Meizu MX6 smartphone review: the first after the flagship. Meizu MX6 review: when the flagship became the middle class

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The Chinese manufacturer of mobile equipment never ceases to delight its users with new products, and in different price ranges, whether it be the flagships of the Pro-series, affordable M-smartphones or their advanced MX versions.

One of these will be discussed. The Meizu MX6 model was presented to the audience in mid-2016.

The smartphone instantly attracted the attention of users with its representative appearance, cool camera, metal case, productive "stuffing" and high-quality screen.

The cost of new items at the start of sales was about 28,000 rubles, at the time of writing the review, the price tag has become an order of magnitude smaller and it is possible to purchase this amazing gadget for 19,990 rubles.

We will review this device below.

Packing, delivery set

On the sides there is a model designation "MX6". On the back of the box is short description characteristics.

Inside the box, all the elements are located strictly in compartments, nothing falls out, the smartphone lies tightly in the niche.

As for the layout, in addition to the device, the package includes a warranty card, a quick start guide, a clip to remove the SIM card slot, a power adapter, and a USB Type-C cable about 1 meter long.

Design, materials

The build quality, as always, is on top, there is a solidity, heftiness and knockdown of the smartphone. The materials also have high resistance to scratches and paint peeling during operation.

The gadget is produced in 4 basic colors: silver, gold, dark gray (graphite) and the popular rose gold.

On the front of the device at the top in the center is a conversational speaker, and on the sides of it are installed, illumination and a selfie camera.

A little away from them there is an LED event indicator. Below the display is a single touch-mechanical button with built-in mTouch 2.1.

By the way, its use does not raise questions, it works quite quickly and accurately, unlocking is done instantly.

On the top of the smartphone, only an additional microphone is installed for active noise reduction and sound recording during shooting.

Screen

Changing the screen type from AMOLED (for Meizu MX5) to IPS had a very beneficial effect on color reproduction and viewing angles, although its brightness decreased.

The resolution is 1920x1080 pixels at a density of 403 dpi. This is quite enough for high-quality detailing of objects and comfortable work with small text and high-quality photo / video.

The brightness and contrast ratios declared by the manufacturer are also quite high and amount to 500 cd/m and 1500:1 respectively, so you don't have to worry about comfortable work both at dusk and under the scorching sun.

It is worth noting the fast and correct operation of the automatic change in display brightness depending on the lighting.

In the settings, you can adjust the color temperature and activate the eye protection mode by reducing the degree of blue light.

The touch layer of the screen supports " " up to 10 simultaneous touches.

Protects the screen from scratches 2.5D rounded glass, looks very cool, stylish and at the same time provides the proper degree of protection.

Camera

So the MX6 model has a main 12-megapixel modified Sony IMX386 matrix with a 6-element lens (f / 2.0 aperture), phase and dual-color LED flash.

The camera responds very quickly, focuses instantly and creates detailed pictures even in low light.

Shooting can be done in resolutions up to 2560x1920 (at a ratio of 4:3), and video recording is available up to FullHD. Image quality is very decent, even indoors with artificial lighting and in low light.

Colors are distorted a little in warm tones, but not critical. Automatic settings in 95% of cases select the correct exposure and white balance parameters.

In the camera menu, you can select the shooting mode: auto, manual mode (setting ISO, shutter speed, exposure compensation, contrast, white balance, saturation), video, portrait with a built-in beauty profile (eye area correction, skin tightening and whitening, changes in facial contours) , panorama, focus change, slow motion, barcode scanner, macro photography, gif animation creation.

When shooting in low light conditions, HDR (brightness correction) and MFLL (noise reduction) modes will prove useful. Useful additions will be grid and level overlay modes, shooting with a timer, and the use of filters.

In general, in this smartphone budget, one of the best cameras is installed here, which can please even picky users with high-quality pictures.

Photo examples :

Main camera, modes - auto, HDR, with flash.

Battery

The energy reserve for everyday use is enough for up to 2 days.

Judging by the modes of use, the indicators will be as follows: up to 8-9 hours of Internet surfing, up to 7 hours of constant conversation, up to 10 hours of video playback, up to 50 hours of music listening, up to 3.5 hours of toys.

Power saving modes (smart, super and custom) allow you to extend life.

The MX6 has support for fast charging mCharge 3.0, which allows you to charge the device by 20% in 10 minutes, and fully renew the energy supply in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Software

Already 4Gb is installed, so you don’t have to worry about the stable operation of several applications at the same time. Built-in memory is 32 Gb (available to the user about 25 Gb).

The main negative side is the lack of a slot for installing microSD cards, and the manufacturer simply did not release a version of the model with a large amount of memory. The reason for this decision is unknown.

Bluetooth 4.1 is used for data transfer. Navigation works with GPS, Glonass, BeiDou. The search for satellites and laying the route takes a matter of seconds, the error is no more than 5 meters.

The hardware is controlled using the Android 6.0 operating system with the Flyme 5.2.2.2G proprietary shell.

The menu is quite simple, all the necessary applications are placed on the desktop, the control of a single key is surprisingly quite comfortable and intuitive.

In addition to the button, there is the SmartTouch function, a flexible, floating on-screen button.

As for the games, they will undoubtedly go all at high settings. However, you won’t be able to play comfortably for a long time, because the processor heats up very quickly and goes into throttling (performance reset when overheating).

Yes, and holding a fiery piece of metal in your hands is not a pleasant thing. Therefore, gamers should be more careful when choosing a gadget for gaming.

Benchmark results :

Antutu:

In headphones, everything is much better, there is volume and bass, the sound is clear and without distortion.

There is no radio, but this problem can be solved using applications from the Play Market.

As for the audibility of the interlocutor and the quality of communication, no deviations were found during testing. An additional microphone does a great job of noise suppression.

Internet, communications

As a browser, you can use Google Chrome, which is available in the company's application store.

