Read the full Meizu MX4 review, the worlds first Mediatek MT6595, LTE phone from China. Can it compete with Qualcomm phones from rivals?
Earlier this year we reviewed the Meizu MX3 and found it to be an amazing smartphone, and a difficult act to follow, so how does the all new Meizu MX4 compare? Have Meizu managed to best themselves?
The release of the Meizu MX4 was shrouded in mystery, with media and fans only learning the actual release date just over a week before the Meizu team took the stage in Beijing and showed the world what they had managed to build.
Meizu MX4 Video unboxing and hands on
Meizu MX4 review – Design and build
Looking at the Meizu MX3 and Meizu MX4 side by side the phones look very similar, and it would be easy to dismiss the new phone as simply a larger model at first glimpse. Take a good look over the body, the materials used and the feel though and the MX4 is a very different phone.
Before the MX4 launched, Xiaomi were all over the headlines boasting about the Mi4 with stainless steel body. For Xiaomi this was quite an update in quality and build, but for Meizu using steel again would be more of the same so they went for something new.
The MX4 uses an all new aircraft grade alloy for it’s chassis. The choice of alloy not only means that the Meizu MX4 is lighter, but it has also allowed the main chassis to be heavily machined thus letting the engineers in Zhuhai fit more inside.
As a added benefit the alloy wicks heat away from the octacore processor quickly and can easily be coloured. Grey models are all that have been released so far, but white and gold version of the phone have been planned too.
Taking the phone and looking from the outside, only the rounded sides and highly polished bezel edge of the phone are alloy. The rear panel matches the colour and even the feel of the alloy surface, but is actually a removable plastic cover. This time around no tools are needed to remove the rear, and all you need is a fingernail and a solid pull.
The join between the alloy chassis and plastic panel on the sample models of the MX4 is quite good but not perfect. Production models though should be made to higher tolerances for a smoother transition. That said the sample phone is very well made and I have been using for a few weeks now with no build, quality or design complaints.
Meizu MX4 vs Meizu MX3
Just as the front of the phone looks like its predecessor so does the overall look of the rear, but there are a few positive changes. I personally prefer the new logo position, it actually helps the handset look like a phone rather than a block of soap. The glass around the camera is larger and made of Corning Gorilla glass plus we have a dual tone, dual LED flash just below it.
Searching around the edges we see some nice machining where the speaker grills are located on the bottom edge next to the USB plug. The volume rocker remains on the left side, while the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack live on the top.
A sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 sprawls across the entire front of the phone. The only gap in the glass is the receiver speaker at the top of the phone. To the right of the grill you will find the light sensor, proximity sensor and further right the front facing camera.
Considering the large 5.36-inch display, the Meizu MX4 only measures 75.2mm wide. Meizu managed this partly with the use of a 15:9 ratio display and partly due to the 2.6mm narrow screen bezels which run along either side of the display.
Finally the chin of the Meizu, with only the single halo home button, is as minimal as it could possibly be.
Dimensions of the MX4 are 72.5 x 144 x 8.9mm. Its a short, narrow phone and much thinner than the figures suggest. A highly tapered rear helps the Meizu MX4 to comfortably fill your palm, and although the numbers show the phone is as thick as the Xiaomi Mi4, the added attention to detail Meizu have given the Meizu MX4 help it pull off it’s size admirably.
Meizu MX4 review – What’s in the back?
A removable rear panel normally conjures up images of removable batteries, dual SIM and a micro SD card. Not so with the Meizu MX4. The 3100mAh Sony battery is a non removable unit, there is no space for a micro SD card, there is no dual SIM, and as you can see in the photos no NFC either.
With the Meizu MX3 the removable rear panel was added so users could switch rear panels and customise their phone. I’m not entirely sure why Meizu added a removable panel on the MX4 when a simple SIM tray would suffice. Perhaps additional rear panels will be available in the future? Who knows?
Meizu MX4 review – Screen
Meizu don’t like to follow the norm when it comes to screen size, ratio and dimensions. The MX4 continues this tradition with a 15:9, 5.36-inch JDI panel with a FHD resolution of 1920 x 1152, new Nega liquid crystal technology and LED backlight module.
During the Meizu launch event a lot of amazing facts and figure were boasted about. For example did you know the the screen on the MX4 has a contrast ratio of 1100:1? Or that the new LED backlight offers brightness of up to 500cd/m? Or that the the NTSC colour gamut is up by 85%? All sounds very impressive doesn’t it? What it actually all means though is that the display on the MX4 is bright, responsive and extremely clear.
I’ve been lucky enough to use the MX4 across China, Dubai and Europe with some very intense sunshine and I very rarely push the brightness up past 3/4!
Personally I don’t like to use a screen protector and have not placed one on the MX4. So far so good, even with placing the phone carelessly in my pocket with my keys the screen has survived without scratch or chip so far.
With a 2.6mm bezel on either side of the 5.36-inch display gaming, viewing media and general web browsing is really gorgeous on the Meizu. Watching movies in a dark train carriage and it almost looks like the image is floating in the air thanks to those minute bezels.
Meizu MX4 review – Performance
Interestingly for Meizu they have decided to use a Mediatek processor in the Meizu MX4 rather than a Samsung chip which has made its way in to every other Meizu device to date. Going for the Mediatek chip has meant that the price is lower than ever, in fact the cheapest Meizu at launch to date, but has the shift meant that performance has taken a dive?
The MX4 is the first phone to be released with the Mediatek MT6595 chipset. This processor is a 2.2Ghz model with a big.LITTLE architecture which switches to and from the large and small cores depending on what you ask the phone to do. There is also 2GB RAM on board and the GPU is a powerful PowerVR series 6 unit, which Meizu say is 88% better than before.
So how does it handle? Well general everyday use is not an issue with this set up, but then again it wouldn’t be a struggle for any Mediatek chip, but what you notice from the start is just how fast the MX4 handles everything. It just reacts with no complaints or slowing down, it just does what you want and when you want it done.
Running popular benchmarks on the phone resulted in an Antutu score of over 50,000 points, but as we know now Antutu isn’t everything. 3D Mark running an Ice Storm Unlimited test gave a result of 11,285 which is truly amazing for a Mediatek powered phone and well up there against Snapdragon processors.
Meizu MX4 Benchmark Results:
- Antutu X: 50,338
- Ice Storm Unlimited: 11,285
- Ice Storm Extreme: 7,161
- Nenamark 2: 60.7fps
- Quadrant: 9,852
- Vellamo Metal: 903
- Vellamo Multicore: 2020
- Vellamo Browser: 3646
So everyday use and benchmarks are impressive, so how does the MX4 handle gaming? Well drifting around car parks in Real Drift was a breeze for the Meizu, and it even handled the 3D intros easily too, something which no other Mediatek chip so far was able to do. Blasting zombies in Dead Trigger didn’t even raise the Meizu MX4’s pulse. In fact gaming was so smooth and fast across the large screen of the MX4 I think I have played more on this than any other phone to date!
Gizchina News of the week
Meizu MX4 Review – Camera
For the main camera on the MX4, Meizu again teamed up with Sony but this time instead going for a lower mega-pixel camera as they did with the MX3 they went for the big guns and the top of the range 20.7 mega-pixel Sony Exmor sensor, the same found in flagship Sony Xperia devices. The sensor is a very capable unit with a pixel size of 1.2 microns, but shoppers might poo poo the sensor as it has an aperture of just F2.2. Don’t let that put you off though as even up against phones with F2.0 or F1.8 apertures the MX4 can hold its own.
The Flyme 4.0 camera app has also gone through a huge change too and is now one of the most feature packed and user friendly camera applications of any ROM!
Meizu MX4 photo samples
I do like the image quality, the fact I can shoot 25 images a second, and that I can increase the amount of content in my photos by switching to the 20 mega-pixel setting. The camera app also has some amazing features from slow motion video, face beauty, HDR, refocus mode, night mode and a very in-depth manual setting. I am especially impressed with the Night mode option, photo examples can be seen below.
Meizu MX4 low light shots
I am also really impressed with the overall clarity of the photos and the accuracy of colours, shadows and light, but I feel the camera in this beta ROM needs a polish for the final production version of the phone to give a more consistent quality.
Meizu MX4 Slow Motion video sample
Meizu MX4 review – Battery
As I look at the settings now I have been using the phone for 9 hours 59 minutes and 48 seconds, I have 32% of battery left and I have been taking photos, playing games, running benchmarks, testing the GPS, with the 3G constantly on and chat and email apps on. So I would say pretty heavy use.
