Meizu m3 note - Specifications. Detailed review of Meizu M3 Note

Meizu m3 note specifications

Last year's Meilan line of phones was unrealistically successful. So many of them were sold that when you go out into the street you will meet at least two people with M2 note or M2 mini. “Best for your money,” is how I explained to my friends the purchase of a Chinese Meizu smartphone. And I’m still sincerely happy with my phone: it doesn’t have the Samsung syndrome (this is when the phone starts to become unrealistically dumb after six months), it’s easy to maintain (for example, it took me up to 20 minutes to replace the M2 note cover) and it doesn’t look corny budget. In a word, I am satisfied with my phone. And now a new version of my smartphone has appeared - Meizu M3 note, in which the company will not only repeat the success of last year's model, but will surpass it at times!

Performance

It would be absolutely wrong to start this review without remembering how the M2 note was in operation. After all, if earlier the Chinese company offered just an excellent performance / price ratio, then in the new version it is really stellar.

Last year's Meizu had a great amount of power to use the phone without any problems. Its performance is enough for all everyday tasks, but to say that this is a gaming phone is impossible. On productive toys, it sags in order, which cannot be said about the new Meizu M3 note. The phone came out really powerful in games too: it works at the level of MX4, which, by the way, was sold under the slogan: “Powerful gaming phone”.

Specifications Meizu M3 note - head and shoulders above M2 note. If the lack of power in last year's version was simply turned a blind eye and said: “What do you want? Have you seen the price! This is not Pro 5 for you ... ”, then the new Meizu M3 note is uncompromising in this matter. Here the price pleases the wallet, and the hardware is productive.

The heart of the Meizu M3 note is the eight-core MediaTek Helio P10, made according to 64-bit architecture. The first four Cortex-A53 cores operate at 1.8 GHz, the remaining four cores at 1 GHz. Mali T860 is responsible for the graphics. As usual for a mid-budget phone, the processors are not top-end.

In Antutu tests, the new Meizu consistently gains more than 40K virtual raccoons, which is quite good, but for a phone that will cost about $ 150 in retail, it’s generally gorgeous.

Meizu M3 note vs M2 note by performance:

Memory

Meizu M3 note is available in two versions: 16 and 32 gigabytes. The first one has 2 GB random access memory, the second is 3 GB. And for similar decision I would like to once again praise the M3 note. After all, the problem is not enough memory for those who use two SIM cards (in the new version, you can also insert either 2 SIM cards or microSD). And the increased amount of RAM is generally a bomb. Don't say that old version it lacked 2 GB, but I would like more ... Actually, here in Meizu we went to meet you.

Battery

Returning to our Meizu comparison M3 note VS M2 note, then in the new Meizu the company uses a battery with a capacity of 4100 mAh. What to be thankful for Xiaomi company, because in the fight against its main competitor, the company set a goal to make the new M3 note better than Xiaomi Redmi note 3. “If Xiaomi put a 4000 mAh battery, then we owe more!”. I guess it was.)

The increased battery capacity of 1000 mAh (Meizu M2 note uses a 3100 battery) will provide the phone with life for two days of use in active mode, and if you use economy mode, then even more.

Screen

Do you remember the Meizu M2 note oleophobic glass issue? Oh, yes, this is a problem for many owners of this unit. Although I personally did not feel any discomfort on this score, I have repeatedly heard these criticisms on this matter. Because, either the Chinese heard this groan, or the competition is such that you cannot afford a mistake, but the Meizu M3 note glass in its oleophobic qualities resembles MX5 glass, which is made in the newfangled 2.5D format. Thanks to this technology, the phone is very pleasant to use: the rounded edges of the glass give the impression of a very comfortable and responsive screen, and the viewing angles of 2.5D are much better than those of a conventional screen.

Under the glass Meizu M3 note hides a 5.5-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution and a pixel density of 406 ppi. I should note that the margin of brightness is more than enough. On a sunny day, you can’t blame the old M2 note, but in the new phone they made even more stock.

Let's sum up: for a modest price, you get: a 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 X 1080, an excellent supply of brightness and a screen that, in its tactile sensations, resembles the more expensive Meizu MX5.

