Gone are the days of $600 flagships; the latest Meizu flagship (as of writing this review; the Pro version should be out soon) costs a ‘mere’ 1799 Yuan or US$289 in China. I remember only a little over a couple of years back did I pay what now looks like a hefty sum of $275 to have an MT6577 phone shipped to me. I like to believe I wasn’t foolish back then, but there’s one thing I’m certain about — it IS the age of mid-range flagships. The term, as you read it, is an amalgamation of ‘mid-range’ and ‘flagship’; ‘mid-range’ refers to the price and the latter, to the specifications (not so much the experience, unfortunately. But we’ll get there).
Since we are dealing in Chinese tech, the price is even lower than what international or mainstream OEMs would offer. In this case, the MX5 comes with acclaimed Helio X10 CPU from MediaTek… along with 3GB RAM and other impressive specifications.
Let us find out how well that translates into a good phone.
Meizu MX5 Review: Design and Build
I’ve been a fan of Meizu’s design since I was shown the Meizu M6 back in 2007 or so. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I loved the simpleness that the design had to it in an era when most companies churned out devices that were made to look as complicated (‘geeky’) as possible. The MX5 however happens to be the first Meizu phone I’ve used for more than 10 minutes… and it’d be unfair to say that it has disappointed.
However, what is certain is that the design won’t blow your mind. That isn’t to say that the MX5 is a ripoff of the iPhone — it sure isn’t — but it won’t make you go around preaching Meizu’s design theory. The home button on the MX5 is now a rounded square (rounded rectangle, anyone?), after Meizu was allegedly forced to give up the glowing halo which went hand-in-hand with any Meizu phone for quite some time.
There are obvious cues from other phones, which is most apparent around the edges of the MX5… especially when you catch a glimpse of the speaker grille.
While measuring the ‘goodness’ of a design is something that’ll forever depend on who’s using it, the build of a phone will usually be in agreement by most of its users. In the case of the MX5, the device seems fairly well built with an exception or two.
It is believed that the MX5 was a bit of a hurried device. Hurried in the sense that Meizu probably didn’t invest as much time as they would usually. But the consequence of that should’ve been in the design and features and not the build.
One major gripe that I have with the MX5 is that the buttons (volume and power, not the home button) feel slightly tacky. This is because of the play or the ‘rattle’ they have in them; running a finger over the buttons even makes a sound that you don’t want to hear from something you’ve spend udwards of $300 (for international buyers) on, let alone a flagship smartphone of 2015.
Thankfully though, the home button recites a different story. There’s virtually no play or anything like that, and the fingerprint reader works like a charm (more on this later).
Take a look at some pictures of the MX5.
Meizu MX5 Review: Hardware and Performance
After only recently having used the LeTV X600 (review), I had high expectations from the MX5. The X600 comes with the MediaTek MT6795 @2.0GHz, while the variant on the MX5 actually has 10% faster clock rates. Unfortunately though — probably because of an unoptimized ROM — the MX5 doesn’t perform as well as it should (and could).
With the same amount of RAM, ROM and a higher clocked version of the same CPU, the MX5 is usually second to the LeTV X600, which is in fact the one of the three first phones from LeTV. I guess the higher expectations were called for, given Meizu’s experience making phones. It makes one wonder if the pretty ROMs that Chinese phones often flaunt are backfiring with unnecessary resource hogging.
Nonetheless, there’s more to the MX5 than just UI transitions, and thankfully it only gets better from here.
In-app performance (that is, when the ‘unnecessary’ overheads don’t play a part) is top-notch as you would expect from the CPU. RAM-heavy apps like Chrome will hang every now and then, but that’s only when you’re pushing the phone’s processing limits (as I often find myself doing, with a tonne of tabs, apps, open all at once). Give the phone a few seconds (20, give or take) and it’ll resume to normalcy. Again, this isn’t something you expect from a flagship, but it is the ROM to blame.
Meizu are promising a lot with constant firmware updates, which hopefully will eradicate the apps not responding issues and improve the general performance.
Moving on, audio performance on the MX5 deserves a special mention. The output from the earpiece as well as the built in speaker is crisp and sounds like quality sound. Often phones will output audio that’s completely bass-less and too high on treble, but the MX5 gets all of that right!
Now, the display. The 5.5-inch display of the MX5 has a 1920 x 1080p resolution. It isn’t the resolution that is the talking point, but the fact that it is a Super AMOLED display. Users in China have been having issues with the display, but as I’ve said before and as I will continue to say, it is the way the display has been calibrated. What might be an issue for one might actually be a feature for another.
Gizchina News of the week
In short, the MX5 has a fairly beautiful display with a lovely color reproduction, which can be tweaked up to an extent from within the settings. It is beautiful per se, but has strong characteristics. That is to say, put it against another Super AMOLED and you’ll know from one look which one the MX5 is. It has a slightly warm tint, and lacks the over-saturation of other Super AMOLED displays. Picture isn’t as ‘fluid’ or crisp as an IPS LCD panel, but then there’s color going for this one.
Meizu MX5 vs Gionee Elife S7 Super AMOLED display comparison:
Meizu MX5 Review: Camera
In one word — forgive me for being informal — the camera on the MX5 is insane. Good insane.
It’s a 20.7 mega-pixel Sony IMX220 sensor from the previous Meizu flagship, but with improved software algorithms and laser autofocus that takes charge of imaging on the phone.
As usual for any phone, the MX5’s camera comes loaded with features such as HDR, macro (“microspur” in the menu), depth of field, and of course, beauty mode. The macros can’t be taken from as close up as you’d like, but apart from that the MX5 is, without a spec of doubt, the best camera phone I’ve used. As you read before, this includes the X600 (Andi still seems to swear by his LeTV X600, but I’m pretty sure as and when he gets his hands on the MX5, the X600 will be history).
Every mode does justice and then more to the picture. HDR isn’t overexposed, depth of field shots have shalloe depth of field… just the right amount, without the bokeh seeming manufactured. In all, the MX5 has the camera that will — I daresay — make the most demanding users happy with its capabilities.
I’ll let the sample shots do the talking. Forgive me for not having the best framing abilities!
Meizu MX5 Review: Battery
Although the MX5 has a 3150mAh battery and a Super AMOLED display, battery life isn’t crazy good. It is only on the verge of satisfactory… a little short of that for some.
I hardly play any games on the phone, and as other reviews of mine will tell you, use my phone mainly for communication and utility purposes. I believe with the sort of usage my phones are subjected to, one day of battery life should be a bare minimum. And the MX5 almost does that.
4.5hrs to 4.75hrs is the kind of SOT (screen on time) the MX5 manages for me. It isn’t the best clearly, but not the worst either. This is something I would again attribute to the ROM on the device, which doesn’t seem completely optimized to extract the best from what’s given to it in hardware terms.
Charging however is a boon. It does make you let go of a percentage of the lack of great battery life. According to Meizu, the mCharge technology will take the MX5 from 0-25% in just 25 minutes; from my usage, I can say that Meizu haven’t wronged their buyers.
Meizu MX5 Review: Fingerprint Sensor and Flyme OS
Flyme again is a heavily skinned Android variation. It does away with the ‘Smart Bar’ that used to be the star of the show (and from what users reported, was a major contributor to the steep learning curve). Since there’s only one button on the MX5 — contrary to three on most Android phones — the home button isn’t just a home button. It combines a fingerprint sensor, back and home button into one. Of course this is a hardware implementation, but all a part of Flyme, which is why you find it in this section of the review.
Here’s how it works: from anywhere on the phone, tap (and not press) the home button like any capacitive touch button, and it’ll perform a ‘back’ action. Press the button, and it’ll take you to the home screen. So simple, yet so intelligent. Of course, there is a learning curve to it, but once you do get a hang of it you will (like me) prefer this arrangement over the usual three button setup of Android.
In order to access recent apps, you swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This can be a little tricky at first… especially when you don’t know how to deal with the running apps. Tap on one to get into the app, swipe down from within the recent apps bar to kill all apps, and tap and hold on one to ‘lock’ it into memory.
Besides the parts where the OS feels a little low on optimization, it is something that I’d use and probably prefer over AOSP Android. There’s a lot of customization options, but at the same time Meizu seem to not have done things to the ROM just for the sake of it.
Coming to the fingerprint sensor: along with the camera, this is my most favourite feature of the MX5. It isn’t just super secure, but also super fast (and very accurate). It is faster than having a ‘slide to unlock’ screen, and more secure than the most complex pattern you can set on the 9/16-dot grid of Android. But like I mentioned earlier, you will want to have dry fingers before attempting to unlock your phone.
The very impressive anti-fingerprint/oleophobic coating that is spread on the screen and around the home button seems to be missing from the fingerprint sensor, but I’m not complaining.
