Smartphone Meizu Note 8 - advantages and disadvantages

In the fall of 2018, Meizu released the M8 Note, or as it is now called Note 8, to replace the hit Meizu M6 Note. Why after 6 immediately after 8? Apparently, the superstitious Chinese decided to quickly skip the nondescript number 7 and immediately move on to the happy number 8. This review will tell you about the pros and cons of the new Meizu model.

Appearance

In 2019, the best manufacturers are trying to make even budget models frameless. This trend has not bypassed Note 8 either. The side frames are very narrow. The front front panel looks strictly and harmoniously. It seems that there is nothing special, but the work of designers who know their business is still visible.The ratio between the screen and the frames on all sides is well chosen. The top and bottom frames are very regular sizes.

The back panel is quite ordinary, with a dual camera at the top in the middle and a fingerprint scanner below the camera.

The screen lacks the intrusive and often unfortunate unibrow. The case is traditionally made of metal. Glass and other fashionable materials were not used in the Note line, for which fans of these inexpensive smartphones will surely thank the developers. The device is comfortable, not slippery and not easily soiled.

Below are the micro USB connectors, microphone and speaker. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is good news.

The fingerprint scanner is traditionally located at the back, and not on the screen, as in older models, and not on the side, as one might expect. After all, Meizu had quite successful phones with a scanner located on the side. The same M6S was very convenient to use. The scanner works quickly and accurately. Face unlock is also supported.

With a variety of colors, everything is fine. The smartphone is available in four colors:

• black;
• red;
• blue;
• lilac.

The smartphone looks especially unusual and original in lilac color.

Dimensions Note 8 - 153.6 x 75.5 x 7.9 mm.

Specifications

We list the main technical characteristics of Meizu Note 8

Screen

The screen of the smartphone is a FULL HD + IPS matrix with a resolution of 2160 by 1080 pixels. The display diagonal is 6 inches, the aspect ratio is now fashionable 18:9. The screen has a density of 403 ppi and is very clear. The high brightness of 450 nits makes it relatively comfortable to use the phone even in the sun. Contrast - 1500 : 1. The colors are juicy and bright, the color reproduction is accurate, the tones are warm. The screen has very large viewing angles. It is ideal for games, and for viewing photos and videos, and for Internet browsing.

Operating system

The Note 8 comes with Android 8.1 and the Flyme 7 interface. The shell design is something that you can argue about indefinitely. But Flyme is a fairly simple and intuitive system. Applications are thought out to the smallest detail and they are quite convenient to use. There is nothing superfluous in the settings, everything is laid out on the shelves. There is no application menu, all icons are placed on desktops.

Everything starts quickly, there are no lags and friezes. High speed of work is achieved thanks to the proprietary One Mind artificial intelligence system.Flyme developers are partnering with one of the leading deep learning technology vendors. They helped introduce the face unlock feature, introduce a memory management mechanism similar to that used in computers in order to further speed up the launch of applications. There is also a new multi-layer protection mechanism to combat malware in the Android system. All in all, One Mind is much smarter and improves the performance of the Note 8.

Face unlock is really fast and almost error-free even in low light conditions.

The shell has many interesting features. For example, for those who have a lot of icons on their desktops, an alphabetical search for applications on the desktop was invented. In order to find an application, you just need to swipe your finger along the edge of the screen, where the letters of the alphabet are displayed, stop at the desired letter and open it.

Performance

The heart of the smartphone is the latest fairly fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor with Adreno 506 graphics. It is made using 14 nm technology and has a frequency of up to 1.8 GHz. This is just a slightly improved version of the Snapdragon 625 that was installed in the M6 ​​Note. Therefore, there is no big jump in performance. But for active games with medium settings, this chip is enough. In addition, it is quite energy efficient.

The smartphone has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of permanent memory. That's a lot for a budget model. The memory can be expanded using a micro SD card, which can be installed instead of a second SIM card.

autonomy

For some reason, the battery capacity has slightly decreased compared to the M6 ​​Note. Now it's 3,600 mAh instead of 4,000 mAh. But this did not affect autonomy.Due to the fact that the power consumption of the new processor has decreased, the battery life has remained approximately at the same level. It is definitely enough for the whole day of active use. Fast charging is supported, and the package includes an 18W device, you do not need to buy it separately.

cameras

The previous model M6 Note had good cameras. Let's consider whether it was possible to stay at a high level in this regard, as the new model photographs.

