How much does meizu m 3s cost. Review: meizu m3s mini is too cool a smartphone for its price. Communication and sound

Meizu or Xiaomi smartphones can hardly be called ideal, because you can find flaws in everything. But against the background of competitors, they look advantageous both because of the best price / quality ratio, and because many roughnesses play a minimal role for their audience. Today we will understand the advantages and disadvantages of Meizu M3s, the most affordable device in the company's lineup.

The editors thank the store "Socket" for the Meizu M3s smartphone provided for testing

Equipment

As always, the smartphone comes in a miniature box with modest contents: a charger, a cable, a couple of pieces of paper and a beautiful branded paper clip.

Design

Meizu updates the design of its smartphones about once a year. Previously Released resembled both rival Xiaomi and its own Meizu Pro 5, and the budget M3s is just a smaller version of it.

The design is familiar to every second model of any manufacturer - a back made of a sheet of metal, plastic inserts at the top and bottom for antenna operation, 2.5D front panel glass and a proprietary mTouch key to control the system.

Apart from the obvious size difference with the 5.5-inch M3 Note, we found exactly two differences. First, a chrome frame has now appeared around the glass, more characteristic of Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung, and second, pink has been added to the silver, dark gray and gold colors of the case.

Despite being secondary, the design makes a good impression. Meizu M3s is normally assembled, the case materials are of high quality and in general it looks more expensive than it costs.

The dimensions are standard for 5 inch models, there are frames of medium width around the screen. The device should appeal to fans of small devices - compared to large smartphones, it is more convenient to use.

The controls are located familiarly and conveniently - these are two physical keys on the right, 3.5 mm and MicroUSB connectors on the top and bottom, a hybrid tray for two NanoSIMs on the left.

There is no manufacturer's logo on the front panel, it is almost perfectly symmetrical. To the right of the speaker, an indicator of missed events is hidden under the glass.

Screen

As we have already said, the younger model differs from the Meizu M3 Note with a screen reduced to 5 inches with HD resolution. The backlight brightness of the IPS matrix varies from 7.7 to 397 cd / m², the measured contrast ratio is 1 to 698.

As for a budget smartphone, the screen is well calibrated and has a calm natural color reproduction. By adjusting the color temperature, you can adjust it for yourself.

Let the screen get more modest characteristics, but the image still remains smooth. Viewing angles are not maximum, but sufficient, as are the brightness levels. Good display for a budget smartphone. I didn’t like the weak response to pressing on the edges of the screen, but I hope that this is a problem exclusively with the test sample.

Platform

The company chose the new budget MediaTek 6750 chip as the M3s hardware platform - it has 8 Cortex-A53 cores operating in two clusters with frequencies of 1 and 1.5 GHz, respectively. Integrated graphics - Mali T860. The smartphone is available in two configurations, with 16 and 2 GB of memory and 32 and 3 GB. A memory card can be installed instead of the second NanoSIM - you will have to think about which configuration to choose and what is more important.

The smartphone does not show any special results in benchmarks, but for its class it works smartly - there are no lags in everyday mode, and insufficient platform performance becomes noticeable only when actively switching between programs or launching heavy games.

If you want to get the highest possible speed, it is better to select the “Productive” power mode in the settings.

There are also no critical remarks for the rest of the functionality. Wi-Fi and GPS work as expected, and the speakers sound quite normal. The call is not of super-quality, the company's expensive models sound noticeably better, but you can't call it bad either - this is a normal level of budget devices. A similar situation when listening to music on headphones is quite loud and clear.

A fingerprint scanner is built into the key below the screen. The accuracy of its work is comparable to more expensive smartphones, but the response is a little slower - most likely the performance of the platform affects.

In addition to locking the device, it is possible to protect the launch of individual applications with a password or fingerprint.

Working hours

A smaller battery is another simplification of the model, but given the screen diagonal, its resolution and platform performance, the 3020 mAh built-in battery looks quite convincing.

Most will be able to get about two days of work from it, and in heavy mode of use, the smartphone will last a day without problems.

shell

The operating system is Meizu Flyme OS version 5.1, which is familiar to all owners, based on Android 5.1. It does not have an application menu, the normal integration of the Google Now assistant, but there is a rather nice laconic design.

