In today's comparison we are going to try two smartphones very similar in design and made by two of the best Chinese manufacturers: we are talking about the Meizu MX5 and of the brand new Xiaomi Note 3 Redmire, two devices based on the SoC Mediatek Helio X10 and that share most of the technical specifications. Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: who will win this versus?
Il Meizu MX5 is available starting from 349 Euros su MeizuMart.it in the cut from 32GBwhile its Xiaomi Note 3 Redmire is available on tinydeal at about the price 191 Euros in the variant with 32GB of memory and 3GB RAM.
The price difference is truly remarkable and could push many of you to prefer Xiaomi's solution, but to remove any doubts, let's discover together the points against and in favor of each of the two terminals in the complete comparison.
NB: during the test the Meizu MX5 has been updated from the Flyme OS 5 Chinese software release to the international one, resulting in a slight decrease in autonomy.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: the comparison of GizChina.it
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Notes 3: technical specifications
From the point of view of the technical specifications the differences are minimal, since on both devices we find the same SoC Mediatek Helio X10, based on eight cores Cortex A-53 and a GPU Rougue PowerVR G6200 MP4 to 700MHz. On Meizu MX5, the operating frequency of the processor goes up to di 2.2 GHz clock (MT6795T)while on the Xiaomi Note 3 Redmire the frequency is limited to 2.0 GHz (MT6795).
The amount of RAM installed is of 3GB on both devices, even if there is an economic variant of the Redmi Note 3 with only 2GB of RAM and 16GB of memory. Storage is not expandable and amounts to 32GBin addition, the two terminals are equipped with one fingerprint scanners, of a metal shell and connectivity Dual-SIM 4G LTE, even if the band is missing 800MHz LTE.
Absent on both devices the ability to expand the memory via microSD, also on the Xiaomi there is also a convenient door infrared IR to use the smartphone as a remote control.
The size of the Redmi Note 3 I'm from 150 x 76 x 8.65 mm for a weight of approx 164 grams, while the Meizu MX5 measure 149.9 x 74.7 x 7.6 mm for a total weight of approx 149 grams.
Among the main differences, we find the type of panels installed on the two terminals, which although sharing the same diagonal of 5.5 inches it's the same FullHD resolution, they are of nature IPS on Redmi Note 3 e Amoled on Meizu MX5.
Even the two batteries have two distinct capacities, in fact, the solution of Xiaomi can count on a unit well 4050 mAh, while the Meizu stops 3150 mAh. Furthermore, the placement of the fingerprint scanner is very different, given that on the MX5 it is integrated into the physical key mBack at the front, while on the Redmi Note 3 It is located in the back under the camera, just like on the Nexus 6P of Huawei.
Another big difference between the two devices is the rear camera, which has a sensor for Meizu Sony IMX220 Exmor RS da 20.7 Mega-pixel with aperture f / 2.2 and a double bi-tonal LED Flash accompanied by a laser focusing system, while the Xiaomi boasts a sensor Samsung S5K3M2 ISOCELL da 13 Mega-pixel, double bi-tonal LED Flash and a rapid focus system PDAF. The two previous solutions, on the other hand, can rely in both cases on a sensor from 5 Mega-pixel.
Finally, what distinguishes all the devices of the two leading Chinese companies in eternal competition is the graphic interface adopted and which maintains very few elements of the classic android stock, on the one hand with the MIUI 7 and on the other with the Flyme OS 5.1, both based on Android Lollipop.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: display
We start immediately from the two panels installed, characterized by a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a resolution FullHD di 1920 1080 pixels x, which return a pixel density per inch equal to PPI 401. The color rendering is excellent on both devices even if, given the different nature of the two technologies adopted, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. More specifically, the blacks are decidedly better and deeper on the Meizu, given the type Amoled of the installed display.
In contrast, however, the whites are slightly better on the IPS panel of Xiaomi, which manages to return a purer and more real white, given that on the Meizu we find a slightly warmer white. Furthermore, paying attention, it is possible to notice how the reds of the Meizu tend slightly to orange, a small defect that catches the eye only with a discreet attention and that does not compromise the final result.
