Meizu m6T review: A potent budget smartphone

Specifications

• 5.7-inch IPS LCD display 
• MediaTek octa-core processor
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Flyme UI
• 3GB/4GB RAM
• 32/64 GB storage, 128GB expandable 
• 13MP + 2MP rear camera 
• 8MP selfie camera
• Fingerprint sensor
• 3300mAh Li-ion battery

Design

Design wise, the m6T is similar to the E3, but at a cheaper price. The body is entirely made of plastic, unlike the latter which uses metal construction. he left side has the dual-SIM slot which can also accommodate a microSD card, while the right side packs volume rockers and power button. On the top, there's a 3.5mm audio jack and the bottom holds the speakers and MicroUSB port.

The build quality of the device seems to be good, and the plastic feels premium. We did, however, notice that the side keys wobble a bit. The device is lightweight, weighing only around 150 g. There's a good quality scratch resistant glass coating on the display which doesn't have a notch The front panel has an earpiece alongside the proximity and light sensors, and a notification LED.

The rear panel houses a dual camera setup which is placed vertically which is supported by an LED flash. The company has also added a fingerprint sensor for added security, which we found is pretty fast and reliable. Overall, the design of the smartphone is really good and is one of the best aspects of the phone.

Display

Speaking of the display, the smartphone comes with a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display that has a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels, and a pixel density of 282 PPI. The display qualifies as a decent one which can register 10 fingers simultaneously. It is scratch resistant, but there's no mention of a Gorilla Glass from the company.

The colors come out vivid on the display and color reproduction is somewhat accurate. It also allows you to customize the display settings. The smartphone also offers good viewing angles making the viewing experience even better. It has a good level of brightness and the sunlight legibility is also satisfactory. The only setback here that the device lacks a Full HD panel, which is forgivable given the asking price is pretty low.

Software

The software on the Meizu m6T is probably its weakest point. It still runs the dated Android 7.0 Nougat which is wrapped under the FlymeOS skin. The UI doesn't offer an app drawer which is fluid most of the times. And, thanks to the FlymeOS, you get a lot of customization options.

The software also allows for gesture control like the double-tap-to-wake or skipping music titles while the screen is off. Additionally, the 'Smart Touch' allows you to create a point on the display which can be used for navigation options defined by the user.

The company's proprietary OS is also calibrated with several sensors like the brightness sensor. The software lacks the screen unlock mode, and you'll have to make do with the fingerprint sensor which is pretty swift and reliable.

Camera

Though the m6T isn't a flagship device, it still offers a good camera module for its price. The smartphone comes equipped with a dual camera setup that comprises of a 13MP and a 2MP sensors.

The 13MP sensor does the framing and focusing, while the 2MP sensor is responsible for ranging, which offers hardware-level blurring exposing a clear picture with good edge detection. The photos come out good in well-lit lighting conditions. While the night shots are somewhat disappointing.

The macro shots are good, and you will notice that the device clearly distinguishes the details. The camera also exposes good colors, but in scenes which are backlit, you might get slightly overexposed.

The front camera has an 8MP Samsung 4H7 sensor with an aperture of f/2.0. It takes decent selfies, but you will notice slight noise in dark surroundings. But the camera still produces decent picture quality and you wouldn't have a problem while video calls.

Performance

The Meizu m6T is powered by a MediaTek's MT6750 octa-core processor paired with 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB internal storage which is expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The processor here is an upgrade of MT6737 which supports 1080p video decoding. But, since there's no Full-HD display here, it doesn't really make a lot of difference. The company could have used a Snapdragon 430 or Helio P23 instead.

But the company tried to overcome that by offering 4GB of RAM. But, it's important to note that the RAM will help the device handle multitasking but it would not boost the performance of the processor.

The device handled the day-to-day tasks with ease, and we didn't notice any lag while navigating or switching between the apps. However, you wouldn't want to play high-end games on the Meizu m6T as it struggles to keep up with the pace the games require.

As for the battery, the smartphone is juiced by a 3300mAh battery and thanks to the optimized system and screen, it lasts for a long time. We played videos for half an hour on the device with 50% brightness and the power dropped by 5%. While playing mild games for another half an hour dropped the power by almost 10%. But overall, the device did provide a full day charge after gaming, social media activity, playing multimedia. If you are a moderate user, you won't require a charger at the end of the day.

Verdict

Overall, the Meizu m6T is a potent smartphone in the budget segment. The company has surely made a good comeback in the Indian market. The features this device offers makes it a good value for money. It comes with a good set of cameras, the UI is well optimized, battery life is impressive, and the overall experience is smooth.

The camera performance here is good and if you are someone who doesn't want to shell out a lot of money but still wants a well-functioning camera, the Meizu m6T could be a good alternative.