Meizu MX5 leaves a lasting impression

Flagship model costs mere Rs 19,990 but doesn't scrimp on features

This year has seen smartphone manufacturers one-upping each other and offering unique features, which, for the most part, don't burn a hole in your pocket.

The MX5 is Meizu's flagship model and frankly it does leave an impression.

The MX5 is a good looking phone and can definitely be mistaken for a Nexus. The metal unibody design and the large display gives it a premium feel. It has one capacitive home button which doubles as a fingerprint scanner. Like most smartphones, the MX5 supports two SIM cards. The phone boasts of a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution and has a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 panel.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Operating system: FlyMe 4.5
• Display: 5.5-inch AMOLED
• Processor: 2.2 Ghz Octacore; 3 GB RAM
• Storage: 16 GB
• Camera: 20.7MP primary; 5MP secondary
• Battery: 3,100 mAh

What I found interesting in the phone is its FlyMe OS, which is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The OS might take some time getting used to. The absence of "recent apps" option might frustrate some till they discover that they need to swipe up slowly in order to bring up an iPhone-esque dock to remove running apps.

The phone comes with a 3,150 mAh non-removable battery which provides very decent battery backup. And it comes with a feature called M-Charge which claims to charge the phone up to 60 per cent in 30-40 minutes.

The phone comes with a 20.7-megapixel (MP) primary camera which provides for clear shots. It also has dual-tone LED flash and a guided laser focus. The secondary 5MP camera is great for taking selfies especially with features like "Beauty mode", where you can beautify your selfie by removing blemishes and what not.

The phone, priced at Rs 19,990, does leave a good impression be it the design or the performance. With the MX5, Meizu has firmly secured its place in the "good and affordable" smartphone slot. However, Meizu doesn't have any dedicated service centre in India as of now, which might pose a problem for consumers in case of any damage caused to the phone.