The 3100mAh battery in the Meizu MX4 is quite large and I have been getting at least 1 day and a half of use out of it on average since I got the phone. I’ve been running the screen on about 3/4 brightness too so it would be simple to boost that battery time with the screen turned down and with GPS and WIFI disabled when not in use.
Meizu have finally made a phone that has a very decent battery life!
Meizu MX4 review – GPS and connectivity
One of the main concerns with anyone buying a Chinese phone with a Mediatek processor is just how good the GPS will be. Well that is not a concern with the Meizu MX4. I have tested this phone in China, Dubai and Europe and the GPS locks on in around 3 seconds and stays locked on.
Running GPS test while sat in my living room the MX4 managed to see 23 satellites and use 12 of them for an accuracy of 17feet, INSIDE! That’s something that no other Mediatek phone we have tested so far can match. Navigation and getting around the city is all good too, maybe not quite as fast to update as a Snapdragon 801 but not far behind.
The rest of the kit all works as it ought too. WIFI, 3G and LTE all work flawlessly with not dropped calls and a strong WIFI signal.
Meizu MX4 Review – Audio
Meizu were originally an MP3 maker and known for their quality audio experience. Ever since they entered the smartphone market they have always gone that extra mile to give great quality audio. In the past going from my MX3 to my Mi2S was a painful experience as the Xiaomi simply didn’t match the Meizu’s audio. I was worried that after using the Vivo Xshot for so long, which has the best audio of any phone so far, the MX4 wouldnt be able to keep up on audio especially considering it costs half the price. Thankfully I have been proved wrong!
Audio through the MX4’s external speak is clear and unbelievably loud! And with earphones plugged in you get a real treat. Sound quality is sublime and easily as good as the OnePlus One or Oppo Find 7, it’s not too far off the Vivo either!
Meizu MX4 Review – Flyme 4.0
With the launch of the Meizu MX4, Meizu also announced their latest version of Flyme, Flyme 4.0. Although the team at the launch even told us of a huge number of changes in the ROM, many of them aren’t there for international users. For example the voice assistant and weather app are designed only for the Chinese market, and for some reason it is very difficult to sign up for a Flyme account through your phone now.
Changes that everyone can enjoy though are a slightly tweaked UI, the addition of lock screen features, an all new camera app, a new notification bar and some new Flyme based icons. If you have used Flyme 3.0 then you will feel right at home with Flyme 4.0 and you probably won’t notice much of a difference. If however you come from another ROM then you will need to take some time to learn your way around Flyme. Settings and options are not where you would normally expect, and sometimes options aren’t available when they are in other systems.
However the version of the ROM that we are testing is a beta version, and on a pre release phone, so we are bound to come up against a few oddities here and there.
Once you get used to the halo home button, the swipe up to go back features and the smart bar, it is very difficult to go back to another ROM. The Smart bar is especially useful, offering exactly what you need when you need it (well most of the time). You can see more of Flyme 4.0 in the video below.
Meizu MX4 Video Review
The below video review takes around 30 minutes to finish. You have been warned! Enjoy!
Meizu MX4 review – Conclusion
So after 3 weeks of continuous use how to I feel about the Meizu MX4? In all honesty I believed that I would use the phone for a week, write up the review and then move back to my Vivo Xshot, but that hasn’t been the case. Yes the Xshot has a slightly faster and more consistent camera, and the audio is slightly better, but the MX4 packs in a much larger display in not much more space, equally amazing performance and looks amazing to boot!
The sample MX4 we have on test isn’t without its issues though, but most are down to software optimisation and we have been assured they will all be fixed once the production versions are in the hands of fans in the coming days. And even if they weren’t there are still fewer bugs in Flyme 4.0 now in beta, than I have found in other ROMs when they should have been consumer ready.
The MX4 is a bold move for Meizu. They have changed the way they build phones, they have changed to a new manufacturer for their processor, the camera is cutting edge now rather than middle of the pack and there is super fast LTE and GPS that works from a Mediatek phone! A lot has been achieved.
In China the 16GB Meizu MX4 comes in at 1799 Yuan which is a steel! I would buy one for that price and be very happy with the huge chunk of cash I have managed to save. Internationally the MX4 starts at $449 with shipping and tax included. Compare that to the iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8 and the Meizu MX4 is the clear winner, but when compared to the OnePlus One and Xiaomi Mi4 the lines begin to blur.
Compared to the OnePlus One the MX4 has performance and audio on par, and the screen size is only a fraction smaller yet the body is much more comfortable to hold and, in my opinion, better looking. Compared to the Xiaomi Mi4 the MX4 is only physically slighly larger but has a much larger screen, battery life is equal, the camera and audio are better, and you will get a warranty outside of China. However both phones can be bought for slightly less.
Its a tough decison, but if design, camera and warranty are what you are after the MX4 is the phone to buy. If you don’t care about warranty or what a Jack of all trades get one of the other two.
The Meizu MX4 is available to order through the official Meizu Mart online store.
Deal Extreme are also offering the Meizu MX4 at a speical price:
Great review Andi, Looking forward to the iuni u3 review also. When is that on sale, seems no one has it for sale, The iuni website has only a on sale reminder
Good read and nice review.
Just for info, the antutu scores on version 5.1 comes down to 44000 from the 50000 on antutu 5.0.
maybe best photos I’ve ever seen made by a phone
Top review mate, much appreciated. Such a sweet phone it’s ridiculous, possibly the best looking android phone ever. The thing i really want to know though is how the camera compares to the iphone 6 and the Vivo Xshot. I would also love to know how the xshot compares to the iphone 6
I would say that in its present form i.e as a sample phone with beta firmware, the Xhshot does pull ahead of the MX4, but it won’t really be a fair comparions until the final firmware launches. As for the Xshot vs the iPhone 6, I have no idea but I would buy the Xshot everytime.
i completely agree wtih you. iphone sucks, android phones are better ;P
Also a review of the mx4 ‘Themes’ section would be great, would love to see what options and styles we can apply.
Really wanted a lot more benchmarks.
Added Vellamo and Quadrant, let me know if there is anything else you would like.
Thanks for the extra numbers.
Would like as many as possible.since we have very little on this SoC and A17 in general.
Mostly would like some CPU tests ( GeekBench 2.4.2 , BenchmarkPi, Linpack ) but i don’t mind some browser tests too like SunSpider , Kraken, Google Octane , WebXPRT.
In Quadrant can you detail each score , it does rather poorly so curious why.
And i wouldn’t mind storage tests with Androbench – when it comes to storage i was very curious about the Mi4 storage perf since Xiaomi claimed it’s eMMC 5 but i don’t remember a review for it here so not sure if you have it.
EDIT: heard of some 4k video problems, have you tested that ?
Edit 2: guess in Quadrant the details are in the screenshot. The memory scores low for some reason.
Thank you for the review. Do you think that MX4 has the same image quality as Vivo Xshot?
The build is very good, the only part that really needs some work is the join between the plastic rear and metal frame. I have not worries comparing the two though, the MX4 is really very good. It makes me wonder just how good the rumoured MX4 Pro could be!
Not in beta no. We will have to wait for the final firmware to see what optimisations are made. Still it is better than many other phones.
Thanks! Can’t wait till Oppo N3. Want to buy a truly ultimate android camera phone.
The 3DMark for the MX4 is just around 11K??? The Xiaomi Mi3 gets above 18K for Ice Storm Unlimited.
MX4 is still on beta firmware. Still the MX4 is cheaper, has a better camera and bigger screen, and for real life useage the MX4 is nice to play on 😀
The Mi3 is 1499RMB right now, so it is still cheaper compared to this. However, the screen and camera on the MX4 does give it an advantage. Hopefully it is just the software, I always look on 3DMark rather than Antutu now, since 3DMark really shows a closer than reality experience.
Ah sorry I read your comment wrong I just assumed it said Mi4. Yup Mi3 is a great bargain, but the design and camera don’t do it for me.
This chip is not supposed to be super fast. The A17 is supposed to be much faster than A9 but slower than A15 and much smaller and lower power. No point in pairing a huge GPU here so the GPU is not great or bad, it’s …. sufficient. It’s a chip for lower high end and upper mid range and so far it seems very interesting.At least this SKU , the one in the Vibe X2 not sure since the GPU is supposed to be clocked 25% lower. There is also a Turbo version where the GPU should be same as here at 600 MHz and the cores at 2.4 – 2.5GHz but not aware of any phones with it yet.
