Smart Phones by stefan @ 2015-04-28
MEIZU MX4 is quite an unique smartphone, which is available in 16GB and 32GB versions at Fastcardtech and incorporates a high-performance 20.7MP sensor from Sony, the MediaTek MT6595 big.LITTLE SoC with eight cores, is paired with 2GB of RAM and runs the latest version of Flyme operating system, based on Android 4.4.2.
At first we would like to thank Fastcardtech.com for offering us a sample of the MEIZU MX4 32GB smartphone for testing and reviewing.
“Since 2003 Fastcardtech has been a worldwide leader in providing high quality Chinese electronic goods to consumers over the world. We have offices in Canada, China and USA! We offer retail on cellular phones, GPS, MP3/MP4 and on today’s new leading technologies. We also supply a lot of eBay and location resellers. Whether you are a shopper looking to get your hands on the latest technologies, latest phones, or if you are a wholesaler, reseller looking to increase your revenues, Fastcardtech.com is the place to be. We pride ourselves by always putting the customer first and by providing excellent aftersales service.”
More than better
The MX4 redefines "better"
A larger display. A better-performing processor. Increased battery life. Faster data connectivity. Class-leading screen-to-body ratio. A thinner, lighter design. You will get them all with the MEIZU MX4. We have pushed the boundaries of design and technology to show the world how a big-screened phone can be easier to use.
Bigger, brighter, better
After over 8 months of research and development with Sharp and JDI, we have created a new and advanced display for the MX4. The 5.36-inch, 15:9 display uses a new Nega liquid crystal technology, and LED backlight module. These new innovations and research equal to an 85% increase in NTSC color gamut, 1100:1 contrast ratio and a brightness of up to 500 cd/m2. Photos, videos and texts have never looked so good. Bigger, brighter, better, more vivid, smarter! The list goes on.
Faster, smarter and energy-efficient
With the octa-core processor running at 2.2 GHz and sporting powerful Cortex A17 and A7 cores, the MX4 has enough horsepower to tackle everyday use. An advanced PowerVR G620 GPU can throw around pixels fast enough for you to enjoy the latest mobile gaming, while boosting screen reaction time. Smart CorePilot technology instantly switches processes from core to core for an 87% improvement in performance and 30% increase in battery life. Faster, longer lasting and more powerful. Compared the Meizu MX3, the MX4 packs double the performance.
Dual 4G
We have made the MX4 compatible with 5 network types across 13 different frequency bands. The MX4 can make use of the TD-LTE and FDD-LTE 4G networks, FDD-LTE reaching a download speed of 150 Mbps, almost 6 times that of the previous-generation device. Fast data connection means smooth HD video over data and uninterrupted VoIP video calls. Of course the MX4 is also backwards compatible with major 3G and 2G frequencies. Keep your friends and family up to date no matter where you are.
High speed Wi-Fi
802.11ac Wi-Fi protocol brings blistering internet speeds of 433 Mbps to the MX4. That is almost 3 times the speed of 802.11n. Dual band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi makes up the rest of the wireless package, delivering flawless Wi-Fi experience.
3100 mAh super battery
Super-long standby duration frees you from battery worries. The 3100mAh battery, from our partners Sony and Samsung, along with CorePilot and our advanced energy-saving CPU means an improvement of 13%, even with 4G LTE connected.
Meanwhile, 21% more energy-saving with 3G connected. Watch videos, tweet, update Facebook and play all day none stop.
20.7 mega-pixels
SONY premium IMX220 Exmor RS sensor
DSLR features for infinite possibilities
Exmor RS 20.7 mega-pixel sensor to give the MX4 advanced DSLR features including a 0.3-second focus speed, a 30-photo-per-second, burst mode and dual tone LED flash night shots. Capture the moment while it happens!
Flawless audio
An increase in volume and richer deeper bass are thanks to the use of a second generation NXP Smart PS audio processor. Audio from the Smart PA chip flows through a new speaker design resulting in a 13% improvement in sound performance. The revolutionary new audio systems embedded algorithms improves audio output real-time. Music, audio and phone calls have never been clearer.