Meizu M3 note design

The new design of the phone completely repeats last year flagship models: Pro5 and MX5. For my taste, this design is very stylish and successful: there is nothing superfluous and everything is in its place. He does not shout about himself, but says: "I am Meizu and I am a worthy device." The materials of the non-separable case of the Meizu M3 note are aluminum and plastic (on the antennas). It sits confidently in the hand, it feels solid and well-assembled: there are no backlashes, the chrome strips are strong and do not chip.

Due to the increased battery, the phone has grown slightly in height. An interesting decision, by the way, is to make the phone a little higher, not thicker. All other dimensions converge with the MX5, as well as right-handed control of the volume and power keys. The weight of the new phone is 163 grams.

As before, the phone has only one button, which when pressed performs the action "Home", when touched - "Back". Very handy, to be honest. Also, the smartphone was equipped with an mTouch 2.1 fingerprint, which works as fast as its counterpart in the iPhone.

shock resistance

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, I could not find videos where they test the shock resistance of the Meizu M3 note, so I will write based on the experience of falls and scratch tests with the M2 note and MX5, because this phone is something in between.

Let me remind you that the case of the M2 note is plastic. This greatly reduces the cost of the phone in production, and in replacement of spare parts (for example, I ordered a new cover for my M2 note for 11 bucks). But due to such a reduction in price, the phone very quickly acquires dents and scratches. And oddly enough, the problem of dents is more familiar to the gray coloring. The glossy case scratches terribly quickly, but it doesn't have the same denting problems that can result from a light hit on the edge of a table. But I must say that despite such not very pleasant aspects, the phone came out quite durable. When my M2 note fell from two meters to the tile, doing a few more somersaults after the fall, I honestly already said goodbye to it. With such a fall, even the new one is covered with a web of cracks ... But it wasn’t there: Meise proved to be worthy and received only one dent on the case, while the screen was absolutely not damaged or even scratched, in a word, the M2 note was a fairly reliable phone.

MX5 - behaves similarly when falling. Of course, it doesn’t “jump” as much as a budget model, but polycarbonate (plastic) on the antennas absorbs most of the impact. Aluminum almost does not acquire scratches and dents. As for the screen, even a day in a bag, next to the keys, he is not afraid: the screen is very resistant to scratches.

Camera

Meizu M3 note uses two cameras: the main one is 13 MP and the front one is 5 MP. In this matter new phone from Meizu is identical to last year's M2 note. And despite the fact that the main camera seems to have changed, the quality remains the same. The difference is visible only in the white balance (and not always in favor of the Meizu M3 note), and as for the front camera, there are no changes: everything works as before - at a good average level.

In general, my experience of using Chinese Meizu phones says that they install cameras that are not bad, but the standard software is unfinished: the phone smears (this is especially felt in the budget line). How to understand that the firmware of Chinese developers is to blame for this? Very simple: install third party application on the camera and you will see how the camera can shoot. For the test, I installed the Google Camera application on my smartphone and, frankly, I saw the light: the detailing became better, the panoramas are perfectly glued and the macro began to work fine ... Therefore, my advice to those who care about the quality of the camera in the M3 note: install third-party software.

Interface

The Chinese smartphone Meizu M3 note runs on Android 5.1 in the Flyme 5.1 shell. I must say that the new shell is much nicer than the one installed in last year's M2 note. Everything is simple, understandable and torn with iOSJ. Some people like it, some don't, but for my taste, the shell came out great. The best part (to my humble student soul) is that it combines the wide functionality of Android and the philosophy of simplicity of Apple. Very intuitive and doesn't require much setup. Take and use- that's why Flyme is cool.

