Meizu MX4 smartphone review with video and technical specifications of the phone. Review of the Meizu MX4 smartphone: the human flagship Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances

Design

The Meizu MX4 smartphone, despite its large screen (5.36 inches), has convenient dimensions and fits comfortably in the hand. The weight of the model is 147 grams, traditional for today's smartphones. Standard materials are also used: Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front, aluminum on the side, but not solid, but with inserts made of radio-permeable material, and on the back there is a nice soft-touch plastic.

Display

Screen -5.36 inches. It does not stand out with the most common resolution -1152 by 1920. The aspect ratio is 15:9, and the number of pixels. per inch - 418. Display manufacturers are different: either Sharp or JDI. According to Meizu, the new screen appeared after eight months of research and development. It incorporates new Nega liquid crystal technologies and an LED backlight module. This led to an increase in brightness to 500 cd/m2, contrast to 1100:1 and an increase in the NTSC color palette by 85%. There is also no air gap in the screen.

The display is protected by reliable Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which has anti-reflective and oleophobic coating. There is also a special damping layer between the glass and the case, designed to minimize the impact when the device falls.

Interface

The smartphone runs Android 4.4.2 OS with the proprietary Flyme 4.0 shell. The interface has a dedicated desktop - there is no folder with all applications. Below, in the initial installation, there are three icons: browser, calls and messages. It looks very nice, you can swap applications and put a fourth icon.

The device in operation

The smartphone was equipped with an 8-core MediaTek MTK6595 processor. It is manufactured using the big.LITTLE architecture: 4 Cortex A17 cores operate at a clock frequency of 2.2 GHz, and another 4 A7 cores operate at a frequency of 1.7 GHz. The graphics accelerator is a 4-core Power VR G6200 at a frequency of 600 MHz. 2 GB of RAM and 16 or 32 GB of storage. There is no slot for memory cards in the device. There is support for OTG technology.

Camera

Using gesture control, the camera turns on in a couple of seconds. The smartphone has a Sony sensor.

The sensor works very well: the pictures are sharp, often even too sharp. The colors are rich, the green and red tones stand out in particular. White balance cannot be adjusted even in manual mode; you can adjust shutter speed, manual focus and ISO. When shooting in the dark it becomes more difficult, but the pictures still come out good. Double flash helps.

The camera is capable of recording 4K videos at 30 fps, as well as slow-motion video at 120 fps in HD resolution. Videos can be recorded in Full HD and even 480p.

The front camera is 2 megapixels - the sensor is also from Sony. Suitable for selfies and chatting on Skype.

Wireless network

The device supports Russian LTE frequencies, so the speed of mobile Internet is appropriate.

The device is equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11ac, with support for two frequencies 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and also has the current version of Bluetooth 4.0 HID. Everything works stably, there are no complaints or questions. The same applies to the GPS signal.

It's a pity that the smartphone doesn't have an NFC chip.

Autonomy

A non-replaceable battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh, this part is manufactured by Samsung and Sony. It seems that with FullHD resolution, such a battery should be more than enough for the whole day, but the processor is very power-hungry, and the main percentage of the charge is taken up by its eight cores. Bottom line: even with a slightly above average load, it won’t last until the evening.

Results

Meizu MX4 is a very good device, although it is equipped with a seemingly powerful, but uneconomical processor.

The cost for the 16 GB version is 17,990 rubles, and for the 32 GB version - 19,990 rubles.

Technical characteristics of Meizu MX4

screen: 5.36 '' IPS, 1920x1152 manufactured by Sharp/JDI;

processor: MediaTek MTK6595 Meizu Customized 8 cores (4 A17 cores at 2.2 GHz + 4 A7 cores at 1.7 GHz);

graphics accelerator: PowerVR G6200, 4 cores 600 MHz;

operating system: Android OS 4.4.2, Flyme 4.0;

RAM: 2 GB;

built-in memory: 16/32 GB;

Memory card support: No;

communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || WCDMA 850/900/2100 MHz || LTE 1800/2100/2600 MHz;

wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 HID;

navigation: GPS, A-GPS / GLONASS / QZSS, BDS, digital compass, Inertial navigation;

cameras: main - 20.7 MP (SONY IMX220 Exmor RS sensor), f/2.2, dual flash, front - 2 MP (SONY IMX208), f/2.0;

sensors: light, gravity, Hall sensor, infrared distance sensor, gyroscope, touch sensor, digital compass;

battery: 3,100 mAh;

dimensions: 144 x 75.2 x 8.9 mm;

weight: 147 grams.

Video review of the Meizu MX4 smartphone

Meizu MX4 is a flagship smartphone at a reasonable price. The gadget received not only powerful hardware, but also a very attractive design. The device was announced in September 2014.

Appearance and ergonomics

Meizu MX4 has a plastic body with rounded corners. The outline of the back cover is very smooth. Between the protective glass and the body there is an impressive frame made of metal. The sloping edges make the smartphone very comfortable; it is extremely comfortable to hold in your hands. Porous polycarbonate with a rough surface also improves ergonomics. This is a very practical solution that helps the device not slip out of your palms. Below the screen there is a small round touch button. It is illuminated in bright white. The bottom end has a microphone and microUSB, as well as a multimedia speaker. On top there is an additional microphone, a power button and a headphone jack. The back cover is easy to open, but the built-in 3100 mAh battery is non-removable. Available colors: gold, white and grey. Dimensions: height - 144 mm, thickness - 8.9 mm, width - 75.2 mm, weight - 147 g.

Display

The MX4 houses a 5.36-inch screen that was developed by JDI and Sharp. This advanced IPS matrix has Nega liquid crystal technology, as well as progressive LED backlighting. Thanks to this, the display stands out with increased brightness and excellent contrast. It is worth noting the unusual screen aspect ratio - 15:9. Its resolution is 1920 by 1152 pixels. Since the matrix does not have an air gap, the image can pleasantly surprise with its extraordinary realism. It is necessary to highlight very wide viewing angles, as well as a high-quality oleophobic coating.

Hardware and performance

The MX4 smartphone has a powerful eight-core MediaTek MT6595 processor, the frequency of which has been overclocked to 2200 MHz. The PowerVR G6200 MP4 3D accelerator is used. The gadget has a built-in 2 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. Smart Core Pilot technology is designed to improve performance. Compared with its predecessor, this device turned out to be almost twice as powerful. Thus, in the AnTuTu Benchmark v5 test, the model scores about 53,000 points. Many games run at the highest graphics level, and everyday applications run extremely quickly. It is noteworthy that the gadget operates on the Android 4.4 operating system with subsequent updates. Moreover, this OS is seriously modified using the Flyme shell. Built-in memory: 64 GB, 32 GB or 16 GB. There is no option to install MicroSD cards here.

Communication and sound

Thanks to the NXP SmartPA audio processor, the Meizu MX4 boasts excellent sound. The bass is especially well developed, and the volume level is seriously increased. The multimedia speaker is not only louder, but also produces more surround sound. The special Wolfson WM8281 chip makes it possible to enjoy music on headphones, as the tracks are played very clearly. The interlocutor can be heard well through the speaker.

Camera

Meizu MX4 has a high-quality 20.7 megapixel Sony IMX220 camera. This Exmor RS sensor allows you to shoot 4K video and instantly focus on the subject. The two-color LED flash is very helpful at night. There is also a front-facing 2-megapixel Sony IMX208 camera with aperture ratio 2.0.

conclusions

The flagship smartphone MX4 stands out from its competitors with its excellent technical specifications, excellent cameras and attractive appearance. The kit includes documentation, a USB cable and a power adapter.

Pros:

• Gorgeous FHD display.
• High quality sound from speaker and headphones.
• Practical and stylish design.
• Advanced main camera.
• Very powerful processor.

Minuses:

• The memory card slot is a bit lacking.
• Autonomy could be higher.

