Meizu M2 Note firmware options: preparation process and installation of new software

Specifications

• CPU: MediaTek MT6753, 1.3 GHz, 8 cores, ARM Cortex-A53
• GPU: Mali-T720 @450 MHz 3 cores
• Operating system: Android 5.1, Flyme OS 4.5
• Display: IPS IGZO (Sharp) 5.5″, 1920×1080, 401 ppi
• RAM: 2 GB, internal memory 16/32 GB
• Nano-SIM support (2 pcs), MicroSD support up to 128 GB
• Communication: GSM 900/1800 MHz; 3G HSDPA 900/2100 MHz; LTE Cat.4 (150/50 Mbit/s) 1800/2100/2600 MHz; Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct; Bluetooth 4.0 BLE; GPS, A-GPS, Glonass; USB 2.0 OTG
• Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, autofocus, 1080p video
• Front camera: 5 MP, OmniVision OV5670, f/2.0, fixed. focus
• Gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, gravity sensor, electronic compass
• Battery: 3100 mAh, non-removable
• Dimensions: 151×75×8.7 mm
• Weight: 149 g

Meizu M2 Note review

Somewhere at the end of January, I finally bought myself an iPhone 5S - my first and long-desired smartphone from the Apple company, which I still couldn’t fork out for. I’ve wanted to try the Apple OS for a long time; I had high hopes for it in terms of performance, which were later justified. But the iPhone let us down in terms of hardware: after 5 months of use, it simply stopped turning on, and repairs would cost a very large sum, for which you can buy a new smartphone. That's what I did. The new device is the Meizu M2 Note, a cosmetic update to the first generation of the smartphone in this series. The main criteria when choosing a device were a reasonable price (up to $200) and some kind of brand, because I was already fed up with nameless Chinese over the previous 2 years of operation.

The text may and most likely does contain grammatical, spelling, punctuation and other types of errors, including semantic ones. I strongly encourage readers to point out these errors and correct me through private messages.

Specifications

Screen:
IGZO (Sharp), 5.5 inches, 1920×1080, AGC Dragontrail
Processor:
64-bit MediaTek MT6753 (eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores on ARMv8 architecture), frequency 1.3 GHz
Graphics:
Mali T720 MP3
Operating system:
Android 5.1 Lollipop + Flyme 4.5I
RAM:
2 GB, LPDDR3-1600, 800 MHz
User memory:
16/32 GB, microSD up to 128 GB
Camera:
13 MP, autofocus, two-color flash, 5 MP front camera
Network types:
GSM/GPRS/EDGE (900/1800MHz), WCDMA/HSPA+ (900/2100Mhz), FDD-LTE, TD-LTE
Wireless technologies:
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (dual-band, 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 LE, GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS
Additionally:
USB-OTG, Light sensor, Gravity sensor, IR distance sensor, Digital compass, Hall sensor, Gyroscope
Battery:
3100 mAh, non-removable
Dimensions:
150.9x75.2x8.7 mm
Weight :
149 grams
Stated cost:
799/899 yuan ($125/140) for the 16/32 GB version, respectively

A few weeks earlier, a noise was made on the RuNet regarding the deliberate removal of the Russian language from the Chinese versions of Meizu smartphones. I suspect that purchases of smartphones from Chinese online stores significantly impact the income of official retailers, and hence the corresponding actions on the part of Meizu. Meizu M2 Note exists in 4 modifications of the software platform, which are determined by the presence of a letter in the Flyme firmware version: I, A, U, C. At the time of writing, the last 3 letters indicate the Chinese version of the firmware with no less Chinese pre-installed applications, the absence of Play Store and , now, by the absence of the Russian language. Firmware with index I, that is, International. speak for themselves - there is no Chinese software in them, but Google and Russian services are present. Most stores promise such smartphones by August, but they will be a little more expensive.

I suspect that those who are currently receiving a smartphone still receive it with OS version 4.5.1A, which contains the Russian language, and if you want to save it, I advise you to hold off on updating until the problem is possibly resolved. I, in turn, simply don’t see this problem and have been using smartphones with a system in English for a long time. Those who managed to update are now trying in every possible way to get out of this situation by installing an international version of the firmware on their device or returning the necessary files from the previous firmware version via ADB.

About Flyme OS - I really liked the system, despite the Chinese version of the device with a bunch of pre-installed software. It is clear that they are working on it and it is clear that they draw their inspiration from the iOS cup. Perhaps this is why I liked this system so much: a peculiar combination of the open and customizable Android with the convenience of the iOS interface. When we turn on the device for the first time, we are prompted to select a language and log in or register for the Flyme service. In the latter, as in Google services, you can store and later synchronize notes, contacts, messages, etc.

The desktop consists of 3 screens, the number of which varies in proportion to the number of installed applications. The first thing I did was demolish the Chinese applications, because... the likelihood of me using them inexorably approaches zero.

Installing Google Play on Chinese versions of Meizu smartphones is extremely simple. In the search for the AppCenter application, type in “installer” and install the first application in the list with the name “Google Installer”. Next, open the downloaded program and install Google services.

As I already said, Meizu's OS is somewhat similar to iOS. For example, before the release of Android Lollipop, I spat a lot about the lack of a quick system search, which in iOS is called Spotlight and opens by swiping from top to bottom on the desktop. Why do applications need alphabetical order, why search for them at all if you can just enter the first 2 letters. In Flyme OS, a similar search is opened by swiping in reverse, i.e. from bottom to top on the desktop. Thanks to this search, the issue with the lack of Russian T9 letters on the keyboard in the dialer is resolved: swipe - enter the first few letters of the contact - “poke” - call. The notification shade is also radically different from what is currently available in Android 5.0. The only thing that the developers used from the system provided by Googl were drop-down lists next to the Wi-Fi, data transfer and brightness icons. The curtain is called by the usual swipe from top to bottom anywhere on the desktop or from the top edge of the display in applications. Repeated action opens the second and third row of icons, the location of which can be changed according to the principle of shortcuts on the desktop. Control of the operating system is tied to a single button, which is both touch and physical. Touching this key corresponds to the back button, and pressing it will take you to the desktop. In general, I have a certain love for the front physical buttons in modern smartphones, perhaps because my first device was one, or maybe I got used to it while using the iPhone, but the fact remains a fact. Despite the ability to “wake up” the smartphone by tapping the display, I press the front button out of habit. In addition, in the settings we found a function to turn off the display by pressing it for a longer time - even more convenient. Meizu has done a good job on gesture control. From the switched off display, you can unlock your smartphone, open the notification shade, scroll through tracks by swiping left and right, or even assign a letter to launch a specific application.

But there is another feature called SmartTouch. Honestly, there would be no price to cross it with a touch-physical key and Meizu. SmartTouch is a touch-sensitive trackpad (which for some reason is not shown in the screenshots), similar to the physical one in Lenovo's ThinkPad series laptops. You can move the trackpad after holding it for a long time, and the list of available functions is presented in the screenshot. What I liked most was the ability to switch between running applications by swiping left and right on the trackpad. That is, to get to the previous application, you do not need to open the multitasking window or return to the desktop - just swipe in the right direction. Video demonstration of work:

The display locking is interesting. Ever since my first Android smartphone, I got used to a graphical password, when you simply type a given sequence with your finger, and if it weren’t for Touch ID in the iPhone, I would have been spitting long and hard at pressing the buttons one by one. Meizu simply combined both types of blocking and thus earned another plus from my point of view. Customization in Flyme OS is also at the level. This is evidenced by the enormous number of both paid and free themes in the default Personalize application. When I turned on the device, I agreed to some synchronization of contacts, SMS and notes, but I had to work hard to find all this data. However, as a result I found another interesting function - phone search. First, go to the address cloud.flyme.cn, where you will need to log in with the name and password of the account that was created when you first got acquainted with the phone. The service has a significant drawback, which repeatedly overtakes us throughout the entire journey of using this smartphone - it is in Chinese.

Then we get to the control panel of the smartphone. Here we can get acquainted with general information, edit contacts, view SMS, notes and, in fact, find your smartphone in the last menu item. Previously, Google maps were used even in the Chinese version, but now this is a service from Baidu and in Ukraine, the most that can be done is to determine the city, nothing more.