Main camera

The rear camera is equipped with two Sony modules at 12 megapixels and 5 megapixels. Both modules have f/1.9 apertures. There is a dual LED flash. The phase focusing of the camera is very fast. During the day, the pictures are clear, bright, with good detail. But in modern smartphones, the quality of the camera is manifested in the way it takes pictures at night. Thanks to good high-aperture optics, even in low light conditions, good pictures are obtained. Autofocus works well and sharpness is excellent. The blurring of the background in portrait mode is well implemented.

Selfie camera

The front camera is equipped with an 8 MP module, f / 2 aperture. Of course, as in all Chinese, there is a face enhancement function that can improve the appearance beyond recognition. Otherwise, the camera is good, selfies are clear and bright.

Photo examples:

Wireless interfaces

The Note 8 supports all of our LTE frequencies, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS, Dual SIM. There is no radio and NFC module, and this is a minus.

Sound

When talking, the interlocutor is heard well. The smartphone has one speaker, which sounds loud and clear enough. The sound from the headphones is quite decent.

Price

The average price of a smartphone is about $190. Where is the best place to buy a phone? The model just came out and is currently only available in China.

Comparison with other popular models

Let's compare Note 8 and other popular models close in price. All these novelties received good reviews, and this is no coincidence. Let's analyze how to choose the right device, which model is better to buy in which cases.

Comparison with Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro

Redmi Note 6 Pro is another late 2018 model and a direct competitor to Meizu's Note 8. Unlike Meizu, the Xioami model has fashionable bangs, which not everyone likes. Redmi has a slightly larger screen of 6.26 inches versus 6, a slightly more powerful processor. The Xiaomi phone has a dual camera, not only the main one, but also the front camera. This helps to blur the background in selfies. Redmi has a variety of configurations - 3, 4 or 6 GB of RAM and 32 or 64 GB of internal memory. This is also a plus. The rest of the models are similar.

Which brand model is better? Redmi is suitable for those who like the design with a monobrow, like an iPhone, and selfie lovers. If, on the contrary, bangs are annoying, but you are indifferent to selfies, then Meizu would be a good choice, especially since it is a little cheaper in the same configuration. You also need to consider that these manufacturers have original and popular shells. Therefore, those who are used to using Flyme will definitely choose a Meizu phone, and MIUI fans will choose Redmi.

Comparison with Honor 8X

Honor 8X is an autumn 2018 model from Huawei. It features a stylish frameless design. The 8X has a relatively small unibrow and a sparkling glass body. The display is larger than that of Meizu - 6.5 inches versus 6, the processor is more powerful. The cameras are also on top, given that the models are inexpensive. Honor 8X also has a wide variety of body colors. Autonomy is about the same.

The prices of competitors in the 4/64 GB configuration are about the same. There are options with a large amount of memory 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of permanent.

What are the selection criteria here? Here the difference is primarily in design. If you need a bright, modern smartphone with a huge screen, then Honor 8X is an excellent choice. If you need a practical non-staining device without weak points, then you need to stop at Meizu Note 8.

Comparison with Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has been in the ranking of quality budget devices for a long time. The functionality and characteristics of the compared models are very similar. The same amount of memory, almost the same screen, good cameras with the same megapixels. The body of both models is metal.

Asus has a slightly more powerful processor, a larger 5,000 mAh battery versus 3,600 mAh, and NFC support.

With the proximity of characteristics, much will depend on the price, which greatly affects the popularity of models. The price can be compared correctly when the new Note 8 model reaches our market.

Results: advantages and disadvantages of Meizu Note 8

• practical all-metal body;
• variety of colors;
• large high-quality screen;
• 4 GB of RAM;
• good camera with Sony modules;
• good autonomy;
• fast charging included;
• additional memory expansion slot.

• no NFC;
• no USB Type-C.

It can be stated that Meizu turned out to be a fairly productive reliable smartphone with a good screen, battery and cameras, almost without flaws. The Note 8 has every chance of becoming a hit like its predecessor, the M6 ​​Note.