Technical characteristics of Meizu MX4

Prices

Video reviews

Fans of the Chinese company Meizu face a difficult choice - buy an expensive MX4 Pro with a fingerprint scanner, 2K resolution and Hi-Fi audio, or save money and take the more productive MX4 with similar features and a good set of specifications. The purpose of this review is to reveal the key advantages and disadvantages of the MX4 (review) and MX4 Pro (review) over each other. I hope it helps you decide. If you have any questions, you are welcome to the comments section.

Our dear reader, remember that officially Meizu smartphones in Russia are sold only by MyMeizu.ru and PixelPhone.ru. There's a guarantee, after-sales service, cool accessories and cookies :)

Technical characteristics of Meizu MX4:

• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA/HSPA (850/900/2100 MHz), LTE (1800/2100/2600)
• Platform (at the time of announcement): Flyme 4.0 based on Android 4.4 KitKat
• Display: 5.36”, 1920 x 1152 pixels, IPS (New Mode 2), 418 ppi, contrast 1100:1, brightness 500 cd/m2, Gorilla Glass 3
• Camera: 20.7 MP, autofocus, dual LED flash in different colors, 5-lens optics with f/2.2, 1/2.3 aperture, Sony Exmor IMX220 sensor, 4K@30fps video recording, 720p@120fps, Gorilla Glass 3
• Front camera: 2 MP
• Processor: 8 cores, MediaTek MT6595 (4 A17 cores at 2.2 GHz + 4 A7 cores at 1.7 GHz; cores can work simultaneously), chipset customized by Meizu
• Graphics chip: PowerVR G6200MP4 @ 600 MHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Memory card: no
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac)
• Bluetooth 4.0 HID
• microUSB
• 3.5mm jack
• Battery: non-removable, 3100 mAh
• Dimensions: 144 x 75.2 x 8.9 mm
• Weight: 147 g

Technical characteristics of Meizu MX4 Pro:

• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA, LTE
• Platform (at the time of announcement): Flyme 4.1 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat
• Display: 5.5”, 2560 x 1536 pixels, IPS from JDI, NEGA negative LCD, 546 ppi, contrast 1500:1, brightness 450 cd/m2, Gorilla Glass 3
• Camera: 20.7 MP, autofocus, dual LED flash of different colors, 5-lens optics with f/2.2, 1/2.3 aperture, Sony Exmor IMX220 sensor, video recording 4K@30fps, 720p@120fps, sapphire crystal
• Front camera: 5 MP, OmniVision 5693, f/2.2, 1.4 microns, video recording at 1080p
• Processor: 8 cores (4 A15 cores at 2 GHz and 4 A7 cores at 1.5 GHz), 20 nm, Exynos 5430
• Graphics chip: Mali-T628MP6 600MHz
• RAM: 3GB LPDDR3
• Internal memory: 16/32/64 GB
• Memory card: no
• Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, BDS
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n/ac)
• Bluetooth 4.0 HID
• microUSB
• 3.5mm jack
• Audio: ESS ES9018K2M DAC, TI OPA1612 amplifier
• Light, distance and position sensors, compass, gyroscope, SensorHub, mTouch fingerprint scanner with sapphire crystal
• Battery: non-removable, 3350 mAh
• Dimensions: 150.1 x 77 x 9 mm
• Weight: 158 g

Design

Smartphones are made in the same design concept and use the same materials. The frame/frame is made of aircraft aluminum, the front part is covered with Gorilla Glass 3, and the material for the removable cover is plastic. The MX4 has a multifunctional touch ring under the display that also plays the role of a light indicator, while the MX4 Pro takes its place with a physical button with an integrated fingerprint scanner and a touch layer (the LED indicator on the MX4 Pro is placed in the upper part of the front side - it is traditional). Other control elements, connectors, microphones, and speakers are located in the same places. By and large, the models differ only in size.

The devices use screens with an aspect ratio of 15:9, while most often manufacturers prefer the more traditional 16:9. Therefore, despite the narrow frames, the devices cannot be called compact in their classes due to their width. In my opinion, if the manufacturer preferred 16:9, then the MX4 and MX4 Pro would only benefit from this. I hope the MX5 will do so (M1 Note is the first sign).

The MX4 is better in ergonomics: because of the dimensions, because of smaller frames and indentations, because of the more rounded lid, because of the thinner metal frame. You can safely use it with one hand, but with the MX4 Pro it is much more difficult to do this, despite all the features that contribute to this (unlock by swiping on the glass or through a button under the display, locking through a button). Due to the large thickness of the metal frame, the MX4 Pro is unpleasant to grip in your hand, pointing the screen towards your palm - it hurts your hand and the grip turns out to be uncertain. The MX4 is doing better with this.

Currently, phones are available in several colors, some shades are different, and the covers are matte and glossy.

Screen

MX4 and MX4 Pro continue the proud tradition of high-quality screens in Meizu smartphones. The MX4 uses a 5.36" panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1152 pixels, while the MX4 Pro has a 5.5" screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1536 pixels. Taking the characteristics in numbers out of the equation, I will say that both panels provide a pleasant picture. The MX4 has a slightly brighter display, but the MX4 Pro has slightly better contrast and deeper blacks. The viewing angles did not disappoint here and there.

The MX4 has a pixel density of 418 ppi, while the MX4 Pro has a pixel density of 546 ppi. In fact, even the MX4's density value is quite high and the pixels are difficult to see. It's even harder to see the difference in ppi between the two models. In my opinion, if Meizu had used a screen with a resolution like the MX4 in the MX4 Pro (at 5.5”, a resolution of 1920 x 1152 would give 407 ppi), then this would only benefit the device. The user experience would not suffer from this (still a decent pixel density per inch), but the user would 100% feel the advantages (higher operating speed, lower power consumption).

Software

The smartphones are based on Flyme OS version 4 and offer a similar software set. The differences lie only in the chips tied to different buttons under the screen. Read more about the software in device reviews.

Sound

In the MX4, the sound is provided by the Wolfson WM8281 audio solution integrated into the MediaTek chipset. And the MX4 Pro sports an ESS ES9018K2M central audio processor and a TI OPA1612 amplifier. In the MX4, the sound quality in headphones with the first firmware could be described as “average” and “regular”, but the updates have greatly improved the sound - detail and volume have increased. The MX4 Pro immediately offered some of the best sound on a phone in general. The flagship plays cleaner, deeper and louder. But you will notice all the advantages of the Pro version only if you have good headphones that cost half the price of a smartphone or more. And even so, it will be difficult for inexperienced listeners to notice the nuances in the sound. In general, if you are content with inexpensive headphones and prefer to listen to music mainly on the street or in the subway, you do not have a mania for collecting lossless tracks, and you cannot hear the difference between MP3 320 and FLAC, then you will probably be happy with MX4.

Camera

A detailed comparison of the main 20.7-megapixel cameras of smartphones based on photos and videos is available in a separate material. In order not to repeat myself, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with it at this address. In short, at the time of comparison with firmware Flyme OS 4.0.4.2I (MX4) and Flyme OS 4.1.1.1I (MX4 Pro), both devices have problems with automatically determining white balance, MX4 Pro is noisier in low light conditions and noticeably The sound is worse. The video sequence can be said to be identical, as is the detailing in the photographs. Surely, cameras will still rule in future updates, but it is unlikely that the result will be any noticeably different. I note that with the old software the MX4 shot much worse (last year’s comparison of cameras), that is, Meizu engineers did not sit idly by and all this time were actively working on the camera of the MX4 model to please its users. This deserves praise.

MX4 Pro – MX4:

MX4 Pro – MX4

Iron

If for the MX4 the hardware was the strongest point, then for the MX4 Pro it turned out to be the weakest point. The MX4 uses a customized Meizu 8-core MediaTek MT6595 chip (4 A17 cores at 2.2 GHz + 4 A7 cores at 1.7 GHz) with a PowerVR G6200MP4 graphics chip and 2 GB of RAM. At the same time, the MX4 Pro was equipped with an 8-core Exynos 5430 chipset (4 A15 cores at 2 GHz + 4 A7 cores at 1.5 GHz) with Mali-T628MP6 graphics and 3 GB of RAM.