You can also send a message, take a secret photo with the front camera, turn on the nasty siren, which cannot be removed except by rebooting the smartphone, or block the smartphone altogether.

A standard dialer consists of 3 items: contacts, call history and dialer. Everything is done in a simple style characteristic of the entire system.

Also worthy of mention are the additional functions of the dialer, which can be found in its settings: the ability to set a contact to the dialer digits (as in old push-button phones), blocking unknown numbers and automatic call recording. The built-in “Security” application replaces an entire folder of third-party software from the Google Play Store. Here you can clean your smartphone of file junk, scan your phone for malware, configure autorun settings, notifications and application rights, set traffic restrictions and configure energy saving modes. Finally, I'll show you the keyboard. It is also in many ways similar to iOS, but has a number of its own advantages that are generated as a result of crossing with Android. First of all, moving the cursor: in iOS this is done only with a magnifying glass, which is called by a long tap on the input field; in Android, a slider often pops up, which we can drag, or simply poke in the right place. Here these functions are combined and you can either move the carriage to the desired place with your finger or use a magnifying glass. The keyboard itself is far from ideal: Swype is completely absent here, and predictive typing has bypassed the Russian language. I default to my favorite Google Keyboard. In principle, I can describe for a long time and tediously every application present in the OS, the ability to get root in a few simple steps, security settings where I can set a password for a specific application, but more than one Internet resource has already done this for me and get acquainted with A good review can be found, for example, here. I like the shell, I like its design, although many criticize it for its lack of “materiality”, I like the presence of iOS-like functions, I like its functionality in management and in many other aspects. I like it in general.UPD. While preparing the review for publication, I poked several familiar managers of Chinese online stores about the absence of the Russian language in the new Flyme OS firmware. To which they assured that they had received information from Meizu representatives regarding the return of the Russian in the new firmware version. Let's see how it turns out in practice. I will update the review as information becomes available.

Assembly and some body elements could be better

Let me take a second to look at the box in which the smartphone comes. It has changed slightly compared to the previous model, but the equipment remains the same: power supply, cable, paperclip and some pieces of paper.

The power supply is 2A, which is confirmed in practice by really fast charging of the smartphone: up to 50% in 60 minutes and up to 100% in 2.5 hours.

Partly, it was the second version of the M2 Note smartphone that won my attention due to the presence of a gray version with a “back” made of matte plastic. There are no fingerprints left on it, and it looks somehow more solid. The front of the smartphone is covered with AGC Dragontrail protective glass. Actually, after a month it is difficult to detect any traces of use on the coating. The oleophobic coating initially left much to be desired. The front key is a completely different matter. Most likely it is made of ordinary plastic, and therefore quickly becomes covered with micro-scratches. At the same time, it is pressed clearly and with a noticeable tactile response.

At the top of the front panel there are (from left to right): proximity and light sensors, an indicator LED (informs about notifications with a white glow), a voice speaker and a front camera. There are absolutely no complaints about the quality of communication, microphone and speaker performance. The vibration alert is average in strength.

In general, I don’t like “shovels,” but on the other hand, a large display is damn convenient in our time. Watching videos and photos, editing text or code on the go, surfing the Internet - everything can be done on a smartphone, but at the same time it causes certain inconveniences. When I take a general photo with the front camera of the iPhone 5S, I have absolutely no worries and am not afraid of dropping it from my hand, which cannot be said about this Meizu. You already grab it this way and that, but it’s still not very comfortable. The smartphone, in general, fits well in the hand, and over time I have already gotten used to using it with one hand, intercepting it when necessary to reach the top edge. Initially, I didn’t understand why everyone noted the fact that the Power key was moved to the left side was so strange. Personally, I don’t use it at all - the front one performs similar functions. But in reality, the execution of the button leaves much to be desired: it “dangles” and is pressed a little tightly. Perhaps the problem is specifically with my copy, because... Everything is fine with the volume buttons - they “sit” elastically and are pressed with a clear response.

The camera and dual LED flash are located strictly in the center of the back of the Meizu M2 Note. The glass covering the camera (Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3) is slightly recessed relative to the surface of the body, which allows you not to worry about the coating when you place the smartphone with the back cover on the table.

The bottom end of the smartphone consists of solid holes. No matter how funny it may be, all the holes, including the slots for the speaker and microphone, are quite large in diameter and after only a month of use I had to clean them from the dust that had accumulated there.

At the top end there is a headphone jack and a second microphone hole.

In Meizu M2 Note, the SIM card tray has been radically changed. In addition to the transition to the Nano-SIM format, it became possible to install microSD cards. For gamers or fans of uploading several tens of gigabytes of music to a smartphone, this is an excellent innovation. I, in turn, easily fit into the amount of built-in storage: my photos are synchronized with Dropbox every month and sent there, and the required set of music in AAC format takes up just under 3 GB. By installing a MicroSD card (sizes up to 128 GB are supported), you will have to sacrifice one SIM card, but this is better than having no choice at all. Based on a combination of factors, everything is more good than bad. They worked on the design as much as a budget device deserves. Having been using the Meizu M2 Note as my main phone for just over a month now, I have absolutely no desire to highlight any shortcomings, because everything suits me. However, like the advantages, you can deduce them for yourself by reading the above text or reviews of other authors, but ideally, of course, come to the store and “touch” the smartphone yourself.

Performance is enough for most tasks, including games

When I bought it, I only knew that the device was built on one of the latest “stones” from MediaTek and that there had been a downgrade compared to the previous version.
For the rest, I trusted the manufacturer and was right. The interface works smoothly, and for the sake of interest and this article I installed several toys - they work without problems. For example, World of Tanks. In the settings I turned on “Perfomance mode”, and in the game itself I set the graphics to the absolute maximum settings and got the maximum for a normal game of 20-25 FPS. At medium settings, stable 30-40 frames per second. For the Meizu M2 Note with its price tag, this is a very good indicator. The shooter Modern Combat 5: Blackout, popular on the Play Store, also plays without problems or lags.

With simpler toys there are no problems at all. The new Angry Birds 2 runs without glitches. I don’t know how Rovio did it, but I again spent the whole evening on these damn birds.

3D games and other applications that use the full power of the processor heat up the smartphone up to 45-47 degrees, which causes some discomfort on hot summer days. For fans of synthetic tests and those who like to compare themselves with parrots (nothing personal), here are screenshots of smartphone tests in various benchmarks. AnTuTu Benchmark: 3DMark Sling Shot (ES 3.1):

3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited:

The device easily copes with most modern audio and video formats and only starts to falter at 4K/2K resolutions.

Unlike the previous model, the M2 Note has acquired an LTE module that operates in three bands in Russia (3, 7, 20). Accordingly, both SIM cards are capable of working in 4G networks, but in the settings you will have to indicate which SIM card will work in 4G, because In any case, the second card will be allocated only for GSM networks. In Ukraine, there were no problems with working in 3G networks.

GPS and Wi-Fi work at a similarly high level. The first one, if there is Internet access, starts in a matter of seconds, and Wi-Fi, due to support for the 5 GHz band, fits perfectly into my system headed by the Xiaomi Mini WiFi Router. The screenshot shows the Wi-Fi network signal level at a distance of 7 meters from the source and with an obstacle in the form of a brick wall.

It doesn’t matter at all how many cores my smartphone has or will have, the main thing is that it works quickly and without brakes in everyday use. So that when I press the unlock button or when taking a photo, I don’t have to wait several seconds for the smartphone to digest what they want from it. M2 Note completely satisfies my needs in terms of performance, for which thanks to the developers of this Chinese company.

Camera of stars from the sky is not enough, but fits perfectly into the price of the smartphone

Most budget phones, despite their attractive characteristics, are intimidating with their cameras, and this is not only due to the camera module itself, but also to the image processing algorithms, i.e.
Software of this very camera. Before purchasing the M2 Note, I was guided by the picture quality of the first generation of the Chinese smartphone, which suited me. I will compare the photo with the iPhone 5S, whose camera I currently consider to be one of the best on the market. Indoors: Outdoors:

Macro:

At night:

Who where?

Meizu is on the left, iPhone is on the right.