EDIT: Wanted to clarify a bit that it’s not a mid-range phone , it’s has a 1080p screen and fast enough SoC so it’s just not super high end. The Nexus 5 or Galaxy S4 are still high end even if not top performers anymore.The MX4 seems to fall somewhat in the same league. It does have a bigger than 5 inch screen and 20MP cam so some upsides vs the Mi3 or the ZTE Nubia Z7 Mini. Mi3 also doesn’t have wifi ac. So in the end it depends on what you need more.
Nice review 🙂
Thanks 😀
Andi, did you scratch the micro usb port? I think I see a nick there and it looks like paint was peeled idk.
yup think I caught it, the anodizing chipped a little
So, the aluminum alloy is just painted? Will this be like iPhone 5 2.0? Where the paint chips?
Nope it is anodized http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing
Okay, thanks! I don’t know what to choose, Vivo Xshot, MX4, Mi4 or IUNI U3. ? Help! ?
Maybe wait for Meizu Mx4 Pro if you are ready to buy a phone that costs as much as Vivo Xshot. 😕
Damn, I just saw the price of the Xshot, I thought it was cheap. Haha! I don’t know when the MX4 Pro will be released.
Do you think the processor of the MX4 is capable? I’ve always used Snapdragon processors, 800 to be exact. Haven’t tried 801. I’ve always had this impression that MTK processors are slow. Thanks!
It depends on what you use as benchmark to define capability. For example some might complain that 4k videos don’t work well on the phone, but it has no bearing in real life.
Snapdragon no doubt will be top dog, but these other chips which were far behind a year ago are rapidly gaining ground and getting very close to Snapdragon’s high end, and in one more year we might see the competition flipped around. I personally don’t see any reason at all to complain about the new MTK chip.. But there might be issues for gamers as game developers might not optimize well for not so popular MTK chip compared to snapdragon.
Main problem for me and others is the not so open kernel sources of these chips
Working on both the IUNI and Mi4 review now 😀
Hi,
Can you please add more details comparing this amazing phone and the one plus one??
Thank you so much for this great review!!!!
Which of the two would you choose??
Between the MX4 and OnePlus One? Meizu personally, but they are both fine phones
Yes!!I wish I could afford both!! Congratulations again!! Great review!!
That turtle looks simply outstanding! I’d love to get an MX4, if not just for the design and camera.
I pre order one Meizu MX4 from eBay and I am afraid that Google Play is not coming, I am wrong ?
Thanks Andi!!!”
No Google Play I’m afraid but don’t worry as it is super easy to install. I’ll post a how to with link soon!
Hi Andi, I love your reviews! ” quick quiestions:
1 – Screen — Mx4 vs Mi4 — Which one would you pick ?
2 – Audio — Mx4 vs M8 (HTC) — What do you think?
Thanks for all info you share !!
1 – MX4 not only the screen but it is more comfortable to hold.
2 – Not listened to the M8 so can’t compare. Sorry
Thank you! Decision made, now I know what to do tomorrow morning lol
Can you post all your reviews with whether US carriers will work them with regards to LTE? Especially T-Mobile? If I have MX4, Mi4, Nubia Z7mini or IUNI U3 (which is the one that I like) will the LTE on the phones work with T-Mobile bands?
Have a gander here, I have already put the phones you wanted in.
just need to know what bands T-mobile uses from your country.
http://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/9530e971
Thanks so much! After looking at so many articles, I think I found out that T-Mobile uses only 1700/2100 MHz AWS Band 4 LTE and are planning to use 700 MHz Black A spectrum soon. I hope this helps to you. Because I can’t make heads or tails of this issue to find out which phone works for T-Mobile. Thanks in advance
What T-mobile (US,UK etc)
You can have a look here to find what ones you need.
For me its 3 Three UK. Which is 800/1800
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks
Not sure if the phone i want (iuni u3) supports the local lte bands. Its confusing for me also.
Sorry I forgot to mention its T-Mobile USA. Thanks
I think you might be out of luck with lte on t-mobile US.
With the U3. It does have band 1900 but its TDD not t-mobile FDD
AWS, no matter 3G or LTE, is looking increasingly grim for fans of Chinese brands. The Meizu MX3 and MX2 supported 3G AWS, but the MX4 appears to have dropped that 3G support and ignored AWS LTE. Don’t see where the Z7 Mini or U3 support AWS either. I”ve been saying Meizu might surprise by making the MX4 Pro a true global superphone, but who knows? Chinese brands may talk about how attractive the US market is, but the fact that it remains overwhelmingly dominated by carrier-locked devices means that it’s more profitable to look elsewhere for sales.
I’ve compared benchmark scores of mx4 to Oneplus One and found out that 1+1 got much better results. Is the difference really that noticable?
Based on what I have read, the gpu of snapdragon 801 is more powerful than the gpu of mt6595. However, you will not notice much/anything in reality.
No difference in actual use as far as I can tell
when can we expect to see a comparisment of meizu mx4 vs. other flagships?
Andi, thank you for this nice work and great review. A question: I have a good friend living in China, do you think it is possible to let her buy the 1700 Yuan version and send it to me? If she requests an English version, do you think she will get one?
It’s not an “English version” you need to worry about. All Meizu phones support multiple languages out of the box. The difference is the carrier support. In China, there are two MX4 versions right now: one is *only* meant for China Mobile (TD LTE) while the other is for China Unicom (FDD LTE) but also can support China Mobile. You want to buy the China Unicom version. In Chinese, the Unicom version is “lian tong ban”. The China Mobile version you DO NOT want is called “yi dong ban”. If you decide to ask your friend, make sure they understand you want the “lian tong ban” and be sure they go to a physical Meizu store, a physical Suning store, or buy online from Meizu directly or from JD.com. Those are all authorized. Do not allow your friend to buy from an electronics shopping mall, mobile phone superstore, or some random online shop.
Thank you for your elaborate respons Njren! You helped me a lot, tnx 🙂
Great review Andi, Looking forward to the iuni u3 review also. When is that on sale, seems no one has it for sale, The iuni website has only a on sale reminder
Benchmark blablabla antutu blablabla in forums.. Its all so irrelevant.. Im not a gamer so I neeed smooth touch lagless experience as in ios or wp. Come on android L im waiting.. MX4 ftw!
Great review andi.. Does the music app support ‘album artist’ – tag?
Good read and nice review.
Just for info, the antutu scores on version 5.1 comes down to 44000 from the 50000 on antutu 5.0.
maybe best photos I’ve ever seen made by a phone
Top review mate, much appreciated. Such a sweet phone it’s ridiculous, possibly the best looking android phone ever. The thing i really want to know though is how the camera compares to the iphone 6 and the Vivo Xshot. I would also love to know how the xshot compares to the iphone 6
I would say that in its present form i.e as a sample phone with beta firmware, the Xhshot does pull ahead of the MX4, but it won’t really be a fair comparions until the final firmware launches. As for the Xshot vs the iPhone 6, I have no idea but I would buy the Xshot everytime.
i completely agree wtih you. iphone sucks, android phones are better ;P
Also a review of the mx4 ‘Themes’ section would be great, would love to see what options and styles we can apply.
Really wanted a lot more benchmarks.
Added Vellamo and Quadrant, let me know if there is anything else you would like.
Thanks for the extra numbers.
Would like as many as possible.since we have very little on this SoC and A17 in general.
Mostly would like some CPU tests ( GeekBench 2.4.2 , BenchmarkPi, Linpack ) but i don’t mind some browser tests too like SunSpider , Kraken, Google Octane , WebXPRT.
In Quadrant can you detail each score , it does rather poorly so curious why.
And i wouldn’t mind storage tests with Androbench – when it comes to storage i was very curious about the Mi4 storage perf since Xiaomi claimed it’s eMMC 5 but i don’t remember a review for it here so not sure if you have it.
EDIT: heard of some 4k video problems, have you tested that ?
Edit 2: guess in Quadrant the details are in the screenshot. The memory scores low for some reason.
Thank you for the review. Do you think that MX4 has the same image quality as Vivo Xshot?
The build is very good, the only part that really needs some work is the join between the plastic rear and metal frame. I have not worries comparing the two though, the MX4 is really very good. It makes me wonder just how good the rumoured MX4 Pro could be!
