Review of Meizu M6 Note (M721h) - the best budget smartphone. The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers

Meizu M6 Note is the company's first smartphone based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. Fans of the company have been waiting for this for many years, because despite the fact that MediaTek chips have become noticeably better in recent years, Qualcomm is “another level.” In addition, the M6 ​​Note is the first member of the Note family to feature a second camera, which is used for portrait mode. Let's see what Meizu did and how competitive the model turns out to be.

Front side Meizu smartphone M6 Note is completely borrowed from its predecessors. To be honest, this design is already quite boring, but it is possible that for some it remains relevant.

Has changed back cover. A two-tone LED flash, which consists of four LEDs, was built into the antenna separator above the main camera. The main chamber protrudes above the surface by a fraction of a millimeter, while the additional one, on the contrary, is recessed. Otherwise, it's still the same Meizu. The Type-C connector never appeared; the good old MicroUSB is used for charging and synchronization.

The dimensions of the smartphone are almost the same as its predecessor - 154.6 × 75.2 × 8.35 mm, and weight 173 grams. The build quality is excellent - the phone feels solid. The back cover does not bend.

The device is available in black, blue, silver and gold. At the same time, in gold and silver devices the front will be white, and in the other two – black.

The mTouch fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate, but you have to press a key to activate it.

Screen

The diagonal IPS display is 5.5 inches, Full HD resolution. The maximum screen brightness of the test sample was only 193 cd/m², the minimum was 1 cd/m², the measured contrast was 1 in 697. Color accuracy was at a good level; an oleophobic coating was applied to the glass.

We hope that the M6 ​​Note that goes on sale will receive more bright screens(at least no worse than ) - otherwise, a maximum brightness of less than 300 cd/m² should be considered a critical “minus”, because the smartphone will be inconvenient to use in bright sun.

Hardware platform

The prayers of many Meizu smartphone users were heard and in the M6 ​​Note we see Qualcomm Snapdragon 625. Yes, this is not the most productive chip, but it has good value productivity/time battery life.

The market is full of devices with this processor, so we won’t dwell on benchmark performance. I will say one thing - Meizu did not spoil the chip and it gives the expected scores in the tests.

In total, the M6 ​​Note is available in three versions: 3/16, 3/32 and 4/64 GB of memory. Built-in memory standard eMMC 5.1. We have a golden mean on the test - 3/32. Don't forget that you can use a microSD memory card instead of a second SIM.

The performance is sufficient for those users who do not play demanding games on maximum settings graphics.

The quality of signal reception, the volume of the speaker and the microphone did not cause any comments. The multimedia speaker is loud.

operating system

The device was released on Android 7.1.2 Nougat, but it is heavily camouflaged with the proprietary Flyme 6 shell. The test device has Flyme 6.0G firmware installed. The letter G means that this is an international firmware, in which Google services will be immediately pre-installed.

The interface works quickly and smoothly. The Flyme 6 shell looks stylish and is not overloaded with unnecessary functions.

Cameras

Main camera 12 MP (Sony IMX362 or Samsung 2L7), ƒ/1.9. One of the main features of the phone is the second main camera, which is used for portrait mode. It has a resolution of 5 megapixels with an aperture value of ƒ/2.0. The maximum video recording resolution is 4K. At first glance, the characteristics are not bad, but we'll see what happens in practice.

The standard Camera application has many settings, ranging from filter selection to a completely manual mode, in which you can not only adjust the white balance, but also set the shutter speed to 20 seconds, which, under favorable weather conditions and the presence of a tripod, will allow you to capture the starry sky.

Regarding the quality of the pictures, we can say that everything is as usual - during the day and in good lighting conditions the pictures are not very good, but not bad, but in the dark or in a dim room, the rough work of the noise reduction is immediately noticeable.

HDR mode tends to produce highly oversaturated images. Some people might like it, but from our point of view it looks like someone doesn't know how to use a photo editor.

Portrait mode often requires you to manually specify the focus point, automatic detection often does not work accurately. In terms of quality, the main problem in rough processing of the contours of objects in the foreground.

Front camera 16 MP with ƒ/2.0 aperture. The picture quality is average, especially indoors.

Examples of video recording in 4K and Full HD.

Autonomy

The capacity of the built-in battery is 4000 mAh, which, when paired with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, allows the least active user to forget where the charger is for a day or two. If you like to play games and watch videos at maximum brightness, then you will need to try to discharge your phone in a day. Due to the fact that our sample had a maximum brightness of only 193 cd/m², the PCMark Work 2.0 battery life test ran at 100% brightness.

Unexpectedly for many, Meizu, which is experiencing better times. Sales of smartphones from this company are falling even in their native country Chinese market. It was necessary to release something interesting for little money so that the company could improve its position. And this was done when the budget employee was introduced Meizu Note 9, which has outstanding characteristics for its price.

The new device will compete with the acclaimed Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro, because these devices are very similar to each other in terms of equipment and cost. As for the Note 9, it offers high performance, excellent battery life, powerful camera and beautiful design. The new product from Meizu will be discussed in more detail in this review.

Smartphone Meizu Note 9

Specifications

Video review of Meizu Note 9:

Equipment

For several years, the type of packaging has not changed; it is still the same simple white box made of thick cardboard. On its surface there is only the name of the model and a description of some parameters. There are also no surprises inside. The user receives a slot access clip, USB-C cable, 18-watt network adapter and paper. The Chinese chose to save money on the cover; it will have to be purchased in addition.

Design and materials

By appearance There are rarely any complaints about devices from Meizu. The manufacturer takes this important part of the smartphone seriously. For the most part, the devices look attractive and solid. Despite its affordability, Note 9 also pleased with its nice design.

The metal side frame pairs well with the glass back, which is curved at the edges for better ergonomics. From the front, a miniature cutout of the screen, called a teardrop, immediately catches your eye. Even the guys from Meizu, known for their conservatism, could not resist the teardrop neckline trend; they need to increase the attractiveness of their products.