In addition to the quality of the images, the standard Camera application turned out to be no less attractive. First of all, it works consistently quickly and does not “go away for a few seconds” when you press the shutter button. There are 7 shooting modes to choose from, including:

• auto
• manual (you can set shutter speed, ISO, focus and adjust exposure)
• Beauty (has various sliders for correcting eye size or retouching skin)
• panorama
• Light field (a series of pictures is taken with focusing over the entire range, after which you can select the focus point on the photo after the fact)
• scanning QR codes
• recording Slowmotion 100 fps video in 480p resolution.

Switching modes is done by swiping left/right or through the menu, which can be called up by swiping your finger from top to bottom on the screen. At the bottom of the application there are shortcut keys: activating the flash, applying effects online, changing the camera and, in fact, advanced settings, where you can activate HDR, a grid or a level sensor.

The front camera in “Beauty” mode allows you to take the following self-portraits (in the photo is yours truly):

And with the help of manual focusing, we aim for some previously unknown artistry (joke): Example of shooting FullHD video on Meizu M2 Note: And finally, “home” Slowmotion:

The camera is good, but there is only one drawback that haunts me - it often overdoes the shutter speed and the photos turn out blurry. Moreover, this happens even during daylight hours. I hope that this bug will be corrected in subsequent firmware versions, but for now it remains to shoot with what we have. By the way, follow my Instagram.

Rumor has it that the 5.5” Full HD IGZO display is from the real iPhone 6 Plus!

Viewing angles are maximum, there is no air gap, and colors are warm, although the temperature can be further adjusted in the display settings.

I was pleased with the level of minimum brightness - using the smartphone in the dark is very convenient. The maximum brightness is also sufficient for reading information in direct sunlight.

I don’t have any additional devices for measuring contrast or brightness values, but I can assure you in words that the screen is excellent and fully covers my quality needs.

Autonomy, sound and connection to a PC

After the iPhone 5S, it was very nice to return to full one-day battery life, because... The first one tended to run out before noon. Meizu M2 Note lives stably from early morning to late night, leaving 10-20 percent charge in reserve. And this despite the fact that I rarely worry about turning off Wi-Fi or GPS, and data transfer on 3G networks is constantly active.

I don’t make many calls, though—literally a couple of calls a day for a few tens of seconds. If we express the operating time in hours of screen activity, then it is from 3 to 5 hours - depending on the load. During the entire period of operation, I never had the opportunity to use the Power-saving modes, because... I always carry a backup power source with me, but I would like to note their presence. The most “powerful” of the modes turns your smartphone into a completely black and white dialer and promises an incredible extension of operating time.

The sound quality in the headphones is no worse than that in the iPhone - tested on Xiaomi Piston Youth Edition and Piston 2. The external speaker is very loud and copes with its function of notifying about incoming calls perfectly well. You can also watch movies, but it is preferable to do it with headphones.

Happy with your purchase?

Like an elephant. No, I'm serious, this is not an advertisement or anything, this is a real review and impressions. And yes, I wasn’t lazy to write so much text for free, let’s consider it work on the portfolio. The smartphone fully justifies the ~160 dollars invested in it due to stable software, build quality, good display, camera and performance.

Who would you recommend?

For everyone who is now looking for a smartphone to replace some old one, the Meizu M2 Note will be an excellent choice. Looking at their Chinese counterparts at a similar price, what first of all frightens me is the quality of the software, whereas with Meizu I can even count on constant updates and support.

What about Meizu M2 Mini?

When I pre-ordered my older brother there was no rumor about him yet. And yes, perhaps 5.5 inches is still too much for me and I could save money by taking the M2 Mini. Among the obvious sacrifices for the sake of price: screen resolution (720p on 5 inches is basically enough) and performance (4 cores instead of eight), but judging by the few reviews online, this is enough for stable and fast work.

Reviews

Review from ITC.UA Review from ferra.ru Review from Mobile Review Video review from ROZETKED Review from Review from overclockers.ru Review from gagadget.com

Related links

Official website Official Russian website VKontakte group Topic on 4pda All questions and suggestions you are interested in can also be asked on social networks: Facebook, VKontakte, Twitter, Instagram.
PS In the period between the breakdown of the iPhone and the arrival of the M2 Note, I had the opportunity to visit a Chinese person sent for review by an online store - the Doogee IRON BONE DG750. So, don’t buy it, you should wait a little and, I think, the price for the same M2 Mini will stabilize, and this is a much more correct investment of money. I will, of course, write a review of Iron Bone, but it will be in an extremely negative way.

Equipment

The device arrived to us in a small, nice box made of thick white cardboard, with only a few logos printed on the sides.

Inside, in addition to the smartphone itself, there was a power supply, a microUSB cable, a proprietary paper clip and accompanying documentation. Not a lot, especially since recently companies have been equipping even the most budget devices with a wider scope of delivery. The “plug” in place for the headphones looks especially strange.

Meizu M2 note owner review or how I became the owner of Meizu

“Hello, my name is Vasily and I have a Chinese phone...” Until recently, I considered such a phrase shameful, but everything changed a lot after I got the Meizu M2 note. When my HTC One X finally went crazy, the need for a phone became a rib. I didn’t have a lot of money - 4,000 hryvnia (approximately 160 dollars), but I wanted a good phone. This budget included only Chinese phones, I started to look into it and my eyes fell on Xiaomi (I had just been given a Mi Band (the review of which you can read at the link), and I was very pleased with it) and of course Meizu. The latter are more pleasant in terms of pricing; besides, having traded in my old HTC at a profit, I was able to buy a Meizu M2 note with 16 GB LTE gray for 3,200 hryvnia (approximately $128), which made me and my pocket happy. But what did I get for such a modest amount?

Meizu M2 note 16/32 GB specifications or “what's under the hood?”

1. 8-core ARM Cortex-A53 MT6753 processor with a frequency of 1.3 GHz (64-bit architecture)
2. 2 GB dual channel RAM
3. 3100 mAh battery from Sony/ATL
4. 5.5 inch screen with Full HD 1080p resolution made using full lamination technology
5. 13 megapixel CMOS camera from Samsung and 5 megapixel front camera from OmniVision (you can view more photos from the camera of my Meizu M2 note with 16 GB at the link)
6. Memory:
   There are 2 modifications of the phone: 16 and 32 GB of internal memory
7. Ability to insert a micro SD memory card up to 128 GB (instead of a second SIM card)

As you can see, for a fairly modest amount you get a phone with excellent stuff under the hood. Which really is the best bang for your buck.

In fact, they didn’t do anything new: they took an unpopular processor, an analogue of Gorilla Glass – AGC Dragontrail/NEG T2X-1, cameras from Samsung and OmniVision, a 3100 mAh battery from Sony, and put it all in a plastic case , the covers of which are made using the same technology as on the iPhone5c, combined the design of iPhone and Samsung, added the proprietary mBack multifunction button (where touch is back and press is home), installed the Flyme 4.5 shell running on Android 5.1 and voila!

Test Meizu M2 note in AnTuTu Benchmark

But let's peel back the paper and see how it all works.

In the AnTuTu Benchmark V6.0 test, the Meizu M2 note 16 GB LTE took 15th place with 33,649 virtual parrots, giving way to the Vivo X5 Pro worth $440. Considering that the difference between these models is about 300 bucks, then this is just an amazing result! Few budget phones can show such excellent results.

But let's get back to the test:

• Touchscreen test Meizu M2 note scored the standard 10 touches
• Core load at 30% - standard (1235-0-1144-819-1040-1040-1040-1040 MHz)
• In the 3D test the phone scored 5874
• UX – 12019
• CPU – 11206
• RAM - 4550

In addition, these characteristics are stable. The phone does not lose performance even after an hour's load, unlike the famous Xiaomi Mi4i, which shows its 40,000 parrots only after being in the freezer.

Appearance

Let's move on to the appearance of the smartphone. It's as minimalist as the box the M2 Note came in: a streamlined polycarbonate body with rounded edges. Depending on the chosen color of the case, it will be either matte or glossy. The rounded edges give their advantage - despite the 5.5-inch display and impressive size, the Meizu M2 Note looks and feels like a small and neat pebble. At least it is comfortable and convenient to hold in your hand.