Not in beta no. We will have to wait for the final firmware to see what optimisations are made. Still it is better than many other phones.
Thanks! Can’t wait till Oppo N3. Want to buy a truly ultimate android camera phone.
The 3DMark for the MX4 is just around 11K??? The Xiaomi Mi3 gets above 18K for Ice Storm Unlimited.
MX4 is still on beta firmware. Still the MX4 is cheaper, has a better camera and bigger screen, and for real life useage the MX4 is nice to play on 😀
The Mi3 is 1499RMB right now, so it is still cheaper compared to this. However, the screen and camera on the MX4 does give it an advantage. Hopefully it is just the software, I always look on 3DMark rather than Antutu now, since 3DMark really shows a closer than reality experience.
Ah sorry I read your comment wrong I just assumed it said Mi4. Yup Mi3 is a great bargain, but the design and camera don’t do it for me.
This chip is not supposed to be super fast. The A17 is supposed to be much faster than A9 but slower than A15 and much smaller and lower power. No point in pairing a huge GPU here so the GPU is not great or bad, it’s …. sufficient. It’s a chip for lower high end and upper mid range and so far it seems very interesting.At least this SKU , the one in the Vibe X2 not sure since the GPU is supposed to be clocked 25% lower. There is also a Turbo version where the GPU should be same as here at 600 MHz and the cores at 2.4 – 2.5GHz but not aware of any phones with it yet.
EDIT: Wanted to clarify a bit that it’s not a mid-range phone , it’s has a 1080p screen and fast enough SoC so it’s just not super high end. The Nexus 5 or Galaxy S4 are still high end even if not top performers anymore.The MX4 seems to fall somewhat in the same league. It does have a bigger than 5 inch screen and 20MP cam so some upsides vs the Mi3 or the ZTE Nubia Z7 Mini. Mi3 also doesn’t have wifi ac. So in the end it depends on what you need more.
Nice review 🙂
Thanks 😀
Andi, did you scratch the micro usb port? I think I see a nick there and it looks like paint was peeled idk.
yup think I caught it, the anodizing chipped a little
So, the aluminum alloy is just painted? Will this be like iPhone 5 2.0? Where the paint chips?
Nope it is anodized http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing
Okay, thanks! I don’t know what to choose, Vivo Xshot, MX4, Mi4 or IUNI U3. 😫 Help! 😜
Maybe wait for Meizu Mx4 Pro if you are ready to buy a phone that costs as much as Vivo Xshot. 😕
Damn, I just saw the price of the Xshot, I thought it was cheap. Haha! I don’t know when the MX4 Pro will be released.
Do you think the processor of the MX4 is capable? I’ve always used Snapdragon processors, 800 to be exact. Haven’t tried 801. I’ve always had this impression that MTK processors are slow. Thanks!
Working on both the IUNI and Mi4 review now 😀
It depends on what you use as benchmark to define capability. For example some might complain that 4k videos don’t work well on the phone, but it has no bearing in real life.
Snapdragon no doubt will be top dog, but these other chips which were far behind a year ago are rapidly gaining ground and getting very close to Snapdragon’s high end, and in one more year we might see the competition flipped around. I personally don’t see any reason at all to complain about the new MTK chip.. But there might be issues for gamers as game developers might not optimize well for not so popular MTK chip compared to snapdragon.
Main problem for me and others is the not so open kernel sources of these chips
Hi,
Can you please add more details comparing this amazing phone and the one plus one??
Thank you so much for this great review!!!!
Which of the two would you choose??
Between the MX4 and OnePlus One? Meizu personally, but they are both fine phones
Yes!!I wish I could afford both!! Congratulations again!! Great review!!
That turtle looks simply outstanding! I’d love to get an MX4, if not just for the design and camera.
I pre order one Meizu MX4 from eBay and I am afraid that Google Play is not coming, I am wrong ?
Thanks Andi!!!”
No Google Play I’m afraid but don’t worry as it is super easy to install. I’ll post a how to with link soon!
Hi Andi, I love your reviews! ” quick quiestions:
1 – Screen — Mx4 vs Mi4 — Which one would you pick ?
2 – Audio — Mx4 vs M8 (HTC) — What do you think?
Thanks for all info you share !!
1 – MX4 not only the screen but it is more comfortable to hold.
2 – Not listened to the M8 so can’t compare. Sorry
Thank you! Decision made, now I know what to do tomorrow morning lol
Can you post all your reviews with whether US carriers will work them with regards to LTE? Especially T-Mobile? If I have MX4, Mi4, Nubia Z7mini or IUNI U3 (which is the one that I like) will the LTE on the phones work with T-Mobile bands?
Have a gander here, I have already put the phones you wanted in.
just need to know what bands T-mobile uses from your country.
http://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/9530e971
Thanks so much! After looking at so many articles, I think I found out that T-Mobile uses only 1700/2100 MHz AWS Band 4 LTE and are planning to use 700 MHz Black A spectrum soon. I hope this helps to you. Because I can’t make heads or tails of this issue to find out which phone works for T-Mobile. Thanks in advance
What T-mobile (US,UK etc)
You can have a look here to find what ones you need.
For me its 3 Three UK. Which is 800/1800
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks
Not sure if the phone i want (iuni u3) supports the local lte bands. Its confusing for me also.
Sorry I forgot to mention its T-Mobile USA. Thanks
I think you might be out of luck with lte on t-mobile US.
With the U3. It does have band 1900 but its TDD not t-mobile FDD
AWS, no matter 3G or LTE, is looking increasingly grim for fans of Chinese brands. The Meizu MX3 and MX2 supported 3G AWS, but the MX4 appears to have dropped that 3G support and ignored AWS LTE. Don’t see where the Z7 Mini or U3 support AWS either. I”ve been saying Meizu might surprise by making the MX4 Pro a true global superphone, but who knows? Chinese brands may talk about how attractive the US market is, but the fact that it remains overwhelmingly dominated by carrier-locked devices means that it’s more profitable to look elsewhere for sales.
I’ve compared benchmark scores of mx4 to Oneplus One and found out that 1+1 got much better results. Is the difference really that noticable?
Based on what I have read, the gpu of snapdragon 801 is more powerful than the gpu of mt6595. However, you will not notice much/anything in reality.
No difference in actual use as far as I can tell
when can we expect to see a comparisment of meizu mx4 vs. other flagships?
Andi, thank you for this nice work and great review. A question: I have a good friend living in China, do you think it is possible to let her buy the 1700 Yuan version and send it to me? If she requests an English version, do you think she will get one?
It’s not an “English version” you need to worry about. All Meizu phones support multiple languages out of the box. The difference is the carrier support. In China, there are two MX4 versions right now: one is *only* meant for China Mobile (TD LTE) while the other is for China Unicom (FDD LTE) but also can support China Mobile. You want to buy the China Unicom version. In Chinese, the Unicom version is “lian tong ban”. The China Mobile version you DO NOT want is called “yi dong ban”. If you decide to ask your friend, make sure they understand you want the “lian tong ban” and be sure they go to a physical Meizu store, a physical Suning store, or buy online from Meizu directly or from JD.com. Those are all authorized. Do not allow your friend to buy from an electronics shopping mall, mobile phone superstore, or some random online shop.
Thank you for your elaborate respons Njren! You helped me a lot, tnx 🙂
I’m pretty sure the obvious difference between the plastic and alloy is intentional
Really wish this got att let in the states. Only breaking factor for this phone.
Anyone think another version with different bands get released? Not talking about pro version.
Benchmark blablabla antutu blablabla in forums.. Its all so irrelevant.. Im not a gamer so I neeed smooth touch lagless experience as in ios or wp. Come on android L im waiting.. MX4 ftw!
Great review andi.. Does the music app support ‘album artist’ – tag?
Hi Andi, thanks for this review!
Any thoughts about Ubuntu Touch in the MX4 in the future?
Does the mx4 have international LTE? As in does it support China LTE and other bands in Asia and USA/Europe?
From what I can tell, none of the LTE bands the MX4 uses are supported by major US carriers. AT&T and T-Mobile both use slightly different bands.
Andi, compared to the Z7 Max, which one would be the better choice?
The Z7 Max seems to be the same quality, but offers a better processor and a bit bigger screen. It also has a great camera (on par with mx4?) and accepts dual sims and SD card.
What about the split screen function, does the MX4 have this too?