They also tried to make the back panel fashionable; it has a fascinating shimmer when exposed to light. But it is incredibly slippery, so using it without a cover can hardly be called comfortable.

The color range is limited to black, blue and white options. For neat people, a smartphone with a white back will be suitable, since fingerprints are least noticeable on it. The gadget weighs 170 grams, proportions – 153.1 × 74.4 × 8.7 mm.

85 percent of the front panel is occupied by the screen, since the frames here are really thin. The side margins are generally difficult to see; the space below and above has also been significantly reduced. All this allows the smartphone to look modern.

The dual camera module is now on the left, with a flash located underneath it. There is also an area for reading a fingerprint on the back; you don’t have to look for it for a long time, since your finger immediately falls on this round area. Integrated into the bottom end USB-C port, which is still surprising to see in a budget device. This is an excellent solution that has been asking for a long time. Next to the USB port are a 3.5mm input, a call speaker and a voice microphone. There is only a noise reduction hole on the top edge. The tray can only be “charged” with two nanoSIM cards; there is no way to install a memory card, which is a pity.

Screen

The display is equipped with a rich IPS matrix with a high resolution of 2240 × 1080 pixels, which gives a nice and clear picture. There are no complaints about this part of Meizu Note 9 at all.

The 6.2-inch diagonal and unusual aspect ratio of 18.7:9 allow you to comfortably use the device, while still allowing room to fit on it. a large number of content. By the way, the cutout for the front camera in this budget phone is made more accurately than in the competitor Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro, and it is also smaller. The brand of protected glass is kept secret, but it has a high-quality oleophobic layer, so dirt can be easily wiped off. The display does not disappoint in terms of viewing angles, contrast levels and brightness.

Technical content, performance and sound

The device received a very powerful hardware platform, which was introduced quite recently. The Snapdragon 675 processor, which has an 11 Nm process technology, is in charge here. The chipset includes 2 cores at 2 GHz and 6 cores at 1.7 GHz; an Adreno 612 module is provided for processing the graphics component. Thanks to this hardware, the device runs all games at high graphics settings, and the heating of the case will be very small. Gamers can only rejoice at such opportunities, especially for little money.

The manufacturer did not skimp on RAM either; the initial version already has 4 GB of LPDDR4x RAM built-in, which is quite enough. The more expensive version of Meizu Note 9 offers as much as 6 GB of RAM LPDDDR4x. IN AnTuTu smartphone for its price, it scores a simply huge number of points – 183,000. The technical parameters, of course, are worthy of the most flattering words, but the new product still has a lot of trump cards up its sleeve. The lack of a memory card slot is more than compensated for by a capacious 64 or 128 GB drive.

TO standard list wireless Bluetooth technologies 5.0, GPS and Wi-Fi with dual frequency support did not add NFC. But this would be completely sweet, because in front of us is just a state employee. A common feature for Meizu products is the lack of FM radio; some will miss it. In all other respects, the model has everything you need, including a compass, Hall sensor and gyroscope. The finger scanner recognizes the fingerprint instantly and almost always the first time. There is also an unlock feature based on facial features.

The review hero has only one multimedia speaker, but it sounds pretty good. It has high volume and good quality sound, there is even a hint of low frequencies. Thanks largely to the new processor, the sound in the headphones has become noticeably better than in its predecessor. By connecting high-quality headphones, you can please your ears with surround and loud sound with well-developed frequencies. Although the ninth laptop is still far from real music phones.

Autonomy

Note smartphones and excellent battery life are inextricably linked. The Chinese taught us this from the very first models. And the newcomer was no exception; it was equipped with a traditional 4000 mAh battery. Taking into account the energy-efficient hardware, the phone will confidently last 1.5-2 days in medium load mode. And the 18 W mCharge fast charging included in the kit will help you quickly replenish your battery life.

Software

The device received last year's Flyme 7 shell as an interface, but based on the latest Android 9. All that remains is to wait for the global firmware version. However, as in all Meizu, here users are unlikely to wait for an update to next version Android, this is the company's policy. In this regard, Xiaomi's competitor is certainly better.

The interface itself in Meizu is minimalistic and neat, and works very quickly. Nothing new has been added in terms of functionality. As before, there are 3 control methods - gestures, classic Android buttons and the mBack softkey.

Cameras

The developers tried to impress potential buyers with the cool characteristics of the cameras, and they succeeded. For its modest price tag, the Note 9 offers an excellent main camera with two lenses, one of which has a built-in 48 MP Samsung GM1 sensor with f/1.7 aperture and PDAF autofocus. It is accompanied by a 5 megapixel module, which performs the function of blurring the background in portrait mode.

Ever since the M6 ​​Note model, Meizu's budget employees have learned to take great photos. And here we can clearly see progress in terms of image quality. There is a powerful flash with two LEDs different colors. The camera, as is fashionable today, is equipped with artificial intelligence algorithms to detect scenes automatically. Can help in the dark night mode With additional settings, do not forget about the wide aperture of the camera, which lets in more light. Maximum video resolution is Full HD at 30 fps.

Selfie lovers will not be offended either, since there is a decent 20-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. Here you can apply different effects and make your face more beautiful if its appearance does not suit you.

Conclusion

The smartphone is endowed with chic parameters that make it a worthy alternative the promoted Redmi Note 7 Pro. Meizu Note 9 loses to it only because it does not have an IR port. It is also not entirely clear whether the firmware will be transferred to new version Android. If you love Meizu phones, then you will definitely like this smartphone due to its excellent price-to-features ratio. And it now costs $240 in China for the 4/64 configuration.

pros

High performance
big battery
USB Type C
fast charging
case design
Great screen with thin bezels
48 MP camera sensor
a lot of memory

Minuses

no microSD slot
the back is very slippery

In the last few months, the life of Meizu, one of the largest Chinese smartphone manufacturers, has been filled with very remarkable events. 2018 marks the company's fifteenth anniversary, which will undoubtedly lead to many events dedicated to this date. In addition, last fall Meizu presented its first smartphone based on a single-chip system produced by Qualcomm. Yes, Dear friends, as you may have guessed, the topic of today’s article will be a review of the fresh Meizu M6 Note.