The back panel is not removable; it smoothly flows onto the front side, framing the screen.

On the right side there are connectors for two nanoSIM cards. By the way, one of the connectors can be used to expand memory using an SD card. Right there on the right side there is a power button, which, it seemed to me, has a little tight movement. In addition, its location cannot be called convenient: it is located a little lower than standard, you will need to get used to this.

On the top of the back of the case is the main camera lens, which does not protrude beyond the panel and is covered with Dragontrail protective glass. There is also a multi-colored LED flash nearby.

The speaker was placed on the bottom end, positioned next to the microUSB connector and the conversation microphone.

At the top end there is a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones. Meizu M2 Note is available in white, blue and pink - all three are glossy, but the gray one is matte, and to be honest, it not only looks better and more presentable, but the matte finish is not so easily soiled, so leaving marks on it and scratches are much more difficult than on gloss.

Design

The Meizu m2 note case is available in several colors:

• white;
• blue;
• pink;
• grey.

The first three have a glossy and very easily soiled surface, and only gray is made matte. But despite this, it tends to slip out of your hands during use.

The appearance of the gadget has received many minor changes compared to its predecessor. For example, a gray modification appeared, the body of which is painted, we talked about it a little higher.

Now let's go through the elements of the body. On the bottom panel there is a conversational microphone, micro USB and a single speaker. On the top edge there is a noise-canceling microphone and a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. The sound is clean and detailed, pleasant and clear, which means you can get anything out of it if you want. The speaker is not particularly loud, and it cannot boast of good quality.

On the right side there is a SIM card tray. A standard scheme is used, thanks to which you can install either 2 Nano-SIM or 1 Nano-SIM and a memory card. You can use micro SD up to 128 GB, which will be more than enough for anyone. Dual SIM operation is typical for a device with a single radio module. Both cards always catch the network, except when you speak on one of them. There are no complaints about signal reception and voice transmission. Telephone functionality in the M2 Note is implemented quite well.

On the left side there is a volume rocker and an on/off button.

On the front side of the smartphone there is:

• Speaker.
• Front-camera.
• Light/proximity sensor.
• Indicator of missed events.
• Mechanical touch button that responds to touch and is pressed. In the first case, the “Back” transition is performed, and in the second case, the user exits to the “Desktop” or goes to the home screen.

At the back is:

• the camera is recessed into the body, which is a definite plus;
• double flash of warm and cold glow.

The technical characteristics of the Meizu m2 note dimensions are as follows: height - 150.9 mm, width - 75.2 mm, thickness - 8.7 mm and weight - 149 g.

Read also LG x power 2 m320 review and specifications

In general, the design was and remains simple but pleasant. On the one hand, there are no extremely interesting details in it, but, on the other hand, there is nothing bad to say. The workmanship is generally excellent. Fitting and assembly of the device is 5+. The only thing is that the plastic cover of the card tray is a little loose, but that’s the only thing I can complain about.

Ergonomics

But if you look at the Meiza M2 Note, from the point of view of ergonomics, then this gadget is not the best in the world.

Using it with one hand is terribly difficult, but you can do it if you want.

Thanks to the narrow frames around the screen, the device is not as huge as it could be. So it’s quite possible to write a short message on the go, and this is already a good indicator.

Also, compared to its predecessor in terms of ergonomics, there are two good news:

1. The power button is now on the side instead of the top, which is good.
2. You can unlock and put the device to sleep using a mechanical key. And as we know, the mechanics work much more stable than various gestures.

Display

The smartphone has a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 and a pixel density of 401. It uses an IPS matrix, which is known for good color reproduction and wide viewing angles. The display is protected by AGC Dragontrail/NEG T2X-1 glass.

The brightness of the display is adjusted both automatically and manually, and the auto-adjustment is adequate and does not cause any complaints.

Multi-touch technology supports up to ten simultaneous touches. There is an oleophobic coating.

There is an anti-reflective coating, which is not ideal, but with the brightness set to maximum, you can easily read any information from the screen when exposed to bright sunlight. A little more about brightness: in the dark its level is also comfortable for reading.

As for the contrast of the display, it is quite high, but the colors do not have oversaturated shades; rather, on the contrary, they are as natural as possible, but not faded.

Overall, we can say that for a budget smartphone, the Meizu M2 Note has a good display with excellent performance. I was pleasantly surprised.

Meizu m2 note

With the appearance of products from the Meizu company on the world market, real disputes have unfolded on the Internet. There is only one question: “Which is better: the Meizu M1 smartphone or the Meizu M2 Note ?” It is worth taking a closer look at all the positive and negative aspects of the new product.

The body is made of magnesium alloy and plastic. For the front panel, glass of a certain brand was used, which responds well to changes in external light. The attractive design and good ergonomics can attract special attention of consumers. The thickness of the device and the light weight of the Meizu M2 Note (approximately 150 g) do not prevent it from serving not only as a telephone, but also as an accelerometer and navigator. Available light sensors and a proximity sensor will help the owner navigate in the dark. While maintaining the dimensions of its predecessor, Meizu M2 Note has a number of differences from its global counterparts. It is slightly larger than the Apple iPhone 5, Nokia Lumia 1020 and LG Nexus 5, and is the same as the LG G4.

The eight-core processor is designed for the Android 5.1 or Flyme 4.5i operating system. The presence of two slots for SIM cards allows you to be in touch with two subscribers at once, and with the provision of combining one of them on an insert sled with a memory card. Extended RAM (up to 2 GB) can be expanded, and an additional card can already hold up to 160 Gigabytes. The graphics subsystem is supported by two cameras - the main one and the front one. Thanks to innovations in the design of smartphone cameras, its capabilities have expanded significantly, making it possible to use not 3G, but 4G format, although in other respects, namely the quality of shooting, there have been no major changes. The built-in capacitive battery, capable of holding 3100 mAh, also plays a significant role in the stable operation of the new device. This allows you to talk without interruption for up to half an hour a day or listen to music for up to 2 hours. With a more gentle mode of use, the operating time of the device increases to 3 or 4 days, while you can spend a total of 13 hours on calls. The presence of modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces only further increases the demand for this model.

The music player icons floating on the screen have turned into round balls, unlike its predecessor. The possibility of a speaker and the use of headphones remains relevant, although the radio never appeared, which, however, is not required now. Everything can be compensated via the Internet, access to which is quite real.

Considering all the above data, we can say that the Meizu M2 Note is an excellent option to purchase.

Sound

Despite the fact that the smartphone does not have any software features, “surround sound” and the like, the sound quality of the speakers is very good. And it remains the same in headphones. No wheezing or noise even at maximum volume.

The speaker is also good, the interlocutor can hear you perfectly, as well as you, even if you are on the street or in a noisy room.

The only sound enhancement feature is Dirac HD Sound.

There is no FM radio, but it is possible to record phone calls: to do this, you need to touch the corresponding key on the screen during a call.

Updating using Recovery

Over-the-air update of Meizu M2 Note includes a flashing method using the Recovery program.

Using this method allows you not only to install a new version of Flyme, but also to roll back to an earlier firmware.

The update procedure consists of the following steps:

• download the file with the new firmware version to your PC;
• copy it to your mobile device without changing the name;
• turn off the smartphone and, while holding the volume up key, press the power button until it vibrates;
• release the “Enable” key and hold the volume up button until the image appears on the smartphone screen;
• check the box next to the “Clear data” option so that during the installation of the firmware the data will be deleted from the device’s memory;
• To automatically check the software file and start the installation, click on the “Start” button;
• wait for the new module to be installed and allow the smartphone to reboot;
• set up a new shell.

Important! You can transfer the firmware package to your phone's memory while logging into Recovery.

To do this, you need to connect your smartphone to your computer and, without booting into Android, copy the required file to the “Recovery” disk.

Camera

Meizu M2 Note received a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front camera. The latter is equipped with an OV5670 OmniVision sensor with a wide-angle lens and a 4-element lens. It does not have autofocus or a flash, but nevertheless the pictures are of good quality, suitable even for posting a selfie on Instagram.

The camera also copes with video chat with a bang.