I haven’t tried the Z7 Max but to be fair it would be better to compare it with the Meizu MX4 Pro when it finally arrives
Are you saying that the Z7 Max could play in a higher league than the standard MX4?
From the technicals I tend to Z7 MAX, but isn’t Meizu of better quality and workmanship, the best Chinabrand after all?
I was in between the Z7 Max and the Meizu.. I bought the Z7 Max..for my girlfriend.. I have the Vivo Xshot..I think the Z7 Max has better specs than the Meizu and a wider camera lens at f2.0.
I’m pretty sure the obvious difference between the plastic and alloy is intentional
Really wish this got att let in the states. Only breaking factor for this phone.
Anyone think another version with different bands get released? Not talking about pro version.
Hey Andi, if you’re happy with the mx4 how about selling me your vivo xshot?
Hi Andi, thanks for this review!
Any thoughts about Ubuntu Touch in the MX4 in the future?
Does the mx4 have international LTE? As in does it support China LTE and other bands in Asia and USA/Europe?
From what I can tell, none of the LTE bands the MX4 uses are supported by major US carriers. AT&T and T-Mobile both use slightly different bands.
I am also looking forward to some 1080p and 4K video footage. Some have said you can’t upload 4K video on YouTube due to some errors.
youtube doesn’t like the h265 codec use in Mx4, it prefers their VP9…
Btw, considering that iPhone 6 has changed to same h265 codec now, I wonder how they will play with the Youtube?
Also, it seems that xiaomi is going to release an update to their redmi series phone soon with mt6595 chipset for 1499 yuan.
Andi, compared to the Z7 Max, which one would be the better choice?
The Z7 Max seems to be the same quality, but offers a better processor and a bit bigger screen. It also has a great camera (on par with mx4?) and accepts dual sims and SD card.
What about the split screen function, does the MX4 have this too?
I haven’t tried the Z7 Max but to be fair it would be better to compare it with the Meizu MX4 Pro when it finally arrives
Are you saying that the Z7 Max could play in a higher league than the standard MX4?
From the technicals I tend to Z7 MAX, but isn’t Meizu of better quality and workmanship, the best Chinabrand after all?
I was in between the Z7 Max and the Meizu.. I bought the Z7 Max..for my girlfriend.. I have the Vivo Xshot..I think the Z7 Max has better specs than the Meizu and a wider camera lens at f2.0.
Hi Andi, Thank you for the quick review on the release date.
Just wondering, are Meizu mx4 headphone output better or worse compared to Vivo xhot/Meizu MX3?
I might interest on china model, is there any way to remove china’s version bloatware (e.g QQ, anything with chinese letter?) and install google framework and play store.
Thanks
Firstly, you need root the phone. And then, install some app like Titanim Backup which let you to remove system apps.
Maximum output level on MX4 is -5.5dB, on MX3 is -8dB, on Xshot Normal Mode is -5.3dB, on Xshot Hi-Fi Mode is -3.3dB.
Question on GPS Andi, I sense some reservations in your review (“best GPS ever in a MTK phone (that’s an open door), very good for navigation (i.e. simple use?), maybe not as fast to update as a 801”).
Could you please elaborate a bit. I intend to use the phone with apps like Sports-tracker and Viewranger, which require accurate positioning. Thanks!
My usage is Google Maps and Runtastic. What I mean by speed, it just seems to be a little slower to re-route if I take a wrong turn, actual lock on speed is very fast, and signal strength is amazing even indoors.
Hi everyone. If i buy MX4 and want to use original KitKat or future android OS versions, can i do it? If i do not want to use Flyme – can i delete it or totally disable it? Give me a hint on this matter. Thanks.
Disabling not possible. I had MX2 before with Flyme. Rooting, is possible yes. Which will then let you try find pure Android on it.
Thanks thanks. Hm. Rooting is possible you say… Maybe then even Flyme is not so bad. Now just have to decide MX4 or some other phone 😀 but somehow i truly like the design of MX4.
You want my advice? Wait for the MX4 Pro!!
no thanks. mx4 is already too big, but i still like it.
The rumoured dimensions of the ‘MX4 Pro’ are just that… Rumours! No one knows for a fact that it’ll be bigger than the current MX4. If you want the MX4 then by all means go for it but if I were you I’d wait till we get some accurate specifications of the Pro version. Only 4 weeks to go til the release so not too long.
Do you know if we can use other launchers, such as Nova or Apex?
Hey Andi, if you’re happy with the mx4 how about selling me your vivo xshot?
no Sd-Slot
no Dual-SIM
no NFC
low GPU
_________________
Waiting for MX4 PRO!
If you’re waiting for an MX4 with SD card slot and dual SIM, you’ll probably be waiting a long time. NFC (since Meizu sells their “NFC cards” as an accessory for MX3) and better GPU (since it will likely be Exynos 5430) are better bets.
Rumour has it that the MX4 mini will have dual sim
I am also looking forward to some 1080p and 4K video footage. Some have said you can’t upload 4K video on YouTube due to some errors.
youtube doesn’t like the h265 codec use in Mx4, it prefers their VP9…
Btw, considering that iPhone 6 has changed to same h265 codec now, I wonder how they will play with the Youtube?
Also, it seems that xiaomi is going to release an update to their redmi series phone soon with mt6595 chipset for 1499 yuan.
Hi Andi, Thank you for the quick review on the release date.
Just wondering, are Meizu mx4 headphone output better or worse compared to Vivo xhot/Meizu MX3?
I might interest on china model, is there any way to remove china’s version bloatware (e.g QQ, anything with chinese letter?) and install google framework and play store.
Thanks
Firstly, you need root the phone. And then, install some app like Titanim Backup which let you to remove system apps.
Maximum output level on MX4 is -5.5dB, on MX3 is -8dB, on Xshot Normal Mode is -5.3dB, on Xshot Hi-Fi Mode is -3.3dB.
Question on GPS Andi, I sense some reservations in your review (“best GPS ever in a MTK phone (that’s an open door), very good for navigation (i.e. simple use?), maybe not as fast to update as a 801”).
Could you please elaborate a bit. I intend to use the phone with apps like Sports-tracker and Viewranger, which require accurate positioning. Thanks!
My usage is Google Maps and Runtastic. What I mean by speed, it just seems to be a little slower to re-route if I take a wrong turn, actual lock on speed is very fast, and signal strength is amazing even indoors.
Hi everyone. If i buy MX4 and want to use original KitKat or future android OS versions, can i do it? If i do not want to use Flyme – can i delete it or totally disable it? Give me a hint on this matter. Thanks.
Disabling not possible. I had MX2 before with Flyme. Rooting, is possible yes. Which will then let you try find pure Android on it.
Thanks thanks. Hm. Rooting is possible you say… Maybe then even Flyme is not so bad. Now just have to decide MX4 or some other phone 😀 but somehow i truly like the design of MX4.
Do you know if we can use other launchers, such as Nova or Apex?
You want my advice? Wait for the MX4 Pro!!
no thanks. mx4 is already too big, but i still like it.
The rumoured dimensions of the ‘MX4 Pro’ are just that… Rumours! No one knows for a fact that it’ll be bigger than the current MX4. If you want the MX4 then by all means go for it but if I were you I’d wait till we get some accurate specifications of the Pro version. Only 4 weeks to go til the release so not too long.
no Sd-Slot
no Dual-SIM
no NFC
low GPU
_________________
Waiting for MX4 PRO!
If you’re waiting for an MX4 with SD card slot and dual SIM, you’ll probably be waiting a long time. NFC (since Meizu sells their “NFC cards” as an accessory for MX3) and better GPU (since it will likely be Exynos 5430) are better bets.
Rumour has it that the MX4 mini will have dual sim
Waiting for the Mi4 review and the comparison between them. Keep rocking Andy!
Waiting for the Mi4 review and the comparison between them. Keep rocking Andy!
hi, just want to know will the meizu mx4 support 4g lte in the uk ?
nice review Andy.
hi, just want to know will the meizu mx4 support 4g lte in the uk ?
nice review Andy.
how is heat of the phone MX4 after using wifi or data service , as I experience MX3 upper back and upper front so hot while using wifi or data that I can’t put it on my ear !
Quickie one, would it be at all somehow possible to get linked to comments for example size, feel comparison to MX2, along with the MX3 and MX4.
Also before with MX3 and MX2 (if I am not wrong), Meizu published and featured as selling point the audio chip they are using, so what is going on now, why it is no longer mentioned in the PR materials?