A single mechanical key is used to control the system. A simple touch works as "Back", pressing is responsible for returning to the home screen ("Home"), and the list of running applications is called up by swiping from the bottom edge of the screen. Such a control scheme requires a little getting used to, but it happens quickly and then it becomes not so convenient to use other smartphones.

By the Chinese plug in the box, you can understand that it was not the international version of the smartphone that was tested. However, the seller has already managed to install the “global” firmware with localization and Google services (Flyme 5.1.5.0G). So this Meizu can be reflashed (there are instructions on the specialized forums).

At the same time, a couple of extra pre-installed programs appeared out of the box, including the annoying Clean Master. They can be removed using third-party software and built-in root rights. Similar nuances of use are characteristic of many Chinese smartphones.

cameras

The main camera of the smartphone is similar to the one installed in the Meizu M3 Note - the same 13 megapixels and aperture f / 2.2. If the camera was rather weak for the older model, then it looks more appropriate in an affordable device.

With proper skill, you can take relatively good photos on it. The main thing is to twitch your hands less and not rush, especially since autofocus is average in speed. At night it is best to use the manual mode, then there is a chance to stay with the photo, and not with something remotely resembling it. As with the rest of Meizu, the HDR mode is not very usable, as it often takes blurry photos.

The 5 megapixel front camera shoots absolutely nothing, especially with an eye on the price of a smartphone.

The editors thank the store "Socket" for the Meizu M3s smartphone provided for testing

Among the manufacturers of mobile technology, companies from China stand out, which managed to become incredibly popular in just a couple of years after their appearance. Such phenomena include the Xiaomi and Meizu brands. Five years ago, no one knew anything about them. And now they are among the five most famous smartphone manufacturers. Is it not Meizu is the most promising brand at the moment. His smartphones amaze the imagination with unsurpassed performance and low prices. Our today's hero, the Meizu M3 Mini smartphone, also belongs to the category of mid-range devices. This device looks very interesting against the background of competitors. But we will talk about its technical characteristics a little later.

A little about the company

What kind of company is this - Meizu? Where did she come from? The history of this company began in 2003. A certain Jack Wong did not find a suitable MP3 player on the market and decided to develop it himself. It so happened that the company produced MP3 players until 2008. Without further ado, the engineers simply copied well-known models and made minor changes to them. This continued until 2008. And then Wong decided that it was time to get down to business seriously. The first smartphone from Meizu worked on the Windows CE platform and was almost no different in design from the fourth iPhone. Then Apple made sure that overzealous copiers stopped their tricks. The release of the smartphone was canceled, but the idea did not die. They just decided to produce Android devices with minimal common features with products of well-known brands. These devices include and which we will analyze later.

The company's first Android device was the M9, which made a real revolution in China. For the most part, the wild success of the "nine" was due to the extremely low price. The manufacturer produced a flagship per year. The company's executives considered it inappropriate to "spray" on mid-range models and budget smartphones. This continued until 2014. However, the company began to sharply lose its position even in China. Management had to reconsider their views. The result was that the company also focused on budget devices. However, most of all people liked the models of the middle price segment. The Meizu M3 Mini smartphone has become a prominent representative of gadgets in this category. And now let's look at this miracle of Chinese engineering in more detail.

Appearance and design

Of course, there are many borrowings in the appearance of the M3, but there are also specific features that make the device unique. The main feature of this device is that it is enclosed in an all-metal case. The base material is 7000 series aluminum, sandblasted. The presence of such a case brings the device closer to the flagships. The front panel is covered with convex tempered glass (though from an unknown manufacturer) 2.5D. This allows the gadget to look modern. As expected, most of the front panel is occupied by the screen. Below it is a mechanical button "Home" with a touch-sensitive insert. A fingerprint scanner is hidden under the sensor. It should be noted that the shape of this very button painfully resembles that in Samsung devices. And the rest of the elements of the front panel are more like an iPhone. This is the M3 Mini. Reviews, however, do not particularly scold its "similarity" to other devices.

The camera module is located on the back panel, the flash is under it. And below is the Meizu brand logo. There is nothing special here. It is only worth noting that the back cover is very elastic and does not push through to the battery. Mechanical power and volume buttons are located as standard: on the right side of the device. It is interesting that the whole body is assembled soundly: there are no cracks, nothing creaks or backlash. People are used to the fact that Chinese crafts are rather flimsy. But not Meizu M3 Mini. Owner reviews indicate that the smartphone turned out to be exceptionally strong. For which honor and praise to the manufacturers.

