# Meizu M2 note



## braindead (Aug 19, 2015)

I got the M2 note just a few days back and this is my attempt to let others know the experience of a  normal users usage without going into benchmarks and other similar things which other tech sites have done so much better.

The M2 note is the follow up to the famous M1 note with some improvements.

Initially I had decided to buy the Lenovo k3 note ( what's with all the 'Note' name BTW?) but the boring looks was too much for me. 
Since I had read good reviews I decided to go for M2 note as both are selling at the price as of now.

Current price is Rs 9999/ exclusively at amazon.


Here are the phone details from Gsmarena
*
Screen: 5.5 inch 1080p display
Dimensions: 150.9 x 75.2 x 8.7 mm (5.94 x 2.96 x 0.34 in)
Screen to body ratio: ~72.8%
Ram: 2gb
Phone memory: 16gb
Camera: 13.1 mp back and 5 mp front
Chipset:	Mediatek MT6753
CPU:	Octa-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU: Mali-T720MP3
SIM:	Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Battery: 3100mah non removable
4g support: Yes it supports india 4g TDD LTE 
OS: Lollipop 5.1 ( Flyme UI)
Micro sd support: Upto 128 gb
Bluetooth : 4.0
NO NFC *



(will include more if necessary)



*Box package*

The M2 note comes in a very nice looking box. 
There are no loud prints on the packaging .The color combination of blue and white gives off a premium look.

Box contains:
Apart from the usual warranty and safety booklets

Phone 
2A charger with usb cable
Earphones with mic  in a nice little separate box
Sim ejector tool

It also has a very informative booklet on how to use the device which was very useful.



*Design and Build quality :*

There were only two options on amazon when i placed the order, white and grey. 
I chose  the grey one because of it's matte finish which didn't disappoint at all.

It has the same unibody design ( similar to k3 and Mi4i) but the back is not removable.
Material used is plastic but it feels solidly built, feels great when holding it due to the slight curve at the back.
Back view


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/ZkEbKTp.jpg



The usual 3.5 mm jack on top and micro usb charging at the bottom.
The speaker is also at the bottom too.


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/zJ4QSR2.jpg



Volume and power button are on the right and i am still not used to it. However it is clicky and very satisfying to press.
Click for image


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/B2pCCwq.jpg



On the left is a sim tray which can be ejected with the tool provided.
We can choose to use two nano sims or one nano sim  with sdcard expandable up to 128 gb. 
The trade off is up to the customer.

On the back is the camera with flash and the meizu logo at the bottom.
Minimal and looks nice.

Unlike many other android phones, it has only one oval home button on the bezel below the screen. 
No back or apps button. 

so how does it work then?
Pressing the home button works like the usual home key.

But what if you want to just go back?
A simple tap is the answer .

The what about apps key?
Swiping up from the edges brings up the current running apps.

Takes some time getting used to but i find it more comfortable and easier this way now.
Other OEMS should also pay attention to this.

However the button's click doesn't feel very satisfying for some reason. A minor issue though.

*Display*
The display is very bright and is very comfortable to use  even in direct sunlight. ( more details on this later maybe)
The 5.5 inch IPS LCD display with ~401 ppi will simply blow your mind away.
The thin bezels also add to the oomph factor.
I don't think anyone will complain about the screen on this phone. Very satisfied.

Dragonglass  on the front and the touch is smooth, no issues there. 
But i would have preferred a  gorilla glass instead.
*
Usability:*

It comes with Google play store installed so no problems there.
However there is a  problem installing Google play games (error 505) which was frustrating. I am not able to solve this issue yet.

The phone runs on a flyme skin on top of Lollipop 5.1
Like many other Chinese android skins, this doesn't have an app drawer which i am not very comfortable with.

The icons are good looking  for the system apps but ugly for third party apps. Luckily you can choose not to use it in the customize option in the settings.
Icons can be changed by downloading themes from the store.( just like miui's). However the store is in Chinese and i had no idea what to do.
Miui has a better advantage in this regard.

The good thing is that there are many gesture support.
eg:
Double tap to wake up ( this is one of the best feature in my opinion)
Swipe down for notifications ( not just from the status bar)
draw to open custom apps etc.
Swiping from from the lock screen opens the camera.
Swiping up from the lock screen also be customized to open any app. 
Very helpful.
The only problem is the lack of pattern lock. Ses, there is a pin code lock option but what is the harm of giving us the choice Meizu? I hope future software updates take care of this

There is also an option to hide your files in a password protected vault 

Another awesome thing is the support of root access from Meizu itself.
You do not need any root tools. Just root it from the flyme account and install Supersu from the play store
Very convenient.I do not know any other manufacturer that allows us to do that.