Conclusion

On the one hand, we have a powerful filling, high performance, cool design and high-quality assembly, a camera at the level of photo flagships, an IPS-matrix with excellent color reproduction and wide viewing angles, and fast Internet.

But on the other hand, there are negative aspects that allow you to refuse to buy this gadget, namely, the lack of support for memory cards with a built-in storage capacity of only 32Gb, high heat dissipation of the processor, and with it discomfort in work, the absence of a favorite audio chip.

Based on the current price of the device, you can still consider it for purchase, it certainly costs its money, but it is not ideal.

Let's support him with two awards:

1. "Ideal figure"- for a smartphone that has a comfortable size and shape.
2. "dude"- for a device with a very beautiful design.

Meizu quickly updates the lineup, releasing a new smartphone almost every month. Meizu MX6, similar to the previously presented Meizu Pro 6, became the novelty of the summer season. Almost the same characteristics, recognizable design, even the prices are very close, so what's the difference then? A real fan of the brand will name the characteristics with his eyes closed, but when you go to the store and see two similar devices on the shelf, you can’t immediately understand what the difference is between them. So let's figure out why we need another Meizu.

Equipment

By tradition, the smartphone is packed in a cardboard box, glued on all sides with protective shipping films and equipped with a USB-C cable, a 2A charger and a paper clip with Meizu cloud symbols.

Design

When I walked around with Meizu Pro 6, I liked the selected materials, and appearance smartphone. Let me remind you that it turned out to be small, which is rare by the standards of modern flagships. Meizu MX6 looks almost the same as the Pro 6, only slightly larger.

I’ll call it design continuity, Meizu has a whole family of smartphones in the same style, and you can get confused. However, if the Mercedes C-Class is similar to the E-Class, no one has died from this yet. They drew themselves, copied themselves, okay.

For my taste, the most interesting case color option is a combination of a black front panel and a dark gray case. In other versions, the front surface is white, and the phone itself is painted in silver, gold or rose gold.

In terms of materials and assembly, everything is at an excellent level: the aluminum case is assembled tightly and neatly, everything is beautiful. The plastic antenna strips on the back of the case are finely drawn, very precise work.
A smartphone with a white front panel will please a perfectionist, here the front camera and sensors are located symmetrically with respect to the earpiece.

All connectors are located on the bottom: there is a headphone output with a 3.5 mm hole, a port for a USB-C cable, a speaker and a microphone.

mTouch 2.1

The fingerprint scanner is located in a large touch-mechanical button under the screen. A key with an mTouch 2.1 sensor detects pressing with different strengths, so a light touch sends you a step back, and a stronger one, when the key is clicked, displays it on the main screen. The control technique is original and convenient in its own way, it is easy to get used to it and subsequently enjoy such a non-standard, but practical concept.

Screen

Meizu MX6 received a 5.5-inch screen, a record for the MX series. The surface with glass rounded at the edges and an oleophobic coating, the narrow bezels of the screen are pleasing to the eye, the Chinese used free areas effectively, they know how. They are also masters in choosing screens, the MX6 received an IPS panel.

By the standards of TFT-screens, there is a high-quality black color, a sufficient margin of brightness, especially if you turn off the automatic mode for adjusting the backlight level.

The Sharp display is set up neatly, there are no misses with colors, but if you wish, you can manually adjust the palette, changing the gamut from warm to cold. Also, Meizu MX6 has a function that changes the screen tones on a timer or in automatic mode. Then, with the onset of the evening, the image from the cold range will go to the warm one, so that your eyes are less tired when you look at the screen.

Camera

The silver rim of the camera protrudes slightly above the surface, just below the camera is a dual flash. The 12-megapixel Sony IMX 386 phase-focusing sensor is the latest in Meizu mobile cameras, and the Chinese manufacturer has received it on exclusive terms.

The smartphone takes high-quality pictures during the day, produces a bright and juicy picture with good detail, comparable in quality to Meizu Pro 6. Which one shoots better? Find out in a separate comparison. In the meantime, I’ll say that the camera turned out to be good and pleases with clear color reproduction, but sometimes it misses the white balance. I wish I could add optical stabilization here, it would help during evening shootings.

Videos come out in 4K with stereo sound and 30 frames per second, you can lower the resolution to save space. The quality is average, there is not enough smoothness, it still needs to be worked on.

The 5-megapixel front wide-angle camera will take high-quality selfies, while shooting you can use a filter, it will hide skin imperfections and make the author of the picture handsome. Well, or a beauty, the main thing is not to overdo it with the settings, so as not to turn into a porcelain doll.

Performance

The smartphone is sold only in one modification, here 4 GB random access memory and 32 GB built-in, of which 26 GB remains for personal needs. Unfortunately, there is no separate slot for a microSD card in Meizu MX6, so cloud services are needed to work with large volumes, you can connect flash drives if you get a special adapter.

The power reserve covers all tasks, there are no brakes in games with a high load on the graphics system. In tests, the phone produces results that are not ashamed to compare with last year's flagships, and we, for a moment, have the middle class in our hands. The smartphone noticeably heats up during long virtual battles, the palms are warm.

Interface

The smartphone runs on Android 6.0, adorned with a Meizu shell called Flyme OS. The menu flies and responds very quickly, thanks to the MediaTek Helio X20 10-core processor and large volume memory. The 3D Press function was removed from here, you can’t click on shortcuts to call up additional functions, this is a feature of the older Pro 6 model.

The useful properties of the shell include the abundance of supported types of videos, Meizu MX6 launches different files without installing an additional player, it is convenient to watch videos on the big screen. For more detailed impressions of the interface, you can go to the section dedicated to Flyme 5.

Media

The phone has one media speaker, it is located on the bottom end and produces a loud, clear sound. Listen to songs or voice a video on YouTube? Please leave enough room for room, but twisting to the maximum, you can hear wheezing.

The sound in the headphones is of high quality, but there are no additional bells and whistles, like the older brother Meizu Pro 6. However, if you do not play an audiophile, the phone will appeal to the musical part. A very large volume margin, an equalizer with manual settings to boot.