Thanks for the thorough review too.
The audio chip is mentioned down at the bottom of the Features tab in the MX4 section on the Meizu site.
http://goo.gl/SzhY4b
Hi thanks!
I could swear that was not there when the phone launched! Or in the launch presentation! This is exactly what I was expecting from Meizu. Good catch, thanks mate!
The audio on this one is from MediaTek. But MediaTek is now working with Wolfson, so even though you’ll see an MTK chip inside the phone, it’s actually a Wolfson-developed product. It’s called the WM8281, but it’s not on Wolfson’s website as it’s a custom chip. What Meizu talked about during the release presentation (and lists on their website) is an NXP amplifier + processor that boosts volume & sound quality from the speaker. A review on TechInAsia even said the sound from the speaker was way too loud. A Chinese review website said the audio from the MTK MX4 was good, but different from the MX3….”a soft warm bias” in their words. The RightMark Audio Analyzer numbers are comparable to the MX3…noise level is identical at -96.4dB and dynamic range is actually higher at 96.3dB vs. 94dB for the MX3. Maximum output level at the headphones is -5.5dB vs. -8 for the MX3. Overall they seem to prefer the sound signature in the MX3, but used phrases like “huge step forward” and “new beginning” to refer to the MTK-based sound in the MX4.
Im still not sure about my next phone.. mx4, opo, find 7a ?? :-/ all of them looks just amazing..
Andi, great review. A few more questions, though, sorry.
1. Could you provide me with a link to the warranty?
2. The website said something about 2048 levels of brightness control, can you verify or explain that?
3. Is the in-house equalizer capable or comparable to the likes of Viper4Android?
4. Finally, would you recommend buying this now, or waiting for Android L, and the Nexus 6, before deciding? I have time to wait.
Wait. Its not even the best product of Meizu even. And wait also because its better to wait until you get more user reviews and feedbacks on negative and faulty aspects and a stable rom is available.
how is heat of the phone MX4 after using wifi or data service , as I experience MX3 upper back and upper front so hot while using wifi or data that I can’t put it on my ear !
Andi,You can test front camera for me please.
Quickie one, would it be at all somehow possible to get linked to comments for example size, feel comparison to MX2, along with the MX3 and MX4.
Also before with MX3 and MX2 (if I am not wrong), Meizu published and featured as selling point the audio chip they are using, so what is going on now, why it is no longer mentioned in the PR materials?
Thanks for the thorough review too.
The audio chip is mentioned down at the bottom of the Features tab in the MX4 section on the Meizu site.
http://goo.gl/SzhY4b
The audio on this one is from MediaTek. But MediaTek is now working with Wolfson, so even though you’ll see an MTK chip inside the phone, it’s actually a Wolfson-developed product. It’s called the WM8281, but it’s not on Wolfson’s website as it’s a custom chip. What Meizu talked about during the release presentation (and lists on their website) is an NXP amplifier + processor that boosts volume & sound quality from the speaker. A review on TechInAsia even said the sound from the speaker was way too loud. A Chinese review website said the audio from the MTK MX4 was good, but different from the MX3….”a soft warm bias” in their words. The RightMark Audio Analyzer numbers are comparable to the MX3…noise level is identical at -96.4dB and dynamic range is actually higher at 96.3dB vs. 94dB for the MX3. Maximum output level at the headphones is -5.5dB vs. -8 for the MX3. Overall they seem to prefer the sound signature in the MX3, but used phrases like “huge step forward” and “new beginning” to refer to the MTK-based sound in the MX4.
Hi thanks!
I could swear that was not there when the phone launched! Or in the launch presentation! This is exactly what I was expecting from Meizu. Good catch, thanks mate!
Im still not sure about my next phone.. mx4, opo, find 7a ?? :-/ all of them looks just amazing..
Andi, great review. A few more questions, though, sorry.
1. Could you provide me with a link to the warranty?
2. The website said something about 2048 levels of brightness control, can you verify or explain that?
3. Is the in-house equalizer capable or comparable to the likes of Viper4Android?
4. Finally, would you recommend buying this now, or waiting for Android L, and the Nexus 6, before deciding? I have time to wait.
Wait. Its not even the best product of Meizu even. And wait also because its better to wait until you get more user reviews and feedbacks on negative and faulty aspects and a stable rom is available.
Andi,You can test front camera for me please.
anyone got their hands on the final release ?
anyone got their hands on the final release ?
are there any technical differences in the phone if i order from out side china, or from within china ?,
Thank you Andi once again for a great review! Since MT6595 + Sony IMX220 could yield amazing 480fps at 1080p, could you tell us what is the frame rate the MX4 can give on 720p and 1080p?
Thank you Andi once again for a great review! Since MT6595 + Sony IMX220 could yield an amazing 480 fps at 1080p, could you tell us what is the frame rate the MX4 can give on 720p and 1080p?
https://www.gizchina.com/2014/07/16/mediateks-mt6595-mt6795-real-multimedia-beasts/
are there any technical differences in the phone if i order from out side china, or from within china ?,
what is the SAR value of this phone?
Thank you Andi once again for a great review! Since MT6595 + Sony IMX220 could yield amazing 480fps at 1080p , could you tell us what is the frame rate the MX4 can give on 720p and 1080p?
Thank you Andi once again for a great review! Since MT6595 + Sony IMX220 could yield an amazing 480 fps at 1080p, could you tell us what is the frame rate the MX4 can give on 720p and 1080p?
http://www.gizchina.com/2014/07/16/mediateks-mt6595-mt6795-real-multimedia-beasts/
what is the SAR value of this phone?
Hello, any idea of the LTE bands + performance of the MT chip ?
TDD-LTE (4G) 1900 / 2300 / 2600
FDD-LTE (4G) 1800 / 2600
Thank you njren 🙂
The lack of possibility to change the LTE bands by region is really a problem with most phones 🙁
The MX4 was almost perfect but a nogo if only with FDD-LTE 1800/2600 (I was hoping also for 800 & 3500) :/
Hello, any idea of the LTE bands + performance of the MT chip ?
TDD-LTE (4G) 1900 / 2300 / 2600
FDD-LTE (4G) 1800 / 2600
Thank you njren 🙂
The lack of possibility to change the LTE bands by region is really a problem with most phones 🙁
The MX4 was almost perfect but a nogo if only with FDD-LTE 1800/2600 (I was hoping also for 800 & 3500) :/
Meizu mx4 vs vivo xshot camera,it’s possible?
Could be 😉
Great idea, exactly what I was wondering. I feel a lot of users may be interested in real-world camera performance. How about a 2014 flagship photo shootout? MX4 / Xshot / Mi4 etc.?
If I buy here in China, but am planning to move home to Europe, can I just buy the Chinese version and use it back home? or would I need to buy the international version?
Basically I mean can I use the Chinese version in Ireland with an Irish operator?
The “lian tong ban” version of the MX4 operates on FDD LTE 1800 + 2600. The 1800 will work in Ireland, but it does not have the newer 800 band of LTE.
thanks njren. do u know the characters for ‘lian tong ban’? What does it mean?
It’s 联通版 …”China Unicom version”, which sounds like it’s locked to the carrier, but only refers to which 3G and 4G bands it supports.
thanks. so i should buy China Unicom instead of China Mobile? is that not just for the sim as opposed to the phone itself?
njren, where did u get the information about the FDD LTE specs?
njren, thanks, where did u get this information from? i cant find theses specs on the meizu website.
my posts keep disappearing…. njren, can u tell me where u got the specs from please. thanks.
Meizu mx4 vs vivo xshot camera,it’s possible?
Could be 😉
Great idea, exactly what I was wondering. I feel a lot of users may be interested in real-world camera performance. How about a 2014 flagship photo shootout? MX4 / Xshot / Mi4 etc.?
Is the chipset in this phone open sourced (i’m not sure if that’s the correct expression) so that developers will be able to make custom roms? I’m asking you that because i’ve heard somewhere that mediatek sourcecode isn’t open.
Flyme 4 is packaged as a ZIP file, so you can download the firmware from Meizu, open it up, and see how far you get.
i understand this but what will happen when meizu will stop relasing updates for mx4 or if i want to have different rom (not flyme).
How often do you change phones? Meizu’s MX3 and MX2 will also be getting Flyme 4, so that’s two generations (two years) of support. Can’t guarantee that, of course, but Meizu has dramatically improved their firmware support over the last couple of product cycles.