Screen

The novelty has a 5-inch IPS display. Is it a lot or a little? Let's put it this way: for a modern user, this is quite enough. The device will obviously appeal to those who are already rather tired of modern "shovel-shaped" smartphones. The screen resolution is 1280 by 720 pixels, that is, the display is fully consistent with the HD standard. It has a standard pixel density for this resolution - 294 per inch. This is a normal indicator. The declared contrast ratio is 1000 to 1. But in reality we have 677 to 1. Such a difference between the declared characteristics and the real ones is quite normal for modern manufacturers. The Meizu M3 S is no exception. Its characteristics, by the way, do not differ much from those declared.

Other features of the screen include decent brightness (400 cd per square meter). Such brightness allows you to comfortably use the device even in direct sunlight. The image will still look great. Thanks to the IPS-matrix, the screen has very impressive viewing angles. The image begins to be distorted only when the device is tilted decently. In addition, IPS displays are remarkably accurate in color reproduction. And they do not fade over time like AMOLED panels. So there is nothing surprising that this particular screen was chosen for installation in the Meizu M3 Mini smartphone. Now let's move on to the rest of the specifications.

Processor and RAM

Under the hood of the smartphone is an eight-core processor from MediaTek. It has a very high performance. This is due to the fact that the MT 6750 chip belongs to a new generation of products. In terms of power, it is comparable to those processors that are installed in modern flagships. No wonder nothing is impossible for Meizu M3 S 32GB. The characteristics of this smartphone quite allow it to effortlessly cope with the heaviest games and applications. As for the RAM of the device, there are two modifications - with 2 and 3 gigabytes of "RAM". Moreover, the 3GB version costs almost the same as the 2GB version. If possible, it is better to purchase a device with more memory, so it will remain relevant longer. As for the memory available to the user, there are also two options. There are models with 16 and 32 gigabytes of internal memory. Of course, it is better to take more. Meizu, which we are analyzing here, may well argue even with an iPhone.

Graphics chip and other components

Mali T860-MP2 is used as a graphics chip. This chipset easily handles high definition video and has support for OpenGL and DirectX. This allows for incredible graphics performance in today's mobile games. A distinctive feature of this device is the support of the latest generation LTE communication standard. But that's not all. The device is equipped with a Wi-Fi transmitter with a broadcast frequency of 5 GHz. And this is already good. Other features include a lightning-fast fingerprint scanner, the latest generation Bluetooth transmitter, a variety of sensors and a capacious 3020 mAh battery. The latter helps the smartphone to easily work two days on a single charge. These are the main parameters of the screen, by the way, they are quite good. They take this smartphone to a completely different level. And now let's move on to the camera apparatus.

Camera (main)

As the main camera, a 13-megapixel aperture module is used. The design feature of the camera is an optical system of five lenses. The camera has phase detection autofocus and dual-tone LED flash. By the way, it is phase autofocus that gives the camera the ability to focus very quickly even in low light conditions. During the day, the pictures are simply excellent. and if you turn on the HDR mode, then generally works of art are obtained. But at night, the camera is clearly missing something. Extraneous noises are visible to the naked eye. Yes, the photos are a bit blurry. Night shooting is clearly too tough for the Meizu M3 Mini. Review owners, however, praise the camera. By the way, the device can record Full HD video in MP4 format. And that is not all. There is even a very popular recording option called "Slow Mo" - slow motion. This is a new option in Meizu M3 S. Specifications and reviews about it are full of laudatory statements.

Camera (front)

Now let's move on to the characteristics of the front camera of the device. Unlike other manufacturers, Meizu takes front cameras seriously. Even this module has 5 megapixels and a complex optical system of 4 lenses. This camera is also fast and wide angle. Photos are high quality and sharp. By the way, the front camera can also record video in Full HD. Of course, there is no practical benefit from this, but such a module is simply ideal for video communication. Selfie lovers will also be delighted. Meizu M3 Mini, the specifications and reviews of which we analyze here, is a completely modern device that will appeal to the vast majority of users. That was the calculation of the manufacturing company.