The MT6595 copes with the Full HD resolution of the MX4 with a bang - even modern games run flawlessly at high fps. But the Exynos 5430 is clearly not designed for 2K, which Samsung understood when it used it in the Galaxy Alpha model with an HD display. Simple toys run quite well on the MX4 Pro, even if they are in 2K, but if you run a racing game or 3D action game from Gameloft, you will encounter lags and uncomfortable fps. In other words, MX4 is better for avid gamers, but if simple puzzles and runners are enough for you, then MX4 Pro will not disappoint either.

MX4 Pro – MX4:

MX4 Pro – MX4

Benchmark results: AnTuTu 5.6 – 50,236 and 47,736 (MX4 and MX4 Pro), 3DMark Unlimited – 16,311 and 18,467, Geekbench 3 – 1192/3944 and 990/3397, GFXBench Full HD – 8/23 fps and 14/ 28 fps (7.8/19 fps for 2K), Epic Citadel Ultra – 39 and 37.5 fps, Basemark OS 2 – 880 and 991. The MX4 Pro has decent performance in graphics tests, but in practice everything is different.

The younger MX4 model received a 3100 mAh battery, MX4 Pro has a 3350 mAh battery. In the gaming test (Modern Combat 5 game, graphics at maximum, brightness at maximum, performance high), both phones were discharged by 16% in half an hour. But in video player mode, the MX4 Pro discharges more slowly - after 3 hours of the movie, it had exactly 50% of the charge remaining, while the MX4 had 43% (that is, it was discharged by 50% and 57%, respectively). The MX4 Pro gets hotter. Half an hour of gaming warmed up its battery to 50 degrees versus 45 degrees for the MX4. And if after that you could hold on to the metal frame of the MX4 without any unpleasant sensations, then the frame of the MX4 Pro burned your hands so much that you wanted to pull them back.

conclusions

Usually flagships are undeniably superior to junior models, but in the case of the MX4 and MX4 Pro this cannot be said. Both smartphones coexist in the company’s lineup, having much in common and having advantages over each other. They have comparable cameras, comparable operating time, and the same software. At the same time, the MX4 (review) is more convenient and faster, while the MX4 Pro (review) has better sound, a finger scanner and a larger display. I dare to suggest that the MX4 is and will remain the most popular Meizu model until the release of the new family. The device turned out to be more balanced and affordable (from 23,990 rubles for MX4 and from 29,990 rubles for MX4 Pro). However, if you are not going to play heavy games, the diagonal is important to you, you consider yourself an audiophile and want to take advantage of the benefits of fingerprint unlocking, then the MX4 Pro is your choice. And don’t discount the affordable model in the bright Meizu M1 Note case.

Retaining the recognizable design of its line, Meizu MX4 became the first smartphone based on a powerful 8-core chip from MediaTek, thanks to which it immediately found itself at the top of the rankings in popular tests. Having gotten to know the MX4 better, Vesti.Hi-tech found out all the advantages and disadvantages of this device

The Chinese company Meizu Technology, or simply Meizu, does not spoil the public with a wide range of smartphones and their frequent premieres. However, its devices, which are distinguished by a certain corporate style, are increasingly attracting the attention of users. So, last fall, the company presented the Meizu MX4 smartphone under the motto More than better, which was translated from English into Russian as “even cooler.” It was also explained that Meizu rethought the meaning of the word better; in short, as a result of the evolution of the previous MX3 model, many useful and interesting “tricks” appeared in the new device. Improvements and changes in MX4, indeed, have affected literally everything - the body, the processor, the screen, the camera, etc. Now let's talk about everything in order.

Specifications

• Model: MX4
• OS: Android 4.4.2 with Flyme OS 4.03l shell
• Processor: 8-core MediaTek MT6595 (customized version), ARM big.LITTLE GTS architecture (4 Cortex-A17 2.2 GHz cores + 4 Cortex-A7 1.7 GHz cores)
• Graphics coprocessor: PowerVR G6200MP4 (600 MHz)
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage Memory: 16 GB (12.3 GB available) or 32 GB (approx. 25 GB available)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), microUSB (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, USB-OTG, 3.5 mm for headphones
• Screen: capacitive touchscreen, manufactured by Sharp/JDI, New Mode2/IPS, diagonal 5.36 inches, resolution 1920x1152 pixels, pixel density per inch 418 ppi, brightness 500 cd/sq. m, contrast ratio 1100:1, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Cameras: main - 20.7 MP, Sony IMX220 Exmor RS, 5 lenses, f/2.2 aperture, autofocus, dual flash, 4K video; front - 2.12 MP, Sony IMX208 Exmor R, 4 lenses, f/2.0 aperture, HD video
• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE (Cat. 4)
• SIM card: one microSIM (3FF format)
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS, A-GPS
• Sensors: gyroscope, compass, Hall sensor, accelerometer, light and proximity sensors (infrared)
• Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer, 3,100 mAh (11.78 Wh; 3.8 V)
• Colors: white, golden, dark gray
• Dimensions: 144.0x75.2x8.9 mm
• Weight: 147 grams

Design, ergonomics

The design of the Meizu MX4 smartphone continues the glorious traditions established in the previous model MX3 -

the same smooth contours of the body with rounded corners and thin frames to the left and right of the screen. Their width is only 2.6 mm, which is even smaller than that of the recognized “trend setter” in this area - (2.65 mm), and, of course, only adds to the premium quality. The MX4 retains a non-standard display aspect ratio of 15:9 (rather than 16:9), so its width is larger than usual. Note that with a screen diagonal of 5.36 inches, the MX4 body is only a millimeter narrower (75 mm versus 76 mm) than, for example, the 5.5-inch “flagship killer” OnePlus One. The structural basis of the new smartphone is a painted metal frame made of aircraft-grade aluminum, which outwardly manifests itself only as a shiny chamfered edge running along the entire perimeter of the device. Largely due to the use of durable and lightweight aluminum, the MX4 has grown in size (144x75.2 mm versus 139x72 mm) and is only 4 grams heavier (147 g versus 143 g) than the 5.1-inch MX3. By the way, the thickness of the body of the new device has also decreased (8.9 mm versus 9.2 mm).

The entire front surface of the case, including the screen, is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which has an oleophobic coating applied.

Above the screen there is a speaker grille, light and proximity sensors, as well as a front camera lens.

Under the screen, like the MX3, there is only one touch button “Home”, made in the form of a circle with a bright white backlight around the circumference (in the dark without backlight it phosphorescents weakly). It also plays the role of an event indicator. But the manufacturer abandoned the usual “Back” and “Menu” (“Recent Applications”) buttons. Now you can go back by swiping up from the Home button, and swiping up to the left or right of this button brings up a list of previously launched applications.

The right edge of the apparatus is free,

and on the left there is a rather long volume rocker, painted in the color of the body, but with a silver border.

But the small power/lock button, made in the same style, along with a hole for a second microphone (for noise reduction) and a 3.5 mm jack for an audio headset, was moved to the top end. Although the mechanical controls remain in place (as in the MX3), their position still seems rather unusual. If only because the most important finger - the thumb - even among the “thumb generation” is out of work here (they say that today’s youth have developed the habit since childhood of operating all sorts of buttons only with the thumb). But even if this finger really lengthens, it is still impossible to reach the top end of the smartphone with it. It is necessary to master alternative methods of management and, fortunately, they exist.

At the bottom end of the case there was a place for a hole for a “conversational” microphone, a microUSB connector for charging and communication with a computer, a “multimedia” speaker grille (in the form of four round holes), as well as a special cutout (for removing the back cover).