Meizu MX5 Review: Conclusion
Buy the MX5 if you’re a photography enthusiast, you won’t be disappointed. Buy the MX5 if you’re looking for a fairly well built phone with a fingerprint sensor, and you’ll be happy. But don’t buy the MX5 (at least just yet) for the promise of the Helio X10. If possible, wait for a month or so until Flyme OS is tuned to give the SoC what it needs. And when that happens, I’m pretty sure the MX5 will blow every $289 out of the water.
Despite the couple shortcomings, I believe the MX5 will be my daily driver for quite a while. It’s sleeker than the X600, has a killer camera, and a bomb of a fingerprint sensor. But that’s me!
We would like to thank the folks at CooliCool.com for providing the Meizu MX5 for this review!
WTF???? This is the worst review I read!!! What is wrong with you!!!
Why ? You have the MX5? Tell as what you think about the phone.
I have it the camera is amazing.
you know right, it’s not andy who review this device, if it’s andy, the picture from camera section will be more and more amazing as he got talent in photograph.
But, you still need to appreciate the reviewer. Tell him what’s wrong with the review instead using F word and bashing without any clear reason.
?!
Ho did you manage to access the “task” box on the main screen ? I tried so many option but without any luck…
Whats so bad with it? Have you personally used the phone? What issues do you have with it? I have been using the phone and agree with 90% of what he wrote. What is wrong with you???
Helio X10 is a joke. Both the SnapDragon 805 and and the 808 are better processors, and so is the 810 when not throttling. Something tells me X20 and X30 are also going to be poor performers as well. Mediatek just cannot pull off a godly, SD 808-810 beating processor with an insanely powerful GPU and micro-second cold locking GPS. That combination is NEVER going to happen.
And surely, NONE of them (X20, X30) will cross 65k on AnTuTu, while both SnapDragon and Exynos upcoming SoCs will be breaking the 70k-75k barriers.
However, for cheapos that can’t afford quality phone with quality chips (SD 810 and 615 excluded), these pieces of overrated junk can be kinder on the wallets.
I’m going to buy an SD 820 phone or an Exynos 79xx phone (whichever crosses the 70k AnTuTu mark first).
What’s with all the MediaTek hate? Sure they don’t claim that all-round no.1 spot which goes either to Samsung or QualComm (definitely Samsung this year, which has destroyed everything synthetically and in real life performance), but most people don’t really need that one killer SoC which will do it all, with big gaps from competing SoCs.
It’s fine for some if the GPU isn’t all GTX level, or maybe if the GPS is a bit sluggish. Heck, some may even not mind a little stutter here and there (e.g. on badly done roms) and will be happy as long as the costs are in check and the general performance is good to very good, and not utterly exceptional.
I don’t think MediaTek even targets (in reality, despite their recent roadmaps, leaks and pitches) that kind of all-encompassing Godly performance that the Exynos 79XX series and the SD 820 target – that’s not their approach to the market honestly.
Their idea is to get strong processing and a host of interesting features out at an affordable price point, while making some sacrifices for sure. They never target that worldwide no.1 spot for the most extreme enthusiast SoC which is a chart topper in every category. That’s Samsung / QualComm territory, and afaik, QualComm failed at it big time with the 810, and Samsung took the crown this year.
It’s fanboyism at it’s finest.
You do understand that this doesn’t compete with the SD810, just like it doesn’t compete with SD615. It’s not a 50$ SoC but it’s not a 15$ SoC either, it’s somewhere in between.
Closer to the SD615 cost wise, I guess.
Cost wise it is impossible to figure out. No two companies pay the same amount for a SoC. What Xiaomi pays for the 615 and what Meizu would pay is a completely different amount due to the volume each one buys (Xiaomi produces 5X as many phones).
Bigger customers can cut a better deal than smaller ones, but after all manufacturing silicon chips at foundries also has a cost for chipmakers. Larger die size costs more, likewise smaller and better nodes costs more. Also there are licence fees too.
Stopped at Antutu points, cause it clearly is the best way to know about perfomance.
🙁 Desperate
I’m cheapo using cheap China brand phone and I’m happy with it. You can buy Samsung or iPhone since you belong to higher class user.
I stopped reading once you mentioned Antutu. Breaking 65k means nothing in real world performance. Having used the X10 for about a week and half now in this very phone it has handled everything I threw at and never slowed down.
I have the phone as well and can say that for 3D games, it certainly drops a lot of frames compared to the Snapdragon 810 (Nubia Z9). Other than that, however, I’ve been surprised at how fluid it is, especially in comparison with the MX4.
I am not a mobile gamer in the least sense (Xbox one is a different story) so I am not the best person to talk about this. But I tried Dead Trigger, Modern Combat and Asphalt and had no issues playing them on whatever the default settings are.
IF software optimized well, MTK SoCs rock!
Andy, I have a simple question. What’s your choice: Letv x600, meizu mx4 pro or meizu mx5?
I’m waiting on my MX5 to arrive, but I seriously doubt it is going to beat the LeTV.
offtopic, andi, can u pls do another updated review of the LeTv X600.
I know ure using it from at least 2 months, can u tell us now whats the pro and cons of the x600 at this time?
I wanted to buy the missus a LeTv x600 so badly last week but absolutely nobody had the 64gb version for sale anywhere and so because of that, I did what I know best and purchased another OnePlus One 64gb from OnePlus themselves…
To be fair £219.99 for all that spec is still an absolute bargain and she is proper, proper chuffed to bits with it! I’m so glad she’s finally happy with a phone after having such a shite time with her Zopo ZP999
Job done.
(For the next 24 months at least…)
hi great AnDi!!
I have suggested on another topic but again..plz use fastcardtech “review it to free-pay” sysyem..this way you can buy gionee e8/letv max with first payment then getting refund as well..youdont have to write too many “fastcardtech” but only one is enough..i am sure they will be happy to have their name on your site too..they have no limit to reviews/free phone..so plz get those expensive beast to review and compare to these too(zte nubia z9 too)
Just to know my firend, I do a preorder for LETV 32GB. But I read on they offical forum that meny of them broke screen. I see meny photos. That is so BAD! I cancell my order. And ECO OS what is using LETV is very bad. Flyme OS is not so good, but LETV phone OS is big crap. I read all of this on they offical forum. You can go and chek it. LETV didnt have Gorila Glass. They broke screen when phone fall from the 30cm…
i think camera review is very very bad or its something wrong with the picture format when uploading
WTF???? This is the worst review I read!!! What is wrong with you!!!
Why ? You have the MX5? Tell as what you think about the phone.
you know right, it’s not andy who review this device, if it’s andy, the picture from camera section will be more and more amazing as he got talent in photograph.
But, you still need to appreciate the reviewer. Tell him what’s wrong with the review instead using F word and bashing without any clear reason.
?!
I have it the camera is amazing.
Whats so bad with it? Have you personally used the phone? What issues do you have with it? I have been using the phone and agree with 90% of what he wrote. What is wrong with you???
Ho did you manage to access the “task” box on the main screen ? I tried so many option but without any luck…
Helio X10 is a joke. Both the SnapDragon 805 and and the 808 are better processors, and so is the 810 when not throttling. Something tells me X20 and X30 are also going to be poor performers as well. Mediatek just cannot pull off a godly, SD 808-810 beating processor with an insanely powerful GPU and micro-second cold locking GPS. That combination is NEVER going to happen.
And surely, NONE of them (X20, X30) will cross 65k on AnTuTu, while both SnapDragon and Exynos upcoming SoCs will be breaking the 70k-75k barriers.
However, for cheapos that can’t afford quality phone with quality chips (SD 810 and 615 excluded), these pieces of overrated junk can be kinder on the wallets.
I’m going to buy an SD 820 phone or an Exynos 79xx phone (whichever crosses the 70k AnTuTu mark first).
What’s with all the MediaTek hate? Sure they don’t claim that all-round no.1 spot which goes either to Samsung or QualComm (definitely Samsung this year, which has destroyed everything synthetically and in real life performance), but most people don’t really need that one killer SoC which will do it all, with big gaps from competing SoCs.
It’s fine for some if the GPU isn’t all GTX level, or maybe if the GPS is a bit sluggish. Heck, some may even not mind a little stutter here and there (e.g. on badly done roms) and will be happy as long as the costs are in check and the general performance is good to very good, and not utterly exceptional.
I don’t think MediaTek even targets (in reality, despite their recent roadmaps, leaks and pitches) that kind of all-encompassing Godly performance that the Exynos 79XX series and the SD 820 target – that’s not their approach to the market honestly.