Connection

A speaker with a good volume margin, it transmits voice with high quality, and an additional microphone drowns out extraneous noise, especially in the subway. The Meizu MX6 does not have an NFC chip, otherwise it has a full range of wireless services: support for LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS and GLONASS. There are also two nanoSIM slots.

Battery

Meizu MX6 traditionally received a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3060 mAh. A full charge usually lasts for a full day of use. If you do not sit around the clock on the Internet, then it is realistic to get up to 2 days of work. The smartphone has an energy-saving mode, this function helps to set certain profiles: we press the button, and the phone automatically turns off the set parameters to save battery.

If necessary, you can switch to the increased savings mode, using the phone for calls and messages, having lost all the charms of a smartphone for a while, turning it into a “simple dialer”. The fast charging function works, it takes 1.5 hours to fully charge, and in 30 minutes at the outlet the battery indicator reaches 60%.

Conclusion

Meizu MX6 is no longer a simple middle-class smartphone; according to its characteristics, it stands on the border between middle- and top-level smartphones, slightly falling short of the latter. A high-quality and large screen, an advanced camera, materials and a comfortable shell, what else is missing for happiness? A slot for a memory card would be here and a separate sound chip, and I would also like more bells and whistles for the camera, like optical stabilization. When you look at the price of 27,990 rubles for Meizu MX6, you think, maybe add a little more and buy Meizu Pro 6 for 32,990? I would add a little more money for an advanced audio chip.

You can learn more about the model on the website: http://mymeizu.ru/mx6/

What is NFC, what opportunities does it give potential owners of a mobile phone with this functionality? First of all, if you take two Meizu with NFC, you can quickly transfer data from one device to another without any problems. The connection is established instantly, and the information transfer speed is higher than ever.

With this functionality, you can simplify the operation of the device as much as possible. No manipulations with the mobile unit are required, it is enough to use the previously installed NFC tags. Finally, a relatively short distance can be called an important advantage of working with the option; an attacker will not be able to invade the personal space of a mobile phone in the future, as was the case with previously established data transmission standards. A correctly configured module will allow the unit to be used as a means of subsequent payment, for example, for the same metro ride or parking space.

Models with NFC

For the manufacturer Meizu, 2016 passed without the use of support for this standard. Despite this, the Chinese company has provided the ability to use NFC already in its new mobile device, the Meizu Pro 6 NFC model. This decision of the management is connected with the fact that an increasing number of services are currently appearing on the market that are directly tied to the use of this particular technology. However, it can be noted that this is not the entire list of Meizu with an NFC module that has been offered on the market since the company's existence. Among similar models that included the specified functionality, the following can be distinguished:

1. Meixu MX3.
2. Meizu MX4 Pro.
3. Meizu Pro 5.

In fact, the presence of such a module is not provided only in models provided on the market in 2016, despite this, the company returned to the old tradition in 2017 and offers a truly optimal solution in all respects - models in which the NFC function is supported in the prescribed manner . It is also worth noting that 2016 itself became a truly significant year for making payments using NFC technology, which was associated with the launch of such major services as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay. For several months, it has been noted that the use of such technology is more the lot of geeks, and not a great solution actively used by the masses of potential users.

Overview of the smartphone Meizu Pro 6 Plus

How is the currently popular Meizu Pro 6 Plus smartphone model different from its predecessors? First of all, the body of the unit, made of high-quality metal with the addition of glass, catches the eye. Android 6 is installed as an operating system, it is possible to use two SIM cards (both "nano" standards).

The model has an impressive screen size, with a diagonal of about 5.7 inches, with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. Among the features of this development is the presence of backlight adjustment, which is carried out automatically. 2.5D glass is specially installed as protection.

A distinctive feature can be called the presence of a powerful eight-core processor, while four cores have a clock speed of 2 / 2.3 GHz, and four more cores have a clock frequency of 1.5 / 1.6 GHz.

As GPU, this development has a sensational Mali-T880 network. The RAM of the device is within 4 GB, while the memory for subsequent storage of information is provided in the amount of 64/128 GB, depending on the modification of the equipment. The smartphone has two cameras installed, including:

• The main camera has a resolution of about 12 megapixels, the presence of phase and laser focusing, as well as a ring flash;
• The front camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels, provides the highest quality image transmission, which significantly differs from a number of similar mobile devices in the specified price segment.

The unit provides for the presence of all standard interfaces, in this respect, in fact, it is no different from the previous flagship of the manufacturer. In addition, there is a high-quality fingerprint scanner, as well as a heart rate monitor, which will be very useful for people who want to be always in maximum awareness about their own health. Among the sensors that a smartphone has, there are an accelerometer, a sensor for the direct position of a mobile phone in space, an appropriate light sensor, and even a barometer. The battery, as in the case of similar models of previous releases, is made non-removable, the total weight of the device is only 158 grams.

Meizu Pro 6 Plus on Yandex Market

Overview of the Meizu Pay payment system

The simple unique Meizu Pay payment system deserves special attention, the functionality of which can be used by potential owners of smartphones manufactured by this company. It may seem that the decision to use their own payment systems is made by every eminent manufacturer of mobile gadgets. They will now be joined by the Android Meizu Pay payment system, which has become popular with Chinese residents, through which each owner will be able to transfer funds and pay for services in a contactless mode. It is worth giving some information on such an innovation.

At first, this service (as the manufacturer himself indicates) will operate on a somewhat limited number of mobile devices, but this will not be for long. In the future, the company plans to make this service publicly available, the first trial run of the specified system took place from June 21 and continues to this day (as the company notes, the final check date is indicated as July 20, 2017). Owners of mobile devices of models 5 and 6 take part in it directly.

In the event that this service will work exclusively without problems, in the future it will be able to run on all smartphones of the company, which will be equipped with NFC chips. In fact, today it is only known about Meizu Pay, on which models it works, while the question of future prospects remains unclear. In the company's outlook, it intends to somewhat expand its current payment market far beyond its native China so that it can confidently compete with the current segment leaders.