Currently i’m using Samsung Galaxy S that i bought in 2011 (i think it was April). That’s about three and a half years. This phone still has a lot of support (well, not by Samsung of course). You can find many ROMs on XDA forum including the latest kitkat 4.4.4 that I’m using. Can i expect this kind of support for mx4? Will there be any CyanogenMod ROM, Paranoid Android ROM, PAC ROM or any other ROM?
If I buy here in China, but am planning to move home to Europe, can I just buy the Chinese version and use it back home? or would I need to buy the international version?
Basically I mean can I use the Chinese version in Ireland with an Irish operator?
The “lian tong ban” version of the MX4 operates on FDD LTE 1800 + 2600. The 1800 will work in Ireland, but it does not have the newer 800 band of LTE.
thanks njren. do u know the characters for ‘lian tong ban’? What does it mean?
It’s 联通版 …”China Unicom version”, which sounds like it’s locked to the carrier, but only refers to which 3G and 4G bands it supports.
thanks. so i should buy China Unicom instead of China Mobile? is that not just for the sim as opposed to the phone itself?
njren, where did u get the information about the FDD LTE specs?
njren, thanks, where did u get this information from? i cant find theses specs on the meizu website.
my posts keep disappearing…. njren, can u tell me where u got the specs from please. thanks.
Is the chipset in this phone open sourced (i’m not sure if that’s the correct expression) so that developers will be able to make custom roms? I’m asking you that because i’ve heard somewhere that mediatek sourcecode isn’t open.
Flyme 4 is packaged as a ZIP file, so you can download the firmware from Meizu, open it up, and see how far you get.
i understand this but what will happen when meizu will stop relasing updates for mx4 or if i want to have different rom (not flyme).
How often do you change phones? Meizu’s MX3 and MX2 will also be getting Flyme 4, so that’s two generations (two years) of support. Can’t guarantee that, of course, but Meizu has dramatically improved their firmware support over the last couple of product cycles.
Currently i’m using Samsung Galaxy S that i bought in 2011 (i think it was April). That’s about three and a half years. This phone still has a lot of support (well, not by Samsung of course). You can find many ROMs on XDA forum including the latest kitkat 4.4.4 that I’m using. Can i expect this kind of support for mx4? Will there be any CyanogenMod ROM, Paranoid Android ROM, PAC ROM or any other ROM?
Hi Andi,You can test front camera please.
Hi Andy, it really comes through in the reviews when you like a phone, and this is a really good review beyond the specs. Would I be correct in concluding that after the mi2s which you loved (well deserved I might add, Xiaomi’s best device yet) this is the second phone you really like? What did you feel about the MX3 in comparison?
Hi Rauble, I’m afraid the Vivo Xshot is now my firm fave. I do like like the Meizu MX4 but I just prefer the Vivo as an overall package. Perhaps the Meizu MX4 Pro will finally tear me away.
Hi Andi,You can test front camera please.
Hi Andy, it really comes through in the reviews when you like a phone, and this is a really good review beyond the specs. Would I be correct in concluding that after the mi2s which you loved (well deserved I might add, Xiaomi’s best device yet) this is the second phone you really like? What did you feel about the MX3 in comparison?
Hi Rauble, I’m afraid the Vivo Xshot is now my firm fave. I do like like the Meizu MX4 but I just prefer the Vivo as an overall package. Perhaps the Meizu MX4 Pro will finally tear me away.
which has better cam? Meizu mx4 or Iuni u3?
which has better cam? Meizu mx4 or Iuni u3?
First of all, very nice review :). I’ll buy a new smartphone and i can’t find out which one is better. I’m thinking of Meizu mx4, Iuni u3, Xiaomi mi4 and Huawei honor 6. I want a phone with a really great camera and price around 300 euro. Can anyone help me? Thanks in advance 🙂
Nubia Z7 Max filaraki.. 🙂
First of all, very nice review :). I’ll buy a new smartphone and i can’t find out which one is better. I’m thinking of Meizu mx4, Iuni u3, Xiaomi mi4 and Huawei honor 6. I want a phone with a really great camera and price around 300 euro. Can anyone help me? Thanks in advance 🙂
Nubia Z7 Max filaraki.. 🙂
Isn’t the final firmware out by now? And if it is,can you update the benchmarks?
which is better this or honor 6 camera?
Isn’t the final firmware out by now? And if it is,can you update the benchmarks?
which is better this or honor 6 camera?
plz make a compare video of mi4 vs mx4
Hi everyone, I have a question, if one buys the phone in China, will it work in Europe? Do I have to ask for an Int. version or when in Europe flyme will update ?
it should work in Europe, although you may have 4g issues depending on which version the phone is, as far as i know china only version has tdd lte which is 4g only in china and int version has fdd lte for europe and stuff, so just ask the seller which one he is selling. as for calling and connecting to 3g networks, it should be ok
plz make a compare video of mi4 vs mx4
Hi everyone, I have a question, if one buys the phone in China, will it work in Europe? Do I have to ask for an Int. version or when in Europe flyme will update ?
it should work in Europe, although you may have 4g issues depending on which version the phone is, as far as i know china only version has tdd lte which is 4g only in china and int version has fdd lte for europe and stuff, so just ask the seller which one he is selling. as for calling and connecting to 3g networks, it should be ok
Hey Andi, there’s one thing that puzzles me. You got a score of 11,000 on Ice Storm Unlmited for this. But I’ve seen two others, including Meizu’s official benchmarking, show this get a 16,000. Is there possibly a setting within the phone that had it on “economy battery life” or something like that, when you ran it? Or can you think of any other reason for such a dramatic contrast of scores?
I set the phone to performance mode before testing, I belive it is becuase the sample phone I have is using beta firmware. I am waiting to receive a final build to retest.
Hey Andi, there’s one thing that puzzles me. You got a score of 11,000 on Ice Storm Unlmited for this. But I’ve seen two others, including Meizu’s official benchmarking, show this get a 16,000. Is there possibly a setting within the phone that had it on “economy battery life” or something like that, when you ran it? Or can you think of any other reason for such a dramatic contrast of scores?
I set the phone to performance mode before testing, I belive it is becuase the sample phone I have is using beta firmware. I am waiting to receive a final build to retest.
Great review andy! can u give a suggestion for a good cameraphone with front camera too 🙂 thanku you! good job!
Im going to sound like a broken record, but… The Vivo Xshot 😀 has an amazing front camera with LED front flash too 😉
for sure yes vivo xshot is amazing.. but bit high price… in the middle range what u suggest?
Great review andy! can u give a suggestion for a good cameraphone with front camera too 🙂 thanku you! good job!
Im going to sound like a broken record, but… The Vivo Xshot 😀 has an amazing front camera with LED front flash too 😉
for sure yes vivo xshot is amazing.. but bit high price… in the middle range what u suggest?
http://en.miui.com/thread-49029-1-1.html – somebody already has received or bought final production version of Meizu MX4
great review, you say xiaomi mx4 is not to far to vivo xshot in audio, but if vivo have 10 in audio, meizu have 9.5, 9, 8.5, 8 or what percentage less? thank you very much.
http://en.miui.com/thread-49029-1-1.html – somebody already has received or bought final production version of Meizu MX4
great review, you say xiaomi mx4 is not to far to vivo xshot in audio, but if vivo have 10 in audio, meizu have 9.5, 9, 8.5, 8 or what percentage less? thank you very much.
FYI, MX4 will be available in Meizu ONLY store (yea they have only one lousy store in Hong Kong) on 4th of October onwards.
“MX4 will be available on 4th Oct. in Hong Kong, but the stock will not be stable at the beginning, we suggest you contact us again before you come.
Meizu Hong Kong Store: (852) 2388 2033 (Opening hours: 10:00 – 20:00)
Address: Unit 01, 19/F, Hollywood Plaza, 610 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong”
At least MX2 was available before also at same price on PCCW stores in Hong Kong, which are everywhere. So I hope to put my friend to pick up one from PCCW store at end of October. Unless MX4 Mini is announced and then I wait for that and maybe have to use meizumart. 🙂
FYI, MX4 will be available in Meizu ONLY store (yea they have only one lousy store in Hong Kong) on 4th of October onwards.
“MX4 will be available on 4th Oct. in Hong Kong, but the stock will not be stable at the beginning, we suggest you contact us again before you come.