Their idea is to get strong processing and a host of interesting features out at an affordable price point, while making some sacrifices for sure. They never target that worldwide no.1 spot for the most extreme enthusiast SoC which is a chart topper in every category. That’s Samsung / QualComm territory, and afaik, QualComm failed at it big time with the 810, and Samsung took the crown this year.
You do understand that this doesn’t compete with the SD810, just like it doesn’t compete with SD615. It’s not a 50$ SoC but it’s not a 15$ SoC either, it’s somewhere in between.
Stopped at Antutu points, cause it clearly is the best way to know about perfomance.
I’m cheapo using cheap China brand phone and I’m happy with it. You can buy Samsung or iPhone since you belong to higher class user.
🙁 Desperate
I stopped reading once you mentioned Antutu. Breaking 65k means nothing in real world performance. Having used the X10 for about a week and half now in this very phone it has handled everything I threw at and never slowed down.
It’s fanboyism at it’s finest.
I have the phone as well and can say that for 3D games, it certainly drops a lot of frames compared to the Snapdragon 810 (Nubia Z9). Other than that, however, I’ve been surprised at how fluid it is, especially in comparison with the MX4.
I am not a mobile gamer in the least sense (Xbox one is a different story) so I am not the best person to talk about this. But I tried Dead Trigger, Modern Combat and Asphalt and had no issues playing them on whatever the default settings are.
Closer to the SD615 cost wise, I guess.
IF software optimized well, MTK SoCs rock!
Cost wise it is impossible to figure out. No two companies pay the same amount for a SoC. What Xiaomi pays for the 615 and what Meizu would pay is a completely different amount due to the volume each one buys (Xiaomi produces 5X as many phones).
Bigger customers can cut a better deal than smaller ones, but after all manufacturing silicon chips at foundries also has a cost for chipmakers. Larger die size costs more, likewise smaller and better nodes costs more. Also there are licence fees too.
Andy, I have a simple question. What’s your choice: Letv x600, meizu mx4 pro or meizu mx5?
I’m waiting on my MX5 to arrive, but I seriously doubt it is going to beat the LeTV.
offtopic, andi, can u pls do another updated review of the LeTv X600.
I know ure using it from at least 2 months, can u tell us now whats the pro and cons of the x600 at this time?
I wanted to buy the missus a LeTv x600 so badly last week but absolutely nobody had the 64gb version for sale anywhere and so because of that, I did what I know best and purchased another OnePlus One 64gb from OnePlus themselves…
To be fair £219.99 for all that spec is still an absolute bargain and she is proper, proper chuffed to bits with it! I’m so glad she’s finally happy with a phone after having such a shite time with her Zopo ZP999
Job done.
(For the next 24 months at least…)
Just to know my firend, I do a preorder for LETV 32GB. But I read on they offical forum that meny of them broke screen. I see meny photos. That is so BAD! I cancell my order. And ECO OS what is using LETV is very bad. Flyme OS is not so good, but LETV phone OS is big crap. I read all of this on they offical forum. You can go and chek it. LETV didnt have Gorila Glass. They broke screen when phone fall from the 30cm…
hi great AnDi!!
I have suggested on another topic but again..plz use fastcardtech “review it to free-pay” sysyem..this way you can buy gionee e8/letv max with first payment then getting refund as well..youdont have to write too many “fastcardtech” but only one is enough..i am sure they will be happy to have their name on your site too..they have no limit to reviews/free phone..so plz get those expensive beast to review and compare to these too(zte nubia z9 too)
Hi, Yash do you keep all these phone or u need to dispose a few of them..I am willing to buy one or two if you may? I m in pune. Just out of curiosity as these phones wont be available here anytime soon.
None for sale really, sorry
Andy please make your own reviev abouth this phone!!!
I actually have one on the way and plan on writing it up.
Thx a lot Andy 🙂 and make good camera reviev, photo comparison 🙂
i think camera review is very very bad or its something wrong with the picture format when uploading
You tell us that this phone have good camera???? But look at your picture they are very very very bad!!! Did you post wrong photos?
^^ This guy has a point, when looking at the pictures I wasn’t impressed at all. Most of the pics aren’t even sharp so not sure why the camera is praised so much in this review.
It depends where the focus are made and conditions ! here there are not very good ..
but i’m agree with you, not very impressive this mx5 photo captor ..
Can’t say I am very impressed with the camera from these samples either.
Having used the camera myself I can say it’s excellent, not sure what happened with his pictures.
by the way, can you give us a comparison? for example with samsung s6(your friend must have it,right? or iphone 6? i dont think you have nubia z9 to compare to…so have to limit to word brands
My wife has S6. The S6 is slightly better in daylight (most people will never notice the difference) but the slightest shadow can cripple that camera. The MX5 imo is much better in low light. Neither comes close to the Iphone 6 which several friends have. It is in a completely different category. I hate Apple phones but what their engineers did with that camera is noting short of amazing.
iPhone 6 !!!!!!
I am not sure .
Low light photos look great at first looks but looking closely they are no good at all .
Noisy ……
Very very noisy .
LG G4 was way better in low light then Iphone 6 .
I disagree, I have compared both side by side and trust me I am no Apple fan, but to me Iphone 6 is still the standard to beat. G4 and S6 come close but fall short.
I would have to disagree. I have an s6 edge at the moment and its pictures esp in low light are better than the iphone 6. Infact i cant find a single review anywhere that backs up what you said and all of them agree that the s6 camera is better.
That is your opinion from what I have seen the S6 is terrible in low light photos. You can post all the rebuttals you want but my opinion is not going to change I have seen it with my own eyes.
Infact just to name a few popular review sites that absolutely agree and not only agree that the s6 camera is better but that the iphone 6 comes in third behind the G4 so i’m not sure what your eyes are seeing lol. The verge, business insider, android central, BGR, Tech times, Tomsguide, cnet to name a few.
Apparently the same thing many of the eyes of the sites you just quoted are seeing as their results are all over the place. Some say the G4 is better some say the S6 is better. And just read the comments on each one, people argue for all 3 being better. The problem is all 3 are excellent cameras and it comes down to what our eyes see. It all comes down to opinion. I can post a dozen articles that say the IP6 is better but it’s not going to change your viewpoint.
You should check most reviews on webs .
Most says G4 is far better .
I also saw both . Personally I liked the results of G4 .
“Most reviews on the web”. There are thousands of reviews on the web, to check most of them would take weeks of doing nothing but that. From the majority that I have seen there is no definitive winner. At the end of the day though a review is just one mans opinion. As evident by this conversation no two people have the same opinion.
You’re definitely right that G4 is better in low light. Once you use manual mode you can take some excellent shots.
Once you can handle the manual mode, most cameras make good pictures!
Unless the post processing is bad. I have the G4 and it’s a really good phone with a good camera but there’s still some heavy noise reduction even at ISO 50. I use another app called ProShot to disable noise reduction and the quality is spectacular.
thanks for the tip!
I don’t think it is a fair fight to compared a 300€ device with a LG4 that costs 450€
It would be like comparing the Moto G (2015) to the MX5, it’s just not right, the MX5 would wipe the floor with that poor little thing.
All these phones are great, it just depends on what company is producing them and the price they choose for them. As for me, the MX5 doesn’t support the bands that I need so I wouldn’t be able to use it if I bought it. I also love having an IR blaster hehe. I believe the body size of the MX5 is more my type though.
i’m not anywhere near impressed. these photos (except for one or two) look awful to me. my gf’s jiayu g4s makes better photos then most of the samples up there. might be a good camera piece, but those samples are not proving it.
I wont speak to his photos or his review but from mine and everyone else I know (or have read) that his used the camera it is excellent.
This phone is one of the best in this yare. OnePlus Two vs Meizu MX5:
OnePlusTwo
+ beter OS
+4GB Ram
+new look
– 13MP Camera
– 214IMX sensor
– expensive
Meizu MX5:
+fast charge
+super amoled
+20MP Camera
+220IMX sensor
+not cost too much
-FlymeOS
-old look
OnePlus Two isn’t using the IMX214 anymore, they are now using the Omnivision OV13860. Also if you buy the OP2 from OP it costs the same as buying the MX5 from a reseller. Price is a wash if you have an invite for the OP. OS is entirely subjective to the user, some prefer the minimal look of Oxygen, others love custom UI’s like Flyme.
From what I’ve read so far, the OP2 has a great screen, much improved over the OPO. The MX5’s screen in the photo, however, looks underwhelming next to the S7’s screen. I wouldn’t consider the screen a plus for the MX5 until I see it side-by-side with the OP2 first. I would also remove “fast charge” as an advantage since the OP2 reportedly charges to 100% in about two hours, which is plenty fast for me; the fact that it also has a reversible USB Type-C port makes it a wash.
