Meizu MX 4-core review

Meizu MX 4-core review

If it feels like yesterday you read our in-depth review of the dual-core Meizu MX, you're not too far from the truth. In reality, it's been just over seven months and we've already moved onto the smartphone's quad-core sequel, aptly named the Meizu MX 4-core. Not only is it easy to confuse the two phones by name, but good luck trying to tell which one is which. Indeed, the two handsets are quite similar both inside and out, with the exception of some improvements in a couple rows on the 'ol spec sheet.

The biggest surprise isn't necessarily the speed with which the company cranked out a second MX, and it's not even the reasonable price (HK$3,099, or US$400, or the 32GB version, and HK$4,099 / US$530 for the 64GB). Nope, it's seeing Meizu, a manufacturer known for its copycat products, evolving into a relevant player beyond its native China. So how does this latest effort stack up? Read on to find out.

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Meizu MX 4-core review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meizu MX 4-core and Flyme OS 1.0 formally announced, available on June 30th

Meizu MX 4core

Forget that "MX Quad-core" moniker, because Meizu's just formally introduced its first quad-core Android phone as the "MX 4-core" in Hong Kong. For those who care, this is the first time ever for Meizu to collaborate with a carrier -- that being Hong Kong's PCCW, who's offering the HK$3,099 (US$400) 32GB model for free on various tariffs, while details are light on the HK$4,099 (US$530) 64GB version. Once the stage cleared we had a chance to take a closer look at the international variant of the MX 4-core. Aside from the disappearance of the Chinese logo above the screen plus the duller logo on the back (but accompanied by an extra capacity label), the 4-inch HSPA+ phone looks identical to its dual-core sibling. Additionally, Hong Kong and mainland China customers who pre-order between now and the launch on June 30th will get to pick a colored back crystal shell for free, including ivory white, milky lime, lilac purple and misty pink to replace the original white.

Software-wise Flyme -- Meizu's heavily customized Ice Cream Sandwich -- is also very similar to its Gingerbread predecessor, except for its slicker responsiveness (especially the camera app) and the odd interface tweaks here and there. There are also a few new features that are worth a mention: on top of the new native stopwatch, countdown timer and multi-segmented timed task lists, there's Flyme Voicemail which is essentially a native recorder for incoming calls that you reject (think of it as a neat alternative to conventional visual voicemail), and there's Flyme Message which is Meizu's take on SIP services like Whatsapp and Line. We shall dig deeper in our full review, but for now, you can check out a quick hands-on video after the break. And for those who still possess Meizu's older Android phones, we were told to expect Flyme to be delivered over the air in early July (as opposed to the original June date), so keep an eye out for that little update icon.

Update: We mentioned in our video that the China version of the MX 4-core doesn't come with the Play Store, but it turns out that we were mistaken. Hooray!

Update 2: By the way, it's pronounced "fly-me."

Continue reading Meizu MX 4-core and Flyme OS 1.0 formally announced, available on June 30th

Meizu MX 4-core and Flyme OS 1.0 formally announced, available on June 30th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meizu plans ICS update for MX and M9 this June, slaps it with a Flyme OS skin

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Back in November, Meizu's CEO Jack Wong casually mentioned an update to Ice Cream Sandwich would be making its way to MX and M9 handsets, he just didn't specify when exactly. Well, that all important tidbit's been cleared up today with official news pegging a software upgrade to Android 4.0 for sometime this June. Owners of either device won't necessarily be getting a pure injection of Google's latest dessert when that OTA hits, but rather a skinned version known as Flyme OS 1.0 that purportedly brings with it a host of improvements. Among that list of supposed refinements are a more logical interface, ability to backup and sync data, in addition to cloud storage. So when summer finally rolls around and the rest of the Googlefied smartphone universe is still kicking it with Gingerbread, feel free to sit back and gloat. Official presser in all its hyperbolic wonder after the break.

Continue reading Meizu plans ICS update for MX and M9 this June, slaps it with a Flyme OS skin

Meizu plans ICS update for MX and M9 this June, slaps it with a Flyme OS skin originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meizu MX Quad-core launching with Android 4.0 in June, gets 32GB and 64GB flavors

Meizu MX Quad-core launching with Android 4.0 in June, gets 32GB and 64GB flavors
Can't say we're surprised, but Meizu's finally giving us the lowdown on the quad-core variant of its flagship Android smartphone. Simply dubbed the MX Quad-core, this new device will be powered by a Cortex-A9-based, 32nm HKMG (High-K Metal Gate) quad-core Samsung Exynos chip -- no word on the clock speed or RAM, but we're betting our money on the Exynos 4412 that goes up to 1.5GHz. Meizu claims this will save up to 20 percent of CPU power consumption compared to its dual-core counterpart. Also, the battery will be bumped up from 1,600mAh to 1,700mAh -- we shall see how much difference this makes when we eventually get our hands on the phone. And yes, in addition to the original white back cover, you'll be able to swap it with one of the five optional colored covers pictured above.

On the software side you'll get a Meizu-customized Ice Cream Sandwich system (aka Flyme OS), though it isn't clear whether the company will stick to its old promise of simultaneously releasing a vanilla ROM. The rest of the new phone's identical to the dual-core MX, especially the 4-inch 960 x 640 ASV display and the eight-megapixel BSI camera. While there's still no microSD expansion, here's some good news to make up for this flaw: the base model starts at 32GB and it'll cost the same as the current 16GB MX! In other words, come June the unsubsidized MX Quad-core will go from ¥2,999 (US$480) in China and HK$3,099 (US$400) in Hong Kong; and then there'll also be a 64GB version priced at ¥3,999 (US$635) and HK$4,099 (US$530), respectively. Meanwhile, starting today, the original MX is reduced to ¥2,399 (US$380) and HK$2,599 (US$335). Press release after the break.

Now, with Meizu proudly claiming to have the world's first smartphone to utilize the quad-core Exynos chip, we wonder where Samsung's at with its own unicorn device?

Continue reading Meizu MX Quad-core launching with Android 4.0 in June, gets 32GB and 64GB flavors

Meizu MX Quad-core launching with Android 4.0 in June, gets 32GB and 64GB flavors originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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