The camera interface is simple and intuitive, there are automatic, manual, panoramic and portrait modes, as well as the ability to set focus and a barcode recognition option.

The pictures come out good, with rich color reproduction and no noise. Even when shooting in the dark, noise is not critical and is mostly suppressed.

An excellent result for a device in the budget segment.

Due to a terrible failure and the phone being reset before transferring photos, we are attaching photos of a user of the Yandex.Photos service: ra2fgk

Testing Meizu M2 Note cameras

According to the manufacturer, the rear camera of the Meizu M2 Note received a sensor from Samsung with a resolution of 13 megapixels. The camera module uses 5 lenses, a blue filter for correct color reproduction, and Gorilla Glass 3 protection on the outside. The aperture value is F/2.2. The flash for the rear camera is double and has 2 tones of light - cold and warm.

As for the front camera, at first glance, there are no changes here compared to the M1 Note either. The front camera uses the same 5 MP OV5670 sensor from OmniVision. The camera design uses 4 lenses, the viewing angle is 69°, and the aperture value is F/2.0.

Let's look at the camera interface. The difference between the interface and the one we are used to in Android 5.1 Lollipop is immediately noticeable. Although all the functions we are used to are present here. In the settings, you can select the maximum size of photos and videos - 13 MP and Full-HD, respectively, enable the HDR function, activate the geotagging function, enable delayed shooting by timer, etc.

The camera menu also allows you to apply various filters to a photo (negative, sepia, etc.). But we are primarily interested in the possibility of manual camera settings. You can get to them by swiping right in the camera settings menu. In this mode, you can choose the shutter speed using the slider, the ISO value and exposure, and also manually control the focus.

Also in the settings menu, you can select any of the software shooting modes - portrait, panorama, focus change mode, barcode scanning mode, as well as slow motion shooting, which is carried out with a resolution of 480x640 pixels at 100 fps.

Photos from the rear camera are very similar in quality to those from the previous model, the M1 Note, and not surprisingly. The camera determines the white balance very accurately, reproduces colors correctly, and the pictures are highly sharp. It is worth praising the Meizu M2 Note for quickly launching the camera application and quickly saving pictures, and the camera for fast and accurate autofocus. Overall, the picture quality from the rear camera on this device definitely exceeds what you would expect from a smartphone at such a low price.

We also have no complaints about video shooting, although we could complain about an overly sharp change in exposure. The maximum video recording resolution is 1920×1080 pixels at 30 fps.

As for the front camera, daytime pictures from it turn out very good. But as soon as lighting conditions become more complex, noticeable noise appears, which the camera cannot cope with, despite a fairly high aperture value.

We also have minor complaints about the accuracy of white balance determination, although this may be due to the algorithm of the FotoNation function, which is preset by the manufacturer to improve the quality of pictures. But in general, the Meizu M2 Note can be praised for its front camera.

Next, we will check the battery life of the Meizu M2 Note and whether there will be any differences in this indicator from the previous model.

Battery test

According to the manufacturer, the Meizu M2 Note smartphone has a 3100 mAh battery from SONY. It is almost identical to that used in its predecessor. However, we do not have the opportunity to verify this personally, since both models do not provide access to the battery.

In the AnTuTu Battery Test program, the Meizu M2 Note smartphone showed a surprisingly high result of 10060 points. Let us remember that the previous M1 Note model barely scored 7000 points, although even that result is quite good. Probably, such a noticeable difference is explained by the weaker and more energy-efficient hardware of the M2 Note.

In practice, you will have to charge the Meizu M2 Note smartphone once every 1.5-2 days at normal levels of use. Although, when using 4G networks, which are supported by this device unlike its predecessor, battery life will inevitably decrease.

Sound

Let's test the sound of the Meizu M2 Note external speaker. Its volume level remained approximately the same high as that of the previous model. You still have to try not to hear such a speaker. At the same time, the sound quality from the external speaker is excellent, it is clear, and there is no trace of any distortion.

As for the sound in the headphones, everything here is at the same high level. The volume level may be a little lower than on the M1 Note, but listening to songs on the M2 Note is sure to be an enjoyable experience.

The Meizu M2 Note does not have a built-in radio, just like the previous model.

Well, now it's time to sum up our testing.

Results

Let's start with the advantages of the device:

1) Quite a low cost of a smartphone, taking into account the brand’s popularity, build quality and components, as well as excellent software. At the time of writing this review, Meizu M2 Note can be purchased in China for no more than $160.

2) Operation of built-in cameras, especially the rear one.

3) High autonomy.

4) Mechanical mBack button. Despite all the negative reviews, we really liked its work, and it was very convenient to use.

5) Excellent display.

Let's move on to the disadvantages:

1) Glossy finish of the case. It wears out quite quickly, and the body takes on a not very presentable appearance. We recommend choosing a gray case that has a matte finish, or carrying your smartphone in a bumper case.

2) The appearance of memory card support in the device could be considered an asset, but at the same time we are faced with a choice - one SIM card and a memory card, or two SIM cards. Why it was impossible to make a slot for memory cards separate is not clear to us. Although the problem of lack of internal memory can be partially compensated by ordering a device with 32 GB of internal memory. However, at the moment they are not yet available for order.

3) Weak processor and video chip. In addition, it uses a stripped-down version of the MT6753 processor. This smartphone is definitely not suitable for fans of mobile games. And the slow-motion resolution is supported by this processor quite low.

As you can see, the Meizu M2 Note smartphone has more advantages. In fact, this device turned out to be very successful, and all the disadvantages are explained only by the manufacturer’s attempt to launch a more affordable version of the smartphone in this line on the market. And to many of you, all these disadvantages will seem insignificant. So, it’s probably not possible yet to find a better offer in this segment of the smartphone market.

Video review

Connection

Meizu M2 Note supports 2G, 3G and LTE networks. Supports Wi-Fi communications (2.4 and 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, and the ability to create a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.0 channels.

During the test, I had no problems with Wi-Fi, but SanSanych reported some lags and glitches. Subsequently, such lags were discovered on other devices and were obviously caused by us.

Micro-USB 2.0 supports connecting external devices (USB Host, USB OTG).

Supports GPS and Glonass, satellites are found quickly (about 10-15 seconds on a cold start).

Working with two SIM cards is standard; the user himself chooses which card will be the main one. Both cards can work with 3G/4G networks, but not simultaneously.

Detailed technical specifications

Make and model

Make and model of the device, and alternative names (if any).

Design

Appearance of the device including dimensions, weight, volume, colors and materials.

System on a Chip (SoC)

A system on a chip, a single-chip system (System on a Chip, SoC) is when several systems performing different device functions are connected on one chip.

Central processing unit (CPU)

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

Random access memory (RAM)

Built-in memory

Most mobile devices have built-in Flash memory, which is used as a storage for system data, the operating system, as well as user data - photos, videos, recordings and much more.

Operating system

A mobile operating system (OS) is pre-installed software with a well-thought-out interface for user control of device functions.

Battery

To operate autonomously, a mobile device requires a battery that powers all its components.

Screen

The screen (display) is the main element for displaying graphic information.

Main camera

The main camera, usually built into the rear of the device, is designed for creating photo and video content.

Front-camera

The front camera of a mobile device (selfie camera, rear camera) is a camera on the front part, which is usually used for video communication, recognition of gestures or faces, and selfie photographs.

Memory card

A memory card (flash card) is an external data storage device that is used in many devices to increase memory capacity.

SIM card

Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) used in mobile devices to identify subscribers in cellular networks.

Mobile networks

This is a system in which communication and data transfer is carried out between subscribers, the location of one or more of which changes. This section lists the supported mobile communication standards and frequencies.

Mobile network data standards

What data transfer standards in cellular networks are supported by the device, as well as their speed.

WiFi

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) is a technology for wireless data transmission over a local network among devices based on IEEE 802.11 standards.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth (BT, bluetooth (z), “blue tooth”) is a short-range wireless network (up to 10, sometimes 100 meters) operating on radio waves to transmit voice and data between devices.

Sensors

Modern devices have many sensors that help in measurements, trigger functions, and make using the device more pleasant.

Audio

Audio - characteristics and capabilities of a mobile device in terms of sound.