Experienced readers of our resource know that MediaTek was previously the main supplier of processors for Meizu. However, no matter how successful their processors were in terms of price-performance ratio, they could not come close to the new Snapdragon in terms of power and energy efficiency. Now Meizu and Qualcomm have settled all their differences, and this gives Snapdragon processors the long-awaited green light.

How did the extraordinary new product from Meizu turn out? What features does it have and do it need special instructions? We will try to find answers to these and many other questions in today’s material. Let's go over the parameters, and also separately consider all the main components of any smartphone based on the Android operating system. In general, we present to your attention our review of the Meizu M6 Note and wish you a pleasant reading.

The smartphone is delivered in a very standard and particularly unremarkable white cardboard box. If you don’t know that the box contains a device from Meizu, then from a distance it’s quite possible to confuse it with the packaging of any other vendor mobile phones, who also prefers a discreet style. Nevertheless, the packaging materials themselves do not cause any complaints; the cardboard is thick and does a good job of protecting the gadget from light mechanical damage.

The contents of the kit are also quite standard for a mid-budget representative of the first echelon of Chinese brands. In other words, the smartphone’s equipment is very meager and contains only the most necessary things. So, in addition to the main device, we also managed to find in the box:

1. Charger.
2. Cable for micro-USB connection.
3. A paperclip for removing SIM cards.
4. Accompanying documentation.

Design and ergonomics

The first thing you think about when you look at the brand new Meizu M6 Note smartphone is that Meizu does not change itself. Indeed, the design of the new device, so to speak, is as “standard” as possible and is similar to many other devices of the company that were released earlier. Some might say that in this way Meizu’s devices become distinctive and well-recognized. Perhaps this is so, but it seems to us that the approach that the company took when creating the Pro 7 is more correct, that is, a maximum departure from the same type and an attempt to bring something new and original to the industry.

Nevertheless, it is worth giving designers Maze credit for the fact that in each new smartphone they still try to add some “zest” that would make the device individual, and not leave it as a faceless representative of the same type model range. In Meizu Pro 6, the ring flash served as such a bright small element; in the M6 ​​Note, the flash is inserted as a thin line into the plastic strip of the top antenna, which we have never seen before. The phone also features an elegant, soft rounding of the edges on the back cover, thanks to which the phone lies very comfortably and confidently in the palm, as well as a thin chamfer that is located on the side.

Traditionally for mid-budget Meizu smartphones, the M6 ​​Note is made as an all-metal monoblock, completely covered with tempered protective glass on the front, processed using 2.5D technology. The phone is assembled to a very high quality; during testing we did not notice any backlash or squeaks. Strained glass also fully copes with its function, and if you don’t set out to deliberately scratch it, then it will look like new for quite a long time. As for tactile sensations, the metal is slightly rough, but very pleasant to the touch; fingerprints on the back wall, although they remain, are very subtle. The phone comes in four colors: black, silver, gold and blue. We managed to hold several devices in our hands, and the gold and blue shades seemed the most “tasty” to us.

In terms of placement of functional elements on a smartphone, everything is mostly standard. On the front panel above the screen we have a speaker, front-camera, a light indicator and a set of other sensors, and under the screen we find a multifunctional mTouch button, which also has a built-in fast scanner fingerprints. And here back panel almost empty. In addition to the LED flash already mentioned today, we are also looking at two camera modules, which we are yet to talk about in more detail. One of them rises slightly above the body by literally a couple of millimeters, and the second, on the contrary, is placed flush with the body and even slightly buried in it, somewhat reminiscent of one of the options for placing a fingerprint sensor.

No matter how much we would like to repeat the same things once again, unfortunately, in the context of information about functional elements, we are forced to once again talk about the side faces. Everything here is completely standard for lovers of smartphones based on the Android operating system. On the right side of the M6 ​​there is a power/lock button, as well as a volume key. On the left side we traditionally have a hybrid tray for two nano SIM cards or one SIM card and a micro-SD memory card.

At the top end of the smartphone there is only a hole for the microphone active noise cancellation. But on the bottom edge we can see the main speaker grille, a micro-USB port and a standard 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones, which Meizu does not refuse even under the influence of modern trends, and for which we thank her very much.

Screen

Meizu M6 Note is equipped with a high-quality 5.5-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels) and a pixel density of 403 ppi. If we judge the quality of the screen in comparison with other smartphones in the same price category, we must admit that it turned out to be more than worthy. The colors are bright and at the same time moderately saturated, the colors are reproduced correctly and seem natural. In general, the color gamut of the screen is very close to sRGB and almost completely repeats the famous triangle.

By default, the smartphone settings are set to the average color temperature, but thanks to a special proprietary application, you can adjust the temperature to cooler or warmer shades at your discretion. The viewing angles are no less pleasing. Although good readability at large viewing angles remains a feature of IPS matrices, the M6 ​​is especially pleased in this regard. Even at the most extreme angles, the picture practically does not fade and does not slide into outright whiteness. Inversion or purple shades also do not show themselves.

According to the passport data, the maximum brightness of a smartphone should correspond to the level of 450 cd/m2. This is a very good result, but it seemed to us that neither manual mode, nor in auto-adjustment mode given value is not achieved. In bright sunlight, the screen fades significantly and becomes difficult to read, which should not happen at a brightness of 450 nits. Having looked at the test results from our colleagues, we were able to make sure that in many devices the real value of maximum brightness does not reach the declared value and on average is at a level of approximately 360-380 nits, which, of course, is not good. Nevertheless, the anti-reflective coating is present and does its job well. So, although with reservations, it will still be possible to use the M6 ​​Note on a sunny day.