The glossy back cover of the MX3, for which a special tool was included, has been replaced with a matte one in the new model. At the same time, the material chosen for it was pleasant to the touch, non-slip and practical plastic. You can now remove this cover without any master keys, first by simply prying it by the cutout on the bottom end, since it is secured, as usual, with plastic latches. Above the battery compartment there is a slot for one microSIM card. Note that the battery in the smartphone is non-removable (a warning sign on it says so), although you can’t tell from its appearance. The idea of ​​installing only a subscriber identification module under the cover with a non-removable battery, generally speaking, is not very clear (a slot for a SIM card with external access suggests itself).

On the cover itself there are holes for the lens with a metal frame for the main camera and a dual two-color LED flash. They didn’t forget to add the Meizu logo, however, one can only guess about the name of the model itself, since the MX4 designation is nowhere to be found on the body. By the way, due to the sloping shape of the back cover, the thickness of the smartphone at the edges does not exceed approximately 5-6 mm.

For those accustomed to “classic” compact smartphones, the MX4 may seem too wide. But regular tablet phone users probably won’t find it so inconvenient, although, like many “shovels,” it is in some cases very difficult to handle with one hand. Here the aforementioned thumb and proprietary gestures supported by the device’s software can come to the rescue, but more on that below. There are no special complaints about the assembly of the MX4, except that the removable back cover still creaks quietly. So there is still some work to be done here.

Screen, camera, sound

The main source of pride in the MX4 is the screen, which, as noted, was the result of collaboration between Meizu and companies such as Sharp and JDI. Having a non-standard size of 5.36 inches (15:9 aspect ratio), it is made using Sharp New Mode 2 technology and has a new backlight module. With a somewhat unusual resolution (1920x1152 pixels), the pixel density per inch is 418 ppi. Let us remember that in MX3 the screen aspect ratios were the same (15:9), but the resolution and pixel density were 1800x1080 pixels and 415 ppi, respectively. The MX4 IPS matrix uses NEGA (NEGAtive Dielectric Anisotropy Liquid Crystals) technology. Without going into the physical jungle, we only note that in most electro-optical effects the anisotropy of the dielectric constant of liquid crystals plays an important role. In short, the mentioned innovations, according to the manufacturer, led to an increase in contrast to 1100:1 and brightness to 500 cd/sq. m, as well as an increase in the color gamut in NTSC by 85%. As a result, even from a wide angle the picture looks great, and the colors are practically not distorted.

But that's not all. The MediaTek MT6595 chipset features Response Time Enhancement technology, which reduces the response time of the matrix and reduces image blur of all moving objects by 50% - from characters in games to animation in the Android operating system. This is achieved by increasing the scanning frequency from 60 Hz, standard for most “smartphone” screens, to 120 Hz.

Multi-touch technology allows you to process up to ten simultaneous clicks on a capacitive screen, which is confirmed by the results of the AntTuTu Tester and MultiTouch Test programs. A wide range of illumination makes it possible to comfortably use the device not only in complete darkness, but also in bright external lighting (including sunlight). OGS (One Glass Solution) technology and an effective polarizing filter contribute to reducing screen glare. Note that the brightness level can be set manually, or rely on the readings of the light sensor, according to which it is automatically adjusted (the "Auto-adjust" option). A fairly good oleophobic coating, which helps fight screen stains, is applied to the protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3. By the way, the previous MX3 model was protected by second-generation glass (Gorilla Glass 2).

The Meizu MX4 smartphone is equipped with one of the most advanced photo modules, similar to those installed in Sony flagships - and. Thus, the main camera received a 20.7-megapixel Sony Exmor RS sensor of the IMX220 modification (1/2.3 type; 7.87 mm diagonal), as well as a dual two-color LED flash, which will provide the most natural illumination of the frame. The square pixel dimensions of the matrix are 1.2x1.2 microns, which allows you to take good shots even in low light. The manufacturer promises a focusing speed of no more than 0.3 seconds, support for slow motion (100/25 fps), and video recording in 4K format. The camera lens with 5-element optics and f/2.2 aperture is covered with Corilla Glass 3, and the matrix uses an infrared filter of the Blue Glass type. The maximum image resolution is 5248x3936 pixels (20.7 MP) with an aspect ratio of 4:3. Examples of photos can be viewed (Dropbox), the pictures really turn out excellent by smartphone standards.

On the main camera, video in 4K mode (3840x2176 pixels) at 30 fps is recorded with one audio track. At the same time, the content is saved in MP4 container files (HEVC - video, AAC - sound). Note that the modern H.265 codec for Ultra HD video is supported in hardware in the smartphone. But the slow motion mode is available only in HD quality.

The interface of the Camera application is quite simple and convenient. The following operating modes are offered here: “Auto”, “Manual”, “Portrait”, “Panorama”, “Focus Change”, “Night”, “Scanner”, “Slow Motion” and “Macro”. So, in the “Manual” mode, shutter speed, ISO, focus and exposure level are adjusted. The "scanner" allows you to read QR and one-dimensional barcodes. “Changing focus” consists of creating seven frames (5 MP, 2624x1968 pixels, aspect ratio 4:3) with different depths of field and then selecting the one you need. Here, for example, is what the first, fifth and seventh frames might look like:

The rest of the camera settings are located on a curtain that pops up from below with switches and sliders. In addition to turning on the HDR mode, here, in particular, you can select the photo size (20 MP, 16 MP, 12 MP and 8 MP) and video resolution (4K, 1080p, 720p, 480p). It is also worth noting the activation of the built-in level (the position of the camera in space), which is implemented as a colored semicircle, moving depending on the position of the smartphone, around the touch shutter button.

Shooting modes are conveniently alternated with a horizontal swipe, and depending on the selected one, additional options appear at the bottom of the screen, which can also be changed. So, for example, after selecting “Portrait”, options such as “Eyes”, “Tightening”, “Smooth Skin” and “Whitening” will become available. Moreover, all these effects were developed by MediaTek and are basic for the MT6595: a set of “enhancers” for portraits is called Face Beautifier. For photo and video shooting, you can use one of eight different filters, including “Film,” “Black and White,” “Tree,” etc.

The front camera in the MX4 is nothing special. It has a 2.12-megapixel BSI sensor (Sony IMX208), a 4-element lens with an f/2.0 aperture, and no autofocus and, of course, no flash. There is only one size for pictures here - 1920x1080 pixels, and video is recorded with a resolution of 720p@30 fps. However, for ordinary video communication and unassuming “me” this is quite enough.

As you know, Meizu started its business with the production of MP3 players, so they know a lot about sound processing. And although the MX4 does not have a separate sound chip, as for example in the MX3 (Wolfson WM5102), the Wolfson WM8281 audio hub architecture was integrated directly onto the chip of the MediaTek MT6595 base platform. The functions of the output amplifier are assigned to the TFA9890A chip from NXP Semiconductors (a Class D switching amplifier characterized by high output power and low consumption). In theory, this allows you to reproduce studio-quality sound (24 bit, 192 kHz). However, the test FLAC audio file (96 kHz, 24 bit, 3138 Kbps) on the Sennheiser CX300-II headphones (and on the speaker) was accompanied by some strange clicks.

The smartphone's "multimedia" speaker is located at the bottom end of the case, which means its grille does not overlap, even when the device is lying on a flat surface. Monaural sound is quite loud and clear, with some bass presence. At the same time, distortion at nominal volume is practically not felt.

After connecting an audio headset, you can use a 5-band equalizer with presets and manual settings, as well as Dirac HD Sound sound enhancement technology with profiles for different types of headphones. Please note that no audio headset is included with the smartphone. The device does not have an FM tuner function.

A useful feature of the MX4 is its ability to save telephone conversations, for which during a call you just need to tap on the “Record” icon in the telephone application interface. The settings allow you to perform this operation automatically, either for all subscribers, or only for your contacts.

