We put the two phones side by side
We’ve been spending a lot of time with Cherry Mobile’s new bang-for-the-buck phone, the Flare X. A lot of you have been asking for a side-by-side comparison with the Meizu M1 Note. Both phones have the same processor though the Cherry Mobile Flare X has more RAM at a cheaper price. Will the Flare X manage to win this head-to-head challenge or does the M1 Note still have surprises left in its sleeve? Read on to find out!
Meizu M1 Note
- 1.7GHz 64-bit MediaTek MT6752 octa-core processor
- Mali T760 MP2 GPU
- 2GB RAM
- 5.5-inch Full HD display, Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 1920 x 1080
- 16GB
- 13-megapixel Samsung rear camera, flash, F/2.2 aperture
- 5-megapixel front camera, F/2.0 aperture
- Dual-SIM
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
- Android 4.4 KitKat, Flyme 4
- 3,140mAh battery
- SRP: Php 8,599
Cherry Mobile Flare X
- 1.7GHz MediaTek 6752 octa-core processor
- 3GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch full HD IPS OGS display, Gorilla Glass 3, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 16GB of storage expandable via microSD
- 13-megapixel rear camera, Sony IMX214 sensor, BSI
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 3G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC
- 3000mAh battery
- Android 4.4 KitKat with OTA for Lollipop
- SRP: Php6,999
READ: Cherry Mobile Flare X Review
Design:
Both phones use primarily plastic bodies, but that’s where their similarities end. Cherry Mobile’s Flare X uses a design that’s reminiscent of their previous Flare devices. The Flare X uses a removable plastic shell that gives you access to the important bits in the phone, primarily the dual SIM slots, battery and the all important microSD expansion slot. The Meizu M1 Note on the other hand, uses a sealed, unibody plastic design that only allows users to access the two SIM slots on the side. While the M1 Note is undoubtedly beautiful, the non-expandable nature of its design may lose it potential users in the long run.
Display:
In terms of overall display size and technology, both phones are evenly matched. Both have identical display sizes, though Cherry Mobile’s Flare X has a slight edge thanks to its OGS (one glass solution) tech, which is lacking in the Meizu M1 Note. Both phones also have the same resolution, which is full HD. One thing that we did notice is that the Flare X has an overall brighter display compared to the Meizu M1 Note. Bringing down the brightness of both phones down to the lowest level shows that the Flare X has a brighter display. Running Display Tester on both phones, we can see that the Flare X delivers a brighter, more vivid image compared to the Meizu M1 Note.
Performance:
Both phones run MediaTek’s MT6752 octa-core processor and use the Mali T760 GPU. The most important difference is the 1GB RAM advantage of the Flare X over the Meizu M1 Note, though that slight edge doesn’t necessarily show in the AnTuTu benchmark. So why would you pick a phone with 3GB over 2GB? Multi-tasking. As we showed you in our ASUS Zenfone 2 4GB multi-tasking video, more RAM allows the phone to switch to more apps without needing to shut previously open apps, so you can switch to them quickly and easily.
Things get a little more interesting in benchmarks. In AnTuTu, both phones score under 40K, and the M1 Note scores 1K higher than the Flare X. In PC Mark’s work benchmark however, the Flare X scores slightly higher than the M1 Note.
As far as performance goes, both phones ran Real Racing 3 and Modern Combat 5 well, with no real issues whatsoever. The biggest problem will be storage, as the Meizu M1 Note doesn’t have expandable storage, which will be problematic to people who like gaming with their phones.
Software and OS:
Both phones have Android 4.4 KitKat, though the M1 Note runs Meizu’s Flyme UI overlay that adds quite a bit to the functionality of the phone. Flyme takes away the app drawer and removes the traditional three key Android navigation button in favor of a singular “halo” key. The Flare X meanwhile, uses a slightly customized version of Android 4.4 that has been tweaked a little with on-screen gestures as well as Smart Wake functionality. It’s hard to say who wins in this regard, since OS and customization options all boil down to user preference – what works for us may not be what works for you.
Camera:
Both phones are advertised as having 13-megapixel rear cameras, with Sony sensors. Unfortunately we don’t have an idea of the Sony sensor that’s on the M1 Note, unlike the the Flare X which is advertised as having a Sony IMX 214 sensor.
Anyway, the Meizu M1 Note manages to pull away from the Flare X in the photos that we took. The M1 Note’s camera app also gives users better flexibility as it has a comprehensive manual mode. The camera app on the Flare X does not have the same capabilities. The images taken with the M1 Note have better definition and detail compared to the Flare X. The Flare X’s camera also has some white balance issues, as evidenced by the yellowish shots of the Gundams.
All photos were taken with the default auto camera setting in the phones.
Battery:
Since both phones have the same hardware specifications, it would be easy to assume that both will have roughly the same battery performance. We ran PCMark’s Battery Mark test on both phones to take out the guesswork on overall battery performance. The Flare X scored 5 hours and 19 minutes on work battery life setting, while the M1 Note scored far, far higher – 7 hours and 33 minutes. It’s clear who the winner is in this front.
Both phones were charged to 100% before running the test.
Verdict: Get the Flare X for more RAM, expandable storage and the M1 Note if you want better battery and photos
After all those tests, both phones have distinct advantages and disadvantages. The Flare X has more RAM (and should be a better multi-tasker), slightly brighter display, and can take additional storage via microSD. The M1 Note, on the other hand, has a better camera and battery performance.
And before you guys ask, yes, we’ll be doing a similar comparo for the Cherry Mobile Flare X and the Firefly Mobile Allure 64 LTE!
Read more about the Flare X and the Meizu M1 Note:
Cherry Mobile Flare X Review: Bang For The Buck Killer
Why Doesn’t The Flare X Come With Lollipop?
Cherry Mobile Flare X Camera Samples [Updated with Low Light Shots!]
Watch: Cherry Mobile Flare X Gaming Test
Watch: Cherry Mobile Flare X VS Firefly Mobile Allure 64 LTE Initial Comparison Video
Watch: Cherry Mobile Flare X Unboxing and First Impressions Video!
Cherry Mobile Flare X Hands-on, First Impressions: Alcatel Flash Plus Killer?
Cherry Mobile Unveils Flare X, 3GB, LTE, Octa-core Smartphone for Php 6,999
Meizu M1 Note Review: Best Phone That You Can Buy Under 8K
WATCH: Meizu M1 Note Gaming Test
Watch: Meizu M1 Note Hands-on, First Impressions!
Meizu M1 Note Hands-on, First Impressions: Kick-Ass Bang-for-the-buck Smartphone!