Unfortunately, I did not find any jambs in the new version, but yes, it is an interesting and useful function. This is a two-window mode. A very convenient thing, I confess to you, which is very lacking on many today's devices, which, like water resistance, should have become the standard for a long time ... In a word, I put a solid 5-ku to the new Flyme.

conclusions

Summarize: buying a Chinese smartphone Meizu M3 note you get a phone with a premium design and screen, an average processor power and an average camera (both main and front), but at the same time with a 4100 mAh battery that will provide 2 days of work for your Chinese friend . But I ask you not to forget that this phone will cost in the region of $ 150, for this price companies like HTC, LG, Samsung and Lenovo are offering garbage, not smartphones that will not last you like the new Meizu or Xiaomi. So, if your budget is not large, you share the ideology of iOS simplicity and you like the functionality of Android - take the Meizu M3 note, I'm sure you won't regret it, because in the struggle for leadership in this segment, the Chinese company has created a really excellent device, claims to which it can not be. It's really best value for your money!

Meizu releases new smartphone models with an enviable frequency and, to tell the truth, it seems that the company has not yet decided on any clear strategy and some of the steps are a little surprising. For example PRO 6, which, unlike its predecessors with big screens and Samsung Exynos processors, received a 5.2-inch screen and a top Mediatek processor. Despite this, Meizu smartphones are still extremely interesting in terms of price / quality ratio. And today we have the new M3 Note, which will (potentially) become a bestseller like its predecessors.

What is this?

Meizu M3 Note is a smartphone with a 5.5-inch display, fresh 64-bit octa-core processor, a metal case, relevant not only for flagships with a fingerprint scanner and a very attractive price tag.

Why is he interesting?

Standard organization of everything on desktops without a separate application menu. There is support for folders, gestures, wake up with a double tap, unlock with a swipe up, gesture application launch. Everything is familiar to Flyme:

The top curtain opens with a swipe down anywhere on the screen. A second movement opens the full version with both notifications and all switches:

Settings menu organized in a standard way, much more convenient than in earlier versions 4.5:

A separate menu for managing SIM cards with the choice of a card for data transfer by default and the priority of the network used:

And a separate security settings item with a fingerprint scanner setting. You can store up to 5 of them. Despite the raw firmware, the scanner works quickly and accurately:

A set of pre-installed applications:

Despite the raw version of the software, the smartphone (for the most part) works properly and quickly. Just a couple of times there were some brakes, glitches with Wi-Fi and application installation. I'm sure they won't be in the final version.

How is the camera?

The main camera is 13 megapixels, phase focus, f / 2.2, dual LED flash in different tones. Front camera: 5 MP, f/2.0. The interface has not changed. There is a panel with quick functions and access to settings, a mode switch, access to the previous picture. As usual, there is a separate manual mode:

Video mode, manual mode and other modes are included in a separate menu, HDR - in the settings:

Meizu sins on the algorithms for processing photos and videos from the camera. IN this case the situation has not changed, although it is worth waiting for the final version. Sample pictures:

Video camera shoots in FullHD:

There is a Slow Motion mode, but the resolution is 640x480:

In the dry matter

In Meizu M3 Note, the company has updated and improved almost everything compared to M2 Note. The positive changes are really significant: the smartphone received an excellent metal case, got a convenient and fast fingerprint scanner, a new platform with higher performance and a more capacious battery. The only thing that upsets is the quality of the camera, although it is worth waiting for a commercial sample with the final firmware. There is a suspicion that things will be better there. The smartphone will obviously become very popular in its price range up to UAH 5,000 (the older version with 3 GB of RAM will cost exactly that much): competitors have practically nothing to offer for the same money. The closest competitor - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 boasts higher performance, but lacks a microSD slot and costs more.

4 reasons to buy Meizu M3 Note:

• Excellent metal case;
• very nice display
• long battery life;
• fast and accurate fingerprint scanner.

1 reason not to buy Meizu M3 Note:

• sad camera quality.

General characteristics

Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to stop the choice on the phone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.

Screen

Multimedia features

Connection

Memory and processor

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile technologies and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data rates.

Operating system

The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the case and is used for taking photos and videos.

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are mainly used for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about navigation and location technologies supported by the device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR levels refer to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

Meizu Technology Co., Ltd. or simply " Meizu» - a Chinese company that produces digital electronic devices, based in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province of China. Meizu is also one of the top ten manufacturers in China. And it gained wide recognition in European countries after the presentation of the Meizu MX 2 smartphone. This monster was simply the crowning achievement of Meizu Technology, after a dozen unsuccessful attempts to go beyond China.