I have been using the phone for about a week and half now. I have never used a Meizu before and didn’t pay any money for the phone so I really have no love or hate involved. If I love it great, if I don’t I still plan on buying the Gionee S7. I am not a Meizu fan boy and not defending a purchase (which many do). But here goes:
I agree with almost everything Yash pointed out except a few things:
1. Battery life – I get about a day and half with normal usage. But this is so subjective and depends on a variety of factors that neither is right or wrong.
2. Processor – I dont use Chrome on mobile and never had 20 tabs open. But everything else I did on the processor it handled it like a dream. It has yet to slow down or stutter.
As for the camera it is beyond insane, but if you use the stock app results can be a mixed bag. I replaced it first with Open Camera (very good results all around) and recently Lenovo Super Camera and it is outstanding how good it is.
From the little time I used it I would give it about an 8.5, with some good optimization it could easily be a 9.5/10. It is one of the better phones I have used in a long time and has solid potential to be an amazing phone for the next year.
Thanks to @yash3339:disqus for the review and for the thoughts @balcobomber25:disqus . I really like the look of the mx5, very tempted to buy but export price is rather close to the better specd 64GB OP2 for comfort. I hear though that uploading videos to facebook, youtube or instagram is not possible due to the fact meizu used an unsupported codec. Is this the case? I also hear that in the flyme camera app, focusing on dark followed by light areas before when trying to take a photo can cause massive fluctuations in exposure meaning you may end up with a super dark or super light picture of the same image. Is this also the case?
On Gearbest the price for the 16GB model is the same as the price for the 16GB OP2:
http://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_203836.html
I haven’t really messed with the video camera yet ill try later today to upload some videos and let you know what happens. As for the camera I replaced the stock app after about two days. Open Camera works excellent with the camera and I am currently trying Lenovo Super Camera.
nice one, appreciated, be interested to know about the video stuff..
i find a video about the MEIZU MX5, http://goo.gl/I13JNP
Why doesn’t GizChina do any benchmarks in their reviews? I know benchmarks don’t exactly tell you how a device performs but they do give you an idea in what areas a device excels or fails.
It looks like a nice phone but just like Xiaomi I’m not a fan of the skin they put on it. Both Flyme and MIUI seem to be too heavy on the phone and cause lag/stutter. Both companies seem to produce good quality phones but the software and price hold me back. The lack of LTE B20 doesn’t help either.
In my experience Flyme is the opposite of MIUI. MIUI is incredibly resource intensive, Flyme is a lot lighter (not as light as stock, but lighter than most UI’s). As for Benchmarks I am in the process of testing the phone out I have done a few benchmarks and here is what I have been getting:
Antuntu – To me Antutu is good for one thing, and that is to measure how much a SoC overheats. I ran it about 10 times in a row to really try to make the SoC work, it never slowed down or heated up. But here were my results:
51000 was my average score, highest was 57000 lowest was 49000.
Geek Bench:
Single Core – consistently scores between 940-1000
Multicore -consistently scores between 5100-5500.
You are talking about MX5 running antutu 10 times in a row? I have ordered this phone today and think it will be awesome.
I think Antutu is useless but I ran it for some friends. In 10 straight tests there was never a performance loss or heat up.
even the price hold you back?
what brands make cheaper phones than them (with equal hardware)?
I’m not saying other brands are cheaper (with equal hardware) I meant that when I spend over 300€ on a phone I want it to be worth it every penny.
which phone would worth every penny in your opinion if you don’t mind me asking
Currently none but that’s just me. The Jiayu S3 gets close but I’m afraid it’ll be too big for my liking so now I’m looking for a 5″ to 5.2″ phone. Loved the Xiaomi Mi4i for it’s design but it lacks an SD-slot and LTE B20 and from the reviews here and elsewhere performance is pretty bad at times. So I’m still looking for that perfect phone like many here.
I’m sure something that satisfies your needs will show up sooner or later.
Why don’t you just buy the meizu mx4 its pretty close to the mx5 in specs and its available for less than $200 now. The mx4 pro is only $250 now too which is a really good price.
The MX4 a good looking phone with a good size but the lack of SD-slot, LTE B20 and the fact it’s running FlyMe instead of stock Android makes it a no go for me. I could live with one of these 3 ‘issues’ but not with all 3.
Have you looked at the Lenovo Vibe Shot? It has a 5 inch display, excellent camera, 32GB with SD card.
Specs look good but not a fan of its unique design tbh. Size is also great and it has an SD-slot and support for LTE B20 as you mentioned. Will check some reviews to see how the SD615 performs.
Why not get a Zenfone 2?
Hej Lars Meizu phone does not support EU Band nor EU Language – unfortunately
I use mine in Germany. It definitely has German and English, at the very least.
Where are you getting this from?
It has support for EU bands, just not band 20. That isn’t the only band used in the EU. It also has full 3G support.
As for languages Flyme supports: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Portuguese. it may not have your particular language but that doesn;t meant it has no EU language support. Stop spreading false info.
From Meizu.
It may come as an surprise for you that there also are other country in EU , than Germany and France MR.Garabomber. So stop act like you are Adolf Hitler- remember he lost the war!!
It may come as a surprise to you but Germany and France are a part of the EU. So saying it doesn’t support EU language or bands is incorrect if it supports those countries (along with Italy, Portugal, Spain and others). It doesn’t support your particular country not the EU as entirety.
Hi, Yash do you keep all these phone or u need to dispose a few of them..I am willing to buy one or two if you may? I m in pune. Just out of curiosity as these phones wont be available here anytime soon.
None for sale really, sorry
Yash can we expect the S7 review soon?
Very soon hopefully. It’s pretty much ready to be published but then a new phone comes along each time I think of finishing it up. I’ll do it next.
I understand lol. I already know how the review is going to go, great hardware horrible software but as a Gionee fan I just expect it haha.
nice review ..but ..Awesome hardware, shitty firmware. Never ever Meizu again!.. i have meizu mx 4 pro and i tried from flyme os 4.2.8.2 stable to flyme os 4.5.4A stable and always same problems youtube stop neflix the same..showbox stop too many bugs ..If there is someone who is thinking to buy a Meizu product… Just keep away for your own health!..new firmwares, new bugs, old bugs havent solved.meizu engineers are shit..
I have had no issues with Youtube or Netflix with the MX5, so apparently whatever problems the MX4 Pro (never used it) had have been fixed.
maybe but if you check the meizu forum ..https://meizufans.eu/forum/ i guess im not the only with these problems ..
I din’t say you were but as of today both of those have no issued on the Mx5. They could still have issues with the MX4 Pro it is a different phone with different hardware. But the MX5 it works.
Agreed. The MX5 is much more stable and fluid than the MX4. There is still that old bug with the keyboard, but otherwise it’s pretty nice. The MX4 also has serious issues with finding a signal at times. The MX5 is quite quick.
i don’t get the criticism, i enjoyed reading this review.
To me this phone is one of the best out there, considering what you get for the money.
fluidity of the software is one of my priority though, so for that reason i would wait until they come out with fixes before buying it.
The Meizu M1 and MX4 Pro had a lot of software issues so some people are wary of the brand. The attacks on Yash were uncalled for, his pictures looked pretty good.
Andy please make your own reviev abouth this phone!!!
I actually have one on the way and plan on writing it up.
Thx a lot Andy 🙂 and make good camera reviev, photo comparison 🙂
You tell us that this phone have good camera???? But look at your picture they are very very very bad!!! Did you post wrong photos?
^^ This guy has a point, when looking at the pictures I wasn’t impressed at all. Most of the pics aren’t even sharp so not sure why the camera is praised so much in this review.
It depends where the focus are made and conditions ! here there are not very good ..
but i’m agree with you, not very impressive this mx5 photo captor ..
Can’t say I am very impressed with the camera from these samples either.
Having used the camera myself I can say it’s excellent, not sure what happened with his pictures.
i’m not anywhere near impressed. these photos (except for one or two) look awful to me. my gf’s jiayu g4s makes better photos then most of the samples up there. might be a good camera piece, but those samples are not proving it.
by the way, can you give us a comparison? for example with samsung s6(your friend must have it,right? or iphone 6? i dont think you have nubia z9 to compare to…so have to limit to word brands
My wife has S6. The S6 is slightly better in daylight (most people will never notice the difference) but the slightest shadow can cripple that camera. The MX5 imo is much better in low light. Neither comes close to the Iphone 6 which several friends have. It is in a completely different category. I hate Apple phones but what their engineers did with that camera is noting short of amazing.
I wont speak to his photos or his review but from mine and everyone else I know (or have read) that his used the camera it is excellent.
iPhone 6 !!!!!!
