame around the sides of the screen is about 3.5 mm wide.

The display brightness is automatically adjusted based on the light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. We present it expert opinion about the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Meizu M3 Note, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Meizu M3 Note is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 110 versus 113 for the Nexus 7). There is practically no ghosting of reflected objects in the Meizu M3 Note screen, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

At manual control brightness and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 420 cd/m², the minimum was 4 cd/m². The maximum brightness is not very high, but given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. In stock automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front speaker slot). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 75 cd/m² (too much), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) the brightness increases to 140 cd/m² (normal), in very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight- 20000 lux or a little more) is set to 420 cd/m² (normal). Brightness slider at 50% - the values ​​are as follows: 34, 50 and 420 cd/m² (the average value is underestimated), at 0% - 8.5, 22 and 420 cd/m² (now the first two values ​​are underestimated). It turns out that the auto-brightness function does not work quite adequately. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

IN this smartphone matrix is ​​used IPS type. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good angles viewing without a significant color shift, even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which Meizu screens M3 Note and Nexus 7 launched identical images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

Color saturation is close to natural, color balance is normal. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have changed slightly on both screens, but on the Meizu M3 Note the contrast has decreased by to a greater extent due to strong black bleaching and greater brightness reduction. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens has decreased (by at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the screen of the Meizu M3 Note is still a little darker. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly and acquires a purple or reddish tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is very good:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 800:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 14 ms (7 ms on + 7 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 25 ms. The matrix is ​​a little faster than is usually the case with smartphones. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.16, which is quite a bit lower than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve almost does not deviate from the power-law dependence:

In this case, we did not find any dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image, which is very good.

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

As a result, the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there is no color balance of great importance, and the measurement error color characteristics at low brightness it is large.)

This device has the ability to adjust the color balance by adjusting the tint warmer or cooler.

True, attempts to change the color balance in this way were unsuccessful, since the correction color temperature leads to the fact that the shade of the midtones changes, but the white point does not, it looks disgusting. However, in this case there is no need to touch this setting at all.

Let's summarize: the screen does not have a very high maximum brightness, but has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device without special problems You can use it outdoors even on a sunny summer day. For conditions of complete darkness, you can set a comfortable brightness level. The mode with automatic brightness adjustment works, but it does not work quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of air gaps in the layers of the screen and flickering, good uniformity of the black field, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an almost standard color balance. Significant disadvantages include low black stability due to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered high.

Sound

The smartphone sounds much simpler than its higher-level relatives MX 5 and Pro 6. The sound is quite shrill, monophonic, and can only be heard high frequencies. This high and piercing sound is enough for a call signal, but for listening to melodies there is not enough width of the frequency spectrum, depth and brightness of the sound, although the volume reserve is sufficient. The sound is certainly more interesting with headphones; overall, everything is at a satisfactory level, but in any case this is not a musical solution. The only settings available to the user are an equalizer with several preset values.

TO conversational dynamics and there are no complaints about the microphone: the intonation and timbre of the familiar voice remain recognizable, the sound is clear, although not thick, and also quite high. The sensitivity of the microphones is normal, the sound through the voice recorder is recorded clearly and is clearly distinguishable when played back, the noise reduction system copes with its tasks adequately. There is no FM radio in the smartphone.

Camera

Meizu M3 Note is equipped with two cameras with a resolution of 13 and 5 megapixels. The front camera here has a 5-megapixel sensor and a four-element lens with an f/2.0 aperture without autofocus and its own flash. You can use Face After Effects technology to decorate your photos. The front camera produces images of average quality, overexposed and blurry in places. We can expect more from a modern selfie camera.

The main camera is equipped with a 13-megapixel sensor and a wide-angle five-element lens with f/2.2 aperture with PDAF (phase detection) autofocus and a bright two-color flash. The maximum light sensitivity is manually set to ISO 1600.

Both modules, apparently, are installed here the same as in the previous M2 Note smartphone, and the camera control menu has been updated with the release of new versions of Flyme. In general, the interface is almost the same, but now it is possible to more clearly select the size and resolution of pictures and videos. Now this is a whole list of several options to choose from, but before you could only move a couple of horizontal sliders. IN manual mode it is possible to set photosensitivity, shutter speed, exposure compensation, saturation, contrast and white balance; There are additional modes - portrait, panoramic, macro photography. Third party applications control of these settings via the Camera2 API is not available, and there is no option to save images in RAW.