The M6 ​​Note screen has no air gap and is fully laminated. The test shows support for multi-touch up to ten touches, the display is quite sensitive, the clicks are triggered accurately and quickly. There is also a high-quality oleophobic coating, the finger glides across the screen confidently, fingerprints are reluctant to collect on the glass, but even those that accumulate can subsequently be very easily removed with a regular napkin.

Performance and autonomy

On the test we had a Meizu M6 Note M721H 32 Gb and in terms of performance it still managed to please us. As we already mentioned at the beginning of the article, the single-chip system produced by Qualcomm is responsible for this parameter in the M6, or, to be more precise, the Snapdragon 625. And here a very funny situation arises when talking about the performance of a smartphone is very simple and at the same time not. For Meizu, this is a completely extraordinary event; the processor is used for the first time on a company device and this should be covered in detail. On the other side, this processor has been used for a long time, we have encountered it on many other devices. Both we and you already know almost everything possible about this “stone”. It’s hard to think of what to tell you about him so that it becomes at least a little new information for you.

In this regard, today we will not list the detailed technical characteristics of the processor, but will turn to our subjective feelings about its operation on the M6 ​​Note. In the main menu of the smartphone, as expected, everything is quite smooth. Animations are smooth, transitions between applications and screens occur very quickly, while the processor in the background remains practically unloaded. With more complex tasks, the story is approximately the same; the video is played back without lags, and the smartphone can handle both 720p and 1080p quality equally easily. Surfing the Internet is also a pleasure; the phone has no problems both when working with one tab and when working with many open pages, despite its old age, “stone” is still quite good in multi-threaded performance.

As for gaming applications, not everything is as perfect as we would like. On the M6 ​​Note, you won't be able to run any game and set the graphics settings to maximum without thinking. In many modern projects, to achieve a stable 60 frames per second, you will have to compromise and select medium-high quality settings. I was very pleased with the ability in the phone menu to select from maximum and balanced performance modes, as well as use a special game mode in which you will not be bothered by pop-ups. In the benchmarks, the smartphone did not present any surprises and scored approximately the same number of points as other devices based on the Snapdragon 625. Thus, in everyone’s favorite benchmark AnTuTu phone scored 63,378 points, and in Geekbench 4, respectively, 858 points for single-threaded performance and 4,243 points in multi-threaded mode.

Benchmark	Meizu M6 Note (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)	Sony Xperia XA1 (MediaTek MT 6757)	HTC One X10 (MediaTek (MT6755)	Huawei Nova 2 (HiSilicon Kirin 659)	Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus (Qualcomm Snapdragon 625)
AnTuTu (v6.x)	63378	61638	50597	60485	62955
GeekBench (v4.x)	858/4243	814/3518	757/2071	904/3513	872/4311

Due to the fact that we have long been accustomed to seeing Meiza in phones mainly rechargeable batteries at 3000 or 3200 milliamp hours, the M6 ​​Note was able to surprise us. The smartphone under review is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 4000 thousand milliampere hours, which is quite a lot in modern realities. No matter how much we tormented our test device, we managed to discharge it to zero by the end of the day under moderate load only a few times. Basically, under normal operating conditions, a smartphone can easily survive for about a day and a half, and with a more gentle usage scenario, a smartphone can easily last up to two days. As for testing when in a certain form tasks, then with the M6 ​​Note you can easily count on 15 hours in reading mode, about 10 hours when watching videos and about 5 and a half hours in modern games.

Multimedia capabilities

In terms of sound, the M6 ​​Note is practically no different from other mid-budget smartphones powered by Qualcomm processors. The sound from the external speaker is quite loud, but the lack of stereo makes itself felt. Despite its strength, the sound is still too flat and does not adequately cover the entire audio range. When using headphones - fortunately the manufacturer took care of the presence of a 3.5 mm jack - the situation improves significantly. The sound begins to take on character, becoming much richer and deeper. The M6 ​​Note is unlikely to be suitable for true music connoisseurs, but for those who simply don’t mind reclining on the sofa during long evenings with their favorite selection of tracks, it will do just fine.

The Meizu M6 Note camera is a separate matter. This time, Meizu decided to keep up with market trends and used a dual-camera solution in its new device, and, looking ahead, I would like to say that this solution turned out to be very successful. The main camera is a Sony IMX362 module with a resolution of 12 megapixels, six lenses and an f/1.9 aperture. The second camera is equipped with a 5 megapixel Samsung 2L7 sensor, has five lenses and an f/2.0 aperture. As always in such duos, all responsibility for filming falls on a stronger camera with higher resolution. At the same time, the second camera is designed to create high-quality background blur when shooting in portrait mode, and is also designed to help the smartphone increase focusing speed in low-light conditions.

Considering that the Meizu M6 Note belongs to the class of mid-budget devices, to say that it shoots quite well is to say nothing. If you look at example photos and don’t know that they were taken on an M6, you might well think that they were shot on a much more expensive camera. The smartphone works great with color and white balance, detail and sharpness are also very good. high level. But what surprised us most was the night shooting. Thanks to high-aperture optics and good focusing, you can see many small details in the frame, while there is virtually no digital noise, which is very unusual for this class of devices. The smartphone also has the ability manual settings some parameters. For example, you can finely adjust the shutter speed from one thousandth to 20 seconds, adjust the ISO from 100 to 3200, and also select the focusing and white balance parameters.

The main camera of the M6 ​​Note can record video in 4K format at 30 frames per second. The quality is excellent and pleases about the same as the photo. However, here, unlike photography, you feel to a much greater extent that the smartphone is actually far from a flagship. Due to the lack of stabilization, the picture looks a little shaky, and the sound recording is not the best strong point of this device.

