Meizu m1 note review: A major scale

Unboxing the Meizu m1 note

The Meizu m1 note comes in a rather big package conaining an A/C adapter (2A) and a USB cable. In some markets there'll be headphones in the bundle too (there's a dedicated compartment which, again, was empty in our case).

The retail box of the Meizu m1 note

Meizu m1 note 360-degree view

At 150.7 x 75.2 x 8.9mm, for a weight of 145g, the Meizu m1 note has the same width, thickness and weight as the 5.36" Meizu MX4, being as tall as the MX4 Pro, which too features a 5.5" display.

Design and build quality

The moment we laid our hands on the Meizu m1 note, the iPhone 5c came to mind. The glossy plastic rear cover comes in a bunch of fresh colors: white, blue, yellow, green and pink.

The m1 note's entire front is protected by a piece of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The 5.5" IGZO display enjoys nearly 73% of the available space - not as impressive as the MX4's screen-to-body ratio but close.

Below the screen is the signature capacitive Home key. The rest is a single non-removable cover made of glossy plastic - it doesn't look bad at all but it's prone to smudges.

Meizu m1 note

Just like the iPhone 5c, the Meizu m1 note comes in a variety of colors and the similarities don't end there. Look at the bottom of the phone - the screws, the primary mic, the port and even the loudspeaker grille. The only difference is the placement of the audio jack.

Meizu m1 note (in white) • Apple iPhone 5c (in blue)

What we don't quite like about the Meizu m1 note is the Power/Lock key position at the top of the phone. Since the m1 note is rather big with a 5.5" display, it's nearly impossible to reach for the key while keep a secure grip on the phone single-handedly. Double-tap to unlock is a welcome workaround. There's Gesture wake up too - you can use pre-defined gestures to launch different apps from a turned off screen.

Handling the Meizu m1 note

There's just enough gloss for good looks, but the grip is somewhat compromised. The Meizu m1 note is slippery and its curved edges don't add for a secure hold either.

If you try to reach for the top-placed Lock key with the hand operating the device it'll probably end up on the floor. Overall, the Meizu m1 note looks good and is reasonably sized for the screen diagonal, but the positive first impressions might be undone by the slippery and smudge-prone rear.

Controls

Above the display we find a small earpiece with a bunch of discreet sensors and a 5MP selfie cam. Below the 5.5" screen is the capacitive Home key.

A peek above and below the m1 note screen

The left side of the Meizu m1 note has the two separate volume keys, while the SIM card compartment is on the right. You'll need the pin from your retail box to pop it open.

The volume controls on the right • the SIM tray

The top has another microphone for noise cancellation, the seldom-used power button and the 3.5mm headphone jack. Oddly. the secondary mic isn't used for stereo video recording and is only meant for calls.

The microUSB port is over at the bottom, as is the loudspeaker grille and the primary microphone.

The Power/Lock key at the top • the microUSB port and the loudspeaker at the bottom

The back features the 13MP Samsung camera lens and the dual-tone LED flash.

The 13MP camera at the back

The rear panel is not removable and you cannot access the battery.