Is it possible to put Android Pay on Meizu phones

Many device owners are wondering why Android Pay does not work on Meizu and how to solve this problem. Despite the fact that relatively little time has passed since the launch of the system, messages regularly appear on the network that the payment system simply does not work, despite the fact that all the requirements for filling smartphones are met in the prescribed manner. In particular, how to install Android Pay on Meizu and not experience any problems from it? To do this, you should use the Magisk utility, which provides the following:

• The presence of the Android operating system version 5 and higher installed on the mobile device, the firmware must be stock. If the firmware is custom, you will need to edit the ro.build lines in the corresponding system file of the device. If this is not done, the program will not pass the test and the long-awaited work with the payment system can simply not wait;
• You will definitely need to unlock the bootloader, with which you can easily install custom recovery on your phone. If suddenly this does not work out, it will need to be unlocked, for which you just need to contact specialists who perform this kind of work;
• You will need to obtain the appropriate superuser rights on the devices, which is quite simple, for this you only need to use the original non-system SuperSU, and also use the help of the MagiskSU component;
• It may be that root is obtained on the device directly using other utilities (this state of affairs is most often noted directly on custom-type firmware). First you will need to remove it, and then install it using the components described in the paragraph above.

It is worth noting the need to remove an unsupported version of root, for which a specially developed script is used. Finding such a script will not be a problem, you can also do this on his XDA developer site. With a correct and consistent approach, the maximum possible use of the program's functionality is ensured, subsequent installation payment system and payment with its help for the necessary services. This is a special moment, you need to pay maximum attention to it.

Comparison table of Meizu phones with NFC

It's time to consider a comparison table of all mobile devices from the manufacturer Meizu that support or do not support the NFC function. Depending on preferences, each potential owner of this device will be able to independently choose a unit for themselves, depending on the need.

This smartphone in an elegant metal case received a fairly powerful 10-core processor and a high-quality photo module with phase focusing. Vesti.Hi-tech checked in what, besides the price, the top MX6 turned out to be more modest than the flagship of the Chinese company,.

Not limited to the release of one flagship model, Meizu released the MX6 by autumn. The company says it has paid Special attention"camera, design, autonomy and performance", while the main differentiating feature of the Pro 6 was high-quality sound. Slightly "flexed" in cost compared to the flagship, Meizu could not help but save money by creating the MX6. Let's figure out what exactly.

Specifications

• Model: MX6
• OS: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with Flyme OS 5.2.2.2G shell
• Processor: 10-core, 64-bit MediaTek Helio X20 (MT6797): 2x ARM Cortex-A72 2.3GHz + 4x ARM Cortex-A53 1.9GHz + 4x ARM Cortex-A53 1.4GHz
• Graphics co-processor: ARM Mali-T880 MP4 (780 MHz)
• RAM: 4 GB, 32-bit, dual-channel, LPDDR3, 933 MHz
• Storage Memory: 32 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1 (LE), USB (2.0) Type-C (OTG, Host), 3.5 mm headphone jack
• Screen: capacitive touch, manufactured by Sharp, IPS TDDI matrix, full lamination, diagonal 5.5 inches, resolution 1920x1080 pixels, pixel density per inch 403 ppi, contrast ratio 1500:1, brightness 500 cd/sq. m, color gamut 85% NTSC, protective glass 2.5D
• Main camera: 12 MP, optical size 1/2.9", pixel size 1.23 µm, Sony IMX386 Exmor RS, 6-element lens, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus (0.2 s), dual LED flash
• Front camera: 5 MP, 4-element lens, f/2.0 aperture,
• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE Cat. 6, FDD-LTE (1800/2100/2600MHz)
• SIM card: two nanoSIM (4FF format)
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS, A-GPS
• Sensors: gyroscope, compass, Hall sensor, accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, biometric sensor (mTouch 2.1 fingerprint scanner)
• Battery: non-removable, lithium-polymer, 3,060 mAh, fast charging mCharge 3.0
• Colors: dark grey, silver, gold and pink metallic
• Dimensions: 153.6x75.2x7.25 mm
• Weight: 155 grams

Design, ergonomics

Externally, the MX6 almost completely repeats the flagship. There are two main differences: firstly, due to the 5.5-inch screen (Pro 6 has 5.2 inches), the novelty turned out to be larger, only the body thickness - 7.25 mm - has not changed. Secondly, the MX6 does not have a ring tone flash with a round laser autofocus window. on the back. There are a few other minor differences, which we will mention below.

The MX6 has a rounded aluminum body in dark grey, silver or gold; the metal is crossed by plastic strips that hide the antennas. In China, the smartphone is also available in pink, but this color has not yet been brought to Russia. MX6 is more compact than most "classmates" - for example, the Asus Zenfone 3 is 2 mm narrower and only a millimeter wider than the Samsung Galaxy A7. It depends on the width of the case how comfortable it is to hold a smartphone in your hands.

The front surface of the MX6, including the screen, is protected by 2.5D effect glass, which today is no surprise even in budget devices. The supplier of glass is not specified.

The parameters of the front camera have not changed much. The wide-angle lens with 4-element optics and f / 2.0 aperture got a 5-megapixel OmniVision OV5695 sensor. The maximum resolution is achieved with the classic aspect ratio (4:3) - 2560x1920 pixels (5 MP).

The main camera can record videos not only in Full HD (1920x1080 pixels, 16:9) at 30 fps, but also in 4K mode (3840x2160 pixels, 16:9), and at the same frame rate. In turn, slow motion slo-mo (120/30 fps) is available only in HD resolution (1280x720 pixels). But for the front camera best quality recordings - Full HD (1920x1080 pixels, 16:9) at 30 fps. Content is stored in MP4 container files (HEVC/AVC - video, AAC - sound).