But the front camera did not disappoint at all. It has a resolution of 16 megapixels and f/2.0 aperture, which is not so often found in devices of this category. Thanks to high resolution The image is clear and rich in detail. Of course, there are also various modes for beautifying and improving facial texture. Selfie lovers will surely be pleased.

Software shell

Meizu M6 Note operates on the basis of the Android 7.1.2 operating system and the proprietary Flyme 6 shell. Let us immediately note that talking about software shells is a kind of conversation about tastes, and, as you know, there is no arguing about tastes. The evaluation of the shell largely depends not on objective advantages, but on the preferences of specific people or on how accustomed the user is to a particular shell. So, some are strongly in favor of pure Android, while others may not imagine life without Flyme or, for example, MIUI.

Nevertheless, there is no escape from objective reality, and each shell has a certain set of qualities. Thus, Flyme 6 stands out among other software shells by the absence of a separate list of applications, as in many other systems from China, all application icons are placed directly on the desktops. The second distinctive feature of the system, perhaps, should be the very wide possibilities for customization. You can change almost anything at your discretion: wallpaper, various themes, icon and font sizes, status bar, customize automatic activation screen and much more.

Flyme 6 supports several modes. A simplified operating mode is available, which increases the size of interface elements and fonts, a children's mode, which imposes restrictions on the use of some applications, and a guest mode, which limits the amount of traffic and access to personal data. Another advantage of the Meizu shell is the wide range of gestures that can be used to unlock your smartphone, control music player, launching certain programs and applications, as well as many other use cases.

On M6 Note branded shell It works smoothly, everything is adjusted and configured very high quality. During operation, we did not have any problems with bugs, “brakes” or freezes. You can argue as much as you like about the advantages or disadvantages of competitors' software shells, but the fact that Meizu has done a great job with Flyme cannot be denied.

You are probably aware that the Meizu M6 Note was recently presented to the public for review. The new smartphone was immediately dubbed a breakthrough for the Chinese company, a bomb that should help the brand compete with its main competitor, Xiaomi. Main feature Meizu M6 Note has a processor from Qualcomm. This is not the company's debut smartphone based on the Snapdragon chip. At the beginning of 2015, Meizu introduced one of the versions of the M1 Note, which received a Snapdragon 615. After which the manufacturer used exclusively processors from MediaTek in its products, which many users did not really like.

In many ways, it was the chipset that became the key point because of which users chose, preferring faster hardware to a stylish design. Finally, the prayers were heard - the M6 ​​Note was equipped with the rather popular Snapdragon 625 chip, which belongs to the middle class. But it’s not the processor alone that the smartphone is going to surprise us with. Meizu M6 Note became the company's second device (after the recent flagship) to receive a dual main camera.

• On AliExpress, the price of Meizu M6 Note starts at 11,500 rubles for the younger version ( link to the seller with the most orders / lowest price on AliExpress)

“On paper,” the new product looks really interesting and promising. But will the smartphone be able to meet all expectations, become a worthy competitor to the Xiaomi Redmi Note line, and will it help the company compete for Olympus in the middle segment? Today we bring to your attention a review of the characteristics of the Meizu M6 Note, in which we will analyze each feature of the smartphone, look at the price, and also tell you where it is more profitable to buy a new product.

Meizu M6 Note: characteristics

Contents of delivery

The manufacturer did not change the design of the box in which the smartphone is supplied. We get a classic white box with only the brand logo and model name. This kind of packaging is used for every budget/mid-class Meizu smartphone. In general, nothing unusual. The equipment does not stand out either. In addition to the device itself, we see a small envelope containing various documentation. The manufacturer's classic tool for removing the SIM card slot is attached to the top. The power adapter, which supports fast charging technology, as well as the microUSB cable are neatly placed in their places.

Appearance

Meizu M6 Note is unlikely to surprise users who are already familiar with . Have you held Meizu M3 Note or M5 Note in your hands? The M6 ​​Note turned out to be about the same style. From the front, the smartphones are completely indistinguishable. But the back side somewhat sets the M6 ​​Note apart from its predecessors. Firstly, the dual camera catches your eye, and secondly, the LED flash, made in the form of a strip, like the Meizu E2. The design of the model does not shine with sophistication - it’s just one of the ones we see several times a year.

The body is made of metal. The recognizable plastic strips, which the manufacturer did not consider necessary to somehow hide, have not gone anywhere. No, he made them distinct, which sends the M6 ​​Note back to about a year ago, when these stripes were not viewed so critically. Why not implement them, as in, for example. By the way, the M6 ​​Note and Mi 5X are essentially competitors, so we recommend taking a look at our recent one.

Meizu M6 Note presented in four colors. There are classic options in gold and silver, and black and blue colors are also announced. The latter are not yet widespread, so the guest of our review is dressed in silver. Meizu M6 Note is not the most compact smartphone. It has fairly thick bezels around the screen, making it look quite wide and tall. It can hardly be called ultra-thin - after all, 8.35 mm looks weighty. The same one is thinner by about a millimeter. Although, to be fair, the latter also has a thinner battery.

The smartphone has a classic arrangement of elements. In front we have a large display, under which there is a proprietary “Home” button, which at the same time plays the role of a fingerprint scanner. Many people really like this key – it’s really convenient to use. At the top of the Meizu M6 Note we see the earpiece, front camera and a set of sensors. Let's go over the ends. At the bottom is the main speaker grille, microUSB connector, 3.5 mm headphone port and microphone hole. The hole for an additional microphone is located at the top end.

The volume control rocker and on/off button, as standard, find a home on the right edge of the device, slightly recessed into the body. On the left we see a combined tray for two SIM cards (instead of one SIM, you can install a microSD memory card). On the rear panel we see two sensors that are slightly different in size. At the top center (exactly along the plastic insert) there is a flash strip of four LEDs.