Radio

The radio in a mobile device can be built-in by the manufacturer (catch local radio channels, no internet required, often works only with headphones (as an antenna), but not always) or installed as an online application (requires internet, but more channels and often better quality) .

Navigation and location

The location is determined by satellite navigation systems that track the device's autonomous geospatial location at multiple points. The most common satellite navigation systems are GPS, GLONASS, and the Chinese BeiDou.

USB connector

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a serial interface for connecting peripherals to computers, smartphones, laptops and much more. The interface allows you to exchange data and power a peripheral device with energy, as well as connect several peripheral devices to one USB connector at once.

Headphone jack

A TRS headphone jack (or jack) is a common standard of connectors used for transmitting audio signals. By diameter there are jack (6.5 mm), mini-jack (3.5 mm) and micro-jack (2.5 mm). In mobile devices, the 3.5mm jack was considered the most popular and widespread, but recently they began to be removed, leaving only USB connectors, through which headphones are connected with a corresponding plug or using adapters.

Connection and synchronization

Options for synchronizing your mobile device and connecting it to other devices.

Browser

A browser is a browser program for viewing sites and their content on the Internet. Through the browser, you can open websites, search for information, download necessary files, watch streaming videos, play browser games, etc.

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support many audio file formats, as well as codecs for playing them.

Video file formats/codecs

Video file formats that the device supports and is capable of decoding and playing.

OS and software

The smartphone runs Android 5.1 with the proprietary Flyme OS shell.

The interface is very simple and intuitive; even users who have not previously worked with Android may not have any problems. The interface is very beautiful, minimalistic and simple. I have only pleasant impressions of Flyme OS. Multitasking is built on a similar principle to the old version of iOS.

There is a virtual SmartTouch key, which is designed to simplify working with the display: it can be used to move the interface menu down.

Since there is only one touch key - the central one, it performs most tasks. See how it works in our video review.

Pleased with the minimum number of pre-installed applications, and those that are available are the most frequently used.

Tips for flashing smartphone firmware

To successfully carry out the firmware procedure, the user should consider several update tips.

• If the user installs the same firmware on the mobile device that is already installed on the smartphone, then the procedure for deleting data from the phone is not necessary.
• Pre-charge your mobile device to 100%. It is not recommended to flash a smartphone if it has less than 20% charge.
• It is better to install international firmware through the FlashTool application.
• To translate international firmware into Russian, it is necessary to carry out the Russification procedure.
• After Russification, delete applications and data from the smartphone that remain in Chinese, so as not to clog the brick’s memory. This can be done manually or using special programs.
• Before starting the firmware procedure, you can watch the video on how to do it correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiyvmsxyCIU.

Firmware for the Meizu M2 Note mobile device is necessary if Android does not load, the connection is lost, or the owner of the smartphone wants to update the software. The procedure can be carried out in several ways. The user independently chooses which one is most convenient for him and begins to replace the firmware.

Performance

Meizu M2 Note runs on an 8-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with a clock speed of up to 1300 MHz.

The graphics are handled by a triple-core Mali-T720 with a core frequency of up to 450 MHz.

The amount of RAM is 2 GB, the built-in memory is 16 GB, there is the possibility of expanding the memory.

The interface works smoothly and responds quickly to tasks. Heavy 3D games launch well, but the game process itself is difficult, not as fast as we would like. In addition, the back panel of the smartphone heats up noticeably when starting games.

Technical characteristics and autonomy

The new version has a simpler filling compared to its predecessor:

• Eight-core processor, 64-bit architecture, Cortex A-53 with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz, based on the Mediatek MT6753 platform.
• The Mali T720 MP3 video accelerator helps with video.
• RAM – 2 GB
• Memory for data storage - 16 or 32 GB to choose from. It can be further expanded using a microSD card up to 128 GB if you sacrifice one SIM card.

Read also Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (Galaxy Note) review and specifications

This hardware works well, as for a budget employee, but in general the performance is far from great and synthetics are clear proof of this. Demanding games run well here, but at lower settings. There are no problems at all with less resource-intensive tasks - all applications fly.

Android 5.1 operating system running Flyme OS version 4.5i. It also works great without any noticeable lags or delays. While walking through synthetic tests or after half an hour of playing, the M2 Note becomes noticeably warm in the camera area, which only causes discomfort if someone suddenly calls you.

Unfortunately, there is no NFC chip, so this device is not suitable for contactless payment.

During use, a number of shortcomings emerged:

1. If the phone is turned off for a long time, then trying to wake it up with a double tap does not always work.
2. It is not always possible to use information from the clipboard.
3. Some programs do not provide notifications.

This model has a battery capacity of 3100 mAh. The phone can last for 19-20 hours using 4G and Wi-Fi. If you switch to 3G, you get about 25 hours.

If you use the M2 Note under medium load, the charge will last for 2.5 days.

Battery

The device received a battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh, which, in fact, is not much for a smartphone with a good 5.5-inch screen and a powerful processor that can handle heavy games. But in our test, the device showed good results - more than 10 hours of continuous operation with Wi-Fi turned on, the display at 50% brightness and Chrome running.

We can safely say that the device has good autonomy and will easily last for a day of work.

Flyme firmware without garbage

First of all, you need to make sure that the Flyme OS firmware is normal, that is, it does not have any garbage like DU Battery or the like; for some reason, such firmware cannot be flashed with international firmware. If this is the case, then you need to reflash the Meizu M2. You can download the Flyme firmware on the official website, or ask for a link in the comments, we always answer!

• Download the firmware with index A
• Open File Explorer on your phone
• Click on firmware

The phone will ask if all data needs to be formatted, we answer yes. Meizu M2 will install normal firmware and reboot.

Let's sum it up

Meizu M2 Note turned out to be an excellent smartphone. Despite the fact that it sometimes loses to other smartphones, it nevertheless remains a good device that can attract many potential buyers. Good design, excellent technical characteristics, good battery life and of course the proprietary Flyme OS shell - the advantages, in my opinion, outweigh the disadvantages.

We thank the official MEIZU store in Russia for the provided device: https://mymeizu.ru/
Final rating: 7 out of 10.

Appearance of Meizu M2 Note

The front panel of the device is made of protected glass, manufactured by two well-known Japanese companies. You may come across a copy with Dragontrail glass from the famous manufacturer Asahi, or with Dinorex T2X-1 glass from Nippon Electric. But, of course, you won’t know what kind of glass your smartphone will have.

The M1 Note comes with Gorilla Glass 3 from Corning. Moreover, on the Russian and English versions of the Meizu website, the same glass is indicated for the M2 Note. Most likely this is a mistake, since it would be strange to install glass from different manufacturers for markets in other countries. Unfortunately, we do not know the difference in the quality of Gorilla Glass, Dragontrail and Dinorex glass in practical use, since we have not engaged in special research in this area.

At the bottom of the M2 Note's front panel, your attention will immediately be drawn to an oval-shaped mechanical button, which the manufacturer calls mBack. We will talk about how this button works later. However, let’s say right away for those who have not read our publications before that you will not find a fingerprint scanner function in the button of this smartphone, although it is somewhat similar to the Meizu MX4 Pro button, where one existed.

At the top of the M2 Note's front panel you will find the earpiece, the front camera window and two proximity and light sensor windows.

The body of the smartphone is non-separable, and its material is polycarbonate, as in the previous M1 Note model. On the back surface of the case, from top to bottom, there is a round window for the rear camera and a dual two-color LED flash module with cold and warm tones of light, and at the very bottom there is a logo class=”aligncenter” width=”700″ height=”485″[/img]

On the right side of the Meizu M2 Note body we see a tray for two Nano-SIM cards, and in the 1st slot instead of a SIM card you can install a Micro-SD memory card with a capacity of up to 128 GB. The appearance of a memory card slot in Meizu smartphones can be regarded as a great event, since before this the manufacturer strictly adhered to the iPhone concept - no removable media that could affect the speed of applications installed on them.

There is only one radio module in the smartphone, so when making a call from one of the cards, communication with the second will be unavailable. However, both cards support GSM, 3G and 4G networks.

