Not many people in the world have heard about the Chinese company Meizu. In 2016, the company sold about 22 million phones, almost 90% of which were sold in China. In the most populous country in the world, Meizu is one of the largest smartphone manufacturers, and due to such popularity, those who have heard of the brand may wonder: what is special about them? Do they work outside of China? Some models are already sold by European retailers, but the selection is mostly random. M5 is the manufacturer's most affordable smartphone. The entry-level 5.2-inch phone with MediaTek chip comes with a security-critical fingerprint scanner and a range of other extras.
Design
Meizu M5 16GB reviews call a budget phone, and this is clearly evidenced by its design. The completely plastic body, depending on the color, looks like a metal one from a distance. Semi-gloss plastic is pleasant to the touch and does not collect annoying fingerprints. The phone itself is neither too thick nor the thinnest - it measures 8mm thick. The smartphone is quite light - it weighs only 138 g. Screen and body dimensions -the question is subjective, but, perhaps, 5.2 inches is approaching the golden mean. This size will suit many.
The design of the M5 is not flashy, but comfortable thanks to its rounded edges and 2.5D glass. The screen bezel is not too wide and gives the smartphone a nice look. There is an LED indicator next to the front camera and the top speaker, which is slightly offset for some reason.
The smartphone is equipped with a physical button to go to the home screen with a built-in fingerprint sensor. There is nothing next to it, since Meizu uses its own navigation system. One press takes you back a step, and the list of active applications can be called up by swiping up at the bottom of the display. Without a tutorial showing how to actually use this navigation method, it's hard to figure it out.
The volume and power off buttons are located on the right and are easy to use.
On the left is a dual-SIM hybrid tray. In the second slot, you can install microSD memory up to 128 GB. According to the manufacturer, the M5 is reinforced inside with an anodized metal frame, but it is not visible behind the plastic. Build quality is good and owners haven't experienced much of the phone's flex, though a metal finish would have been nicer.
The rear camera does not protrude from the surface of the case. At the bottom is the microUSB port, speaker grill and headphone jack. Standard cable and charger included.
Meizu M5 fingerprint scanner16GB user reviews call it a nice addition for such a budget model: it is fast, reliable and does not cause problems. In addition to unlocking the phone, it can be used to block applications, access to a secure folder with personal files, and activate guest mode. Also keep in mind that the microUSB port is for charging, and there is no USB-C connector. Available in 5 color options: Mint Green, Champagne, Matte Black, Ice White and Sapphire Blue. This is more than enough.
In general, the Meizu M5 is pleasant to hold in the hand, although it does not look impressive. Build quality and plastic, good ergonomics.
Display
The screen is usually one of the weakest points in an affordable phone, and this model is no exception. First, there is some backlight bleeding at the top of the display and slightly below. Secondly, the colors of the Meizu M5 16GB are classified as cold colors: white looks bluish (average color temperature is 7805 K), and in general the colors are not balanced. The screen clearly lacks liveliness, the colors look a little faded. The good news is that the display is quite bright (up to 466 nits) and doesn't reflect much glare, so it's easy enough to read even on a bright sunny day.
A resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels is equivalent to 282 dpi. This means that slight pixelation and jagged edges are visible. According to users, this is not a serious problem (at least compared to bluish colors), but it is worth remembering.
Sensorambient light, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen, is. Its operation in the Meizu M5 16GB smartphone is called a little slow by reviews, and it does not gradually adjust the brightness, but instead suddenly switches from dark to bright. Nevertheless, the sensor works, and users are pleased not only with the brightness of the screen during the day, but also with the fact that at night it does not hurt the eyes when reading in bed (2 nits). The contrast is excellent - 1:1104, Delta E is 5.45.
Interface and functionality
The international version of the Meizu M5 16GB Black smartphone, according to the owners, comes with the Flyme operating system, built on the basis of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. If Google services are not preinstalled, you can download them using the Hot Apps program. It's a simple task, but it's another inconvenience to endure.