The design of the Meizu M6 Note, which came to us for review, is not surprising, but it also does not drive you into a stupor. The main points were adopted from its predecessors, the back side underwent some modernization, which received a replenishment in the form of another module and a flash with a changed shape. Considering the price for which you can buy a Meizu M6 Note today, you expect something more (for about the same amount you can buy one, which looks more interesting in terms of design).

Screen

There is nothing special to tell you. The hero of our review in the person of Meizu M6 Note, like the design, borrowed the screen from its predecessors. We have a standard 5.5-inch one, the resolution of which is 1920x1080 pixels (FullHD). As a result, we get 401PPI - you can distinguish individual points only if you look closely at the screen, bringing it close to your eyes. The screen of the Meizu M6 Note, as well as the entire front part, is covered with 2.5D glass. It is difficult to say how reliable it is; almost nothing is known about its origin. However, during the review, no noticeable scratches appeared on the Meizu M6 Note.

There is an oleophobic coating - it can be characterized as medium. We've seen better ones, but those smartphones also cost more money. The screen has good viewing angles, again, an average image saturation and sufficient brightness to comfortably use the smartphone outdoors. Supports up to 10 simultaneous touches, which will surprise few people. The frames around the display, as already mentioned, are quite wide - the working area occupies something like 70% of the total surface.

What ends up on the screen? He's not perfect, but he's not bad either. Something in between, which, in fact, is shown by many others. Considering the price of the Meizu M6 Note, the screen shows quite good results. Although in this segment, in order to find something worse, you have to try.

Performance

Left – Meizu M6 Note; right – Xiaomi Mi 5X

Let's go to the sweetest part. As no resource has already noted, the Meizu M6 Note smartphone received a processor from Qualcomm. In my opinion, this event has become more significant for users than the release of the flagship, which is equipped with a second screen. Snapdragon 625 was introduced in the second half of 2016. The processor is positioned as a solution for mid-class smartphones. Built on 8 Cortex-A53 cores, showcasing clock frequency up to 2 GHz. What makes MediaTek different from its main competitors is its more modern technical process – 14 nm. Thanks to this, the smartphone is not only fast enough, but its autonomy is also in perfect order.

Snapdragon 625 is, in fact, extremely popular among smartphone manufacturers. It is installed in the famous Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, and the huge and stylish Nubia Z11 Mini also received it. And it is not unreasonable that companies prefer him. Behind graphic capabilities Meizu M6 Note is responsible for the Adreno 506 chip. In short, the hero of our review copes with any user tasks without any problems. Yes, in some games you may notice stuttering at maximum graphics settings, so we advise hardcore gamers to choose something more serious. Here, take a closer look at the options on.

For its characteristics in the AnTuTu synthetic test, the Meizu M6 Note shows a standard result - about 60,000 points for the 3 GB version random access memory.

Now let's talk about memory. Meizu M6 Note can be purchased in a version with 3 or 4 GB of RAM. For most users, 3 gigs of RAM will be enough for all tasks, so don’t rush to overpay. You can also choose the storage capacity: here is the minimum 16 GB, and 32 GB, which looks the most optimal, and an impressive 64 GB. In addition, the hybrid tray allows you to install microSD up to 128 GB instead of one SIM card. In general, there should be no problems with memory.

As a result, based on the characteristics of the Meizu M6 Note, we have one of the company’s (if not the best) smartphones in recent years. Yes, the manufacturer has made some good devices on processors from MediaTek, but on Snapdragon, you must admit, everything looks much better. The smartphone has no problems with performance for its price, and the energy efficiency of the chipset is also encouraging.

Interfaces, sound and navigation

Meizu M6 Note, as already noted, is equipped with a hybrid tray for two SIM cards. Both SIMs must be nano format. The smartphone works on all known networks, including 4G LTE. It is worth noting that bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20 are supported. Not everything is so dense with wireless interfaces - Wi-Fi and Bluetooth version 4.2. Unfortunately, the model did not receive NFC, without which a modern smartphone looks somewhat deprived.

Moreover, the solution remained with the old microUSB connector. It is clear that for the price of the Meizu M6 Note, most smartphones still have the same port, but you still expect more from this company. The device supports the OTG function, which allows you to connect various drives and peripherals to it. There are two most available for navigation popular systems– GPS and GLONASS. Thanks to a fairly fast processor, the smartphone quickly finds satellites even during a cold start.

Meizu M6 Note received a proprietary mTouch button, which is also a fingerprint scanner. It works quickly, one might say, flawlessly - in general, as usual. The sound of the smartphone is really good, despite the fact that it is equipped with only one main speaker. It is loud, quite clean and of high quality.

Meizu M6 Note has everything necessary for comfortable work, but at the same time it would be noticeably decorated smartphone NFC and a USB-C connector, which, by the way, is equipped with.

operating system

Meizu M6 Note out of the box has operating system Android 7.1.2 Nougat. Naturally, on top of the OS is the proprietary Flyme shell version 6.1.4.1A. The firmware on the Meizu M6 Note, which we are reviewing, is global, but only the Alpha version, so there are some shortcomings. Fonts that are not perfect are striking; in addition, a number of functions refuse to work or function incorrectly. In the near future, Meizu should release stable firmware for the M6 ​​Note, which will bring fixes.

Even on the Alpha version of Flyme, the smartphone works perfectly. The interface is smooth, and we never encountered any lags, despite our diligent attempts. As they say, there are no comrades according to taste and color, but the shell from Meizu looks, you see, much more interesting than that of many smartphones from its fellow countrymen. Flyme is simple and clear, quite beautiful and functional. We hope for the speedy release of normal firmware for the Meizu M6 Note in order to enjoy its work to the fullest.

You can monitor the release of firmware for the Meizu M6 Note on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum.