Firmware and software platform

As an operating system, this smartphone uses "Android" version 5.1 with a proprietary Flyme shell from Meizu. Many categorically do not like the branded shell, but we must admit that it is made simply and tastefully. It somehow diversifies the "naked" "Android". But what about those who absolutely do not like this in the Meizu M3 Mini? Firmware on w3bsit3-dns.com (a popular forum on mobile gadgets) can somewhat improve the situation. There are very interesting "custom" options without Flyme. I must say that the fifth "Android" works under the proprietary shell quite quickly and "bug-free". Although this is probably the merit of the hardware platform of the smartphone. But everything looks very beautiful, this can not be taken away. The most important thing is that the company regularly updates the firmware and "patches" old holes, corrects flaws. Not all manufacturers can boast of such product support.

As for pre-installed applications, there is almost no unnecessary rubbish in the version of the gadget with international firmware. But if you are a "happy" owner of the Chinese version, then be prepared that your phone will have a lot of useless Chinese "slag" that cannot be removed. By the way, such devices lack Google Play and all other usual services. What should the owners of the Chinese Meizu M3 Mini do? Firmware on w3bsit3-dns.com, as a rule, is completely Russified, devoid of Chinese applications and has all the necessary services from Google. You just need to install it. But how to do it painlessly is a completely different question. In any case, gadgets from Meizu are easily amenable to firmware and various modifications. So there shouldn't be any problems with that. The main thing is to do everything according to the instructions.

As part of the review of the Meizu M3s smartphone, we will analyze in detail its technical characteristics and appearance. This is already the third device in the popular line with characteristics typical for the middle price category, reasonable cost, high build quality and premium materials.

Options Meizu M3S

The package is quite simple:

• The device itself
• Network adapter for 2A:
• USB cord;
• Documentation;
• A paper clip to remove the SIM tray.

Design

Meizu M3s full review will acquaint you in detail with the design style of this device and the location of its control keys. The manufacturer did not come up with anything new and took advantage of existing solutions, borrowing the design from Pro 6. Once again we see sloping edges, a flat back cover, a metal case and a scanner built into a mechanical key. The main difference lies in the fact that the body of the Pro 6 is entirely made of metal, and here there are two plastic inserts. Many manufacturers resort to such a solution, which improves the quality of communication.

A review of the Meizu M3s phone showed that the chrome trim elements are made of plastic. It is better to wear the device in a bumper, as they quickly lose color. The front panel is covered with a newfangled 2.5D glass, which provides reliable protection. The glass is durable, during the review it did not collect a single scratch. The build quality is top notch, and thanks to the oleophobic coating, the finger glides well on the surface and does not leave fingerprints. While reviewing the Meizu M3s 32gb, we paid attention to its compact size, which makes it comfortable to hold in your hand. The device is assembled soundly. During use, there are no backlashes, squeaks or punching to the battery.

The choice of buyers is available in several colors: dark gray, gold, pink, and silver.

At the top of the front panel there are light and proximity sensors that work with a long delay, a bright indicator of missed notifications, a front camera and a conversational speaker covered with a metal mesh. When talking, the interlocutor is heard clearly, the timbre is pleasant, and the volume margin is large.

While reviewing the Meizu M3s 32gb smartphone, we noticed that under the display there is a touch-mechanical key that performs the “Back” function. At the same time, it has a built-in fingerprint scanner. It works quickly and provides reliable protection of personal data. Using a fingerprint, you can block both the entire device and access to individual applications.

On the bottom edge there is a microphone, a microUSB port and a multimedia speaker.

The volume rocker and the power button are located on the right side. The pressing is firm, the stroke is insignificant.

On the left, there is a metal tray for placing two SIM cards in nano format or one card + microSD.

Preparing the Meizu M3s 16gb gray review, we were impressed by the design of the back side. It houses the lens of the main camera module, which does not protrude from the body. Below it is a two-color LED flash, as well as a company logo.