The interface and functionality of the "Camera" application has not changed much. To nine flagship modes ("Auto", "Manual", "Video", "Portrait", "Panorama", "Focus change", "Slow motion", "Macro" and "GIF") added one more - "Scanner" , which was used, in particular, in the smartphone camera. In the settings, the HDR mode is still available. There you can also decide on the size of the photo and the quality of the video. When shooting in manual mode, you are prompted to choose the shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, saturation, white balance, etc. yourself. Focus and exposure can be measured separately, and applying one of 11 filters (Film, Black and White, Oxidized, etc.) will help create the desired effect.

The musical capabilities of the MX6, compared to the flagship, turned out to be more modest. So, at high volume, the quality of playback through the "multimedia" speaker begins to suffer. In headphones, for obvious reasons, the sound is more pleasant. In addition, after connecting them, you can use a 5-band equalizer with presets and manual settings. At the same time, regular smartphone tools allow you to listen to audio files with APE and FLAC extensions created by codecs for data compression without quality loss. The MX6 does not have a built-in FM tuner. Voice Recorder saves mono recordings as MP3 (44.1 kHz) files.

Filling, performance

If the flagship relied on the MediaTek MT6797T platform (Helio X25), then for the MX6 they limited themselves to its "non-turbo" version MT6797, also known as the Helio X20. Recall that this system on a single chip, made in compliance with the design standards of 20 nm, uses a three-cluster (Tri-Cluster) architecture of ten computing cores.

So, all the cores on the MT7697 chip are grouped into three clusters: one duet from Cortex-A72 with a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz (against 2.5 GHz), as well as two quartets from Cortex-A53 with frequencies of 1.4 GHz and 1 .85 GHz (versus 2.0 GHz), respectively. An additional companion core Cortex-M4 serves the sensors. To process graphics on the chip, an ARM Mali T880 MP4 accelerator is provided with four execution units, which are clocked at a frequency of 780 MHz (against 850 MHz). Among other features, it is worth noting the WorldMode 4G LTE modem, which provides support for a large number of communication standards. The base MX6 stuffing is complemented by 4 GB of 2-channel 32-bit LPDDR3 RAM (933 MHz). Considering the decrease in clock frequencies of the main computing units, it is not surprising that in synthetic tests the MX6 shows slightly worse results than the .

So, on AnTuTu Benchmark, where the flagship came close to the mark of 100 thousand in terms of the number of "virtual parrots", the MX6 knocked out less than 80 thousand "feathered ones".

A similar picture was observed when evaluating the amount of "horsepower" (single-core test), as well as the efficiency of the use of processor cores on the Geekbench 3 and Vellamo benchmarks.

On the Epic Citadel visual test settings (High Performance, High Quality and Ultra High Quality), the average frame rate changed as follows - 53.9 fps, 53.4 fps and 40.0 fps, respectively (58.6 fps, 54.9 fps and 45.2 fps for the flagship).

On the 3DMark universal gaming benchmark (Sling Shot ES 3.1 set), the result of 971 points was worse than the flagship one (1,057 points).

The total number of points received by the MX6 on the Base Mark OS II cross-platform benchmark was 1,750 (against 1,860 for the flagship).

The amount of internal memory in the MX6 is 32 GB, of which about 23 GB was available after switching on. Recall that the slot for installing a microSD memory card in the novelty, as well as in the flagship, is also not provided. Thanks to the support of USB-OTG technology, it is possible to connect USB-drives (flash drives) to the MX6. However, the lack of an appropriate cable (USB-OTG Type-C) in the kit did not allow us to test this possibility in practice.

The manufacturer focuses on the new communication option that appeared in the MX6. As you know, most smartphones with one radio module and two SIM cards, even if both subscriber identity modules support 3G / 4G, function as follows. While the device is in standby mode, each of the two SIM-cards works in a 4G or 3G (or even 2G) network, depending on the network coverage. As soon as one of them becomes active (a call comes in, or data transfer begins), the second SIM card immediately switches to the "2G only" (Edge) communication mode.

In the event that the operator provides communication services exclusively in 3G / 4G bands, such as Tele2 in Moscow and the Moscow Region, then for the reasons described above, it is simply impossible to get through to the second SIM card. The fact is that when switching to 2G mode, it does not find a network and remains inaccessible until the first SIM card completes the active session. The chip used in the MX6 allows the second SIM to remain in 3G mode while the first is active.

Recall that subscriber identification modules for MX6 must be made in nanoSIM (4FF) format. At the same time, both slots support work with LTE Cat networks. 6 (300/50 Mbit / s), and from the "Russian troika" two FDD-LTE frequency bands are available - b3 (1,800 MHz) and b7 (2,600 MHz). Traditionally, there is no lowest frequency - b20 (800 MHz), which provides better connection, for example, indoors.

From other wireless communications, the MX6 also has 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.1 (LE). As in the flagship, the NFC interface is not provided.

GPS and GLONASS satellite systems can be used for positioning and navigation. A-GPS mode (coordination over Wi-Fi and cellular networks) is also available.

The novelty was equipped with a 3,060 mAh non-removable lithium polymer battery, the capacity of which turned out to be 500 mAh more than that of the flagship (2,560 mAh). The smartphone comes with the same UP1220E (5V/9V/12V, 2A) power adapter that supports mCharge 3.0 fast charging technology. Thanks to this, the battery is completely filled in 75 minutes, in 10 minutes - by a quarter, and in half an hour - by 65%. In addition, the manufacturer claims that the new type of battery installed in the MX6 allows the use of fast charging technology for more than 900 cycles, without sacrificing performance and battery capacity. Recall that the power adapter uses a proprietary cable in the Type-C design.

The AnTuTu Tester program rated the achieved result at an unimpressive 6,496 points. Yes, and a test set of videos in MP4 format and Full HD quality at full brightness spun continuously for less than 5 hours.