On the left side of the smartphone there are power and volume buttons. On the one hand, moving the power button from the top end of the case, as was the case in the company’s smartphones up to this point, to the side edge is a big plus. On the other hand, the location of the buttons on the left side requires some getting used to for those who are used to operating more with their right hand.

At the bottom of the M2 Note you will find slots for an external speaker, a call microphone and a Micro-USB connector. While on the top end of the device you will find a second microphone for noise reduction and stereo sound recording, as well as a 3.5 mm headset jack.

As we said above, the Meizu M2 Note body is non-separable, and there is no access to the battery. The build quality, despite the low cost of the device, is very high. No backlash or squeaks were found in our sample. The problem of a shaking SIM card tray, as was the case in its predecessor, is also not present here.

Holding the M2 Note in your hand is quite comfortable, even taking into account the rather large diagonal of the display. Despite the apparent similarity in design to the M1 Note, the M2 Note feels completely different in the hand. The edges of the case are more rounded, like in the iPhone 5C, and this makes the new product feel thicker than its predecessor, although in fact its case is 0.2 mm thinner.

The dimensions of the Meizu M2 Note are 75.2×150.9×8.7 mm and the weight is 149 grams. In fact, the new product is 4 grams heavier than the M1 Note, 0.2 mm thinner, but the same 0.2 mm longer.

Overall, the ergonomics of the M2 Note are quite good, and you get used to working with it quickly.

Next, let's move on to the technical part of the smartphone, starting, as usual, with the display.

Potential hit: review of the Meizu M2 Note smartphone

The editors thank the Citrus online store for kindly providing the smartphone for review
. The Chinese company Meizu began to produce new smartphone models much more actively; just half a year after the Meizu M1 Note, its successor M2 Note was released, our editor-in-chief was present at its presentation and has already shared some impressions, and the smartphone has already been submitted to the gg for review. Meizu M2 Note is already sold along with its predecessor, there is information that M1 Note will soon disappear from the shelves. The M1 Note turned out to be a very interesting and successful smartphone considering its price, and it still is. You can read his review here. Let's see how the M2 Note differs from the M1?

What is this?

Meizu M2 Note is a smartphone with a large 5.5-inch display, a 64-bit eight-core processor, two gigabytes of RAM and the latest version of Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.

Why is he interesting?

Meizu M2 Note largely repeats its predecessor and received a similar price tag in our market, but there are still differences. The smartphone has a 5.5-inch FullHD display, a 64-bit eight-core MediaTek processor, 2 GB of RAM and 13 and 5 megapixel cameras, like its predecessor. There are two SIM card slots, this time of the nanoSIM standard, one of which can be used for MicroSD memory cards, which was not possible in the M1.

What does it look like?

In terms of design, the smartphone has changed little: the shape remains the same, the same polycarbonate is used, and the dimensions and weight remain virtually unchanged, except that the back cover has become a little flatter. A new color has appeared in the range: matte gray (similar to MX4 and MX4 Pro), but we got the white version. The changes affected the smartphone controls. Instead of a touch button under the screen, which served as a notification indicator, the M2 Note has a button with a built-in sensor and a metal edge. When tapped, it acts as a back button, and when pressed, it acts as a Home button. A long press locks the smartphone. In the older MX5, it also has a fingerprint scanner built into it. The rest of the front panel is familiar: a large screen, a set of sensors, an indicator and a front camera under a sheet of protective glass. Above the screen is a speaker.

The LED indicator is located above the screen, like in the MX4 Pro:

The power button has moved from the top to the left, which is clearly more convenient. A paired volume rocker is also located here (the predecessor had separate buttons):

On the right side there is a tray for SIM cards and MicroSD:

The bottom design is similar to the M1 Note. It houses MicroUSB, a conversational microphone and four large external speaker holes. I didn't have the M1 on hand for comparison, but the speakers appear to be identical. The call melody sounds quite loud, but it cannot be said that it is of very high quality:

At the top end there is another microphone and a 3.5 mm headphone jack:

Non-removable polycarbonate back cover with Meizu logo and main camera:

The camera module with dual LED flash looks the same as in other current models of the company:

A mechanical button with a capacitive sensor, something similar was in the MX4 Pro, but there was also a fingerprint scanner. In the M2 Note, the tip has an oval shape and a metal side:

Tray for two nano-sized SIM cards, one of which can be used for a MicroSD memory card:

The smartphone is well assembled, nothing creaks, all the parts fit well as expected. Meizu M2 Note fits well in the hand and is quite compact in size for a smartphone with a 5.5-inch display. Since its predecessor, the smartphone has slightly changed the layout of its controls, which has a positive effect on ease of use. The power button has been moved to a better location, and the mechanical button under the screen is easy to use and takes very little time to get used to. In fact, the very first evening I used it, I used it without a second thought.

Is the screen good?

The M2 Note features the same 5.5-inch IGZO screen manufactured by Sharp using full lamination technology. Resolution is 1920x1080, standard aspect ratio is 16:9 and pixel density is 400.5 ppi. Instead of Gorilla Glass 3 with oleophobic coating, AGC Dragontrail/NEG T2X-1 is used. There is an oleophobic coating, but it is of lower quality than in the M1. The stated maximum brightness is 450 cd/m2. Visually, the screen remains of the same good quality. Of course, there is no air gap, viewing angles are maximum.

Even in the bright summer sun, the screen remains readable; there is a light sensor, it works quite adequately:

Multi-touch up to 10 touches supported:

For those who want to know more

The colorimeter testing results showed close to the declared ones: the maximum brightness is 441.386 cd/m2, the black field brightness is 0.659 cd/m2, and the contrast is 670:1. The figures are slightly more modest than those of the M1 Note. Although it is worth considering that there may be different supplies and it is possible that the current batch of its predecessor has similar ones. The color rendition is slightly faulty with an overabundance of blue and a lack of red, but within reasonable limits the screen looks great to the eye.

The smartphone has the ability to adjust the color temperature, so you can adjust it more precisely.

Comparison with competitors:

How's the performance going?

It’s difficult to judge what the Meizu engineers were guided by, but in the M2 Note they decided to install a more modest 64-bit eight-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with ARM Cortex-A53 cores and Mali T720 MP3 graphics, 450 MHz (M1 Note was equipped with a 64-bit eight-core MediaTek MT6752 at 1.7 GHz and Mali T760 MP2, 700 MHz). The amount of RAM remains the same: 2 GB. The shell “flies” on this hardware, all applications run perfectly, without any problems, but with games things are a little worse. Yes, most of them go well, but in the most resource-intensive ones (Mortal Kombat X in particular) there are very noticeable FPS drops. Modern Combat Blackout, UFC, Dead Trigger 2 and Implosion do not have this problem:

The FlymeOS shell provides a choice of system operating modes: Energy Saving, Balanced and Productive. Exactly the same as its predecessor:

I was pleasantly pleased that even under heavy loads the smartphone does not get too hot. Subjectively, the M1 Note was hotter. The smartphone has 16 GB of built-in memory, which won’t be enough for anyone – MicroSD memory cards up to 128 GB are supported. But in this case you will have to be content with only one SIM card.

Everything is fine with the GPS module, it quickly finds satellites, and the performance is not inferior to solutions from the same Qualcomm. Apparently, the manufacturer does not skimp on the quality of the antenna, as is the case with many Chinese:

The battery capacity remains virtually unchanged: 3100 mAh. Given the more modest processor, one could hope for increased battery life. In reality this did not happen. Subjectively, this indicator seemed absolutely similar to its predecessor. With about 30 minutes of calls, 3-4 hours of Wi-Fi, 3 hours of 3G Internet, synchronization of a bunch of accounts and active communication using all sorts of instant messengers, the battery will last until the evening of the next day. If you add games and music, you can safely expect a full day of work from early morning until night.

The music component is similar to that in the M1 Note: the external speaker is quite loud and audible in most situations, although it is not of high quality, which is not too important: you should still listen to music with headphones. The sound quality in the headphones is of course significantly inferior to the MX4 Pro (which is one of the most advanced in this regard), but it sounds quite passable and most users will be satisfied. Functionally, the player has not changed:

For those who want to know more

The Meizu M2 Note uses a fairly budget solution MediaTek MT6753 (64-bit, eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.3 GHz and Mali T720 MP3 graphics, 450 MHz), RAM: 2 GB LPDDR3-1600. As expected, the results of synthetic tests are more modest than in the M1 Note. In AnTuTu, the smartphone scores about 31,000 points versus 40,000 for its predecessor. Benchmark results:

Is the interface user-friendly?