Despite the presence of technology Amoled, which, as seen on other smartphones, tends to saturate the colors a lot, the panel Meizu behaves very well in this respect and manages to return an image very similar to that offered by the IPS panels, a sign of how the company has calibrated the display performance as best as possible.
On both devices you can set the color temperature of the two panels to your liking, which by default are slightly warmer and more pleasant on the Meizu.
The maximum brightness level on the two products is very good, but even in this case the Meizu manages to reach a slightly higher level. No problem to report with the touch screen, which is very sensitive and precise on both solutions.
Finally, the anti-scratch glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3 installed on the two smartphones was very oleophobic, although on the Redmi Note 3 tends to retain some extra imprint during use.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: design
Flanking the two devices immediately catches the eye the remarkable similarity of the two products, which in addition to being united by a pleasant metal body, also have a positioning of keys, cameras and sensors very similar, sign of how Xiaomi was inspired by the solution of Meizu.
On the front, in addition to the displays, we find - in the upper area -, the audio capsule, i LED RGB and proximity and brightness sensors. In the lower part, however, on the Meizu we find the typical mBack physical button with integrated lo fingerprint scanners, while on the Xiaomi there are three typical backlit soft-touch keys.
At the back, starting from the bottom, we find the logos of the two companies and the rear audio speaker on the Xiaomi. At the top then, we find the cameras accompanied by the double bi-tonal LED Flash on both devices and, poco further down, the system of laser focusing on the Meizu and the fingerprint scanners on the Xiaomi.
The left and right side profiles provide the same arrangement of the volume rocker and power button on both devices, as well as the slide of the SIM compartments, located on the left and which allow you to stay two SIMs format Nano on Meizu e Microphone on Xiaomi.
Finally, on the lower profile we find the system microphones and the micro-USB port, while on the Meizu we also find the system speaker. On the upper profile, however, we find the audio jack from 3.5 millimeters, the second microphone for noise suppression and on Xiaomi la IR port.
Overall, the construction is excellent on both smartphones, although the grip returned by the body of Meizu manages to make it less slippery in his hands and give a sense of higher quality, perhaps due to the more accurate and meticulous processing of metals than to that adopted by Xiaomi.
The design is certainly pleasant on both, given the considerable similarity between the two devices, the only notable difference consists precisely in the positioning of the scanner fingerprints and the absence of physical front buttons on the Xiaomi.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Notes 3: performance and warmth
The two devices are based on the same hardware platform and, as expected, they both manage to restore excellent fluidity and system responsiveness in every context, even during the most intense multi-tasking.
Il Mediatek Helio X10 assisted by 3GB RAM manages to manage the various software applications and the most demanding games without lag and jamming even after several minutes of intense activity, a sign that there is no phenomenon of thermal throttling.
The only hardware differences consist in the operating frequency of the two processors, which on the Meizu reaches up to 2.2GHz (MT6795T), while on the Xiaomi he stops at 2.0GHz (MT6795), a difference poco significant and that can only be noticed with some specific benchmarks or when loading extremely demanding applications / games.
Another note that emerged during the test consists of memory performance eMMC installed, which on the Meizu is significantly faster than the Xiaomi, especially as regards the values in writing, where the latter stops at poco less than 60 MByte / s against the others 130 MByte / s of the competitor. The same speech is also valid in reading, where the Meizu exceeds i 185 MByte / s against i 160 MByte / s of the Xiaomi, a difference that emerges in the times of opening and installation of the App, even if in practice we speak of a few tenths of a second at most of a few seconds in the most demanding activities.
The management of RAM is significantly better on Meizu, while the heat generated is disposed very well on both devices, even if the Xiaomi managed to return a slightly lower temperature.
After approx 20 minutes of gaming, the thermometer measured a maximum value of 38.5°C in the front part of the Meizu MX5 and 37.2°C in the back near the camera.
Sul Redmi Note 3instead, the recorded values stopped respectively a 37°C e 34.5°C, thus proving slightly lower than the competitor. A ridiculous difference is perhaps due to the slightly lower clock frequency on the Xiaomi solution.