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

Software Features

The MX6 smartphone runs on the Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system, the interface of which is hidden under the fresh proprietary Flyme OS version 5.2.2.2G shell. It is worth paying attention that after the first switching on of the device, there is no store icon among the icons. Google Play. The fact is that the installation of the appropriate Google services is offered on the MX6 as an independent exercise. It is quite simple to do this (one tap on the icon on the screen is enough), but the obligation of such a procedure still causes slight bewilderment.

The settings still contain smartphone control gestures, including those for launching applications, as well as a SmartTouch ring (not shown in the screenshot) with adjustable transparency. In addition, the screen can be easily divided to display the operation of two applications (for settings and a video player) at the same time. But the 3D Press technology, which reacts to the applied effort to the touch screen by displaying the context menu, is, alas, not supported here.

The parameters of the mTouch 2.1 fingerprint scanner remained unchanged: response speed - 0.2 seconds, correct recognition angle - 360 degrees, memory capacity - 5 prints. With this device, you can set a screen lock, as well as restrict access to files and applications.

Purchase, conclusions

Having received a flagship appearance, the MX6 smartphone, made in an all-metal case, also boasts a powerful processor, a bright screen, a high-quality main camera, a useful 3G / 4G option when working with two SIM cards, support for fast charging and a fingerprint scanner.

Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the impossibility of expanding the built-in memory with microSD cards and the short battery life when watching videos. The MX6 smartphone does not have advanced musical abilities, and, in addition, it lacks such a flagship innovation as 3D Press technology. But all the seized "surpluses", of course, had a positive effect on the price tag of the device. If, at the time of testing, 32,990 rubles were asked for with a memory capacity of 32 GB, then for the MX6 - only 27,990 rubles. By the way, for the same amount it was possible to purchase, for example, the 5.5-inch "classmate" Asus ZenFone 3 (ZE552KL), which is distinguished by twice the amount of internal memory (64 GB), the presence of a microSD card slot, as well as a productive, but cost-effective, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (14 nm) platform. Judging by the data of Yandex.Market, another 5.5-inch classmate, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016), was then valued at 29,990 rubles in large retail chains. At the same time, he received a smaller amount of both operational (3 GB) and internal memory (16 GB), however, with the possibility of expanding the latter with microSD cards. In addition to a 13-megapixel camera with optical stabilization, this smartphone provides high autonomy, largely due to the Super AMOLED screen and a capacious battery (3300 mAh).

The results of the review of the smartphone Meizu MX6

Pros:

• Powerful processor
• Bright screen
• Quality main camera
• Useful 3G/4G option when using two SIM cards
• Fast charge support
• Fingerprint scanner

Minuses:

• No microSD card slot
• Short battery life when watching videos

The Chinese company Meizu releases a couple of new smartphones almost every month, which makes it increasingly difficult to navigate the manufacturer's lineup. On the one hand, the company has an advanced Pro-series, on the other hand, a budget line m (),). But what place is given to devices under the name MX, which were previously positioned as flagships? Let's understand the example of Meizu MX6.

Characteristics

• display: 5.5 inches, 2.5D glass, 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD, 403 ppi)
• processor: MediaTek Helio X20, 10 cores (ARM Cortex A53, 4x1.4 GHz + 4x1.9 GHz + ARM Cortex A72 2x2.3 GHz), graphics ARM Mali T880
• ROM: 32 GB, RAM: 4 GB
• main camera: 12 MP Sony IMX 386, phase detection autofocus, 6 lenses, f/2.0, pixel size 1.25 µm, dual tone flash
• front camera: 5 MP, f/2.0, 4 lenses, wide shooting angle
• battery: 3060 mAh with support for fast charging mCharge 3.0
• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; 2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 4.1 + BLE, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, digital compass
• USB Type C with OTG support, USB-HOST, 3.5mm headphone jack, dual SIM slots
• OS: Android 6 with proprietary shell Flyme OS
• mTouch 2.1 fingerprint reader
• dimensions: 153.6x75.2x7.25 mm, weight 155 g
• colors: dark grey, silver, gold, pink metallic

Appearance

Meizu MX6, like all current devices of the company, is enclosed in a metal case with anodizing. Our device is silver in color, its body is noticeably lighter than that of the gray model, and the front side is white. This results in all the front elements being perfectly visible, the sensors and the speaker in the first place (not cool).

At the same time, the manufacturer placed them strictly symmetrically, which will somewhat reassure aesthetes. There is a minimal black bezel around the display, which is also more noticeable in the white version. If you care, take the gray device.

Glass with an excellent oleophobic coating with its rounded edges smoothly flows into the case, the seam between the parts is not felt, thereby creating the effect of a monolith. Visually, the connection point is not only not hidden, but even emphasized by mirror polishing.

The back of the device carries a barely protruding camera unit and a flash, as well as the Meizu inscription. The plastic inserts at the top and bottom are no longer a separate element, as they used to be in the MX series or on the cheaper m3, but thin strips that resist signal shielding.

Interestingly, the plastic strips look similar to those of Apple, only Apple smartphones were presented only on September 7, and the Chinese manufacturer used a similar design back in Meizu Pro 6, which was released in May (evil tongues claim that Meizu copied the antenna design from iPhone 7 leaks ).

Although with the price grid of the manufacturer this device is in the middle between the budget “m” and the top “Pro”, it is impossible to notice the dilution by class outwardly - in 2016, all the devices of the manufacturer became very similar in build quality and materials, which positively affects the perception of the most inexpensive devices , but erases the feeling of premium top gadgets. However, not a single person - the more expensive Meizu smartphones have their own bonuses, expressed in characteristics.

Display

Meizu MX6 received a 5.5-inch display with FullHD resolution, that is, the same as the Meizu m3 note, if you look only at these parameters. In practice, it turned out that the screen in a more expensive smartphone is still better, ranging from color accuracy and ending with white balance.

The mid-range display is slightly cold, but the color temperature can be changed in the settings. At the same time, the gradations are not as sharp as those of most cheap devices (including Meizu m3s and m3 note), and the tone itself clearly changes not just by applying a yellow filter, but by a more complex principle of the function.