The Meizu M2 Note is equipped with the latest version of Android 5.1 Lollipop OS, of which practically nothing remains: the Flyme OS version 4.5I shell is stretched on top, which leaves almost nothing of the original Android interface. Moreover, despite the new version, the shell is practically no different from previous versions, which were discussed in detail in the reviews of Meizu M1 Note, MX4 and MX4 Pro. The shell has become more stable, but no more; there are no significant innovations:

All widgets and applications are unloaded onto the desktop; swiping up from the bottom of the screen opens the recently launched applications manager:

The top curtain opens by swiping down anywhere on the screen. By moving again or clicking on the corresponding icon, its full version opens:

The Swype-like TouchPal keyboard is quite easy to use:

Gestures for unlocking the screen and launching applications are still there:

Set of pre-installed applications:

How are things going with the camera?

The main camera remains the same: a 13-megapixel matrix with back-illumination made by Samsung with dual LED flash with different color temperatures. The interface has not changed either:

Different shooting modes, there is a completely manual one:

And a QR code scanner:

Photos are of comparable quality to the M1 Note. Examples of photos. Standard Mode:

HDR:

Video in FullHD:

Bottom line

The successor to the extremely successful Meizu M1 Note turned out to be an equally interesting smartphone, weaker in some ways and stronger in some ways than its successor. The M2 Note costs the same amount as its predecessor, so while both are on sale, you can choose. In the near future, the M1 Note will disappear from sale. It has more powerful hardware for game lovers, while the M2 Note is more suitable for those who shoot a lot with a camera and listen to music from a smartphone (there is now support for MicroSD memory cards). Changing a touch button to a mechanical one is a more controversial issue, rather a matter of taste. Otherwise, the main advantages remain the same: a good display, a comfortable and high-quality case, a good shell and price. Smartphones still have no competitors in terms of price/quality ratio in their price segment.

4 reasons to buy Meizu M2 Note:

• Good screen;
• high-quality case;
• comfortable shell;
• price-quality ratio.

1 reason not to buy Meizu M2 Note:

• not the best performance.

Using a computer

Your computer can also help you install the new firmware version. The steps will be similar to the previous instructions. Please note that you will not transfer the file to the root folder of your smartphone, but first to your computer, and then to your phone.

Download firmware

As in the first method, you should download the firmware file from the manufacturer’s official website. For some reason, the vast majority of users take software from pirated sites, and then end up with “bricks”, or at least lost time and nerves.

When choosing software, you should pay attention to the type of firmware, because there are 5 types. There are only three available for Meizu: a Chinese version, one universal version and an international version. You need the international version, since it has Russian and Ukrainian languages ​​immediately available and Google services are immediately available.

Do not mix up the files (!), if you install the Chinese version, it will be extremely difficult to understand it.

Checking the file name and extension

Before transferring the desired file to your smartphone, be sure to make sure that the file name is “Update.zip” and that the file is in zip format. If you transfer a file to the device that does not meet these criteria, it may result in an error. The firmware may not be installed correctly or may not be found at all. After which the smartphone may be inoperable forever.

Connecting your phone in Recovery mode

As in the first method, you will need to enable Recovery Mod. Only unlike it, after launching the engineering menu you need to connect the mobile device to the computer via a USB cable. The computer will recognize your device and show you the “Recovery” folder in “My Computer”; you need to transfer the firmware file to it.

Before flashing Meiza M2 Note, be sure to back up your files and settings. Often, when flashing, people forget about this, and after it, the lost data cannot be restored.

Meizu m2

More recently, the smartphone market has been replenished with a new device called Meizu M1. And after 6 months, the hero of our review arrives on the shelves - the Meizu M2 . Why did the manufacturer update the line so quickly, while visually it is quite difficult to distinguish these two brothers? The thing is that these “brothers” differ not only in cost, but also in the positioning of their company.

Appearance and features

Some controls have undergone slight changes compared to the first version. But in appearance, the Meizu M2 remained as attractive as its predecessor. The glossy plastic case is pleasant to the touch, although it slips a little, which can result in the gadget falling.

A special feature of Meizu M2 is the ability to use two SIMs (Micro and Nano). In this case, instead of the latter, you can insert a micro SD memory card. This is quite specific, but it is practiced even among eminent companies and Huawei).

In general, the smartphone leaves a pleasant impression. But what happens if we press the power button?

Display, filling

When you turn on your smartphone, you immediately notice the large 5” display. Its resolution is 1280x720 pixels. This indicator is quite enough to clearly display information on the screen without a hint of pixelation.

The internal filling of the smartphone is as follows:

1. Processor – Mediatek MT6735, 4 cores 1.3 GHz, 64-bit architecture; 2. RAM – 2 GB; 3. Video processor - Mali T720 MP3, frequency 450 MHz.

Drawing a conclusion from these parameters, we can say that this gadget has inside itself “organs” that are typical for mid-price class smartphones.

It is worth noting that the gadget is equipped with internal memory of 16 and 32 GB, which is very pleasing given the expandability. To this volume you can save not only movies, games, but also photo and video materials taken with one of the built-in cameras. The main one is equipped with a 13 MP matrix, and the front one is 5 MP.

Performance and battery

The device runs on Android 5.1 OS. with the proprietary Flyme OS shell. The manufacturer says that this solution completely eliminates performance drawdowns, which are surprisingly quite high (benchmarks give indicators close to high).

The gadget’s battery, to be honest, is not designed for long-term autonomy. For a 5” display, the 2500 mAh reserve is frankly small. With average usage, the battery lasts only 15-18 hours.

Competitors and results

Surprisingly, the Meizu M2 doesn’t have many competitors. If we take smartphones that are within +/- $10, then there are no worthy competitors here at all. The lower price category is not even worth attention, and among the more expensive models, ASUS Zenfone 2 ZE500CL, Lenovo S60, Xiaomi MI3 are notable.

If you look at it in general, the quality of the gadget is very good. Photos, videos, application processing speed and display - everything is on par for the price category of the device. As a result, we can say that Meizu M2 is worth the money that the manufacturer asks for it.

Types and versions of FlymeOS

Before the installation procedure for the system software in Meizu M2 Note begins, you should find out what firmware is installed in the device and determine the ultimate goal of manipulating the device, that is, the version of the system that will be installed.

Currently, the following firmwares exist for Meizu M2 Note:

• G (Global) – software installed by the manufacturer in smartphones intended for sale on the international market. Software with index G is the best solution for users of the Russian-speaking region, since in addition to appropriate localization, the firmware is not replete with Chinese applications and services that are unnecessary in most cases, and can also be equipped with Google programs.
• I (International) is the old designation of the Global firmware, used to classify software based on the outdated and practically unused Flyme OS 4 today.
• A (Universal) is a universal type of system software that can be found in M2 Note devices intended for both the international and Chinese markets. Depending on the version, it may not be characterized by the presence of Russian localization; Chinese services and applications are present.
• U (Unicom), C (China Mobile) - system types for users living and using Meizu smartphones on the island part of China (U) and inside the rest of the PRC (C). There is no Russian language, as are Google services/applications; the system is replete with Chinese services and applications.

To determine the type and version of the operating system installed on the device, you must do the following.

1. Go to FlymeOS settings.
2. Scrolling down the list of options, find and open the “About phone” item.
3. The index indicating the type of firmware is part of the “Build number” value.
4. For most Meizu M2 Note owners, the best solution is the Global versions of FlaimOS, so this type of system software will be used in the examples below.
5. The steps required to migrate from Chinese to global versions of the software are listed in the description of the preparatory procedures. These manipulations are carried out before directly installing the system software on the device and are described below in the article.

Where to get firmware

The manufacturer Meizu provides the ability to download firmware from its own official resources. To get the latest FlymeOS packages for M2 Note, you can use the following links:

• Chinese versions:
• Global versions:

All packages and tools used in the examples below are available for download from the links that can be found in the corresponding instructions in this material.