Filling, performance

In the MX4 model, Meizu changed the Samsung Exynos chips and relied on the latest 8-core MediaTek MT6595 processor with the most advanced version of the ARM big.LITTLE GTS architecture. Thus, Meizu MX4 became the first smartphone running on this chip from MediaTek, which, as they say, is also specially customized for this device.

Unlike its predecessor MT6592, which has eight ARM Cortex-A7 cores, the MT6595 has clusters of two types of cores: four energy-efficient ARM Cortex-A7 (1.7 GHz) and four powerful ARM Cortex-A17 (2.2 GHz) . The HMP (heterogeneous multiprocessing) algorithm allows you to use the required number of cores for each task. And the proprietary CorePilot technology, in addition, allows you to individually adjust the frequency of each core depending on the application used. Thanks to the use of these technologies, the most optimal balance of performance and energy consumption is achieved.

Graphics processing is provided by the PowerVR G6200MP4 accelerator from the Rogue family, whose four execution units operate at a frequency of 600 MHz. In addition, the MT6595 chip contains LTE (Cat. 4) and DC-HSPA+ modems, Wi-Fi 802.11ac wireless communication modules (including Miracast technology for broadcasting images to TVs) and Bluetooth 4.0 (LE), as well as a multi-system receiver for satellite navigation (GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo and QZSS). This chip hardware supports the H.265 HD Ultra codec, 20 MP cameras and WQXGA (2560x1600 pixels) displays.

According to the manufacturer, the increase in power of the main processor was 87%, and the graphics one - 88%, while energy efficiency was improved by 30%. Moreover, the MX4 turned out to be twice as fast as its predecessor MX3. Note that MediaTek MT6595 is usually compared with processors such as Huawei Kirin 920 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 801.

From synthetic AnTuTu Benchmark tests it follows that the MX4 smartphone is the most powerful on the market. Here he earned a record 52,344 “virtual parrots”, beating even

The MX4 also stood out from the competition in the Vellamo benchmarks - in multi-core tests (Multicore), as well as when comparing speed in browsers.

With variable settings of High Performance and High Quality (performance at the expense of quality and vice versa) on the Epic Citadel visual test, the average frame rate at a resolution of 1920x1152 pixels was 52.5 and 44.6 fps, respectively. But when changing the setting to Ultra High Quality, this parameter dropped quite significantly, to 25.2 fps.

The MX4 performed quite well in the universal gaming benchmarks 3DMark, showing good results in the Ice Storm Unlimited tests.

The RAM capacity of the MX4 is 2 GB. But out of the 16 GB of declared internal memory, only about 12.3 GB is available in the tested model. Unfortunately, the new smartphone also does not have a slot for expanding it with microSD cards. To be fair, we note that MX4 models have been announced with 32 and 64 GB of internal memory (the latter, alas, is not supplied to Russia). Thanks to the support of USB-OTG technology, which for some reason is modestly silent about in the specifications on the website, you can also connect an external device to the device, including a flash drive. But it is, of course, less convenient than a microSD card.

The MX4 has almost a flagship set of wireless communications - a 2-band Wi-Fi module 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0 (LE). It's a pity there is no NFC interface. In addition, the smartphone supports one SIM card (microSIM format), which can operate in Russian fourth-generation networks FDD-LTE (Cat. 4, 150 Mbit/s). By the way, MediaTek MT6595 at one time became the world's first 8-core processor with an integrated LTE modem.

For location and navigation, the smartphone has a multi-system receiver. At least, they find satellites from the GPS and GLONASS constellations quite quickly. There is also support for A-GPS (coordination over Wi-Fi and cellular networks).

The MX4 model was equipped with a fairly capacious lithium-polymer battery manufactured by Sony with a capacity of 3,100 mAh.

In AnTuTu Tester 2.2 battery tests, the smartphone earned 6,182 points. There is no official information about operating time in various scenarios for using the device. It is claimed, however, that the efficiency of MX4 in LTE mode increased by 13%, and in 3G - by 21%. A test set of videos in MP4 and Full HD quality played continuously at full brightness for just over 4.5 hours. In the “Battery” settings section, depending on the expected load, you can force the smartphone to switch from “Balanced” mode to “Energy Saving” or “Productive”.

Software

The Meizu MX4 smartphone runs on the Android 4.4.2 operating system with the proprietary Flyme OS 4.0 shell installed on top of it (after updates - 4.03). Its interface in pleasant colors, made in a flat style and without any complications, is somewhat reminiscent of the launcher on smartphones.

The shell does not provide a separate program menu - all shortcuts and widgets go directly to the desktop. By the way, in the settings it’s easy to return the Flyme OS style icons to their normal style. The desktop settings management menu is called up by a long tap on any free area of ​​the screen. There are only two items in it: “Widgets” and “Settings”, which allow you to add a widget to the desktop and align the grid of icons (to the top or bottom edge), respectively.

On the top of the notification panel there is a curtain containing five switches, and below it is a list of missed events and notifications. Player controls are also located here. After tapping the settings button on the open curtain, the available switches are displayed, of which there are 13 in total. A small triangle in the lower right corner of the switch icon serves to call up additional parameters (for example, a brightness adjustment slider or found Wi-Fi networks).

Due to the unusual dimensions of the case and the strange placement of mechanical buttons, gestures supported by Flyme OS are of great importance for controlling the smartphone. So, the device can be woken up by either pressing the power/lock button or double tapping on the screen. A long tap on the "Home" button locks the device and turns off the backlight. But swiping up from the Home button unlocks the smartphone, bypassing the lock screen. By the way, when the screen is locked, double tapping this button launches the latest song on the music player.

From the lock screen, you can swipe down to go to the notification panel, and swipe up to unlock the device. It's easy to quickly open the Camera app by swiping left, or swiping right to open a pre-defined app. Swiping up to the left or right of the Home button brings up a list of previously launched applications, which scrolls horizontally (four icons are displayed at the same time). At the same time, swiping up on this icon closes the application, and a long tap blocks it (a lock icon appears and deletion from memory is prevented).

Initially, not a lot of software was installed on the smartphone, and of the significant Google applications, in fact, only Google Play and Google Maps remained. Meizu offers its own application store (AppCenter) and a catalog of “Personalization” themes, but, unfortunately, they have not yet been translated from Chinese into Russian. In addition to the obligatory calendar, mail, alarm clock, player, etc., the list of programs also includes a file manager, notepad, drawing and security center. Among the utility programs, it is worth noting the illustrated instructions for using the smartphone, which, given the specifics of the device, will be very useful for mastering it.

Purchase, conclusions

Without claiming the laurels of a flagship, the Meizu MX4 smartphone, however, turned out to be almost universal - it is easy and pleasant to play on it, watch videos, listen to music, take photos, surf the Internet, etc. Of course, a significant contribution was made by the powerful 8-core MediaTek processor, which integrates an LTE modem and audio hub, as well as an excellent IPS screen from Sharp/JDI and a wonderful camera based on a Sony photo module. Moreover, all this equipment is convenient to control with gestures that are supported by the Flyme OS shell.

True, it is precisely this kind of control, due to the unusual size of the smartphone (or rather, its screen) and the location of the mechanical buttons, that may alert a potential buyer. Perhaps not everyone will like the shell interface, as well as the lack of an FM tuner. Although a more serious drawback is that the device still does not support microSD cards, which is especially critical for models with 16 GB of internal memory.

In the official online store, Meizu MX4 is now asking 23,990 rubles, and according to Yandex.Market, this model is offered another thousand cheaper (22,990 rubles). Among the closest “classmates” of Meizu MX4 it is worth noting, for example, Lenovo Vibe X2 (24,990 rubles) based on MediaTek MT6595M, Huawei Honor 6 (22,490 rubles) based on HiSilicon Kirin 920 and OnePlus One (22,490 rubles) based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 801. All these devices can easily compete with flagship smartphones, the price tags of which are simply off the charts today.