Viewing angles are chic, color accuracy is also high, but one cannot help but pay attention to the slight pallor of the picture - this was not the case in the MX line before, because the manufacturer used AMOLED, but along with the shift of MX6 to the middle segment, the transition to IPS took place, albeit high-quality .

The black color in this case is really black, one of the deepest in the IPS world, only better. The backlight of the screen is uniform. I was also pleased with the absence of an air gap between the glass and the matrix, which, paired with a thin layer of protection, creates the feeling that the screen is on top of the glass. Not an achievement in principle, but a nice feature for a price of 250-300 dollars.

The maximum brightness level is low, which is especially evident in comparison with other smartphones, but even under direct sunlight, the information is read well - this is a merit of both the matrix itself and the absence of an air gap and high transparency of the display.

In general, Meizu MX6 received an excellent screen from Sharp with the usual feature for the manufacturer - the lower edge contains minimal backlight, which is invisible in everyday use.

Camera

Meizu MX6, following the trends in the market, does not contain a camera unit with tens of megapixels - the main camera module is capable of taking photos with a resolution of up to 12 megapixels, but the size of each dot on the matrix is ​​1.25 km, which is slightly larger than that of the majority of medium-sized devices class. The latter feature is necessary to get more light in order to take better pictures in low light conditions.

The result during the day, as expected, is excellent: bright, juicy shots with more or less accurate color reproduction do not look completely losing in comparison with the results of flagship smartphones. You can complain a little about the mediocre color range, but if you take into account the cost of the device, then this indicator is not bad.

At night, a smartphone ... takes pictures. It seems that the objects turn out to be clear, and the flash does not really break the color rendition, but sometimes the amount of noise is as if the little gnomes, when developing the picture, pretty much rubbed it with sandpaper. The result is reminiscent of using the Grainy setting (at +40) from Snapseed.

And if the device does not have enough light, then the pictures turn red (comparison with the iPhone 6s Plus, the light source is a flashlight with a yellow lamp):

Meizu MX6

iPhone 6s Plus

Meizu MX6 can record videos up to 4K resolution. In FullHD, the detail is not as high as we would like, there is no optical stabilization, and the exposure setting is a little slow. But the color reproduction is pleasant, and the picture itself is devoid of distortions that are often found when recording video on inexpensive smartphones. Video can be rated at C grade.

Performance

Meizu MX6 received a 10-core MediaTek processor paired with 4 GB of RAM. This bundle proved to be excellent in everyday use: during the entire time of testing the smartphone, we have never been able to catch the interface on jamming, and the survivability of the software in the background (if you have set a ban on unloading programs from memory) is impressive.

A typical test for launching a dozen applications in a row, and then re-checking in a circle, which of them did not “fall out” of RAM, Meizu MX6 passes with ease. However, this is a very synthetic metering, because the real case is much more interesting - you play such a one in Asphalt 8, and then a message came in that you need to answer. While writing the answer, letters were pouring into the mailbox, it is necessary to disassemble, remove spam and answer important letters. Now you return to the game - the process is in the same place where we interrupted it.

The use of instant messengers, social network clients, mail and other programs familiar to the mass user is an exceptional pleasure. In fact, the stability of the interface in Meizu MX6 is better than that of almost all smartphones on the market, including flagships. It seems to the eye that the frequency does not fall below 60 frames per second. As for a smartphone priced at $ 250-300, this was unexpected, however, not without a huge “but”.

Warning: MediaTek Helio X20, which is installed in Meizu MX6, gets very hot. Seriously, very strong! After long tests with the maximum load on the processor, the temperature of the case rises so high that you have to literally intercept the device as if it were not a smartphone, but a cup heated with boiling water. This state is observed when using the "Productive" mode, and therefore we strongly recommend not to use it at all (but the coveted 90 thousand parrots in AnTuTu are gaining, yes).

Throttling (forcibly limiting processor performance during strong heating) occurs after ten minutes of tests, the power drops by an impressive 20–25%, while all graphics begin to be drawn almost frame by frame.

GTA III lags even with minimal graphics settings, and if you turn everything up to the maximum, then it becomes not at all comfortable to play. Dead Trigger 2 activates the highest possible settings by default, but after 10 minutes the game starts to work with significant twitching in the frame.

As a result, we have a potentially powerful processor that cannot be used to its fullest due to significant overheating.

MediaTek is the first mobile processor manufacturer to introduce a ten-core solution. The chip uses three clusters: four low-performance cores for simple tasks, four more powerful ones for medium-sized ones, and two powerful ones for demanding processes. Instead of a potentially even distribution of performance, we got a solution that is severely throttling in demanding games. And in theory, this should have a positive effect on energy consumption.

autonomy

Meizu MX6 is equipped with a 3060 mAh battery, which is not enough for a 5.5-inch screen. Nevertheless, if you do not prohibit the system from unloading almost all software from RAM when switching to standby mode, the device works for a long time - a day and a half under normal loads. For an hour of watching a video, the device lost 16% of its charge, a full charge is enough for a little over 6 hours of streaming.

Like most Chinese shells, Flyme OS has a limiter for running software in the background. "Sleep Management" initially prevents most programs from waking up the smartphone, which can cause notifications to be missed. We weren't ready to sacrifice push notifications, so we added our favorite messengers to the exceptions. The test results take this into account, if you do not turn off the ban, the operating time will be slightly higher.

The smartphone carries high loads with one SIM-card with dignity: 4 hours of screen with 27 hours of operation. In normal operation (with one, not 4 mailboxes, with two, not five instant messengers, etc.), it was possible to get 35 hours of waiting with 5 hours of screen time. Using a second SIM card reduces autonomy by about 10%.

The stock memory is huge, but this is to be expected since we have 24 watts. What for? It's simple: for the sake of fast charging. The smartphone is restored from 3 to 60% in just 30 minutes, and in another 30 minutes it gains 93%. The total charge time from 3% to 100% was 1 hour 21 minutes (yes, the last 7% was replenished for a very long time).