I am not sure .
Low light photos look great at first looks but looking closely they are no good at all .
Noisy ……
Very very noisy .
LG G4 was way better in low light then Iphone 6 .
I disagree, I have compared both side by side and trust me I am no Apple fan, but to me Iphone 6 is still the standard to beat. G4 and S6 come close but fall short.
I would have to disagree. I have an s6 edge at the moment and its pictures esp in low light are better than the iphone 6. Infact i cant find a single review anywhere that backs up what you said and all of them agree that the s6 camera is better.
Infact just to name a few popular review sites that absolutely agree and not only agree that the s6 camera is better but that the iphone 6 comes in third behind the G4 so i’m not sure what your eyes are seeing lol. The verge, business insider, android central, BGR, Tech times, Tomsguide, cnet to name a few.
Apparently the same thing many of the eyes of the sites you just quoted are seeing as their results are all over the place. Some say the G4 is better some say the S6 is better. And just read the comments on each one, people argue for all 3 being better. The problem is all 3 are excellent cameras and it comes down to what our eyes see. It all comes down to opinion. I can post a dozen articles that say the IP6 is better but it’s not going to change your viewpoint.
That is your opinion from what I have seen the S6 is terrible in low light photos. You can post all the rebuttals you want but my opinion is not going to change I have seen it with my own eyes.
You should check most reviews on webs .
Most says G4 is far better .
I also saw both . Personally I liked the results of G4 .
“Most reviews on the web”. There are thousands of reviews on the web, to check most of them would take weeks of doing nothing but that. From the majority that I have seen there is no definitive winner. At the end of the day though a review is just one mans opinion. As evident by this conversation no two people have the same opinion.
You’re definitely right that G4 is better in low light. Once you use manual mode you can take some excellent shots.
Once you can handle the manual mode, most cameras make good pictures!
Unless the post processing is bad. I have the G4 and it’s a really good phone with a good camera but there’s still some heavy noise reduction even at ISO 50. I use another app called ProShot to disable noise reduction and the quality is spectacular.
thanks for the tip!
I don’t think it is a fair fight to compared a 300€ device with a LG4 that costs 450€
It would be like comparing the Moto G (2015) to the MX5, it’s just not right, the MX5 would wipe the floor with that poor little thing.
All these phones are great, it just depends on what company is producing them and the price they choose for them. As for me, the MX5 doesn’t support the bands that I need so I wouldn’t be able to use it if I bought it. I also love having an IR blaster hehe. I believe the body size of the MX5 is more my type though.
This phone is one of the best in this yare. OnePlus Two vs Meizu MX5:
OnePlusTwo
+ beter OS
+4GB Ram
+new look
– 13MP Camera
– 214IMX sensor
– expensive
Meizu MX5:
+fast charge
+super amoled
+20MP Camera
+220IMX sensor
+not cost too much
-FlymeOS
-old look
OnePlus Two isn’t using the IMX214 anymore, they are now using the Omnivision OV13860. Also if you buy the OP2 from OP it costs the same as buying the MX5 from a reseller. Price is a wash if you have an invite for the OP. OS is entirely subjective to the user, some prefer the minimal look of Oxygen, others love custom UI’s like Flyme.
From what I’ve read so far, the OP2 has a great screen, much improved over the OPO. The MX5’s screen in the photo, however, looks underwhelming next to the S7’s screen. I wouldn’t consider the screen a plus for the MX5 until I see it side-by-side with the OP2 first. I would also remove “fast charge” as an advantage since the OP2 reportedly charges to 100% in about two hours, which is plenty fast for me; the fact that it also has a reversible USB Type-C port makes it a wash.
so disappointed with Muizu.. i was a proud MX2 owner, but all the new phones just lack any kind of innovation (both design and tech side). i love flyme and i miss it, but i quite sure i won’t buy another meizu
What kind of innovation would you like in the MX5 that it doesn’t already have? I am not saying I disagree with you, especially design wise, just curious on your thoughts.
Good review, would’ve appreciated a video as well!
I have been using the phone for about a week and half now. I have never used a Meizu before and didn’t pay any money for the phone so I really have no love or hate involved. If I love it great, if I don’t I still plan on buying the Gionee S7. I am not a Meizu fan boy and not defending a purchase (which many do). But here goes:
I agree with almost everything Yash pointed out except a few things:
1. Battery life – I get about a day and half with normal usage. But this is so subjective and depends on a variety of factors that neither is right or wrong.
2. Processor – I dont use Chrome on mobile and never had 20 tabs open. But everything else I did on the processor it handled it like a dream. It has yet to slow down or stutter.
As for the camera it is beyond insane, but if you use the stock app results can be a mixed bag. I replaced it first with Open Camera (very good results all around) and recently Lenovo Super Camera and it is outstanding how good it is.
From the little time I used it I would give it about an 8.5, with some good optimization it could easily be a 9.5/10. It is one of the better phones I have used in a long time and has solid potential to be an amazing phone for the next year.
Thanks to @yash3339:disqus for the review and for the thoughts @balcobomber25:disqus . I really like the look of the mx5, very tempted to buy but export price is rather close to the better specd 64GB OP2 for comfort. I hear though that uploading videos to facebook, youtube or instagram is not possible due to the fact meizu used an unsupported codec. Is this the case? I also hear that in the flyme camera app, focusing on dark followed by light areas before when trying to take a photo can cause massive fluctuations in exposure meaning you may end up with a super dark or super light picture of the same image. Is this also the case?
On Gearbest the price for the 16GB model is the same as the price for the 16GB OP2:
http://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_203836.html
I haven’t really messed with the video camera yet ill try later today to upload some videos and let you know what happens. As for the camera I replaced the stock app after about two days. Open Camera works excellent with the camera and I am currently trying Lenovo Super Camera.
nice one, appreciated, be interested to know about the video stuff..
i find a video about the MEIZU MX5, http://goo.gl/I13JNP
Why doesn’t GizChina do any benchmarks in their reviews? I know benchmarks don’t exactly tell you how a device performs but they do give you an idea in what areas a device excels or fails.
It looks like a nice phone but just like Xiaomi I’m not a fan of the skin they put on it. Both Flyme and MIUI seem to be too heavy on the phone and cause lag/stutter. Both companies seem to produce good quality phones but the software and price hold me back. The lack of LTE B20 doesn’t help either.
In my experience Flyme is the opposite of MIUI. MIUI is incredibly resource intensive, Flyme is a lot lighter (not as light as stock, but lighter than most UI’s). As for Benchmarks I am in the process of testing the phone out I have done a few benchmarks and here is what I have been getting:
Antuntu – To me Antutu is good for one thing, and that is to measure how much a SoC overheats. I ran it about 10 times in a row to really try to make the SoC work, it never slowed down or heated up. But here were my results:
51000 was my average score, highest was 57000 lowest was 49000.
Geek Bench:
Single Core – consistently scores between 940-1000
Multicore -consistently scores between 5100-5500.
even the price hold you back?
what brands make cheaper phones than them (with equal hardware)?
I’m not saying other brands are cheaper (with equal hardware) I meant that when I spend over 300€ on a phone I want it to be worth it every penny.
which phone would worth every penny in your opinion if you don’t mind me asking
Currently none but that’s just me. The Jiayu S3 gets close but I’m afraid it’ll be too big for my liking so now I’m looking for a 5″ to 5.2″ phone. Loved the Xiaomi Mi4i for it’s design but it lacks an SD-slot and LTE B20 and from the reviews here and elsewhere performance is pretty bad at times. So I’m still looking for that perfect phone like many here.
I’m sure something that satisfies your needs will show up sooner or later.
Hej Lars Meizu phone does not support EU Band nor EU Language – unfortunately
I use mine in Germany. It definitely has German and English, at the very least.
Where are you getting this from?
It has support for EU bands, just not band 20. That isn’t the only band used in the EU. It also has full 3G support.
As for languages Flyme supports: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Portuguese. it may not have your particular language but that doesn;t meant it has no EU language support. Stop spreading false info.
Why don’t you just buy the meizu mx4 its pretty close to the mx5 in specs and its available for less than $200 now. The mx4 pro is only $250 now too which is a really good price.
Have you looked at the Lenovo Vibe Shot? It has a 5 inch display, excellent camera, 32GB with SD card.
From Meizu.
It may come as an surprise for you that there also are other country in EU , than Germany and France MR.Garabomber. So stop act like you are Adolf Hitler- remember he lost the war!!
It may come as a surprise to you but Germany and France are a part of the EU. So saying it doesn’t support EU language or bands is incorrect if it supports those countries (along with Italy, Portugal, Spain and others). It doesn’t support your particular country not the EU as entirety.