Meizu did not stop at models MX they also have a far better line M. Which in April 2016 was replenished with another model called: M3 Note, we were all looking forward to it, after we got acquainted, and played enough with the younger brother Meizu M2 Note. Its sales, according to the manufacturer, since last summer amounted to more than two tens of millions of devices. Meizu is obviously counting on the fact that the M3 Note smartphone, if not surpassing, then at least repeating the success of its predecessor.

Specifications Meizu M3 Note

• Model: M3 Note (M681H)
• OS: Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Flyme OS 5.1.3.1G shell
• Processor: 64-bit MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755), ARMv8 architecture, 8 cores ARM Cortex-A53 (4x1.8GHz + 4x1.0GHz)
• Graphics co-processor: ARM Mali-T860 MP2 (550 MHz)
• RAM: 2 GB / 3 GB LPDDR3 (933 MHz, single channel)
• Storage Memory: 16GB/32GB eMMC 5.1 card support microSD memory/HC/XC (up to 128 GB)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), microUSB (USB 2.0) for charging / synchronization, USB-OTG, 3.5 mm for headphones
• Screen: capacitive touch, IPS matrix LTPS (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon), GFF (full lamination), diagonal 5.5 inches, resolution 1920x1080 pixels, pixel density per inch 403 ppi, brightness 450 cd/sq. m, contrast ratio 1000:1, protective glass NEG 2.5D T2X-1
• Main camera: 13 MP, PureCel sensor, OmniVision OV13853, optical size 1/3.06 inch, pixel size 1.12 µm, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 5-element lens, f/2.2 aperture, phase detection (PDAF) autofocus, dual dual color flash, 1080p@30fps video
• Front camera: 5MP BSI, Samsung S5K5E8 or OmniVision OV5670 PureCel, 1/5" optical size, 1.12µm pixel size, 4-element lens, f/2.0 aperture
• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900/1800/1900MHz), WCDMA/HSPA+ (900/2100MHz), 4G FDD-LTE (1800/2100/2600MHz)
• SIM card format: nanoSIM (4FF)
• Slot tray configuration: nanoSIM + nanoSIM or nanoSIM + microSD/HD/XC
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS, A-GPS
• Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, Hall sensor, light and proximity sensors (infrared), fingerprint scanner
• Battery: non-removable, lithium-polymer, 4 100 mAh
• Colors: Dark Grey, Silver, Gold
• Dimensions: 153.6x75.5x8.2 mm
• Weight: 163 grams

Design, ergonomics

When creating the M3 Note, the designers seem to have drawn their inspiration from last year's older Meizu models, in particular the MX5 and Pro 5 smartphones.

So, for the manufacture of the all-metal body of the novelty, also known as unibody, they chose the aviation aluminum-magnesium alloy 6000 series.

So that the smartphone antennas are not shielded by metal, two inserts made of radio-transparent material were provided, separating them from the aluminum alloy with relief strips. The dimensions of the novelty compared to the M2 Note have not changed very significantly - 153.6x75.5x8.2 mm versus 150.7x75.2x8.7 mm. Well, the weight, due to a more capacious battery, has grown quite predictably - 163 g against 149 g.

Recall that in the predecessor for the case they were content with glossy colored plastic and only for gray color used matte polycarbonate.

At the time of testing, two anodized color options for the M3 Note cases were offered for sale: silver (with a black or white front panel) and gray (with a black or white front panel).

The entire front surface of the M2 Note, including the screen, is covered protective glass, which was chosen Dinorex 2.5D T2X-1 from Nippon Electric Glass (NEG).

The 2.5D effect lies in the smooth "rounding" of this glass around the perimeter of the front panel.

Above the display, with traditionally narrow side bezels,

the grille of the “conversational” speaker is located, surrounded by the lens front camera(left), light and proximity sensors, and an LED indicator (right). The latter does not seem to be used by regular means of a smartphone.