The camera cannot shoot video in 4K; the maximum resolution here is 1920x1080. There is no stabilization function, but in general the smartphone camera copes well with video shooting: the image is bright, without noticeable artifacts, with good color rendition, the video is smooth, without jerks or delays, the picture looks good. The sound is also recorded quite well, the noise reduction system copes with its tasks, and the microphones here are of medium sensitivity.

• Video No. 1
• Video No. 2 (40 MB, 1920×1080 @30 fps, H.264, AAC)

	As the shot is removed, the sharpness drops quickly but smoothly. The foliage in the background is well done.
	Sharpness is generally good, but the entire image is slightly blurred.
	The foliage is done well, but the same cannot be said about the grass.
	The license plates of nearby cars are distinguishable.
	The camera copes with macro photography.
	The text is well done.

Meizu M3 Note	Meizu Pro 6

The camera turned out to be good. The module copes with its tasks at an above average level, the program works moderately. If it were not for minor shortcomings in the program and not for some soapiness that appears in places, the camera could even be called good. However, she still does well in a variety of scenarios.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone can operate as standard in 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for fourth-generation networks. LTE generation FDD and TDD. Like other Meizu and Xiaomi devices, this smartphone supports two of the three most common domestic operators bands (B3 and B7), but the 800 MHz frequency (B20), which best meets the requirements for indoor communications, as well as in sparsely populated areas, is not supported by this device. That is, for some residents of regions outside large populated areas, this may become a problem. In the Moscow region, in practice, with a SIM card from the MTS operator, the device was confidently registered and worked in 4G networks. The quality of signal reception does not cause any particular complaints; the device confidently maintains communication indoors and does not lose the signal in areas of poor reception.

The device also has Bluetooth support 4.0, two Wi-Fi bands are supported (2.4 and 5 GHz), you can organize wireless point access via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. NFC module Meizu smartphones, as before, do not.

The navigation module works with GPS (A-GPS) and Glonass without the support of the Chinese Beidou. There are no complaints about the operating speed of the navigation module; the first satellites are detected during a cold start within the first seconds. The smartphone is equipped with a sensor magnetic field, on the basis of which the compass of navigation programs operates.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing telephone number search is carried out immediately by the first letters in contacts, and there is support for continuous input such as Swype. The device comes pre-installed with an alternative keyboard from a third-party developer, TouchPal, with a wide range of settings and capabilities. For the convenience of working with a large screen with one hand, Meizu smartphones come standard with Smart function Touch, which allows you to move the entire working screen halfway down, closer to your fingers.

The smartphone supports two SIM cards using the Dual standard SIM Dual Standby. There is only one radio module, so there can only be one active conversation. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G/4G networks, but only one of the cards can work in this mode at the same time (the second will only work in 2G). The choice between two SIM cards for making a call and sending an SMS cannot be made in advance; this is only possible for the data transfer function, and the SIM card is selected immediately before making a call or sending an SMS.

OS and software

As software platform Meizu M3 Note uses OS Android versions 5.1 with proprietary Flyme OS shell. A relatively recent, fifth version has been installed user interface Flyme 5.1.3.1G, where G means Global, that is, the international version.

There have not been many changes in the interface compared to the fourth version, but they are all positive. Inconvenient recent menu bar open applications was completely redesigned, and now this menu looks the same as in the original Android OS, in the form of a carousel going into the future with the ability quick cleaning all programs in one motion. The notification shade has also changed, and it should be noted that it is much more visual and convenient here than in the original Android OS interface. Separate menu for installed applications no, but the icons of these applications have become smaller in size, so there are now more of them on desktops.

To ensure safety, a mass of additional settings: you can clear memory, grant permissions to applications, turn on a spam blocker and antivirus, power management and energy saving have received visual graphs, and much more. There are more design themes, new themes are now added more often. In general, the shell has become more thoughtful and detailed, while remaining laconic and stylish in appearance, which is important for lovers of polished and neat user interfaces.