Cameras

Captivated by the Qualcomm processor, we almost forgot that the new product has another rather eye-catching feature - a dual main camera. At the presentation of the smartphone, by the way, company representatives paid special attention to the cameras, praising it as one of the best camera phones in the mid-budget segment. “On paper,” the Meizu M6 Note’s camera specs really look good. We also note that this is the manufacturer’s first smartphone in the mid-segment with a dual camera.

Now, actually, about the sensors. On the back we have a pair of 12 and 5 megapixel sensors. The first sensor was presented by the company – IMX362. A good module, seasoned with an f/1.9 aperture. The second sensor is from Samsung – 2L7 with f/2.0 aperture. It serves here to blur the background so that the user can get stylish photos with a bokeh effect. The main camera, forgetting about the additional sensor, generally takes good pictures for its price. Not exactly “Ah!”, but the photographs we get are quite good. It’s clear that better shots come out during the day or in normal lighting conditions. At night, our guest’s camera is frankly rather weak. Although there is a 4-LED flash located above the main camera eye.

Availability additional camera The Meizu M6 Note does not fully justify itself. It blurs the background, of course, better than a camera of the same or , but it still doesn’t do it very well. The background is blurred unevenly, and the edges of the object on which the camera is focused are often blurred. In general, things are not going well for Meizu with dual cameras. However, there is hope that the jambs will be fixed with subsequent firmware updates.

You can record video on a smartphone with a maximum resolution of 4K; no image stabilization is provided. Meanwhile, the videos on the Meizu M6 Note turn out very good. The picture is rich, the sound is good - quite for its price.

Front camera 16 megapixels with f/2.0 aperture. Not bad if you are not one of the overly demanding users. During the day you get good selfies, at night the situation is, of course, much worse. The front camera can record video with a maximum resolution of FullHD.

Generally speaking, the Meizu M6 Note has decent cameras for its price, which probably won’t surprise you, but will definitely please you. We can only rely on the manufacturer, who simply must release fixes for the additional sensor.

Autonomy

Meizu M6 Note is equipped with a serious 4000 mAh battery. Coupled with an efficient chip, the smartphone can go without recharging for 1.5-2 days. What we can say for sure is that it will last you all day, even with intensive use. The ability to quickly charge a smartphone is declared, which allows you to fill the battery from 0 to 100% in about 2 hours.

Another characteristic that can be recorded as an advantage of the Meizu M6 Note.

Meizu M6 Note: where to buy, price, analogues

Meizu M6 Note is about to appear in Russia, but the price is already known. The younger version (3+16 GB) will cost almost 17,000 rubles, for the middle version (3+32 GB) you will have to pay almost 19,000 rubles, for the older version (4+64 GB) the manufacturer asks for all of 25,000 rubles. You can buy a much more profitable Meizu M6 Note in Chinese online stores, where smartphones are available now.

The main competitor of the Meizu M6 Note will be Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, despite the fact that there is also the fresh Mi 5X. The characteristics of the smartphones are comparable, including processor models and battery capacity. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X has only one main camera, and the front camera is weaker. But the smartphone is noticeably cheaper - about 9,000 rubles for the 3+32 GB version.

Meizu M6 Note: verdict and review

Of course, the new Meizu smartphone turned out to be worthy. Of course, it’s too early to talk about a breakthrough, but the makings are there. Characteristics of Meizu The M6 ​​Note is truly a mid-range smartphone, and its relatively low price, which will only go down over time, makes it an ideal solution for the average user. More than 200,000 smartphones sold are already saying something.

Is it worth pursuing a smartphone for the Snapdragon 625? To be honest, in everyday tasks (Internet surfing, instant messengers, calls, casual games, etc.) you are unlikely to find a difference between the Meizu M5 Note (MediaTek Helio P10) and M6 Note. But the latter feels more confident in demanding games thanks to a faster processor. In addition, the Snapdragon 625 is built on a more modern technical process, which gives us additional minutes of battery life. In general, if you don’t depend on the latest resource-intensive games, and more frequent charging doesn’t bother you, then there’s not much point in buying an M6 Note. Moreover, now you can buy Meizu M5 Note significantly cheaper.

To summarize the Meizu M6 Note review, it’s worth leaving a personal review. Overall, I was pleased with the smartphone. Not exactly “wow”, but one of the few Meizu devices recently that is really hard to criticize. Meizu M6 Note is a good working device, which now has everything for this title. Another thing is that the smartphone is still a bit expensive and there is no normal firmware on the M6 ​​Note yet. In a month or two, when the manufacturer releases an update and the price drops slightly, the device may well break into the top sales.

Advantages and disadvantages:

What I liked:

What I didn't like:

Previous generations of the Note line were criticized mainly for budget chipsets from MediaTek, while in other respects - build, camera, screen, software - these were excellent mid-class smartphones. But, in comparison with its main competitor – Xiaomi, Meizu smartphones have always lost in performance.

Price and main characteristics

The brand new M6 Note can already be found in Russian online stores. The device is available in three modifications, the youngest will cost customers $165. For the 3/32 version you will have to pay $195, and the top version is priced at $255.

Specifications:

• display: 5.5”, IPS LCD 1920 × 1080 px (403 ppi);
• processor: Snapdragon 625 (2.0 GHz) + Adreno 506 video accelerator;
• RAM: 3/4 GB;
• internal memory: 16/32/64 GB + micro SDXC flash cards up to 256 GB;
• camera: main – dual module 12+5 MP, front – 16 MP;
• communication: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, 4.2, A2DP, LE, A-GPS, GLONASS;
• battery: 4000 mAh;
• dimensions: 154.6 x 75.2 x 8.4 mm;
• weight:173 g.

Meizu M6 Note became the first smartphone in the line with a Snapdragon processor and a dual camera. Such changes contributed to the excitement around the device; the first batch of 200 thousand devices sold out in a day during the start of sales in China.