Dimensions
Width: 75.2 mm
Height: 144.0 mm
Depth: 8.9 mm
Weight: 147 g
Rear Camera
20.7 megapixels
SONY premium IMX220 Exmor RS sensor
4X digital zoom with 300°panorama
Blue glass filter
5-element lens, ƒ/2.2
30 photos per second, 0.3s AF motor
Lens-protective Corning® Gorilla® Glass3
Night scene mode
Front Camera
SONY IMX208, 2 megapixels
4-element lens
Blue glass filter
ƒ/2.0
FotoNation smart selfie enhancement
Face AE light boost technology
Display
Tonal range: 85%
Dimensions: 5.36-inch Sharp/JDI
Resolution: 1920 x 1152
Contrast ratio: 1100:1
Brightness: 500cd/m2, 2,048 adjustable brightness levels
Texture: Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
Display technique: New Mode2/ IPS
Craft: OGS
Processor
True eight cores CPU (MediaTek 6595, Meizu customized version)
A17 2.2GHz x 4 + A7 1.7GHz x 4 (8 cores can be turned on simultaneously)
PowerVR G6200 GPU (Meizu customized version)
2GB dual-channel LPDDR3 RAM, 933MHz
Dual ISP chips, 4 channels processing, speed up to 6Gbps
Network Type
TD-LTE / FDD-LTE / TD-SCDMA / WCDMA / GSM
Wi-Fi
802.11 ac/b/g/n/a Wi-Fi
Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G)
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 4.0
Support BLE
Sensors
Ambient Sensor, Gravity sensor, Hall Effect sensor, Infrared proximity sensor
Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor, Touch sensitive, Digital compass
Positioning
A-GPS, Inertial navigation, Digital compass
QZSS
GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BDS)
SBAS (WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS, GAGAN)
Image
JPEG/ PNG/ GIF/ BMP
Audio
FLAC/ APE/ AAC/ MKA/ OGG/ MP3
MIDI/ M4A/ AMR/ WAV
Video
MP4/ 3GP/ MOV/ MKV/ AVI/ FLV/ MPEG
M2TS/ TS
The Meizu MX4 smartphone was launched in September 2014, with 16GB/32GB and 64GB of internal storage, a customized version of the MediaTek MT6595 SoC, 2GB of RAM and one high-performance 20.7MP back shooter. Our sample from Fastcardtech did not come in its original box, but inside a default Android-branded one:
After removing the top cover, we have the found the MX4, covered with multiple layers of protection in order to avoid damages during transport:
The on the bottom layer of the enclosure, we have found the rest of the bundle:
A bonus carry pouch was included and the rest of the items could be found in bubble wrap:
A closer look reveals the bonus protective screen cover, one red goodie bag, the power adapter but also the USB cable:
The Chinese power adapter is rated 5V at 1A for the output; its plug is USA-type but an adapter for Europe was also pre-installed:
On the other side of the adapter we will find the USB port:
Here are the contents of the goodies bag:
One of the items is the 24K Gold Plating sticker which comes with different logos and is meant for minimizing the radiation levels:
The protective plastic screen cover is wrapped inside an envelope and comes with the necessary tools in order to perform the installation:
The black leatherette protective pouch is offered as a bonus to Fastcardtech customers:
Inside we will find a soft-touch material which will help keep our investment scratch-free:
The MX4 review sample was pre-fitted with a transparent silicone back cover:
After the removal of the plastic branded film, we will unveil the 5.36-inch display which features a resolution of 1920x1152 and a pixel density of 418ppi; the bezel is only 2mm on each side of the display:
On the top side of the screen we will be able to locate the speaker, the 2MP Sony camera but also the proximity sensor:
On the lower area we will only find a central circular capacitive button, while the other two lateral buttons are missing. Meizu has opted for a really minimalistic design in order to bring a sleek device to the market, while supplementing the functionality of the other buttons via software:
Meizu MX4 is manufactured in gray, white and gold versions; our gray sample has a chassis made of aluminum alloy, while the back cover is made of plastic from the same color:
On the top area we have the 20MP Sony shooter camera lens along with the LED flash:
Further down we will discover the manufacturer logo:
The aluminum frame comes with a professional look and finish and on the bottom area of the device we will be able to spot the loudspeaker grill, the USB port, the microphone port but also a small opening for easy removal of the plastic cover:
On the left side of the device we could spot the Volume rocker, which is also made of aluminum and quite responsive:
On the top area, we will get to see the headphone/microphone combo port, the secondary microphone port which serves as noise cancellation but also the aluminum Power/Standby button:
The right side does not have additional interfaces:
After the removal of the back plastic cover, we will end up seeing the non-removable battery:
The micro-SIM slot is located in the top left corner, while the other interfaces are covered by white stickers:
Meizu warns us not to fiddle with the battery as-is, otherwise we may end up damaging the device:
Further down we will find the code name of the product, supported LTE (TD-LTE) standard, the IMEI number, Serial number but also the CMIIT ID. The Meizu MX4 comes in two variants, the China one with TD-LTE and the International version with FDD-LTE:
When powered up, the capacitive button also doubles as a notification LED, which lights up with a breathing mode effect:
The offered transparent case accessory is quite slim, does not contribute to adding a lot of bulk to the device and offers more grip:
Here are some views of the cut-outs and protected interfaces:
Meizu MX4 does not come with a stock Android experience as most manufacturer present us with, but with Flyme 4.0, which is a heavily modified version as MIUI. Thanks to the high-quality screen and the way the OS was customized, the text is very easy to read and the icons of the applications are quite large. Even with the launcher in locked position, if we swipe in each direction, we will get to see another behavior: swipe right for quick launch of selected applications, sweep left for launching the camera application, sweep up for easy unlock and sweep down for bringing the curtain down for additional settings. Since we are dealing with a HK version of this smartphone, we are expecting to see a lot of Chinese applications pre-installed:
In the lower area of the launcher we are shown the name of the current page, the defined home page and on the bottom we have the dialer application, stock browser but also the messaging application:
The Calendar application is similar to what we have seen with stock Android, but it is fully skinned, in order to integrate with the rest of the OS:
The Email application supports logging in to various accounts:
Next, we could remind of the Clock application, which allows setting alarms, is equipped with a stopwatch and so on; as the Calendar application, the menu buttons are located in the bottom area:
The calculator application is also equipped with a currency conversion feature and can be also viewed in window mode:
The Music application works with both online and offline environments; from it we can browse the latest online albums or work with the internal storage content:
The Gallery application will show the photos we have just taken with the Meizu MX4 inside the Photo tab, while inside the Gallery section we will get to browse the photos from the other paths:
We can also log in to the online services for accessing the photos located there:
The camera comes with an easy to use interface and we can customize options by browsing both top and bottom menus:
Here are the options we can access while browsing the bottom menu; video content can be captured with up to 4K resolution:
Next, we could remind of the Chinese AppCenter which we will use for installing the Google Play Store services via Google Installer:
One Reader Chinese application is also available:
The file browser from Flyme is baptized as “Document” and is more advanced than the regular MTK file manager, meaning that we can also browse the local network, access the cloud resources, browse the indexed photo files, music or video which are located internally:
The Weather application is also in Chinese:
If we need a small notebook to note our memos, then we should use the designed application:
We can also have fun by using the Painter application, which can help us do simple drawings or use the default presets:
The contacts will show inside the designated application after they have been synced:
Different settings can be customized by accessing the options menu:
Game Center is another application portal which is only in Chinese language:
Custom themes can be set by accessing the Personalize application; not all are free, as we have seen with the MIUI theming application:
Also as MIUI, Flyme is equipped with a Security Center application, which can help us clean junk files, detect large files, remove the unnecessary applications, perform a virus scan, set permissions and more:
The tools section integrates several other available applications:
The recorder function is self-explanatory and can be also used for playback pre-recorded calls:
The Download application will show us the files which are currently downloading and those whom have been already downloaded:
The Upgrade application is meant to provide us with the latest Flyme version (with at the time of the review was 4.2.2.2A):
Tips for using the applications can be found by clicking the respective icon:
Next we could remind of the Life application, which is all in Chinese:
The default browser application has some bookmarks pre-defined:
We could also remind of the messaging application, where people can send SMS with ease:
The Settings application has quite a bit different arrangement when compared with stock Android, with pictograms available on a single column on the left side; the Personalize menu will allow us to customize the theme to our liking:
Next we have the account tab, where we can work with the Flyme account but also manage others like the ones available from Google, Facebook, Viber and so on:
The Network menu will take care of data services, roaming, network mode (4G/3G/2G), APNs, setting up a portable hotspot, VPN, PPPoE dialing or select manually the network carrier:
From the Wi-Fi section we can connect to nearby networks, given that we have the necessary credentials:
The Bluetooth menu is quite self-explanatory:
From the Sound and Vibrate menu, we can select different effects, volume levels, work with the DND mode; Flyme supports setting different sound alerts for Phone ringtone, SMS ringtone, Email notification, Calendar notification or other notifications:
The Display menu allows setting custom brightness levels, allow automatic adjustment, configure Dynamic blurring effect, enable Screen power-saving mode, Screen timeout, Font size or Project the screen on other devices:
The Power management section, allows display of Battery percentage, Power consumption for each application and we can also configure three operating modes (Power-saving, Balance and High performance):
From the Security section, we can configure a Passcode lock, the Screen lock, set up SIM card lock (when inserted), allow installation of applications from unknown sources, Device Manager which allows enabling Android Device Manager, which allows you to locate your misplaced Android device, or work with the applications which can send and receive notifications:
The Positioning services menu allows us to enable GPS services and localization via Wi-Fi and internal hardware:
Next, we have the Language and time menu, which is the same as on stock Android; here we have the possibility to change the default keyboard which is Sogou. For an unknown reason, after a system restart Sogou keyboard seems to set it as default again even if we have another keyboard installed, but we can fix this by disabling Sogou completely:
The Application management menu shows the status of currently installed applications and here we can also use the panels as a task manager:
The Accessibility menu allows setting various gestures like different type of sweeps, double click, enable SmartTouch and many more; here we can also turn off the Home button LED light, choose to display the current network speed, enable Full Screen access, Drive assistant, choose different settings for scheduled power on and off, but also more:
The About phone menu will allow us to configure the device name, see current storage status, smartphone status, check out some legal info but some extra info about the device are displayed out the sub-menus too:
As we have mentioned before, MX4 does not have Google services pre-installed, so we will have to go to the Chinese store, search for “google installer” and run the process after it has been downloaded:
The installation is pretty straight-forward via the interface:
Here we have the result:
Here we will list the rest of included Chinese applications which are preloaded with the Flyme OS, HK version:
The Meizu MX4 has as its core the MediaTek MT6595 SoC which is built around a big.LITTLE architecture, based on four A7 cores and four A17 cores, which can run at the same time. The Cortex A-17 cores are clocked at 2.2GHz, while the smaller A7 ones run at 1.7GHz. The GPU renderer is PowerVR Rogue G6200 with two clusters, and are clocked at 600MHz. These are paired with 2GB of RAM and the MX4 has arrived in 16GB/32GB and 64GB configurations (64GB version is very hard to find).