Performance

The Meizu M3 Note is powered by the MediaTek MT6755M SoC, also known as Helio P10. Helio P10 configuration includes 64-bit eight core processor True8Core on ARM Cortex-A53 architecture, operating at 2 GHz, and GPU ARM Mali-T860 operating at 700 MHz. True, in this version MT6755M maximum frequency processor cores reduced to 1.8 GHz.

Volume RAM the younger modification of the smartphone is 2 GB, the volume of built-in flash memory is 16 GB, of which about 10.5 GB are initially available to the user for his needs. This volume can be increased using microSD cards. It is also possible to connect to USB port external flash drives in OTG mode. microSD cards are supported with capacities up to 128 GB, in practice our test Transcend card Premium microSDXC UHS-1 with a capacity of 128 GB was confidently recognized by the device.

Judging by comparative table with test data from other relevant mobile platforms, we can state that the new SoC MediaTek MT6755 (Helio P10) is noticeably ahead in all respects of the mid-range MT6753, which was extremely popular among manufacturers last season; it is very close in capabilities to the former flagship Mediatek MT6795. That is today intermediate level mobile platforms are better in their capabilities than the top level of last year, which is good news.

When compared with its competitors, the Helio P10’s results are closest to another fresh mid-level platform - HiSilicon Kirin 650. Both in terms of graphics and in complex and specialized browser tests, there is parity between them.

Based on the testing results, we can confidently say that the Helio P10’s level is not top-end, but quite confidently average. For all modern tasks, the capabilities of this SoC should be more than enough at the moment. So far it can cope with demanding games: World of Tanks can be played comfortably on maximum values fps, more heavy games go wrong maximum settings graphs, but also do not show any slowdown.

Testing in latest versions comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

All the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the most latest versions popular benchmarks, we have summarized them in tables for convenience. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that at one time they passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image of the rear surface, obtained after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GFXBenchmark program (closer to white - higher temperature):

It can be seen that the heating is more localized in the upper part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat camera, the maximum heating was 35 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is relatively little.

Playing video

To test omnivorousness when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, for example subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the testing results, the test subject, as expected, was equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed for full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you don’t even need to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. But even MX Player plays the AC3 audio format independently without the need to manually deliver codecs.

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one pixel by pixel, exactly along the edge of the screen and in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights.

Battery life

Capacity non-removable battery, installed in the Meizu M3 Note, is a very impressive 4100 mAh even by modern standards. This is good news, given the fact that the flagship Meizu Pro 6, for example, has a battery capacity of only 2560 mAh. The developer claims that the Helio P10 chip, based on TSMC HPC+ technology, has the best EER among all other MediaTek processors. "The processor automatically adjusts CPU frequency and GPU to reduce power consumption while saving maximum performance sufficient to perform current tasks.”

Indeed, nothing prevented the hero of the review from demonstrating very high performance in terms of battery life. The device confidently survives without recharging for more than a day, even in the event of an eventful day, and with gentle operation it can last longer than two days. The developers themselves promise “up to 2 days of work in active mode use, up to 17 hours of non-stop video viewing and up to 36 hours of music listening.”

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme, with auto-scrolling) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted about 18 hours until completely discharged. When continuously watching videos from Youtube in high quality(720p) with the same brightness level through home network The Wi-Fi device lasted up to 13.5 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone operates within 5.5 hours.

The smartphone is charged from its own mains charger in approximately 3 hours with a current of 1.7 A at a voltage of 5 V. Wireless charging the device does not support.

Bottom line

The Meizu M3 Note smartphone is relatively inexpensive, although the previous models in the M1 Note and M2 Note line are still cheaper. For the younger (2/16 GB) and older (3/32 GB) modifications of the device today they are asking about 17 and 19 thousand rubles, respectively (smartphones from “gray” supplies, as usual, are cheaper). For this money, the buyer receives a high-quality smartphone in a reliable metal case with an excellent large Full HD resolution screen and on a modern hardware platform with a decent level of performance. The smartphone’s battery life is also good (thanks to the capacious battery), but the cameras and sound are nothing to praise. At the same time, as a nice addition, we note the possibility of installing a memory card (though, instead of a second SIM card), USB support OTG and, of course, a fingerprint sensor, which for a smartphone costing up to 20 thousand rubles is quite a decent set of qualities. In any case, compared to its popular predecessors M1 Note and M2 Note, today’s hero of the review certainly didn’t lose face.

Classmates