Overall, the developed heat has proved to be really contained in every context and limited only to the most intense and resource-intensive activities.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Notes 3: autonomy and reception
Despite the considerable difference in capacity of the two batteries installed, the autonomy proved to be excellent on both devices but with a significant advantage in favor of the Redmi Note 3, which with a very intense use has managed to guarantee me between the 5 hours and a half and the 6 hours of active screen during a day with an active SIM and an abundant use of data networks 3G / 4G.
Even with the Meizu MX5 I quietly arrived in the evening always with a medium / intense use on mobile networks, managing to guarantee 4 hours and a half abundant of active screen during a working day.
By measuring the actual capacity of the installed batteries with the appropriate instrument, we confirmed the values declared by the manufacturers, given that by charging the Meizu MX5 off we obtained a value of 3013 mAh next to 3150 mAh declared.
Same for the Redmi Note 3, where we recorded a value of 3970 mAh against i 4050 mAh reported on the specifications.
Overall, the autonomy proved to be more than good on both products, since they proved to be able to cover a day of intensive use, even if the Xiaomi, thanks to the high capacity, manages to guarantee on average an hour / one hour and a half screen active in more with the same use.
No problem to report for the reception, which is excellent on both solutions, since both allow you to have excellent speed in download both on 4G LTE networks and 3G HSDPA and an excellent quality on call.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: cameras and multimedia
One of the main differences between the two smartphones consists precisely in the photographic sector, where the sensor Sony Exmor IMX220 da 20.7 Mega-pixel of the Meizu MX5 manages to prevail over the solution Samsung S5K3M2 ISOCELL da 13 Mega-pixel of the Redmi Note 3.
Certainly thanks to the best software optimization, the Meizu MX5 manages to return very good and defined shots even in difficult conditions for a smartphone, even if obviously the digital noise in the photos increases as the brightness decreases. The photos taken by Meizu turn out to be even more faithful to reality in terms of color rendering, both with little and with a lot of light.
Very fast focusing on both products, even if I noticed a slight advantage on the Redmi Note 3 in the daytime photos, while at night the situation is reversed. The Meizu MX5 is equipped with a laser focusing system that manages to guarantee a very precise focus in any light condition, while the Xiaomi uses the PDAF technology, that is the phase holding focus, which turns out to be very fast but less precise, especially at nightfall. It should be noted that the minimum focal distance of the Xiaomi is significantly lower than the Meizu, given that at equal distance from the subject many macros are often blurred, a defect perhaps due to the lenses installed, which below a certain minimum distance can not ensure focus.
The shutter speed is excellent, although in general I have noticed a greater speed on the Xiaomi, both with and without active HDR. HDR manages to have an excellent yield in both products, without losing the naturalness and quality of the photos.
Finally, it should be noted that the camera application of the Meizu MX5 is much more complete in terms of settings and shooting modes than the Xiaomi, especially as regards the manual mode, where we can control all or almost the parameters, including the timing of exposure, focal distance, contrast, ISO and exposure compensation, an advantage not from poco which will allow you to make the most of the Sony sensor and further improve the final quality performance, even if the software is already able to work very well in automatic mode.
Also on the video front we find some differences, first of all the possibility of recording videos in 4K on the Meizu MX5 which is instead absent on the Redmi Note 3. Qualitatively speaking, even in this field the Meizu manages to prevail, even if the difference is not then so abysmal recording in FullHD. On both devices the recording takes place in FullHD and it is possible to record slow-motion videos in HD at 120FPS, also there is no OIS optical stabilization system.
Frontal cameras are able to give back more than enough shots, even if with little luca there is a bit 'too much digital noise. Slightly brighter shooting made with Meizu MX5.
As for the multimedia department, no problems in playing videos in 4K and with the latest codecs adopted. In the musical field, the audio quality in the headphones is of a good level on both, as well as with the system speaker, even if the Meizu is equipped with a slightly more powerful speaker and does not suffer from audio suffocation by placing it on a flat surface as it happens partially on Redmi, given the position of the sound box. Only at the highest levels the hue tends to be slightly metallic and distorted, but all in all it is a very minimal defect and poco perceptible.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: fingerprint scanner
Both devices are characterized by the presence of a convenient and practical fingerprint scanner, which can be used as an alternative to the classic password or sequence to unlock your smartphone.
