Meizu MX5 review: Amaze U

Meizu MX5 retail package

There is nothing unusual inside the Meizu MX 5 big retail box - a 2A charger, a microUSB cable and a very-well packed headset with a remote control.

The MX5 itself is packed into a booklet-style holder with descriptions of the phone's key features.

The retail package

Meizu MX5 360-degree view

Meizu MX5 is built around a 5.5" display - the same screen estate the Meizu MX4 Pro had. The new MX5 spreads at 149.9 x 74.7 x 7.6mm and weighs 149g - this makes it 1.4mm thinner and 2.3mm tighter than its processor. It has lost some weight too - about 9g.

Design and build quality

Meizu MX5 is not only the company's first smartphone to introduce the AMOLED tech to the series, it is also the first one to switch from plastic to metal. This allowed Meizu to reduce the device's thickness and footprint, but keep the flagship specs.

Meizu MX5

About 74.5% of the front is occupied by the contrasty AMOLED screen, surrounded by completely black tiny bezels. The fingerprint/home key is almost invisible - there is no accent frame around as there was on the Meizu MX4 and we like it this way better.

The MX5 indeed looks gorgeous - the metal back won't get smudged easily, nor is it prone to scratches as the glossy plastic. The antennas around the top and bottom are actually covered by matte plastic bands, done with the same silver paint as the rest of the body.

Handling the Meizu MX5 feels exquisite - the chamfered metal finish before the screen glass improves the grip as is the mostly metal back. Unless your observation skills are extremely good, you won't be able to tell the antenna's plastic bands from the metal parts.

Handling the MX5

The Meizu MX5 is lightweight and the very good grip eases the one-hand operations. Its thin profile makes the phone slip easily in pockets and you'll have no problem carrying the MX5 around while driving, walking or even running.

Controls

Above the 5.5" AMOLED screen of the Meizu MX5 we find the earpiece flanked by a couple of sensors, the notification LED and the 5MP selfie camera.

Below the display is the lonely mTouch fingerprint scanner / Home button combo. This key is both capable of hardware press and capacitive touch. A tap means Back, while a physical press acts as a Home key under Android OS.

Above and below the display

The dual-SIM bed sits on the left side of the Meizu MX5, while the right has the metal volume rocker and the comfy Power/Lock key. You'll barely use the latter as the MX5 display can be unlocked right from fingerprint scanner.

The MX5's left and right sides

The audio jack is on the top of the Meizu MX5 as is the secondary mic. The bottom has the usual - the microUSB port, the loudspeaker grille and the primary microphone.

A peek at the top and bottom of the MX5

The back is where we find a Sony-made 20.7MP camera under a sapphire-glass lens accompanied by a dual-tone LED flash and the assistive laser for the auto-focus.

The 20.7MP camera lens

The rear cover is non-removable this time around.