Results of the review of the Meizu MX4 smartphone

Pros:

• Record performance
• Great screen
• Wonderful camera
• High quality sound
• Gesture control

Minuses:

• Unusual controls and arrangement of mechanical buttons
• No microSD card slot
• Lack of FM tuner

Meizu MX4 Pro has excellent technical characteristics, a good design, and it can also be buy inexpensive if you order from China. Frankly, I had high hopes for this device, but in the end the smartphone was able to exceed all my expectations. And unfortunately, he was an unpleasant surprise. How? About this in today's review.

Equipment

Getting to know any gadget begins with the packaging. Meizu designers have successfully adopted the experience of other companies in this regard, and the packaging in no case can upset the owner. The box is made of thick white cardboard with high-quality printing. Inside, accessories are neatly placed in their own compartments (5V and 2A power supply, Micro USB cable), and separately there is a special cardboard book, under the thick binding of which the hero of our review is hidden.

There are no headphones included, as the inscription in English on one of the paper stickers inside the package tells us.

Everything here hints at quality and attention to detail on the company's part. The end user can only rejoice at the purchase and also enjoy unpacking the new product. Hey, young Chinese!

It’s worth mentioning that I ordered the device from China from one of the many sellers on Aliexpress. You can view the lot using this link. So, firstly, the seller sent me the international version of the smartphone. This is eloquently indicated by the letter “I” at the end of the firmware number (4.1.1.1I), and the phone is also equipped with a charger with a standard plug for Russia and a protective film for the screen. The only thing that confused me was the opened packaging, but otherwise everything was in order - the device was truly new, not used.

Smartphone design

It is worth saying that there is no fundamental difference between press images and real operating experience. If you don't like the design of the Meizu MX4 Pro from the photos, most likely you will remain unconvinced once you hold the device in your hands. The same is true vice versa. In general, everything that we see in images on the Internet is ultimately what we receive in our hands.

From the front the device looks great. Even one single physical button, which doubles as a fingerprint scanner, does not spoil the appearance of the device, although it is made in the style of Samsung in their dark times (we are talking about the reign of the Galaxy S2).

The frames on the sides of the display are about 2.8 mm wide, but due to the fact that the side edges are sharply beveled and glitter with a metallic tint, they seem noticeably thinner. It happens that touching the back of your hand even triggers accidental clicks.

Above the display are proximity and ambient light sensors, as well as a front camera. There is also a speaker grille, under which one of the three microphones is also hidden.

At the bottom, on the front side there is a physical Home button with a built-in mTouch fingerprint sensor. There are no special touch buttons here.

Along the perimeter of the device there is a metal frame with plastic inserts for antennas.

At the bottom end there are holes for a multimedia speaker, a Micro USB connector and a microphone. The last of the three microphones is located on the top side, where it is adjacent to the 3.5 mm audio output, as well as the power button. The manufacturer somehow didn’t think about the infrared port.

The location of the “Power” key on the top edge of the smartphone cannot be called the most successful idea of ​​the Meizu developers.

Still, we are not dealing with a tiny iPhone 5S, but with a rather large smartphone, so you won’t be able to reach the power button with your finger without grabbing the device.

The left side of the device is occupied by volume control keys, and the right side is completely empty. By the way, the movement of all physical buttons is clear and moderately soft. The same cannot be said about the Home key. It is tight when pressed and at first you constantly pay attention to it. To understand, the iPhone or iPad has a similar design, but the pressure there is much softer.

On the back side there is a camera lens slightly protruding above the surface of the body, and under it there is a dual LED flash.

The NFC chip is built directly into the back cover, which is removed to reveal the battery and SIM card slot. The battery here is non-removable, so what the purpose of the detachable cover is is unclear.

The gaps between the metal frame of the case and the battery compartment cover vary around the entire perimeter.

The lid fits well on the sides, but on the lower corners the boundary between the component parts of the case is very noticeable. Maybe this is a nuance only of my copy, or maybe of the entire line.

The dimensions of the smartphone should be assessed in comparison with its main competitors - 5.5-inch smartphones.

It may seem that the device is slightly thick (9 mm), but due to the smooth bevels on the back side this is not so noticeable during actual use. LG successfully exploits the same principle in its previous flagship - G3.

Otherwise, the smartphone fits perfectly in the hand. For the most part, it's easy to use, even with a fairly large display.

Significant operating nuances are imposed by the software, but we will talk about this in the appropriate section.

By the way, there is a special feature for using the smartphone with one hand. When you tap on a special virtual button (it can be placed anywhere on the screen), the entire interface slides to the bottom edge to make it easier to reach the upper borders of the screen without grabbing the smartphone. A similar implementation is present in the iPhone 6 Plus.

You can find three color variations of the smartphone on the market: white, dark gray and, of course, a gold model.

Display

The screen is covered with tempered glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3. A sandwich of LCD panel and glass is assembled using the full lamination method. Thanks to this, there is no air gap between the layers, and the picture looks more vibrant and there are no additional reflections of light from the liquid crystal panel and glass. It’s unlikely that you, like me, would have noticed all these nuances if you didn’t know about them, but it warms the soul, don’t you agree?

It is based on an IPS matrix with a resolution of 2560 x 1536 pixels. The dot density per square inch is a wild 546 ppi. Of course, this is very cool, but this approach also has a downside. Firstly, the more pixels, the more energy the smartphone spends on their backlight. Secondly, the higher the resolution, the more resources the processor spends on processing it and, as a result, power consumption again increases. Why manufacturers use such crazy resolutions remains a mystery to me. The significant (look, visible) difference between Full HD and Quad HD resolution is invisible even with a large display diagonal.

The brightness indicator is 450 cd/m2, and the contrast is 1500:1. All these values ​​are slowly becoming industry standards.

In fact, the device has one of the best screens on the market and here's why. There are excellent viewing angles here. The picture does not fade or invert even at sharp angles. Notice the black color on the screen of the MX4 Pro (left and top) and Huawei Honor 6 Plus (right and bottom) in the photos below. Black in a Meizu device always remains black.

The display also performs well in the sun. The image remains clearly readable even in direct sunlight. Automatic brightness adjustment works perfectly and no additional intervention is required in this process.

Technical characteristics of Meizu MX4 Pro:

• Samsung Exynos 5430 Octa processor (8 cores, four of which are 2 GHz, the other four are 1.5 GHz)
• graphics Mali T628 MP6
• 3 GB RAM (1770 MB available on bare device)
• built-in storage 16 (11.24 GB actually available) / 32 / 64 GB
• no memory card support
• IPS display 5.5’’, resolution 2560 x 1536 pixels (546 ppi)
• front camera 5 megapixels
• main camera 20.7 megapixels
• battery 3350 mAh
• sensors: ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, digital compass)
• Connectors: Micro USB (OTG support available), 3.5 mm audio output
• OS Android 4.4.4
• Flyme OS shell version 4.1.1.1I
• dimensions 150.1 x 77 x 9 mm
• weight 158 ​​g

Network capabilities:

• 2G, 3G, 4G (1800 / 2100 / 2600 MHz)
• Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/b/g/n/a) with support for two channels (2.4 and 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• GPS, GLONASS, Beidou

Let's talk in more detail about the processor and related components. An 8-core Samsung Exynos 5430 Octa chip is installed here. We have already encountered this processor when we reviewed . Let me remind you that the smartphone, thanks to this “stone,” showed performance that you would not expect from such an inexpensive device. Here, in principle, everything is the same, only the clock frequency is slightly raised.

So, we have four cores (Cortex-A15) operating at up to 2 GHz, as well as four others (Cortex-A7) with 1.5 GHz and built on the big.LITTLE architecture.

The graphics are handled by a 6-core Mali-T628 MP6 processor with an operating frequency of up to 600 MHz. The solution is slightly more powerful than such popular accelerators as the Adreno 330 (paired with the Snapdragon 801) or the PowerVR G6430, which is known to the general public as a component of the Apple A7 and is used in the iPhone 5S.