Under the display is a mechanical key with a built-in fingerprint scanner mTouch 2.1, outwardly very similar to mBack, which first appeared in the M2 Note smartphone. From the latter, she inherited her basic functionality. So, a normal touch (tap) of this button activates the “Back” function, a short press with a hardware “click” returns to main screen(“Home”), and a long press (with hold) turns off the backlight of the screen. But the button "Recent applications" replaces the swipe up from the bottom edge of the display. After a short getting used to, such a control scheme becomes very convenient.

On the right edge, in a small recess, there is a volume rocker and a power / lock button.

The left edge occupies a closed slot with a dual tray, which can accommodate either two nanoSIM format subscriber identification modules, or a microSD memory expansion card will take the place of the second one. You will need a special tool to open the combo tray lock. A thin paper clip can still be used as it. Unfortunately, during the production of the device (at least in our test sample), the size of the tray and slot for it did not fit perfectly, as a result of which the tray rattles slightly if you shake the smartphone.

The hole for the second microphone (for noise reduction and sound recording) and the 3.5 mm audio headset jack remained on the top end.

The microUSB connector between the two fixing screws on the lower end is framed by decorative grilles (four round holes in each). At the same time, a "conversational" microphone is hidden under the left, and a "multimedia" speaker is hidden under the right.

On the rear panel, first of all, embossed strips are striking, separating the metal from the radio-transparent plastic,

and just like the Pro 5, moving the stylized Meizu logo closer to the main camera lens and dual dual-tone LED flash.

Despite the 5.5-inch screen size, new smartphone, however, like the M2 Note, it is comfortable and easy to hold in your hand.

In addition, the slightly rough surface of the metal back panel is pleasant to the touch.

Screen, camera, sound

For the M3 Note screen, a 5.5-inch IPS-matrix is ​​​​used, on which, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels (Full HD) and a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, the pixel density per inch according to the passport is 403 ppi. For its manufacture, LTPS (Low Temperature Poly Silicon) technology is used, since replacing amorphous silicon with polycrystalline one allows, in the end, to achieve wider viewing angles (up to 178 degrees), a better color palette, lower power consumption and response time. In turn, the GFF (Glass-to-Film-to-Film) full lamination technology eliminates the air gap between the layers of the display, which serves as the basis for good anti-reflective properties and reduces the reflection effect. Recall that the entire front panel, including the screen, is covered with NEG 2.5D Dinorex T2X-1 protective glass. They did not forget to apply an oleophobic coating on it, which, unlike the one used for the M2 Note, is more effective (the glass is cleaned very easily and the finger glides over the surface without problems).

The main camera of the M3 Note has acquired a 13-megapixel BSI-matrix (OmniVision OV13853 PureCel, optical size 1 / 3.06 inches), as well as a dual dual-color LED flash with different color temperature. The camera lens with 5-element optics, covered with Corilla Glass 3, received an f / 2.2 aperture and fast (0.2 s) phase detection autofocus. The maximum resolution of images is achieved with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and is 4208x3120 pixels (13 MP). You can see photo examples.

The front camera has a 5-megapixel BSI sensor (Samsung S5K5E8 or OmniVision OV5670 PureCel, 1/5-inch optical size) equipped with a wide-angle 4-element lens with f/2.0 aperture. But autofocus and flash are absent here. The maximum image size in the classical aspect ratio (4:3) is 2592x1944 pixels (5 MP).

Both cameras can record video in Full HD quality (1920x1080 pixels) at a frame rate of 30 fps, while the content is stored in MP4 container files (AVC - video, AAC - sound).

The interface of the "Camera" application in the M3 Note, compared to that of its predecessor, has been "ennobled" a little, but the main features have changed little. The modes "Auto", "Manual", "Portrait", "Panorama", "Change of focus" and "Slow motion" (4 times, resolution 640x480 pixels, up to 60 minutes) remained in place. At the same time, having removed the "Scanner", added "Macro" and "GIF" (up to 6 minutes of animation). In the settings, you can select the HDR mode, as well as determine the size of the photo and video quality. Shooting in manual mode(M) involves adjusting shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, saturation, white balance, etc. By activating the corresponding option, focus and exposure can be measured separately. In addition, nearly a dozen image filters are available. It is convenient to switch the viewfinder from the main camera to the front camera and vice versa with vertical swipes. But the volume rocker (both increase and decrease) is also proposed to be used to release the shutter. The manufacturer notes the role of the ISP TrueBright image processor, which allows you to take a picture with a lack of lighting brighter and clearer. Nevertheless, even the main camera can hardly boast of a special shooting quality in such conditions.