The MX4 a good looking phone with a good size but the lack of SD-slot, LTE B20 and the fact it’s running FlyMe instead of stock Android makes it a no go for me. I could live with one of these 3 ‘issues’ but not with all 3.
Specs look good but not a fan of its unique design tbh. Size is also great and it has an SD-slot and support for LTE B20 as you mentioned. Will check some reviews to see how the SD615 performs.
Why not get a Zenfone 2?
You are talking about MX5 running antutu 10 times in a row? I have ordered this phone today and think it will be awesome.
I think Antutu is useless but I ran it for some friends. In 10 straight tests there was never a performance loss or heat up.
Yash can we expect the S7 review soon?
Very soon hopefully. It’s pretty much ready to be published but then a new phone comes along each time I think of finishing it up. I’ll do it next.
I understand lol. I already know how the review is going to go, great hardware horrible software but as a Gionee fan I just expect it haha.
This comment was deleted.
I have had no issues with Youtube or Netflix with the MX5, so apparently whatever problems the MX4 Pro (never used it) had have been fixed.
maybe but if you check the meizu forum ..https://meizufans.eu/forum/ i guess im not the only with these problems ..
I din’t say you were but as of today both of those have no issued on the Mx5. They could still have issues with the MX4 Pro it is a different phone with different hardware. But the MX5 it works.
Agreed. The MX5 is much more stable and fluid than the MX4. There is still that old bug with the keyboard, but otherwise it’s pretty nice. The MX4 also has serious issues with finding a signal at times. The MX5 is quite quick.
i don’t get the criticism, i enjoyed reading this review.
To me this phone is one of the best out there, considering what you get for the money.
fluidity of the software is one of my priority though, so for that reason i would wait until they come out with fixes before buying it.
The Meizu M1 and MX4 Pro had a lot of software issues so some people are wary of the brand. The attacks on Yash were uncalled for, his pictures looked pretty good.
I have just bought m2 note as they were selling the international version in the UK and I love it my only gripe is the fact that play movies won’t play any movies but works fine with Chromecast and play games won’t download (does anyone knowna work around?) everything else is excellent and it came with the great selling headphones. If I knew how good it would be I would have spent the extra and for the mx5
Why there is just 100FPS??? It have Helio10 and IMX220???
so disappointed with Muizu.. i was a proud MX2 owner, but all the new phones just lack any kind of innovation (both design and tech side). i love flyme and i miss it, but i quite sure i won’t buy another meizu
What kind of innovation would you like in the MX5 that it doesn’t already have? I am not saying I disagree with you, especially design wise, just curious on your thoughts.
Good review, would’ve appreciated a video as well!
Max photos are close ups. Do take some landscape photos with a better camera app. Nice review though.
I have just bought m2 note as they were selling the international version in the UK and I love it my only gripe is the fact that play movies won’t play any movies but works fine with Chromecast and play games won’t download (does anyone knowna work around?) everything else is excellent and it came with the great selling headphones. If I knew how good it would be I would have spent the extra and for the mx5
I have the phone. And I see that you are angry on the how device is looking. So that is your problem. Someone like it someone not. Flyme OS is not the besr but is not the bad. camera is exelent. battery very good. I dont know which phone are you using but this phone have so much feature.
You want so much points on Antutu? So thats is main problem of meny people. They think thats is the main thing in phone.
P.S. Better compare camera with other phones then write like children and cry about little anttutu score.
Why there is just 100FPS??? It have Helio10 and IMX220???
i want andi to do the review :p
He probably will.
no offense bro … your reviews are top notch , i hope you dint mind my comment …
just that , i’d like to see a diversity of opinions on the exalted MX series…
plus you mentioning andi every now and then , dint help either :p
Of course I don’t mind. I know for a fact he’ll do better justice to the camera.
yep … Cam is what im so meticulous about
Max photos are close ups. Do take some landscape photos with a better camera app. Nice review though.
I have the phone. And I see that you are angry on the how device is looking. So that is your problem. Someone like it someone not. Flyme OS is not the besr but is not the bad. camera is exelent. battery very good. I dont know which phone are you using but this phone have so much feature.
You want so much points on Antutu? So thats is main problem of meny people. They think thats is the main thing in phone.
P.S. Better compare camera with other phones then write like children and cry about little anttutu score.
i want andi to do the review :p
He probably will.
no offense bro … your reviews are top notch , i hope you dint mind my comment …
just that , i’d like to see a diversity of opinions on the exalted MX series…
plus you mentioning andi every now and then , dint help either :p
Of course I don’t mind. I know for a fact he’ll do better justice to the camera.
yep … Cam is what im so meticulous about
Thanks for the review…A bit disappointed you never told us what material the phone is made of (I honestly can’t tell whether its a metal build or plastic) as well as mention GPS…
The meizue mx5 is made with T6063 aluminum ,more info how its made from meizue website – “It takes 30 days to turn 250g of T6063 aluminum into an exquisite 21g metal body. This 68-step process includes CNC rough processing, nano-molding, CNC fine processing, polishing, coating, anodizing and diamond cutting. A total of 68 blades are used in this process, all with a precision of 0.01 millimeter. This way we have raised the bar once again”.
Had the phone since Monday (purchased to replace p7000 after listening to advice and opinions of regular contributors on this site – so thank you!) and I have been very happy with the phone. For sure the best performing phone I have ever used and aside from my wife’s iphone 6 it also has the best cam. I am still getting used to flymi and not been very intensive use, however no lags or stutters to report. I have a feeling i Will be sticking with the phone for daily use for a long time.
Can you compare the cam to wife’s Ip6 and say couple words about it?
I will take some pics with both later and upload for Comparison. The iphone is better is low light /evening shots and have less noise. In daytime shots the meizu is very clear, even when zooming in, however I find some photos could do with a little more exposure/ brightness. Just being picky though, in truth I have been extremely happy with the camera and overall phone performance
I have already done it with my sisters iP6 as well as friends G4 and wifes s6. I would rank them in this order:
IP6
LG G4
S6/MX5
They are all excellent cameras but the IP6 performs the best under all circumstances.
so mx5 ranks the LOWEST ?!
:/
It’s like comparing a Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche and McLaren and having to pick a best and worst, no matter which one you pick its still a super car. It’s the same here they are all excellent, and actually I would love to to run this test again since Meizu has released numerous updates. I don’t have access to the G4 anymore but now I would say the order is:
MX5
IP6
S6
woah !
so Meizu Updates really upped the camera !
Getting a bit fed up by this “flagship” term. Last year it was ok but now every manufacturer is slapping the label “flagship” on their phone. Even Doogee puts it on theirs, while it’s clear they are not flagships. The OP2 with the ‘killer of 2016 flagships’ while the specs are not even killer in 2015. The term flagship means nothing anymore.
You must not know what the term flagship means then:
“the best or most important one of a group or system:” – Dictionary.com
For Meizu the MX5 is their best phone available. It is their flagship phone. There are no requirements that a brand’s flagship phone has to have certain specs. Although other than a 2k screen the MX5 has flagship specs. OP goes a little overboard with their “flagship killer” marketing but it is still a flagship device.
Thanks for the review…A bit disappointed you never told us what material the phone is made of (I honestly can’t tell whether its a metal build or plastic) as well as mention GPS…
The meizue mx5 is made with T6063 aluminum ,more info how its made from meizue website – “It takes 30 days to turn 250g of T6063 aluminum into an exquisite 21g metal body. This 68-step process includes CNC rough processing, nano-molding, CNC fine processing, polishing, coating, anodizing and diamond cutting. A total of 68 blades are used in this process, all with a precision of 0.01 millimeter. This way we have raised the bar once again”.
letv for the win
I´m looking for a camera centric phone but the old fashioned looks and f2.2 aperture lens put me off this
old fashioned looks lol? i wouldn’t judge it by the aperture alone, Meizu used excellent optics and an excellent sensor in the camera. I can tell you from first hand experience the camera is one of the best I have used in the past year.
agree
Had the phone since Monday (purchased to replace p7000 after listening to advice and opinions of regular contributors on this site – so thank you!) and I have been very happy with the phone. For sure the best performing phone I have ever used and aside from my wife’s iphone 6 it also has the best cam. I am still getting used to flymi and not been very intensive use, however no lags or stutters to report. I have a feeling i Will be sticking with the phone for daily use for a long time.
Can you compare the cam to wife’s Ip6 and say couple words about it?
I will take some pics with both later and upload for Comparison. The iphone is better is low light /evening shots and have less noise. In daytime shots the meizu is very clear, even when zooming in, however I find some photos could do with a little more exposure/ brightness. Just being picky though, in truth I have been extremely happy with the camera and overall phone performance
I have already done it with my sisters iP6 as well as friends G4 and wifes s6. I would rank them in this order:
IP6
LG G4
S6/MX5
They are all excellent cameras but the IP6 performs the best under all circumstances.
so mx5 ranks the LOWEST ?!