Unfortunately, in order to quickly replenish the charge, you will also have to carry a standard charger and cable with you, since neither Meizu's powerful blocks nor USB Type-C cables have yet become widespread.

Modern smartphones do not work that long, it’s good when the device can live on a single charge for at least a day, but active users are most often content with daylight hours. In this case, the result is slightly worse than the average on the market, but the highest charging speed allows you not to worry too much about a dead battery, the main thing is to find an outlet.

USB Type-C and storage

Meizu is gradually switching to USB Type-C, but does not use the new format to its fullest - the manufacturer has introduced USB 2.0, which significantly limits the data transfer rate. However, it is difficult to call this a serious problem, since the built-in 32 GB storage does not allow you to store a huge amount of content.

Yes, Meizu has returned to the old tradition of not placing a slot for memory cards, but it uses the memory of the eMMC 5.1 specification - this is a very fast drive that provides high speed for launching programs and saving data directly (for example, when shooting photos and videos, including in 4K ).

32 GB is a comfortable minimum for a smartphone in 2016

Some users will be confused by the relatively small capacity (only a 32 GB version is available), especially in light of 4K video recording, but the device is not positioned as a top solution, and users who aim for Meizu products, as a rule, want to save on the name (at least least when they buy non-flagship devices). Therefore, anyway, the majority of Consumers would choose this particular drive option, and therefore, most likely, the company decided not to provide users with a choice, at the same time saving on production.

mTouch and OS

The home key with its built-in mTouch fingerprint scanner works just as well as on all the company's devices that came out in 2016: fast and accurate. OS navigation controls are also the same: click for the Home action, touch for the Back action. Convenient and logical.

But the on-screen SmartTouch control and gestures on the locked screen, familiar from other devices of the manufacturer, remained in place. This alone is not enough to make up for the lack of key Android 6 features.

Sound

The external speaker does not stand out from the competition, except for the maximum volume, which is slightly higher than the average for the hospital. However, at the maximum, serious sound distortion is heard, so you are unlikely to turn the volume up to 100%. At the same time, the volume control is uneven - the difference between 90% and 80% is much less than between 80% and 70%, and at 50% it’s really difficult to make out what the heroes of your favorite series are saying. However, 70% will be sufficient for comfortable listening in most scenarios.

Unlike, the Chinese are in no hurry to abandon the most common audio transmission interface, the 3.5 mm jack. At the same time, the manufacturer installed it from below, which is extremely good from the point of view of ergonomics - with this arrangement, the smartphone falls into the pocket upside down, and when the user removes it, the upper part of the screen looks straight up, there is no need to intercept the device. Given the size of the smartphone, the manufacturer not only made it more convenient, but also reduced the potential risk of dropping the gadget.

The main loss on the sound front was the lack of an advanced DAC - another victim of demotion from the flagships. The manufacturer built a name on the release of music players, and its flagship smartphones were especially popular precisely because of the high sound quality. Now we have an unremarkable option: it plays quite loudly, clearly, legibly, but without zest.

Instead of outstanding quality, we got "normal" sound from headphones

Meizu MX6 does not lose to most competitors, but before all MX representatives were the best by definition. It's a shame, although it was initially clear that some of the unique features will move to the Pro line.

Communications

Home Wi-Fi with WPA2 protection turned out to be too tough for the Meizu MX6 radio module - the smartphone could not connect to the network, even the standard feint with changing the region in the router settings did not help. Interestingly, the same ones were connected to the same access point (and are connected in this moment) without any problems. The problem is strictly local - the smartphone immediately became friends with two other Wi-Fi.

Meizu MX6 did not get an NFC chip, which means that this smartphone will not pay. And if it is permissible not to introduce such utilities into the junior class, a player of the middle segment with serious equipment should be ashamed.

Network reception did not disappoint, as did the voice quality: the interlocutors hear you perfectly, and you hear the interlocutors. GPS works well, finds satellites quickly, the accuracy of walking is within 15 m, which is enough not to get lost in an unfamiliar city. Navigation in the car works fine, but this is not surprising, since even the simplest devices cope with this task.

Competitors

The main competitor of the Chinese middle peasant is Moto G4 Plus (), which is sold in Ukraine for 7999 UAH. Moto offers a better camera and display, but lacks the smoothness of the interface. Yes, and the processor shows itself more cheerful in games, and the operating time on a single charge allows you not to worry that the smartphone will turn off in the middle of the working day. But the case is not metal.

Another alternative is the Coolpad MAX, which carries 64 GB of permanent memory and contains a microSD slot, but is weaker than the Meizu MX6 in terms of photo capabilities. The rest of the devices are kept equal. The cost of the official apparatus in Ukraine is 7878 UAH.

conclusions

Meizu MX6 is not an evolution of the flagship line, but a fundamentally new niche for the manufacturer. A true middle class for the mainstream user who doesn't need flagship devices to compete on price with a decent bike. The demotion from the flagships was not without casualties - the new MX lacks an advanced DAC and AMOLED display, and the processor is not happy either.

The flagship heritage lies in 4 GB of RAM, as well as an advanced camera and fast charging. This could also include the appearance (an almost complete copy of Meizu Pro 6), if not for the m3 note, which differs only in plastic plugs on top and bottom of the case. However, this does not detract from the merits of universal design.

This is one of the most balanced options in the middle class, which is both inexpensive and reminds in places that it comes from a flagship family.

Meizu MX6 is ideal for those users who do not want to experience the stability of the nervous system with poor OS performance. It will be good for any person, regardless of status, race and gender. The device is devoid of zest, but captivates with practicality - this device will not be able to emphasize your position in life, but will properly perform all the tasks assigned to it. Perhaps Meizu MX6 is the ideal device for a practical person for 2016.

4 reasons to buy Meizu MX6:

• the highest smoothness of work
• nice appearance
• good camera
• very fast charging

3 reasons not to buy Meizu MX6:

• performance uncomfortable for demanding games
• secondary design
• mediocre autonomy