Not only by the placement of the "multimedia" speaker grille, but also by its acoustic abilities, the M3 Note is practically the same as its predecessor. Regular funds smartphones still allow you to listen to audio files, for example, with FLAC extensions, created by codecs for compressing audio data without quality loss. After connecting the audio headset, it is proposed to use a 5-band equalizer with presets and manual setting. Unfortunately, there is no built-in FM-tuner in the device. The unpretentious Voice Recorder makes fairly high-quality monophonic recordings (44.1 kHz), which it stores in MP3 files.

But with the playback of music via Bluetooth, a small problem was discovered - clicks that occur when you take the smartphone in your hand or move it around the table. Apparently, the reason is the insufficient shielding of the audio path from static electricity on the case.

Stuffing, performance

If the M2 Note relied on the 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 platform with eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.3 GHz), then for the M3 Note they chose the first-born from the MediaTek Helio P10 mid-range chipset family (aka MT6755), designed, according to according to the manufacturer, for thin smartphones.

At the heart of this crystal is an 8-core processor, where four ARM Cortex-A53 cores are clocked at up to 1.8 GHz, and four more at up to 1.0 GHz. At the same time, the 2-core architecture ARM Mali-T860 MP2 (550 MHz) with support for OpenGL ES 3.2 and OpenCL 1.2 is used as a graphics accelerator. The MT6755 chip is manufactured using the new TSMC 28HPC+ (28 nm) process technology, which, according to the manufacturer, provided a 30-35% reduction in power consumption compared to chips manufactured in compliance with the “old” 28HPC design standards. In addition, improving energy efficiency while maintaining sufficient computing power achieved by automatic adjustment of the frequencies of the processor and video accelerator. Helio P10 can work in LTE-TDD, LTE-FDD Cat. 6 (300/50 Mbps), HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, EDGE, etc., as well as Bluetooth 4.0 LE and dual-band Wi-Fi. Of the other branded "highlights" of the MediaTek MT6755, in addition to MiraVision 2.0, it is worth noting the load optimizer for the CorePilot processor cores and the heart rate monitoring system (using the camera built into the smartphone) heart rate monitoring.

The basic configuration of the M3 Note is supplemented with LPDDR3 (933 MHz) RAM, which is controlled by a single-channel controller. Note that the smartphone variants with 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage (eMMC 5.1) have 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM, respectively. We got a device with a combination of 2 GB / 16 GB for the test. Judging by the published data, Helio P10 successfully competes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615/616 chipsets in terms of performance, which does not contradict the results of the tests performed.

The number of "virtual parrots" obtained on the synthetic benchmark AnTuTu Benchmark was deliberately predetermined by the chosen hardware platform.

The efficiency of the use of processor cores (Geekbench 3, Vellamo) of the new smartphone looks quite optimistic, but the estimate of the amount of "horsepower" is not so major.

On the Epic Citadel visual test settings (High Performance, High Quality and Ultra High Quality), the average frame rate changed as follows - 60.1 fps, 59.8 fps and 41.5 fps, respectively.

On the 3DMark universal gaming benchmark, where the Meizu M3 Note was tested on the recommended Sling Shot set (ES 3.1), a rather modest result of 326 points was recorded. If problems are unlikely to arise with simple games, then on “heavy” ones (Asphalt 8: Airborne, World of Tanks Blitz) it is better to limit yourself to medium settings.

In turn, the total number of points scored by the smartphone on the Base Mark OS II cross-platform benchmark was 986.

Of the 16 GB of internal memory declared in the tested model, about 14.56 GB are available, and approximately 9.6 GB is free. At the same time, like the M2 Note, to expand the available storage, it is possible to install a microSD / HC / XC memory card with a maximum capacity of up to 128 GB. True, the dual tray where the memory card is inserted is universal, and, having taken one place in it, you will have to sacrifice the installation of a second SIM card (nanoSIM format). By the way, you can also expand the built-in memory thanks to the support of USB-OTG technology by connecting an external drive.