RAM is represented by a 32-bit, dual-channel LPDDR3 block of 3 GB, data transfer speeds can reach 14.9 GB/s.

In terms of performance, the “brains” of the MX4 Pro are very close to the solution from Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 or Nvidia Tegra 4. If we compare the chip with something from the native Korean family of processors, then the 5430 is not so far from the previous model Samsung Exynos 5420. The only key difference is in the technological process: 20 nm for the new model, versus 28 nm for its predecessor. It is clear that energy consumption has also improved.

There is no FM radio here. But the manufacturer did not forget to equip his brainchild with an NFC chip, which is good news.

But for the lack of support for memory cards, the device receives a well-deserved minus.

I will explain. Installation of 5-6 games with a large cache (Dungeon Hunter 5, Asphalt 8, etc.), a couple of dozen pictures in maximum resolution (each on average 7 MB, for a minute), a couple of 4K videos from the camera and in a 16 GB model About 2 GB remains free.

Unfortunately, 32 and even 64 GB models will not make much difference. Judge for yourself: the presence of a special audio controller and amplifier requires storing and listening to lossless music formats. I think you will agree with me that on average each of us has 10-20 GB of mp3 songs. It turns out that 64 GB is just right. The consumer's lack of choice is wrong.

Performance

For the most part, this is okay here. Interface animation, switching between applications, launching them - everything works as it should for a flagship solution.

However, there is a place where the device noticeably stops and we are talking about a photo application. The smartphone takes a really long time to take pictures. It takes about one second to photograph a regular frame (20 megapixels). And in HDR mode the device freezes for at least 3-4 seconds. Interestingly, with all this, the continuous shooting speed is very high (up to 30 frames per second).

The results of system tests are below in the screenshots.

As for toys, everything is not bad here either. At maximum graphics settings, games run easily and are comfortable to play. This applies to such popular applications as Dungeon Hunter 5, Modern Combat 5 and Mortal Kombat X. Yet in Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8, in dynamic scenes, the frame rate drops and the smoothness of the animation suffers slightly.

Any owner of an MX4 Pro should know that the device cannot automatically adjust its performance.

To activate maximum power, you need to set the appropriate mode in the battery settings. In balanced power consumption mode, the brakes will be waiting for you.

The sensor is covered with a protective sapphire glass and surrounded by a stainless steel frame, which gives at least +5 to the coolness of the smartphone. The manufacturer claims that fingerprint recognition occurs in 0.5 seconds. In reality, this takes about one second or a little more time. It's not fast, but you get used to it.

Overall, the sensor works quite well, but is still far from perfect. If we draw a parallel with the iPhone 6 or, for example, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, then the situation with fingerprint recognition is better for the last two devices. Meizu does not unlock the screen on the first try every time. Often you have to apply your finger two or even three times.

Front-camera

The front sensor is represented by a 5 megapixel OmniVidision OV5693 module. Frame resolution does not exceed 2592 x 1944 pixels. The capture angle is 85 degrees, which is quite good and is suitable even for group selfies.

You can take photographs through the touch button on the video finder or by pressing any of the volume keys. Of course, there is a countdown function and even the ability to take an HDR portrait. The difference between a regular photo and an HDR photo is almost imperceptible, but the possibility itself again warms the soul.

Main camera

The Sony IMX220 Exmor RS module is responsible for the photos here. Resolution 20.7 megapixels (5248 x 3936 pixels). The camera eye is again covered with sapphire glass, so it will be very difficult to scratch it. I didn’t succeed, although I didn’t try to apply a nail. It's a pity, though - I don't have many of these nails. The lens itself consists of 5 lenses and has an aperture of f/2.2.

In 9 out of 10 cases, the pictures are of decent quality. However, it happens that the device cannot focus for unknown reasons. Moreover, whether the green autofocus frame lights up or not, this does not affect the actual capture of the object. It is always worth taking several photographs to avoid problems - in principle, this is a general rule for photographing with any photographic equipment.

Examples of pictures taken with the device can be seen in the gallery below. We take the originals for their detailed study in one archive from here.

Of course, there were some additional shooting scenarios. I’ll tell you more about some of the most interesting ones.

In fully manual mode, the user has the ability to independently adjust the focus, set the exposure and ISO, and also adjust the shutter speed from 1/8000 second to 20 seconds. Here's what we got from testing different ISO settings in a dark room.

Let's dwell a little on the portrait function. Here, in addition to the skin retouching that has already become an industry standard, there is also the function of eye enlargement, face lifting and even skin whitening. In general, here there is everything that ordinary Chinese girls need so as not to feel like these same Chinese girls. Clinic!

Shooting panoramic objects is lame. In the final images, you can see with the naked eye how the system superimposed several photos on top of each other, resulting in an ugly, multi-layered image. Example below.

Of course, it was not without the ability to choose the focus after shooting. For this purpose, a special mode is preinstalled, which is worked exclusively by the software component. As a result, the focus often floats across the entire area of ​​the photo, and in addition, noticeable aberrations appear on the sides. The feature was clearly made to be like the competitors. The manufacturer did not work on the quality of implementation.

Focus on the foreground

Focus on the background

To be honest, each of us has more than one or even two photographs where we managed to block the horizon. Just for this case, the ability to activate a level is provided here. A small blue arc appears around the shutter button, which in real time shows the level of deviation of the smartphone from the horizontal axis. Useful thing.

MX4 Pro can shoot both Full HD and Ultra HD video. In the latter format, the quality is much better, although it cannot be compared with competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or Sony Xperia Z3.

A couple of examples of Ultra HD videos (don't forget to set the maximum resolution):

Full HD video example:

Despite the presence of three microphones, sound recording when shooting video is poor.

There are almost always extraneous noises and some strange clicks, and people’s voices sound like they’re coming from a barrel. You can verify this by looking at examples of videos shot on the device.

For unclear reasons, the manufacturer did not equip the camera with autofocus tracking. Each time you have to point your finger at the screen in order for the focus to change from one object to another.

Sound quality

For Meizu MX4 Pro this is an important point. The thing is that a special audio decoder SABREE ESS Technology ES9018K2M is installed here, as well as a two-channel amplifier TI OPA1612. Not enough for you? What about passive filtering technology or ceramic film capacitor? Not enough again?! Fine. There is also a high-precision low-temperature resistor, as well as (control in the head!) a completely symmetrical circuit!

All these big words and terms should make you understand that we are dealing with an almost audiophile smartphone, which in theory has stunning sound in headphones. What is it really?

Never mind. The sound quality is no different from, for example, the iPhone 6 or iPad mini. Good, confident sound and nothing more. Perhaps this is one of the main disappointments of this smartphone.

The standard player does not have too many settings. It is possible to create playlists, divide songs into tags, folders, and so on. Unfortunately, I was never able to add new folders: the player refused to see the music in them, although the songs launched perfectly from Explorer and were visible in the general playlist.

There is a 5-band equalizer with four presets. Frankly speaking, you expect to see more functionality when the manufacturer tirelessly talks about audiophile hardware in a smartphone.

The external speaker is loud. You won't be able to miss a call even on a noisy street.

Opinion of our sound expert Nikita Grishachev:

I like this determination of the Chinese. Since they decided to make the best smartphone on the market, they spare no expense in quality components, effort and time to make it all look great.

However, excessive attention to detail in one place may result in a lack of it in another. In the case of Meizu MX4 Pro, this situation occurs from a sound standpoint. Personally, I don’t yet understand the logic of the manufacturer, who spent time developing and adapting audio components, to leave everything in a raw, unfinished form.

As mentioned earlier, it uses a Saber ESS Technology ES9018K2M DAC (digital-to-analog converter) in conjunction with a TI OPA1612 two-channel amplifier. It would seem that an amplifier is needed so that you can listen to music in high-ohm headphones or connect your smartphone to an audio system. But no.