The substantial difference between the two smartphones consists precisely in the placement of the sensor, which in the Meizu is located in the frontal part of the physical key mBack, while in Xiaomi it is located poco under the camera, just like on recent ones Nexus 6P e 5X.
Both fingerprint readers proved to be fairly precise and fast, with a slight advantage in favor of the Meizu MX5, which proved to be slightly faster in unlocking with the device in stand-by.
In terms of practicality and comfort, Meizu's choice inherent in positioning is better than that of Xiaomi, since on the latter, using the device resting on a table, this function is precluded.
Overall this interesting feature is able to perform well on their work on both products, with some slight advantages in favor of the Meizu MX5.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: software
It is very difficult to judge the software part of the two devices without falling into the subjective, since the choice between MIUI e Flyme OS it can certainly depend on your personal tastes. The two ROMs have in fact several aspects in common, including the same launcher without drawer, the magazine icons in the full style of the two producers, the presence of various applications for managing their Flyme and Xiaomi accounts, and the ability to customize themes, fonts , wallpapers etc. through the owners "theme centers".
Basically, on both operating systems we find practically all or almost the same system utilities, such as the security center or the app store, this highlights how the two smartphones are perfectly integrated with the ecosystem of services offered. by the two producers.
Going to the point, however, emerges as the Flyme OS is lighter and less exaggerate the terms of RAM of MIUI, given that for the same applications running in the background, on Redmi Note 3 is around 1,3GB of free memory against the 1,6GB of Meizu, even if in reality in daily use no substantial differences are noticed.
Another certainly well-known aspect is the presence of a high number of gestures on the Flyme OS, gestures that are almost completely absent on MIUI. On the Meizu in fact, it is possible to enable different options for awakening from stand-by, including the double tap, while on the Xiaomi this possibility has not been implemented. The only aspect that we find on MIUI and not in Flyme is the "one-handed" mode, an option certainly very convenient and useful, especially on a device of this size.
Both companies are very active in terms of updates, given that both MIUI and Flyme OS receive new updates on a regular basis, an advantage not to be poco that we find on very few devices, even if, despite this, the Android version of the system is not always updated suddenly, especially on Xiaomi devices.
Not by chance, in fact, the Flyme OS 5.1 installed on the Meizu MX5 is based on Android Lollipop 5.1, While the MIUI 7 the Xiaomi Note 3 Redmire it is still firm to the release 5.0 Lollipop.
In conclusion, it is difficult to decide which is the best without being influenced by personal tastes, even if it immediately catches the eye as the Flyme OS is slightly more optimized and cared for than MIUI, where a section dedicated to the gesture is almost completely missing, a defect not from poco but that could be bridged with the next releases.
Meizu MX5 vs Xiaomi Redmi Notes 3: conclusions
Pulling the final sums, the two devices have many aspects in common, primarily the installed hardware and the main features, including the fingerprint scanner and the metal body.
What differentiates the two products is definitely the selling price, almost double in the case of the Meizu MX5 and that considerably lowers the price / quality ratio offered by this product. The user experience offered by the two smartphones is very similar and high-end, only the photographic segment is much better on Meizu, which is also able to get the best in the quality of the display and construction, even if in these two areas the difference is very minimal.
In conclusion, if you do not have big photographic claims and are willing to give up a slightly better display in favor of greater autonomy, the Redmi Note 3 could be your next smartphone, since it is able to offer the same hardware to a much lower price.
In terms of quality / price ratio, in fact, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 can be classified as the best smartphone in the mid / low market, even if it fails in the photographic sector, since the quality of the shots is simply aligned to the market average.
Il Meizu MX5 is available starting from 349 Euros su MeizuMart.it in the cut from 32GBwhile its Xiaomi Note 3 Redmire is available on tinydeal at the price of 191 Euros in the variant with 32GB of memory and 3GB RAM.