Like its predecessor, the M3 Note's wireless communications suite also includes dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 (LE).

One radio channel of the device, when two nanoSIM cards (4FF format) are installed, operates with them in Dual mode SIM Dual Standby, in other words, both SIM cards are active, but when one is busy, the other is also unavailable. Both trays in the slot support 4G, while the SIM card for data transfer, as well as the priority network mode, is selected in the corresponding menu. Unfortunately, only two "Russian" FDD-LTE bands are available - b3 (1800 MHz) and b7 (2600 MHz). But the most "punching", low-frequency b20 (800 MHz), as before, remained "overboard". The manufacturer emphasizes support for the promising technology VoLTE (Voice over LTE).

The built-in multi-system receiver uses GPS and GLONASS constellation satellites for positioning and navigation, which is confirmed by the results of the AndroiTS GPS Test and GPS Test programs. Support is also provided A-GPS technologies(coordination over Wi-Fi and cellular networks).

Volume lithium polymer battery, which equipped the M3 Note (4,100 mAh), compared to its predecessor (3,100 mAh), increased quite significantly - by about 32% (1,000 mAh). Despite such a reserve in capacity, the body of the new smartphone has become 0.5 mm thinner. Support fast charging there is no. The smartphone comes with a power adapter (5 V/2 A). It will take about 2 hours to fill the battery up to 100% of the 15-20% level.

On battery tests, AnTuTu Tester managed to earn an impressive 8,778 points. While the M2 Note limited itself to 6,289 points here. When the battery is 100% full, the manufacturer promises up to two days of work in active mode, or up to 17 hours of watching video, or up to 36 hours of listening to music. A test set of MP4 videos (hardware decoding) and Full HD quality at full brightness spun continuously for almost 9.5 hours.

In the "Power Management" settings section, depending on the expected load, you can forcefully transfer the smartphone from the "Balanced" mode to "Energy Saving" or "Productive". In addition, in the "Power optimization" section, it is proposed not only to manage the sleep mode of applications, but also to use flexible settings to save battery power - "Smart", "Super" and "Custom".

Software Features

The M3 Note smartphone runs on the Android 5.1 (Lollipop) operating system, the interface of which is hidden under the proprietary Flyme OS 5.1.3.1G shell. It should be noted here that in the latest versions of Flyme firmware, including the one indicated above, the first launch of the application store Google Play(Google account creation) must be performed on a smartphone with a SIM card installed. This additional device authorization has become one of the new security requirements.

All program shortcuts, folders and widgets in the Flyme launcher are placed directly on desktops. Swipe down to open the quick settings panel (which now has a brightness slider), and swipe up to open recently opened apps.

In the "Special Opportunities”, still contains possible smartphone control gestures, including the SmartTouch control “ring” (not shown in the screenshot) with adjustable transparency.

The new version of the shell has the ability to split the screen to simultaneously display the work of two applications, however, so far this only applies to the Settings, Video and Maps programs.

With up to five fingerprints obtained on the fast (0.2 second) mTouch 2.1 fingerprint scanner, you can lock not only the screen, but also access to files and applications.

The M3 Note comes with a minimal set of software. From this software, one can single out a collection of utilities for regular smartphone care collected in the "Security Center" (scanning for viruses, cleaning up "garbage", clearing memory, managing energy savings, etc.), as well as practical tools from the "Useful" application ( "Mirror", "Flashlight", "Ruler", etc.).

Purchase and conclusions

Improvements in Meizu M3, compared to its predecessor M2 Note, touched not only the replacement of plastic with aluminum alloy, but also the functionality of the filling. Now the smartphone, which can be installed 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, uses new processor, significantly increased battery capacity, and added a fast fingerprint scanner. In addition, both trays in the slot support not only LTE technology, but also VoLTE. At the same time, they managed to keep the price of the M3 Note quite attractive: 127 $ for the 2 GB/16 GB version and 157 $ for 3 GB / 32 GB (RAM / internal memory, respectively) -

Using the cashback you have the opportunity to save up to 10% on the purchase of goods -