:/
It’s like comparing a Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche and McLaren and having to pick a best and worst, no matter which one you pick its still a super car. It’s the same here they are all excellent, and actually I would love to to run this test again since Meizu has released numerous updates. I don’t have access to the G4 anymore but now I would say the order is:
MX5
IP6
S6
woah !
so Meizu Updates really upped the camera !
Getting a bit fed up by this “flagship” term. Last year it was ok but now every manufacturer is slapping the label “flagship” on their phone. Even Doogee puts it on theirs, while it’s clear they are not flagships. The OP2 with the ‘killer of 2016 flagships’ while the specs are not even killer in 2015. The term flagship means nothing anymore.
You must not know what the term flagship means then:
“the best or most important one of a group or system:” –
For Meizu the MX5 is their best phone available. It is their flagship phone. There are no requirements that a brand’s flagship phone has to have certain specs. Although other than a 2k screen the MX5 has flagship specs. OP goes a little overboard with their “flagship killer” marketing but it is still a flagship device.
letv for the win
I´m looking for a camera centric phone but the old fashioned looks and f2.2 aperture lens put me off this
old fashioned looks lol? i wouldn’t judge it by the aperture alone, Meizu used excellent optics and an excellent sensor in the camera. I can tell you from first hand experience the camera is one of the best I have used in the past year.
agree
@yash 0-25% in 25 minutes charge? How is that good? You guys want to talk about camera? Pfff. I fart in your general direction. Nothing comes close to the honor 6 plus.
I have been using it for awhile now I get 0-25% in about 10 minutes and 0-full in about 50 minutes.
Must be a typo then.
Could have been has actual usage. Charging times can vary greatly based on where you live and what you are using.
@yash 0-25% in 25 minutes charge? How is that good? You guys want to talk about camera? Pfff. I fart in your general direction. Nothing comes close to the honor 6 plus.
I have been using it for awhile now I get 0-25% in about 10 minutes and 0-full in about 50 minutes.
Must be a typo then.
Could have been has actual usage. Charging times can vary greatly based on where you live and what you are using.
Here are some photos i made with mx5
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99741841@N07/sets/72157656566563696
Great samples, wish more people would do this, thanks.
Here are some photos i made with mx5
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99741841@N07/sets/72157656566563696
Great samples, wish more people would do this, thanks.
actually, i don’t like the meizu mx5 ,
My goodness. I never thought that a phone review could trigger such an amount of subjective comments and most of all: ungrounded critisism.
I’d like to add a few comments that come from my experience with the Meizu MX5.
For the record: I’ve owned: Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Note, Oppo R1c, Nubia Z5, Z5 mini, Zopo ZP980, Oppo Finder (X9007) and several Meizu’s including the M9, MX3, MX4 and finally MX5.
All phones have been used by me as daily drivers. Therefore I think I can distinguish differences quite well.
In my view, we should all praise the Lord that we can buy a 32gb flagship, full metal body (yes, shoot at it if you want) device for just 1999rmb.
A lot of things come down to taste.
For instance, I did really like the screen ratio (15:10) of the Meizu MX4 but most people wouldn’t agree with me on this.
So here’s what I think:
Battery life:
Seems to be quite a bit better than the MX4 battery life. I get 6 hours of SOT easily with 2 SIMs inserted. Charging during the night and usage during the day. When going to bed around 1am, the MX5 still has around 20% of juice left. I would consider that enough.
The MX4 would do just 3.5 hours SOT under the same conditions.
Screen:
Readability in direct sunlight is better than the MX4. Period.
Due to the Pentile arrangement of the Samsung screen used, it is more grainy than the MX4 screen. Also period. But does it bother me? Not at all. During normal use, I love this screen. Color reproduction is superb (which is: Natural) and the contrast… It’s Amoled after all 😉
Camera:
Seems you guys like to fight over it. Maybe the sample pictures could have been better. But I judge from daily use of the actual thing.
And then I can say: It’s beyond amazing indeed.
What is apparent (as with every phone camera) is that you need to make a few pictures after taking the phone out of the giftbox before optimum performance is reached. No idea why this is, but I’ve seen it on most of my phones.
Other camera’s might give more vivid colors, brighter pictures and so on…but all of this is manipulating reality. A good camera will capture what’s in front of you. No more, no less.
I suggest that next time we will compare cellphones to the pictures of a very good DLR. Of course the phone will lose, but at least then we can compare the performance to a real standard. Comparing to another phone is like comparing loudspeakers VS loudspeakers instead of a live concert without amplicifation.
Performance:
I don’t see any difference between this phone and the MX4. They’re both fast enough for everything I do and I’ve never observed any hickups as such.
Built quality:
This is about the best phone that Meizu constructed so far, but that doesn’t make it perfect. The question is if a phone at this pricepoint should be perfect.
In my view, the quality is truly outstanding for the money.
I’ve read all the reviews I could find and often I find them misleading if it comes to how well the phone is actually made.
The buttons (Volume rocker, power, home) are well finished and feel solid, with good feedback. Yes, there is a very minimal play on the power and V buttons, but this can only be felt if you’re looking for it. The mechanical feedback is pleasant.
Frame: What nobody mentioned in the reviews so far, is the very small plastic edge around the screen. This edge is there to protect the screen from scratches when the phone is placed on a flat surface upside down. It will also protect the screen when the MX5 is dropped. I’ve seen this arrangement before on OPPO and Samsung, but never as unobstrusive and well done as on the Meizu.
It’s a public secret that the rear top and bottom are made out of plastic. This is where Meizu could have done better. These parts don’t fit 100% well and I can feel the edges. The color is also slightly different from the rest of the body. It’s not a big bummer, but it simply could have been better.
Another nice thing is the sim cards slot: it fits perfectly well in the phone body and it feels absolutely solid.
Flyme 4.5:
Absolutely an improvement over previous versions, and very stable it is for sure. Flyme is a matter of taste. I’ve used many interfaces and for me, this one works particularly well. It’s very simple, smart and straight forward.
I would, however, like more icons on my screen.
Yes, Flyme works rather different compared to stock Android. Yes, you need to get used to it. (As with every system) But once you know how to navigate, it will prove to be a very solid and practical system to use. I love the minimalistic design a lot but this is personal.
My conclusion:
Meizu has raised the bar once more. Over all, the MX5 is a much better phone than the MX4. Sure, the sound quality of it’s predecessor was slightly better and the screen ratio is a matter of taste. And oh yeah: The bezel of the MX4 was thinner than that of the MX5. But the MX5 is more comfortable to hold and feel more like a premium device, which in my view, it definitely is.
Comparing it to 600 Euro phones is not completely fair but even if you do, the Meizu will not disappoint.
I agree with most of what you said, I have been the using phone for a few weeks now and don’t see many of the problems people complain about. But I disagree partly on the build quality comment, I agree the MX5 has very good build quality but I disagree with what people should expect for the money. I have used $100 phones with excellent build quality and $600 phones with bad build quality. Good build quality is doable at all price points.
Hi Balcobomber,
Nice to read your comment.
As for build quality:
I’ve had very cheap phones with good built, but those were without exception made out of plastic, or they seriously lacked in performance / specs.
The Meizu is a super specced phone and it’s mostly made out of metal. That’s why I say that at this price point, we might tolerate ‘good build quality’ 🙂 I did consider the rest of the phone as well.
any of you guys try running pcmarks battery test on your mx5’s? Would be interested in the results.
Yap i did, 8:44
M1 Note and M2 Note scores better
1:30 more than Zenfone 2 and Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Plus
That seems to be pretty high for an x10 chip. What brightness setting did you have it while running the test?
I always run at about 30% at max performance with wifi open
Is the 8:44 the result you get while running the benchmark at 30% brightness? what about real life usage? what screen-on times do you get with it?
u may laugh a little now: my biggest test is MLB Perfect Innings 2015, a battery killer… literally… destroyed a battery in ThL 2015…
Well at this moment, after 5:14, full brightness, 30% to go usage is:
29% MLB
30% screen
5 hours 3d gaming at full brightness with 30% left is pretty good.
Thanks for your comments on your MX5. Good to read your views and thoughts. I have been using mine for exactly one week, and I echo the sentiments of you. I think the phone is great value, and so far has offered a clean, fast and reliable performance. An added bonus, as i mentioned on a previous post, is that the camera has been up there as one of the best i have used on a phone, comparable but just losing out to my wifes iphone 6.
