• Meizu M3 Note: beautiful, budget, big…

    Beautiful…
    The Meizu brand (“Meizu”) is one of the most popular Chinese smartphone manufacturers at the moment. The company produces really reliable, beautiful and hardware perfectly balanced gadgets.

    Budget…
    The company has a line of budget devices of the company, which in the Chinese market is separated into a separate sub-brand - Meilan ("Meilan"), also known as Blue Charm ("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 name 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 such beautiful large state employees.

    • Screen: 5.5-inch, FullHD (1920×1080 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 (with the help of 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).
    • Operating mode of SIM-cards: alternate.
    • 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 2.0 standard (USB-OTG, USB-host), 3.5 mm for headset.
    • Main camera: 13 Mpix (dual LED flash, fast autofocus, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection).
    • Front camera: 5 megapixels.
    • Operating system: Flyme OS (based on Android 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 difference in price between these two versions is minimal, so don't skimp on performance and capacity.

    Appearance

    Externally, the case resembles older premium models - MX5 and Pro 5, which in turn look a lot like 6 "apple". And this is not surprising - the company has long been positioned among buyers as a quality imitator of Apple.

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

    Phone in hand, despite its solid size, lies well and comfortably. The combination of an (almost) all-metal streamlined body, rounded corners, and 2.5D glass on the front panel makes the look not only superbly elegant, but also very comfortable to use, and delivers a pleasant tactile experience to the owner. Prints on the back cover are almost invisible.

    Three colors available - dark gray, gold and silver (light gray). The front panel is available in two colors - white or black.

    Connectors and controls

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

    At the bottom, below 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 features and functions of this key will be just below. We will mention only one “feature” right away, since there is a lot of writing about it on the Internet. YES, this key is really installed somewhat crookedly from the factory! Although this is practically not noticeable, 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, we will inform you that the camera does not stick out, but is even somewhat recessed into the body.

    The bottom end is occupied by: micro-USB connector - in the center, the multimedia speaker is on the right, and the conversational microphone is on the left side. A 3.5 mm jack for a headset and a microphone for noise reduction and sound recording are located on the upper end on its 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 micro-SD memory expansion cards (or for a 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 get only 2G mode.

    Screen

    Full HD screen with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 and a size of 5.5 inches has a density of 403 pixels per inch, a brightness of 450 candela per square meter and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. In fact, this means that the picture is moderately juicy, it is difficult to see the pixels, and the maximum brightness is enough to work 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, an uncritical departure of the image into purple hues is observed. Another drawback (or feature) is that the white color gives off a gray-blue.

    The technology of full lamination is also applied 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.

    Automatic backlight level adjustment is present, but it is somewhat abruptly making transitions between states. The minimum backlight level ensures comfortable work in the dark - the screen does not “hit” the eyes. It should also be noted the presence of an oleophobic coating of excellent quality, which was so lacking in the M2. Fingerprints, though, remain, but in small quantities. In order to erase them, you don’t have to make an effort - they are removed very easily. The finger glides across the screen well. Multi-touch can handle up to 10 touches at the same time.

    Fingerprint scanner

    Conclusion

    This brief Meizu M3 Note review is over. We list the main pros and cons of this, no doubt deserving close attention in the budget segment, "Chinese".

    Main advantages:

    1. good build quality and great looks.
    2. big screen with excellent performance.
    3. protected 2.5D-glass with good "oleophobic".
    4. powerful battery.
    5. one of the best fingerprint scanners.
    6. fast and convenient Flyme interface.
    7. good quality cellular connection, 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 performance of the graphics core.

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

    Read more: