Meizu M2 Review

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the M2 is a modest 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6735 quad-core CPU, Mali-T720 MP2 GPU and 2GB LPDDR3 RAM. Performance is okay when it comes to UI navigation and switching between apps. No app crashes or random reboots. Gaming is fine as well on the M2 but you will notice some sluggishness when handling graphic intensive ones. Overall, its good on basic tasks and light games but not that impressive on heavy gaming. See benchmark scores below.

* AnTuTu 6.0 – 32,880
* AnTutu 5.7.3 – 27,264
* Quadrant Standard – 11,110
* Vellamo – 1,403 (Multicore), 1,007 (Metal), 2,591 (Chrome)
* 3D Mark – 124 (Sling Shot using ES 3.1)
* Gaming Temp – 41-C

Connectivity and Call Quality

Connectivity-wise, the M2 doesn’t have a lot to offer aside from the basic ones like WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. NFC is absent which is understandable considering its asking price. What it does have though is 4G LTE which is supported in both SIM slots. The only downside is that you will need to sacrifice microSD card support if you want to take advantage of this feature. Call quality is okay and audible but the earpiece is not as crisp as we want it to be. Mobile data is good as long as you’re in an area with good coverage.

Battery Life

Providing juice is a 2,500mAh non-removable battery which is acceptable considering the specs and would definitely last a whole day of light to moderate usage without much gaming. Although below the desirable minimum of 3,000mAh capacity the M2’s battery life proved to a performer scoring 8 hours and 21 minutes on PC Mark and lasted 10 hours and 43 minutes in our standard battery loop test (1080p video, Airplane mode, 50% volume and brightness with headset plugged in).

Conclusion

The Meizu M2 delivered two things that a budget-conscious consumer is looking for in a smartphone – good specs and design for its class and affordable price. In addition, it has a decent 5-inch display with Dragontrail glass, capable CPU and RAM, 4G LTE connectivity with microSD card option, Android Lollipop, and a decent battery life. It has some limitations like its camera performance and the lack of a dedicated microSD card slot, but for Php5,499 it’s still a pretty good deal.

The Meizu M2 is available for purchase at Lazada. See listing here.

Meizu M2 specs:
5-inch HD display, 294ppi
AGC Dragontrail protective glass
1.3GHz MediaTek MT6735 quad-core CPU
Mali-T720 MP2 GPU
2GB LPDDR3 RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable via microSD up to 128GB via SIM 1
13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture
5MP front camera
Dual-SIM (nano)
Dual-4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS
2,500mAh battery
Android 5.0 with Flyme UI 4.5
140.1 x 68.9 x 8.7 mm
131 g

What we liked:
* Good build and design
* Affordable price
* Good battery
* Cool in-camera features

What we didn’t like:
* Inconsistent camera performance indoors and in low-light
* No dedicated microSD card