The only negatives for me. I would have preferred the battery life to be better. From fully charged it runs down to about 40% between the hours of 8am and 4pm. This is with only a little use, mostly the phone was locked away. Wifi was off, no videos/music/media was played. I fear that if i used the phone with bluetooth with my Zenwatch the battery wouldn’t last the day…I will try tomorrow and see how it goes.
Overall I have been very happy. I dont miss my old p7000 at all! – ahh…poor elephone (I really like elephone – god knows why!)
Hi Juan,
Good to hear that you’re happy with the Meizu. But….
Losing 60% of battery with just little use in 8 hours of time isn’t normal.
To compare: My MX5 just lost 7% during 10 hours with WIFI on all the time but without any use. That’s more like it.
Please look at these things:
-Do you move from location to location a lot? if so, try disabling the positioning in the settings.
– Did you do a software update after obtaining the phone? If so, it might be wise to do a factory reset. (I’ve seen weird behavior on a lot of phones after a non-clean upgrade)
-Install wakelock detector. It might tell you which app keeps waking up the phone.
-Alternatively, try to use the battery usage stats in the settings menu and post a picture of it here.
Good luck, mate.
actually, i don’t like the meizu mx5 ,
My goodness. I never thought that a phone review could trigger such an amount of subjective comments and most of all: ungrounded critisism.
I’d like to add a few comments that come from my experience with the Meizu MX5.
For the record: I’ve owned: Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Note, Oppo R1c, Nubia Z5, Z5 mini, Zopo ZP980, Oppo Finder (X9007) and several Meizu’s including the M9, MX3, MX4 and finally MX5.
All phones have been used by me as daily drivers. Therefore I think I can distinguish differences quite well.
In my view, we should all praise the Lord that we can buy a 32gb flagship, full metal body (yes, shoot at it if you want) device for just 1999rmb.
A lot of things come down to taste.
For instance, I did really like the screen ratio (15:10) of the Meizu MX4 but most people wouldn’t agree with me on this.
So here’s what I think:
Battery life:
Seems to be quite a bit better than the MX4 battery life. I get 6 hours of SOT easily with 2 SIMs inserted. Charging during the night and usage during the day. When going to bed around 1am, the MX5 still has around 20% of juice left. I would consider that enough.
The MX4 would do just 3.5 hours SOT under the same conditions.
Screen:
Readability in direct sunlight is better than the MX4. Period.
Due to the Pentile arrangement of the Samsung screen used, it is more grainy than the MX4 screen. Also period. But does it bother me? Not at all. During normal use, I love this screen. Color reproduction is superb (which is: Natural) and the contrast… It’s Amoled after all 😉
Camera:
Seems you guys like to fight over it. Maybe the sample pictures could have been better. But I judge from daily use of the actual thing.
And then I can say: It’s beyond amazing indeed.
What is apparent (as with every phone camera) is that you need to make a few pictures after taking the phone out of the giftbox before optimum performance is reached. No idea why this is, but I’ve seen it on most of my phones.
Other camera’s might give more vivid colors, brighter pictures and so on…but all of this is manipulating reality. A good camera will capture what’s in front of you. No more, no less.
I suggest that next time we will compare cellphones to the pictures of a very good DLR. Of course the phone will lose, but at least then we can compare the performance to a real standard. Comparing to another phone is like comparing loudspeakers VS loudspeakers instead of a live concert without amplicifation.
Performance:
I don’t see any difference between this phone and the MX4. They’re both fast enough for everything I do and I’ve never observed any hickups as such.
Built quality:
This is about the best phone that Meizu constructed so far, but that doesn’t make it perfect. The question is if a phone at this pricepoint should be perfect.
In my view, the quality is truly outstanding for the money.
I’ve read all the reviews I could find and often I find them misleading if it comes to how well the phone is actually made.
The buttons (Volume rocker, power, home) are well finished and feel solid, with good feedback. Yes, there is a very minimal play on the power and V buttons, but this can only be felt if you’re looking for it. The mechanical feedback is pleasant.
Frame: What nobody mentioned in the reviews so far, is the very small plastic edge around the screen. This edge is there to protect the screen from scratches when the phone is placed on a flat surface upside down. It will also protect the screen when the MX5 is dropped. I’ve seen this arrangement before on OPPO and Samsung, but never as unobstrusive and well done as on the Meizu.
It’s a public secret that the rear top and bottom are made out of plastic. This is where Meizu could have done better. These parts don’t fit 100% well and I can feel the edges. The color is also slightly different from the rest of the body. It’s not a big bummer, but it simply could have been better.
Another nice thing is the sim cards slot: it fits perfectly well in the phone body and it feels absolutely solid.
Flyme 4.5:
Absolutely an improvement over previous versions, and very stable it is for sure. Flyme is a matter of taste. I’ve used many interfaces and for me, this one works particularly well. It’s very simple, smart and straight forward.
I would, however, like more icons on my screen.
Yes, Flyme works rather different compared to stock Android. Yes, you need to get used to it. (As with every system) But once you know how to navigate, it will prove to be a very solid and practical system to use. I love the minimalistic design a lot but this is personal.
My conclusion:
Meizu has raised the bar once more. Over all, the MX5 is a much better phone than the MX4. Sure, the sound quality of it’s predecessor was slightly better and the screen ratio is a matter of taste. And oh yeah: The bezel of the MX4 was thinner than that of the MX5. But the MX5 is more comfortable to hold and feel more like a premium device, which in my view, it definitely is.
Comparing it to 600 Euro phones is not completely fair but even if you do, the Meizu will not disappoint.
I agree with most of what you said, I have been the using phone for a few weeks now and don’t see many of the problems people complain about. But I disagree partly on the build quality comment, I agree the MX5 has very good build quality but I disagree with what people should expect for the money. I have used $100 phones with excellent build quality and $600 phones with bad build quality. Good build quality is doable at all price points.
Thanks for your comments on your MX5. Good to read your views and thoughts. I have been using mine for exactly one week, and I echo the sentiments of you. I think the phone is great value, and so far has offered a clean, fast and reliable performance. An added bonus, as i mentioned on a previous post, is that the camera has been up there as one of the best i have used on a phone, comparable but just losing out to my wifes iphone 6.
The only negatives for me. I would have preferred the battery life to be better. From fully charged it runs down to about 40% between the hours of 8am and 4pm. This is with only a little use, mostly the phone was locked away. Wifi was off, no videos/music/media was played. I fear that if i used the phone with bluetooth with my Zenwatch the battery wouldn’t last the day…I will try tomorrow and see how it goes.
Overall I have been very happy. I dont miss my old p7000 at all! – ahh…poor elephone (I really like elephone – god knows why!)
Hi Juan,
Good to hear that you’re happy with the Meizu. But….
Losing 60% of battery with just little use in 8 hours of time isn’t normal.
To compare: My MX5 just lost 7% during 10 hours with WIFI on all the time but without any use. That’s more like it.
Please look at these things:
-Do you move from location to location a lot? if so, try disabling the positioning in the settings.
– Did you do a software update after obtaining the phone? If so, it might be wise to do a factory reset. (I’ve seen weird behavior on a lot of phones after a non-clean upgrade)
-Install wakelock detector. It might tell you which app keeps waking up the phone.
-Alternatively, try to use the battery usage stats in the settings menu and post a picture of it here.
Good luck, mate.
Hi Balcobomber,
Nice to read your comment.
As for build quality:
I’ve had very cheap phones with good built, but those were without exception made out of plastic, or they seriously lacked in performance / specs.
The Meizu is a super specced phone and it’s mostly made out of metal. That’s why I say that at this price point, we might tolerate ‘good build quality’ 🙂 I did consider the rest of the phone as well.
any of you guys try running pcmarks battery test on your mx5’s? Would be interested in the results.
Yap i did, 8:44
M1 Note and M2 Note scores better
1:30 more than Zenfone 2 and Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Plus
That seems to be pretty high for an x10 chip. What brightness setting did you have it while running the test?
I always run at about 30% at max performance with wifi open
Is the 8:44 the result you get while running the benchmark at 30% brightness? what about real life usage? what screen-on times do you get with it?
u may laugh a little now: my biggest test is MLB Perfect Innings 2015, a battery killer… literally… destroyed a battery in ThL 2015…
Well at this moment, after 5:14, full brightness, 30% to go usage is:
29% MLB
30% screen
5 hours 3d gaming at full brightness with 30% left is pretty good.
Is there heat issues with the x10 chip? Im so confused, lol
Me too some people say its a major problem some people dont mention it
Is there heat issues with the x10 chip? Im so confused, lol
Me too some people say its a major problem some people dont mention it
Is it possible to put SD card instead 1 sim?
you are joking right!?
Is it possible to put SD card instead 1 sim?
you are joking right!?