For the test, I took Audio-Technica ATH-M50X monitor headphones with a standard cable and what did I hear: the fact that the built-in amplifier cannot drive only 38 Ohm headphones to high volume, I had to set it to maximum all the time. Other phones produced normal volume even without such gadgets, but here it’s just a disappointment. Well, oh well, to correct the situation, I used an external headphone amplifier Fiio E6 and the situation improved.

Initially, I tried to use music in lossless Flac 32-bit format and to my surprise, Meizu wrote that it does not support this format, but 16-bit is easy.

I’ll say something sad right away: in inexpensive headphones you will get the same sound quality as on any other smartphone of the same level. It will be better (rather more obvious) in studio or monitor rooms.

The list of bitterness will continue with the fact that the best audio player on the Play Market, PowerAmp, will work extremely poorly. This concerns the operation of the program itself and the sound it produced. Probably due to poor optimization of the application for the audio components of the smartphone. Therefore, I had to listen through my native player.

If you try to characterize the sound in one word, then perhaps it would be the word smooth. That is, without any ups and downs, just smooth. The acoustics on it are pleasant to listen to, as if the guitar was playing right above your ear.

As for heavier rock, the MX4 Pro also handles well, but with a virtual absence of low frequencies. Vocals and electric guitar and drums are heard perfectly, thanks to the good, wide stage, but there is practically no bass. And this is already bad news for fans of electronic music.

No manipulations with the standard equalizer brought any effective results. The equalizer itself, for some reason, is called only from the list of tracks in an album or folder (where is the logic?), has only five bands (an attraction of unheard-of generosity) and frankly spoils the sound if you configure it. It didn’t add any bass to me, no matter how hard I tried, and when I moved the band sliders, it constantly decreased the volume (as if I were playing games with it).

If we summarize this stream of criticism, we can come to one thought: MX4 Pro in any case will force you to choose either to buy expensive headphones and free up memory (and without this there is no way) or to endure unremarkable iPhone-level sound and not bother with lossless formats. The question is, are you willing to compromise with your smartphone?

Battery life

The smartphone was equipped with a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3350 mAh. The manufacturer proudly reports one and a half days of operation in connection mode to LTE networks. In fact, it turned out that a smartphone can only last this long if you use it as a dialer and rarely check email.

The actual operating time is one daylight hours. In this case, the screen activity is approximately 3 hours, constant checking of incoming notifications, 2 hours of using Internet applications (Chrome, Instagram, etc.) via Wi-Fi / LTE, 15 minutes of calls and two dozen photos. By nightfall, if you're lucky, about 15-20 percent of the charge will remain.

There are three preset power consumption modes: economical, balanced and maximum performance. Visually they are no different from each other. You can use all device functions as usual. The limitation is imposed only on gaming performance, but we have already talked about this above. For reference: I used the gadget in normal, balanced mode.

Software shell

The device comes pre-installed with a proprietary shell called Flyme OS. It changes the system quite deeply (Android 4.4.4) and offers its own vision of the ideal smartphone. Firstly, it should not have any services from Google, except perhaps the application store. Secondly, all available applications, and believe me, there are very few of them, are installed on desktops. From here they can be completely removed.

Thirdly, obviously, the designers were tasked with making the interface as minimalistic and stylish as possible.

The first thing that hinders comfortable use is the fonts. They are of enormous size here, which is why it is not possible to read the words completely in Russian (and in English too). Some words are hidden behind the screen, and the settings interface does not require turning to landscape orientation to read the name of the function.

In addition, approximately 30 percent of the settings are not translated into Russian.

Sometimes this reaches the point of absurdity: the first menu item is in Russian, the second in English, the third again in Russian. It’s unpleasant, a residue remains. Still, the device was not bought for three rubles.

Updated!

It is worth adding an important note. The latest version of the firmware does not have all the described shortcomings in the system interface. Now there is 100% localization into Russian, the smartphone has become much more stable and twice as fast. It is important that the touch button now works as expected - with each touch, the indicated action occurs (step back or exit to the main screen). There are no accidental clicks or malfunctions. However, the camera is still slow. The device takes from 2 to 4 seconds to take a simple photo, and even more to take an HDR photo. In general, 70 percent of the problems have now been resolved, but this is still not enough.

Smartphone parameters are another reason to put the device in a box and sell/gift it to someone quickly. The settings interface is divided into two parts: on the left are icons with descriptions, on the right are the settings themselves.

The column with icons on the left is very wide and takes up a quarter of the 5.5-inch screen!!!

Because of this, many of the descriptions on the right side creep off the screen and are again impossible to read.

The illogicality of the menu is confusing. For example, a simple and clear “Memory” item is hidden in the “About phone” section. It is not placed separately, as is the case in all other Android devices.

This function can be assigned to touching the physical Home key, however, given the slow response of the latter, frequent waiting for a response will instantly become boring.

Instead, in the settings you can activate the virtual “Back” button on the bottom bar, one centimeter high! The most interesting thing is that there is nothing on it except this one single button. It looks quite ridiculous.

Browser without bottom bar

Browser with bottom bar

The simplest (available) solution: train yourself to swipe from the surface of the physical key towards the display. Such a gesture does not spoil the appearance of the interface and, with some skill, is performed quickly.

Fans of the Chrome browser are in for an unpleasant surprise. The “Back” button is not available in landscape orientation: to go back a page, you need to turn the device vertically. Complete nonsense!

Back button missing in landscape orientation

Most notifications (mail, information from applications, etc.) are displayed in the status bar, like a cloud. Thus, you can only understand what has arrived and where it came from by pulling out the curtain with notifications. The same goes for the LED. It is located next to the front camera and is illuminated only in white, lunar color.

There is one more curveball. In the Gallery application, pinch with two fingers to zoom in on an image does not work when the device is in landscape orientation. This is only true for files that are downloaded into memory from a computer. Photos taken with the built-in camera are expanded in normal mode.

The example of all these seemingly small details shows that the software on the device is still very crude and is at the testing stage, close to “beta”.

There are definitely moments that I liked. I was pleased with the standard input keyboard. The distances between the keys and the buttons themselves, coupled with the 5.5-inch screen, are implemented very well. There are practically no accidental mistakes. And the digital block is made in the form of a regular Numblock, like on large, stationary keyboards. Again, it is convenient to quickly enter digital information when necessary.

If you manage to get used to all the shortcomings described above, then the Flyme OS interface will only please you. He is still big-eyed, bright and stylish, and, most importantly, he doesn’t slow down one bit.

Bottom line

Meizu MX4 Pro leaves a strange and ambiguous impression. At the stage of studying its characteristics, viewing press photographs and other things, it seems that this is exactly the smartphone that we have all been waiting for for so long. Yes, it also costs very reasonable money (compared to the price level of 2015 flagships): 29,990 rubles - official price for the PCT version and approximately 21,000 for a gray tube when ordering from China. It would seem, what else is needed? But in reality it turns out that you need much more than the MX4 Pro can offer.

Externally, the smartphone came out very decent. Both in the photo and in life it looks good and fits comfortably in the hand. There are thin frames, a minimalist design on the front side, even the physical Home button looks quite organic.

However, after just a few minutes of operation, the understanding comes that the device is damp. First of all, this concerns the software and shell.

Ultimately, this is a smartphone that I would highly recommend not buying blindly. You should definitely try the device before purchasing to make your final decision. Still, it costs quite a significant amount of money.

The device has both very convenient features and some aspects that were neglected by the manufacturer and this is frustrating.

Finally, I want to say that Meizu MX4 Pro cannot be compared with the latest devices of 2015. This is a device that in reality (not on paper) can offer the same thing as the players of 2014: LG G3, Samsung Galaxy S5 and similar smartphones. Unfortunately, compared to these smartphones, the device from Meizu does not have any price advantage. Especially when it comes to official delivery.

Already on sale Price: 29,990 rubles (PCT)