Equipment and appearance

When unpacking the M6 ​​Note, the user may get the impression that he mistakenly purchased a smartphone from the previous generation - the design of the cardboard box is so reminiscent of the M5 Note. Inside it you can find a minimum set of everything you need: a microUSB cable, a charging unit, the device itself and documentation.

If you don't take into account the recently released Meizu Pro 7, most of the manufacturer's smartphones are made according to the same model. The M6 ​​Note looks like it just came off the copy machine's belt. It differs from its predecessor only in small details, which are quite difficult to notice at first glance. The dual camera at the rear brings more clarity - an attribute previously unseen among Meizu’s budget phones.

A closer look at the device reveals a lot of interesting things. Firstly, for some reason it did not receive a Type-C connector on the bottom edge, although the new standard has become almost a mandatory item technical characteristics every new smartphone. Secondly, the corners of the device have become a little more rounded, making it fit even better in the hand. Metal body The M6 ​​Note comes in four color options: black, blue, silver and gold.

Traditionally, under the 5.5-inch display of the gadget there is a multifunction button with an mTouch fingerprint scanner. The top insert is occupied by a speaker, a 16-megapixel front camera and a pair of sensors.

In a small recess on the right there are keys for activating the screen and adjusting the volume.

On the left is a hybrid slot for SIM cards.

The multimedia speaker and 3.5 mm headphone input are located on the bottom edge of the device. The space between them is occupied by a microUSB connector. The top end does not have anything interesting; there is only one small hole for a noise-canceling microphone.

Finally, the back cover. The dual camera lenses have different sizes and are located vertically. Above them you can easily notice a plastic antenna insert with a built-in LED flash in the middle.

In general, the designers of the M6 ​​Note were not looking for new ways; in the new model we saw a slightly adapted, but still the same Meizu. Lack of imagination can hardly be considered a disadvantage, since this format has already been liked by millions of users around the world. And after several days of use, the new product leaves only pleasant impressions.

Screen

M6 Note received a 5.5-inch IGZO display with FullHD resolution. Thanks to the high pixel density (403 units per inch), the image on the screen looks seamless, making it almost impossible to notice the pixel grid with the naked eye. The maximum display brightness threshold is limited to 450 nits, and the contrast ratio is 1000:1. Multi-touch supports up to 10 simultaneous clicks. During the test of the M6 ​​Note, no errors were noticed in the operation of the touchscreen.

The standard IPS matrix, of course, loses to more advanced AMOLED solutions. Flagship users may notice in comparison that the M6 ​​Note looks rather dull and ordinary. However, the viewing angles and screen brightness are quite enough to perform basic tasks. A smartphone for $155 does not pretend to be more.

Performance

Previous models in the line were often praised until it came to the processor. Mediatek for a long time remained a weak point of Meizu, for many buyers this became a serious reason to change their choice in favor of a similar solution from Xiaomi. Finally, changes have caught up with fans of the brand. The new M6 Note is equipped with a Snapdragon 625 chipset and Adreno 506 graphics.

Paired with 3 or 4 GB of RAM, the smartphone earns well-deserved points in benchmarks. He also performed excellently in everyday use. Only slight slowdowns when switching the camera to 4K resolution make it clear that the firmware is imperfect. Gamers will be pleasantly surprised that the M6 ​​Note can offer the proper level of gaming performance. At the same time, the device does not heat up and does not experience problems with throttling after many hours of load.

Camera

The second long-awaited gift from Meizu was a dual photo module on the rear panel. The main Sony IMX362 photo sensor has a resolution of 12 megapixels, the auxiliary OV is 5 megapixels. Both lenses have an f/1.9 aperture. The camera can also shoot colorful 4K videos. True, in the early version of the firmware there are small freezes when recording video at the highest resolution. We can only hope that the manufacturer will correct all the shortcomings in the future.

Compared to its predecessor, the M6 ​​Note has taken several big steps forward. The main camera received new software for working with background blur, autofocus and portrait mode. Daylight photos come out quite high quality, with accurate colors and all the fine details captured. Photos at night also look acceptable. Finally, the significant distortion that plagued shooting with the M5 Note has gone away.

The front 16-megapixel camera has an f/2.0 aperture lens. Selfies come out of quite high quality; the device has a variety of facial enhancement algorithms and other useful options.

Speaker, sound quality

A smartphone should hardly be used to listen to music through a multimedia speaker. It has a decent volume reserve, but the audio track itself seems too “flat” due to the lack of noticeable bass. We recommend that audiophiles use a third-party high-quality headset.

The speaker of the device is surprisingly good, the interlocutor can be heard loudly and clearly.

Battery

You can’t really name the device thin smartphone, all because of the built-in 4000 mAh battery. This supply is quite enough for all everyday needs. The M6 ​​Note can last up to two days on a single charge in normal use.

The battery supports fast charging. True, there is no Type-C here, which can be safely written down as a disadvantage of the device. On the other hand, you can always find a charger for an already obsolete connector.

Communication and Internet

List communication capabilities The M6 ​​Note consists of dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS and LTE support. The device works great in Russian latitudes; no connection interruptions were noticed during the test.

Some will complain about the lack of NFC or infrared. You can do without the first for now, but the second is not very popular based on the similar experience of Xiaomi.

Video review of Meizu M6 Note

Competitors, conclusion

• Change of processor line;
• Dual camera;
• Autonomy;
• Convenient and high-quality assembled case.

• Mediocre display;
• No Type-C;

Meizu M6 Note is a sign of the beginning of positive changes. The long-awaited transition to Snapdragon and a dual camera make the device a worthy rival to its competitors. The same recognizable budget employee from Meizu has finally lost most of its negative aspects. The only drawback so far remains the manufacturer’s refusal to switch to Type-C connectors.