Chinese manufacturers are steadily building up their presence in the global smartphone market. More and more strong models that are in demand among buyers are already appearing not only in the budget, but also in the middle price segment.
Meizu M2 Mini can be called a bright representative of such "middle peasants", which is able to compete with the "flagships". A review of the device that we conducted to write this article will show what capabilities this phone has and what to expect from it in practice. Also consider reviews about the model and the characteristics of those who managed to work with this device.
Positioning
By the name of the model, we can say that it is defined by the developer as a simplified, more affordable version of the “main” device - the Meizu M2 Note smartphone. Mini (a review of which we will conduct) has a somewhat truncated functionality, due to which it is offered cheaper. However, when considering this phone, you should not confuse it with "wretched" Chinese models, which have the simplest and "slowed down" processor, a small faded screen and a weak battery. No, this time the developers approached the cheaper smartphone more responsibly, choosing the best components for the money that the buyer pays.
Unfortunately, the smartphone is not so affordable in the domestic market. Its cost is 13 thousand rubles - and this price characterizes, rather, the middle segment of phones. However, when we were preparing the review, we noticed that the phone works quite smoothly and, judging by its functions, fully pays for the invested funds. Thus, he justifies even not the most budgetary cost.
Appearance
It is no secret that Chinese manufacturers often turn their attention to how the products of the most advanced companies, such as Apple or Samsung, are arranged. In this sense, the Meizu M2 Mini phone , the review of which we have prepared, does not stand out from a number of these devices. Even a quick look at the image of the device, we can definitely say that it resembles the Apple iPhone 6. If you take the smartphone in your hand, the sensations are somewhat similar due to both similar dimensions and the same weight of the models.
Separate elements of the smartphone case were clearly borrowed from the "apple" company. For example, the device frame around the perimeter of the phone, the appearance of the Home button (except for the fact that it is more extended), the layout of materials on the Meizu M2 Mini. The review clearly demonstrates that the smartphone is implemented in the same style, which is, in fact, a win-win for many developers from China.
And this is confirmed not only by our personal experience with the phone, but also by the feedback provided. Thanks to its dimensions, the model is very comfortable in the hand, it looks solid, pleasant to the touch.
The design of the phone itself is non-separable, which significantly increases its strength. The back cover is plastic, while the base of the device is made of metal. Covers, by the way, can be changed at the discretion of the user - in total the manufacturer has 4 pieces in their assortment: gray, pink, blue and white.
Navigation items
The described smartphone has some features due to the placement of functional holes and navigation elements. In particular, as can be seen in the presented photos, the Meizu M2 Mini, which we are reviewing, has a large oval Home key. It is very similar to the fingerprint scanning button that the iPhone has. I would also like to mention the “rocker” for adjusting the sound, located on the side, and the button to unlock the display, installed a little higher.
Of the functional openings on the M2 there is a speaker located at the bottom of the phone, as well as a port for connecting a charger. At the top of the phone there is a headphone jack (3.5 mm jack). The back cover of the smartphone also has openings for the camera and flash.
Screen
The phone display size reaches 5 inches. This is considered to be the best indicator, taking into account the needs of modern users and the opportunities that phones of this class possess. The screen resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels, which allows us to talk about the average density - about 296 dpi. Graininess in everyday work is not observed, although if you want, you can still detect pixels in some places.
The display glass is also protected (we are talking about AGC Dragontrail technology) and is covered with a special oleophobic layer. Due to this, working with him is pleasant (due to the ease of sliding) and safe. As practical tests showed, even after prolonged use of the device in moderate mode, not a single scratch appeared on the glass. Although, nevertheless, we would recommend purchasing a case for our Meizu M2 Mini, especially since their assortment is very wide on any Chinese portal! We won’t talk about films, various additional coatings - this is an obvious opportunity to “tune” your device and make it even more secure for the future.