The System tab will supply us more information regarding the board type, Android version, kernel, resolution, free memory and so on:
The Battery tab will show the current status; the battery sensor is operating properly, unlike some other terminals we have checked out previously:
The new Thermal tab will update us with the live temperatures in different areas:
The application also shows live data from the available sensors:
To test out the performances of the Meizu MX4 smartphone in more detail, we have installed some freeware benchmark apps from the Google Play Store in the internal memory. Afterwards, the applications were ran one-by-one, and we recorded the final scores; the obtained results were also compared with the previously tested systems, in order to spot the performance differences.
With its 20.7 Sony image sensor which is capable of shooting with 5248x3936 resolution and the dual-color flash light for eliminating distortions in low-light conditions, we can enjoy high-speed camera focus and very good overall results. We can say hands-off that this smartphone produces the best photos we have seen at a smartphone so far, with great focus, while taking breathtaking macro shots.
The Sharp/JDI 5.36-inch screen is of very good quality, uses a new Nega liquid crystal technology and LED backlight module.
Since launch, Flyme has got quite a few bug fixes and the version has worked flawlessly, without restarts, application crashes and so on. Regarding wearables, we have tried the MX4 along with the Pebble which works perfectly, but have seen certain issues with the Mi Band (we could not log in properly to the servers from the first attempt, our previous recordings did not appear in the history and while doing sit-ups the application was responding intermittently).
Meizu has used with the MX4 a high quality chassis which also feels great inside the pocket thanks to the rounded edges and the aluminum frame feels premium; the same thing we can say about the durable Gorilla Glass III front, the 5.36’’ display with good contrast, unique design with only one capacitive button which also works as the notification LED, but also the haptic feedback of the smartphone feels quite interesting.
Thanks to the custom solution, the audio quality is great, for both calls and listening to music/watching videos, something we could rarely find on Chinese smartphones nowadays.
The SoC performance is quite good for most activities, however we have seen the Snapdragon 801 from the Mi4 winning over it in many of the tests; the power management is very well done, with three available profiles. We have used the Balance mode throughout the day and the smartphone should last more than 24 hours without needing a recharge; also, the standby times are very good, the battery dropping very little during this mode. As always, we have done the battery test with the help of the AnTuTu utility, which resulted in a great score, while using Balance mode and a screen brightness of 75%.
Talking about the camera, we have remained speechless after analyzing the samples we have taken for the review; thanks to the customized Meizu settings, the Sony 20.7 sensor is better than ever, with great focus times, sharp details and rich colors; we should also point out that the macro photos look very good indeed!
There seem to be in circulation two different versions of this smartphone: the HK one which supports TD-LTE and the International one which works with FDD-LTE, so be careful which version you are getting; better ask the supplier before the purchase in order to make sure 4G connectivity will be functional in your region. There is downloadable firmware available for each version and while we have tried to flash the International version over our HK version inside recovery, we have encountered an error, because the flash process also checks the ZIP file for compatibility for good measure.
With MTK SoCs we were very disappointed in the past regarding GPS accuracy, since during tracking the cursor was jumping all over the place and during walking or running we were getting unreal speeds recorded like 60KM/h or 105KM/h (spikes). With the newer MT6595 it does not seem to be the case, the tracking is excellent and the locking time is quite fast.
The Meizu MX4 is now available at Fastcardtech for about 275 USD (16GB internal memory version) but if we would prefer the 32GB instead, this should set us off 25 USD extra.
We would like to thank again to Fastcardtech.com for making this review possible!