*Multimedia:*
The camera is snappy and the focusing works faster than you expect, i am very impressed.
Photos with the 13 mp camera are great with a good level of detail and colour accuracy.

Indian gate at around 7 pm


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/46VlWcf.jpg



Another one in the evening


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/TXhbaq1.jpg





Music and video app

Apps on Meizu M2 note are designed well. Minimal and works beautifully.
Video player is similar to that of Mx player in design and functionality. I don't think i need to go into details here.
Normally i would install MX player on any new phone but that hasn't been the case here. The default player has been able to play anything that i throw at it. One less app to install yaaay.
I haven't used the audio player much but it looks good and has equalizer support.

The bad news here is the low sound output from the bottom speaker. No more enjoying videos together with friends unless you're in a quiet room. There is  also no Fm radio on this phone.

*Call and battery*

Call quality is okay, I haven't been able to test it in basement etc but there are no problems as of now.
More updates as i continue to use this as my daily driver.

Battery life is very good till now . Much better than the mi3 that i was using earlier.
Full charge from zero  took around 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Since i have been using only for a few days , i will be posting more details soon.(so many laters i know)

*Performance*
 Since i do not play games i find the phone for daily more than satisfying. 
The chipset used is not suitable for heavy gaming though.
i have installed around 50 apps so far and there is no there is no lagging when using them.
( no heavy games for me, only time wasting ones)
16 gb onboard memory is more than enough for my apps usage but it can be expanded upto 128 gbs ( by removing one sim card).
Free ram is around 800- 900 mb.

Those looking to buy this phone for games may need to look for other detailed reviews.

- - - Updated - - -

Pros:

Good display
A very good battery backup
Good build
Great camera




Cons:

Speaker sound is low
Audio quality is average
Some software issues
no Service centers as of now. A HUGE DEALBREAKER




Conclusion:
Overall, a very good phone from Meizu.
They have improved on the things which was lacking in m1 note (sd card support, better form etc) without increasing the price. 
I would say an amazing buy for under rs 10k.

More to update. WIP
Meizu discussion thread here
*www.digit.in/forum/mobiles-tablets/193330-meizu-discussion-thread-2.html#post2251860

_Meizu plans to launch officially in India on 26 August. Hopefully the event this will bring more customer support and service centers which are the core of attracting more customers.
EDIT: *Service centers have been launched across the country. Hopefully i wont have to pay a visit anytime soon*
_


----------



## v.Na5h (Aug 19, 2015)

Please update with the price..
Helps lazy people like me


----------



## powerhoney (Aug 19, 2015)

v.Na5h said:


> Please update with the price..
> Helps lazy people like me



Price was Rs 9999, I think...


Btw, [MENTION=118246]braindead[/MENTION] 

Proud owner of a Meizu M1 Note here!!!


----------



## braindead (Aug 20, 2015)

[MENTION=139494]powerhoney[/MENTION] , that was one my list too. seems like a great phone.
Benchmarks  are way better than M2.


----------



## powerhoney (Aug 20, 2015)

braindead said:


> [MENTION=139494]powerhoney[/MENTION] , that was one my list too. seems like a great phone.
> Benchmarks  are way better than M2.



Yeah, and the display is too good!!! I was blown away by the quality of the IGZO Sharp display... 

Btw, how's lollipop on the M2??? The M1 is yet to get a stable lollipop build till now... Am refreshing the M1 note page over at meizufans forum everyday for any news on a stable lollipop release!!!


----------



## Zangetsu (Aug 20, 2015)

Excellent review.

also add Front Camera quality and Available Free RAM (Flyme OS takes 1.5 GB of RAM usage)

any details on Service Centers ?


----------



## braindead (Aug 26, 2015)

i will post the camera samples shortly. Relaxing a bit after upsc
service centers are up after todays mx5 launch on snapdeal

Doesn't feel like lollipop due to the flyme skin powerhoney
The worst is the full screen call when playing games. 
cmon Meizu, miui implemented the call notification on status bar in kitkat!!!


----------



## v.Na5h (Aug 28, 2015)

No custom rom support for this though


----------



## $hadow (Aug 29, 2015)

Review done well. But still not sold sold on the brand on the other hand you can't ask much for a sub 10k phone.


----------