Meizu Hong Kong Store: (852) 2388 2033 (Opening hours: 10:00 – 20:00)
Address: Unit 01, 19/F, Hollywood Plaza, 610 Nathan Road, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong”
At least MX2 was available before also at same price on PCCW stores in Hong Kong, which are everywhere. So I hope to put my friend to pick up one from PCCW store at end of October. Unless MX4 Mini is announced and then I wait for that and maybe have to use meizumart. 🙂
How about the front-facing camera, how is it compared to other smartphones with the same megapixels of camera?
How about the front-facing camera, how is it compared to other smartphones with the same megapixels of camera?
andi would this phone work whit verizon in the US?
andi would this phone work whit verizon in the US?
Hello, just received my MX4 in Spain, and having network issues. Anyone’s been there? It randomly finds operator, but after few minutes comes with “No service”. If I go to settings, Mobile networks, Operator selection it gets no results most of the time (message “Network search error”)
I’ve also tried the Auto option, but gets nothing. Also changed preferences to 2G only, preferred 3g and preferred 4g with same (bad) results all the time
Any advice?? Please help! Now it is like having a wifi tablet but not a phone…
I’ve Fyme OS 4.0.2I and trying to use Vodafone ES network
thanks in advance
Hi, did you try to use roaming and did you add your APN? I’ve been using the MX4 on MasMovil for weeks with not issues
Hi,
APN is confugured, same as in my Galaxy SIII. But it is not only the data connection …it is that i do not even get a signal from Vodafone Spain.
On operator selection, I get “Network search error”
COuld it be an issue with my SIM? But it works perfectly on the SIII. Only thing I can think of is that the SIM is NFC (I used it to pay with the SIII), and this MX4 does not have NFC.
You think would be worth it to try a new SIM?
Please advise.. now I just have a small WIFI tablet.. not a phone
Thanks
Is your phone an internatonal model? Where did you buy it from?
yes, it is supposed to be. I bought it directly to Meizu, at http://www.meizumart.com in one of the pre-sale periods (by mid September). I received it last Friday.
It is running Fyme OS 4.0.2I
So in theory.. all fine.. but..reality is it does not find network, or if it finds.. is not stable, after a few minutes I lose both, 3g/4g and the service totally, so no data, and not even calls. 🙁
Just thought of another thing, in case you think could be related:
My SIM card is NFC (I’ve been using it lately on my Galaxy S3 to make payments).
Could that be related since MX4 does not have NFC tech.. could that be causing the issue? Worth it to try to get a new non NFC SIM?
Thanks
Hello, just received my MX4 in Spain, and having network issues. Anyone’s been there? It randomly finds operator, but after few minutes comes with “No service”. If I go to settings, Mobile networks, Operator selection it gets no results most of the time (message “Network search error”)
I’ve also tried the Auto option, but gets nothing. Also changed preferences to 2G only, preferred 3g and preferred 4g with same (bad) results all the time
Any advice?? Please help! Now it is like having a wifi tablet but not a phone…
I’ve Fyme OS 4.0.2I and trying to use Vodafone ES network
thanks in advance
Hi, did you try to use roaming and did you add your APN? I’ve been using the MX4 on MasMovil for weeks with not issues
Hi,
APN is confugured, same as in my Galaxy SIII. But it is not only the data connection …it is that i do not even get a signal from Vodafone Spain.
On operator selection, I get “Network search error”
COuld it be an issue with my SIM? But it works perfectly on the SIII. Only thing I can think of is that the SIM is NFC (I used it to pay with the SIII), and this MX4 does not have NFC.
You think would be worth it to try a new SIM?
Please advise.. now I just have a small WIFI tablet.. not a phone
Thanks
Is your phone an internatonal model? Where did you buy it from?
yes, it is supposed to be. I bought it directly to Meizu, at http://www.meizumart.com in one of the pre-sale periods (by mid September). I received it last Friday.
It is running Fyme OS 4.0.2I
So in theory.. all fine.. but..reality is it does not find network, or if it finds.. is not stable, after a few minutes I lose both, 3g/4g and the service totally, so no data, and not even calls. 🙁
Just thought of another thing, in case you think could be related:
My SIM card is NFC (I’ve been using it lately on my Galaxy S3 to make payments).
Could that be related since MX4 does not have NFC tech.. could that be causing the issue? Worth it to try to get a new non NFC SIM?
Thanks
Andi, is there any major differences between the Sample and the Original? I think I just purchased a sample one from Aliexpress to use in the states.
Nope, just will need to check the software is up to date. You might also find that LTE won’t work for you though.
thanks mate! nothing hspa+ cant handle and a good software update should be final then. Btw wonderful review on youtube.
Andi, is there any major differences between the Sample and the Original? I think I just purchased a sample one from Aliexpress to use in the states.
Nope, just will need to check the software is up to date. You might also find that LTE won’t work for you though.
thanks mate! nothing hspa+ cant handle and a good software update should be final then. Btw wonderful review on youtube.
Hi Andy, appreciate your reviews>
I’m over in China for November and thinking of buying the MX4. Will it be simple enough as to go into one of the big three phone shops and ask for an unlocked version?
I enjoyed the review. I bought my wife an MX4 today, and did the review hunt, when I got home, after work.
There are a few things I didn’t know about the phone, all the details about the camera you mentioned, for example.
After reading the review, I asked my wife if I could play with it for a minute, and I’ve been messing around with the camera ever since.
It really is an amazing camera, and I agree with all of your other observations about the device, it is a remarkable device.
Anyhow, this is my first time reading an article on gizchina, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Keep up the very readable reviews.
Hi Andy, appreciate your reviews>
I’m over in China for November and thinking of buying the MX4. Will it be simple enough as to go into one of the big three phone shops and ask for an unlocked version?
I enjoyed the review. I bought my wife an MX4 today, and did the review hunt, when I got home, after work.
There are a few things I didn’t know about the phone, all the details about the camera you mentioned, for example.
After reading the review, I asked my wife if I could play with it for a minute, and I’ve been messing around with the camera ever since.
It really is an amazing camera, and I agree with all of your other observations about the device, it is a remarkable device.
Anyhow, this is my first time reading an article on gizchina, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Keep up the very readable reviews.
I don’t know if you have mentioned it before or if anyone asked before but please can you (or any other person that owns the phone) tell me of any heating issues this phone might have (both in normal use or gaming use)? Please let me know how you feel.
I’m ready to buy the phone here in Russia from their official re-sellers (unless the pro version comes in a not so much higher price) and I really want to know about the heating.
I don’t know if you have mentioned it before or if anyone asked before but please can you (or any other person that owns the phone) tell me of any heating issues this phone might have (both in normal use or gaming use)? Please let me know how you feel.
I’m ready to buy the phone here in Russia from their official re-sellers (unless the pro version comes in a not so much higher price) and I really want to know about the heating.
I was going to get this… until I read the CNET review:
http://www.cnet.com/products/meizu-mx4/
How can the experience of using a preproduction sample be so positive and a production model be so negative?
This is deja vu, because the exact same thing happened when I was about to buy the Honor 6 after reading positive hands-on previews, and then AnandTech’s negative review was published after it was finally launched.
I was going to get this… until I read the CNET review:
http://www.cnet.com/products/meizu-mx4/
How can the experience of using a preproduction sample be so positive and a production model be so negative?
This is deja vu, because the exact same thing happened when I was about to buy the Honor 6 after reading positive hands-on previews, and then AnandTech’s negative review was published after it was finally launched.
can i simply remove chinese apps?
can i simply remove chinese apps?
Got it for $389 – 32GB international Grey model, pretty sweet deal I guess 😀
For those who are interested, try to send an email to franktu10@gmail.com
Maybe he has some $100 coupons left!
Got it for $389 – 32GB international Grey model, pretty sweet deal I guess 😀
For those who are interested, try to send an email to franktu10@gmail.com
Maybe he has some $100 coupons left!
Meizu goes again!
vkworld T6 VS iPhone 6s—Screen Comparison
I found the video review on vkworld’s official youtube channel review of vkworld T1 plus kratos about it’s screen,
The IPS screen on T6 has not only vivid color but also anti-blue-light technology which protects your eyes from harmful blue light.
Meizu goes again!
vkworld T6 VS iPhone 6s—Screen Comparison
I found the video review on vkworld’s official youtube channel review of vkworld T1 plus kratos about it’s screen,
The IPS screen on T6 has not only vivid color but also anti-blue-light technology which protects your eyes from harmful blue light.