Like most Chinese-origin user interfaces, Flyme OS takes inspiration from iOS: it lacks an app drawer and allows you to put, for example, a swipe up to bring up a quick search. In programs such as the browser, you can even tap the status bar and jump to the top of the page. Flyme OS is easy to get used to, but it feels a bit foreign. In return, the user gets a platform with surprisingly elegant animation.
M5 comes with a TouchPal keyboard. It works fine, but the keys are unsightly and, in terms of precision and vibration feedback, you can make a lot more mistakes on it than on Samsung and LG. HoweverOn the other hand, the good side is that a gentle swipe down allows you to instantly enter alternate characters, making it easier to type passwords.
Pre-installed smartphone theme changer app. The Security software includes tools to clean your phone of junk files, monitor data usage, block contacts, and even an antivirus. The Tools app includes tools such as a flashlight, mirror, compass, level, ruler, and magnifying glass. The smartphone offers its own Meizu software store, which, with the Play Store, seems redundant.
CPU and memory
M5 is powered by MediaTek MT6750 chip. This is an entry-level SoC with 8 Cortex A53 cores in 2 clusters. Without getting into technical details, it can be compared with the iPhone 5, although the Apple A6 chip outperforms the MT6750 in the popular Geekbench benchmark test. The AnTuTu test gives the smartphone 40042 points and GFXbench - 20 fps, which is an average result.
Smartphone Meizu M5 16GB Gold reviews are called quite well optimized and in most cases smoothly and without fading functioning device. But this does not mean fast: every time you launch an application, there are noticeable delays, the screen turns white, and you have to wait for the moment when the program loads. And this happens with almost all software, even with the dialer. After starting, the smartphone works without delay and does not skip frames. According to reviews, the software installation in Meizu M5 16GB Blue takes a surprisingly long time: it is not known why, Facebook and Messenger requirea few minutes.
And this is clearly not a smartphone for gamers or heavy use. Apps take a little longer to open, and while the phone can handle basic games, more serious games aren't to be expected.
There are 2 versions of the M5 available: 16GB and 32GB. This applies to the built-in storage, but it can also be expanded with a microSD card up to 128 GB.
Internet and connectivity
M5 comes with a browser that owners recommend using instead of Google Chrome. The most popular browser for Android for some reason works very poorly here - often freezes and slows down, so it's best to avoid it.
Meizu M5 is a phone for China, Asian market, India and some European markets. This is especially noticeable in terms of connectivity: the smartphone supports 4G LTE, but there are no US carrier bands. The full list of supported 4G LTE bands for the international version of Meizu M5 includes FDD-LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 7 and 20, as well as 38 and 40 TDD-LTE. Support for groups 3, 7 and 20 is good news for European users. Meizu sells the phone in Spain and Italy, where it supports the required 4G LTE bands even if purchased in other countries. No VoLTE support.
As for other connectivity options, the smartphone supports dual-band Wi-Fi, which is an important point for an inexpensive smartphone, since many budget models only supportsingle-channel Wi-Fi, and in urban areas these frequencies are already crowded, which leads to a decrease in network quality. The owners are happy with this decision. There is also Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS and GLONASS, but the phone does not support NFC. The latter means that the device cannot be used for wireless payments.
FM radio is missing, as is the gyroscope.
Camera
Meizu M5 features a 13MP main camera with auto focus, LED flash and f/2.2 lens, and a 5MP front sensor. According to reviews, the Meizu M5 16GB Blue smartphone is distinguished by the presence of a large number of photo and video shooting options. The user can choose between different modes: manual (with ISO control, shutter speed, etc.), video, skin smoothing, panorama, light field (combining several shots into one with focus changing after shooting), slow motion, QR scanning, macro and Gif.
Having plenty of options can be a good thing, but owners are having a hard time finding a video recording option that should be easily accessible. Meizu has unfortunately overcomplicated its app. Simple things like changing the resolution are unnecessarily complicated. Instead of just 13MP or 5MP, the resolution is listed as 4160 x 3120. The camera settings don't flip when using the phone in landscape, which is a bit annoying.