Battery
Dedicated to the Meizu M2 Mini model review, customer reviews, as well as technical specifications of the device contain a lot of information about battery behavior. This is not surprising, because the "endurance" of the battery directly determines the comfort of use of the device. Accordingly, you will be much more satisfied with your smartphone if it shows remarkable autonomy.
The model we are describing has a 2500 mAh battery. It turned out to be fixed. Its volume is large enough to provide the model with 12-13 hours of talk. Thus, in economy mode, the phone will last 3-4 days without additional charge!
An important role in the energy consumption of a smartphone is played by software optimization. So, as the review devoted to the Meizu M2 Mini 16Gb showed, the smartphone has the ability to switch to one of three power modes, which are called "Energy Saving", "Balanced" and "Productive". Switching between them, you can even more significantly reduce battery drain and extend the operating time of the smartphone.
CPU
The phone has a relatively new processor, which was introduced to the world only this year. We are talking about MediaTek MT6735 - a quad-core “heart” of the device, issuing up to 1.5 GHz clock frequency for each of the cores. The graphics processor here is the Mali T-720, which works with OpenGL ES and Open CL.
According to reviews, the smartphone has some difficulties with playing games (especially at higher requirements). As for everyday work, with a simple basic steps everything works smoothly and smoothly.
Of course, a smartphone can be called a budget, so you should not count on “performance wonders” here. However, there are no particular difficulties here.
Communication
The main features (communication) in the device are no different from what is present in the mass of other phones of this class. In particular, this is the presence of a GSM module, support for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, the ability to work with GSP. Among the systems that support navigation with this smartphone, you can also include GLONASS.
A positive aspect of the Meizu M2 Mini (the firmware installed on the device does not play a role) is the ability to work with LTE. Moreover, in the settings menu, the user can independently choose in which mode this or that SIM card will be available.
But NFC is not observed here, so you will have to forget about wireless charging and other “remote things”.
Camera
On the smartphone, as it became established, two cameras are installed - the main one, whose matrix resolution is 13 megapixels and front (5 megapixels). Of course, these technical specifications can be “overblown” by the Chinese manufacturer in order to attract more buyers of Meizu M2 Mini. A camera review is what can help you understand what the device actually is.
If you believe the reviews, then the quality of the shooting can be called good. Both cameras at a decent level maintain color balance, transmit saturation, and maintain sharpness of the picture. The only remark can be made, except that, with regard to the cut-off viewing angles. They are indeed narrower than can be seen on many other phones.
The software part of the camera and video camera is also on top here - the device has a wide list of settings that can significantly change the quality of the received image. For example, here you can adjust the shutter speed, ISO options and more.
operating system
The base of work for Meizu M2 Mini (a detailed review of which we are conducting) is the version of Android 5.1 (current at the time of the release of the device). It is possible that now the device is adapted to work with the “six”, which appeared relatively recently.
True, fans of the interface of this system should be immediately warned: there is almost nothing left of the “native” device on it. The model has a pre-installed shell developed by the manufacturer. It is called Flyme and, frankly, everyone's attitude to it can be purely individual. A feature of the work of this version is, for example, the absence of the usual system keys at the bottom of the screen. Instead, you can notice three quick access buttons there; and you can return to the main or back by various combinations of pressing the “Home” button.
Reviews
Of the most significant reviews that we managed to find, I remembered complaints that sometimes the device unevenly consumes battery power, or there are technical problems with the smartphone like a short-term lack of backlight on the screen. There are also drawbacks in the assembly: for example, the power button of the display dangles significantly. There are complaints that the connection is lost in the device.
conclusions
In fact, there are a lot of reviews about problems, as well as about the advantages of the model. As a small result, I would like to note that the smartphone really has both a lot of advantages and a number of shortcomings. Given the fact that it was manufactured by a Chinese company and positioned as a budget, you must be prepared for possible problems with the stability of the device and periodic openings of such "mistakes" like a dangling button and the like. If this does not bother you, but in the end you would like to get a functional and inexpensive device, the M2 Mini will be an excellent choice.