Display

Meizu M3s gray review will acquaint you with its display. As in the case of its predecessor, it uses a 5.5-inch screen with FullHD resolution. The matrix is ​​built using IPS technology and is distinguished by the absence of an air gap. Also used protective glass T2X-1. Thanks to a slight rounding at the edges of the screen, it not only looks spectacular, but also improves finger gliding when working with the phone. It is very pleasant to feel the phone in the palm of your hand. The Meizu M3s 16gb smartphone review revealed the presence of MiraVision 2.0 technology, with which you can improve picture quality and optimize energy consumption.

The bezels around the display are minimal, and the viewing angles and color reproduction are simply gorgeous. The brightness margin is sufficient for comfortable use in bright sunlight. Automatic adjustment works correctly, but lacks a little smoothness. The transitions between states are very abrupt. Separately, it is worth noting the high-quality oleophobic coating, so that prints are removed without any problems. Meizu M3s 32 GB review did not reveal anything outstanding in the display settings, they are quite standard. You can set the color scheme for yourself using a convenient slider.

Your assessment of the smartphone:

I always look forward to the appearance of new Meizu smartphones. I won’t say that I am a particularly zealous fan of this brand, but I managed to use Meizu MX4, Meizu MX5, Meizu M1 Metal and now, as the main device, I use Meizu MX4 Pro. And each of these models left an exceptionally pleasant impression, today we will consider their first 5-inch smartphone presented on the Russian-speaking market, get to know -.

CHARACTERISTICS

• System: Android 5.1, Flyme 5, (Lollipop)
• Processor: 64Bit MTK MT6750 1.5GHz 8-core ARM Cortex-A53 (4xA53 1.5GHz + 4xA53 1.0GHz)
• Graphics: Mali T860 MP2 520MHz
• Memory: 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM
• SIM Card: Dual SIM support Nano SIM
• Frequencies: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, FDD-LTE 1800/2100/2600
• Screen: 5.0" IPS with HD resolution (1280x720), multi-touch 10 touches
• Front camera: 5 MP
• Main camera: 13 MP
• Battery: 3020mAh
• Dimensions: 142x70x8 mm, weight with battery 138 g.
• Bluetooth: 4.0
• GPS: GPS + GLONASS
• OTG: Support
• Optional: fingerprint scanner

UNPACKING AND PACKAGING

DESIGN/ERGONOMICS

BATTERY

DISPLAY

SOUND

CONNECTION

INTERFACE

IRON

CAMERAS

Video quality is also very good, resolution up to FullHD in MP4 format is supported.

VIDEO

CONCLUSIONS

A serious fight broke out between Xiaomi and Meizu, because these Chinese brands decided to conquer the market with their near-budget smartphones with far from budget characteristics by today's standards. And no sooner had the Meizu company updated the legendary Meizu m2 phone, which many users liked the price / quality ratio, as Meizu m3 came after meizu m3s.

Positioning and appearance

Initially, Meizu released two versions: Note-version and compact. The same can be seen in solutions from Xiaomi, take at least the latest Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 models and the reduced Xiaomi Redmi 3. As for meizu m3s- this is almost the same Meizu m3, but in an aluminum case. Apparently, the company decided to go the way of Xiaomi and release not only Note in metal. By the way, the smartphone practically adopted all its features from him: a stylish candy bar with rounded iPhone-like edges. Behind you can see a metal back and two plastic lining: top and bottom.

Unlike competitors from Xiaomi, the phone stands out with a protective 2.5D glass with an oleophobic coating. Perhaps, just for the sake of this, it is worth changing the m2 mini to a metal novelty. It is also worth buying due to the fact that a fingerprint scanner has appeared in the home button, previously it was available only in expensive models.

Technical specifications

Now it's worth dwelling on the characteristics and the first thing worth mentioning is a high-quality five-inch display. The manufacturer left the HD resolution, which should have a positive effect on autonomy, especially since the device uses a 3020 mAh battery. The platform built on the MT6750 media processor is responsible for performance. The graphic part works on the Mali-T860MP2 chip. In terms of memory, there are two versions available: 16GB/2GB and 32GB/3GB storage and RAM respectively.

There is also an expansion slot that supports microSD cards up to 256 gigabytes. As for photographic capabilities, the camera shoots at about the same level as in previous models, because the smartphone uses a 13-megapixel sensor with a 2.2 aperture. It is difficult to predict whether the new m3s will repeat the success of the best-selling m2 mini on the domestic market, but one way or another, the smartphone deserves attention.