Photo quality
Pictures produced by Meizu M5 16GB, reviews are praised. Owners are impressed with the availability of phase-detection autofocus in such a cheap smartphone. It works very fast andexactly - the number of out-of-focus photos has decreased. AF sometimes wanders, but overall it does a great job. The colors match reality and the macro shots are quite good. But in low light, you should not expect miracles: details quickly become blurry, and the flash gives an unpleasant cold cast.
5-megapixel front camera Meizu M5 16GB Black reviews call not very impressive. Sure, it's capable of snapping shots, but not ones you'll want to share with the world: they lack detail and color saturation, making most selfies look lifeless and also a little washed out.
1st frame capture time is 1.5s, HDR mode is 3.2s.
Video quality
Meizu M5 records video with the rear camera in FullHD resolution at 30 fps and decent quality, but nothing more. Without any stabilization system, every small movement of the hand is recorded. This is the biggest drawback of the Meizu M5 16GB phone. Feedback from users positively notes the fast autofocus, which is a good asset for video recording, mostly good color reproduction and decent detail.
The front camera is also capable of recording 1080p video, but the quality is worse.
Sound
The speaker of the Meizu M5 16GB smartphone reviews call it loud enough, but its sound is devoid of any depth and is not very clear. It is located on the bottom panel and will satisfy the needs of most users when installed onmaximum (76 dB) volume level. But if you dig deeper, it becomes obvious that the speaker does not have enough clarity or any depth. On the contrary, its sound is a bit harsh and it lacks articulation. That's enough for a normal hands-free voice call or watching a video, but nothing else.
According to user reviews, they did not experience serious problems with the quality of calls on the Meizu M5. Of course, the phone lacks a high-quality speaker and microphone, but it is able to transmit callers' voices loud and clear.
Battery life
M5 comes with a decent 3070mAh battery that lasts longer than usual. According to the reviews of the owners, on one charge it lasts a day and a half. Official battery life figures are as follows: 5 hours of video recording, 9 hours of gaming, 37 hours of phone calls and 66 hours of music playback. Not bad. User battery test, run at an indoor brightness of 200 nits, was above average at 9 hours 18 minutes
However, the owners are unhappy with the long battery charging time. With a 10 W (5 V, 2 A) AC charger, this takes 3 hours and 9 minutes. It's not a problem for overnight recharging, but those who want to rejuvenate their smartphone during lunch will find it too slow. The solution to this problem can be, for example, the choice of Meizu M5 Note 16GB Gold. According to owners, this model features a more capacious battery and a quick charge function that does its job in 96 minutes.
Pros and cons
According to users, the smartphone is inexpensive, with good battery life, quick fingerprint scanner, fast focusing and high-quality photos. The disadvantages of the model include the lack of proper service and repair, a bluish and faded display, noticeable delays before launching applications, and slow battery charging.
Conclusion
Based on the reviews, the Meizu M5 LTE 16GB is a nice affordable phone made in China for China, India and a limited number of European countries. If we talk about the price, then in its homeland it costs $ 100 (for a 32-gigabyte version you will have to pay $ 130). Buying from dealers or importing from a third-party retailer will cost 1.5 times more. As the price increases, the smartphone loses its competitive edge.
Be aware of the lack of proper 4G LTE support. Among the more important shortcomings of the Meizu M5 16GB, customer reviews cite a slightly faded display, a bit otherworldly and slightly slowing down when launching each application.
An alternative is the Moto G4 Plus, which costs just over $200 but is much better in every way: more powerful, with a western interface and fast charging. The Honor 6X is also a great option with a metallic design, a more powerful chipset, a better and sharper screen, and a larger battery. Even more affordable phones like the Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) and Alcatel Shine Lite areworthy rivals Meizu M5 16GB Gold. Owner reviews call the smartphone a bargain in the domestic Chinese market, but in Europe the model faces stiff competition from established brands, which often offer more in terms of design and support.
