With a strong configuration, beautiful design and the appearance of metal cover, Meizu M3 Note became very prominent in the smartphone segment under $200.
Meizu M3 Note is the latest phone from Meizu (China). Meizu was introduced at an event held in Beijing in the presence of a large number of technology journalists around the world. Accessories for the M3 Note include a charger, a cable as well as a SIM card and manual.
One thing in particular is that the box does not have a headset. Most likely this is related to the Meizu EP51 earphone model that Meizu also introduced during the event. In China, users will be subsidized when purchasing EP51 with M3 Note.
Design and Build Quality
Aesthetic and materials
The Meizu M3 Note comes with a sleek modern sort of vibe, leaning hard on premium aesthetics. It has a metal unibody body, gives this high quality feel, and honestly the durability is pretty solid too, like something you’d expect on pricier phones. You can pick from a few colorways, silver, gold, gray ,and blue included, so there is a decent chance it matches your personal style.
On the front you get a 5.5 inch display, with slim bezels, so the whole face looks more contemporary than busy. Under the screen sits the home button, and that one also houses a fingerprint sensor. It’s practical, but also gives the design a certain touch of elegance, you know?
Ergonomics and handling
Size wise it’s 153.6 x 75.5 x 8.2 mm , and it weighs about 163 grams, so it lands in that middle zone not too bulky, not too light either. The metal build kind of gives that “premium” sensation and at the same time it helps keep a firm grip, so it feels more grounded in your hand, like it belongs there.
The volume controls plus the power button on the right side are placed in a way that feels pretty natural. You can reach them fast without much thinking, which is honestly the whole point. At the bottom, you’ll see a USB Type-C port next to the 3.5mm headphone jack. The USB-C is there for modern connectivity and it supports quicker data transfer compared to older microUSB style ports, so in day-to-day use it comes off a bit more future ready.
Display, Size and Quality
The Meizu M3 Note comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display, and it’s got a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. That lands you at a pixel density about 403 ppi, so the picture looks sharp and super detailed. The panel is an IPS LCD type, which generally brings bright colors as a sort of bonus , and also gives solid viewing angles, meaning it doesn’t turn bland or washed out so quickly when you’re checking it from the side.
That 5.5-inch screen is pretty immersive when you’re watching videos, playing games, or juggling multiple apps at once. With Full HD resolution, text stays clear, and images look clean, for browsing, movie time, or just reading , without the typical blurry vibe.
Display Performance
On the performance side, the IPS LCD display shows good color accuracy and brightness. It works nicely in most lighting, though if you’re under direct sunlight, visibility might drop a bit, you know, the usual screen issue. Still, colors look vivid and the viewing angles stay broad, so you get a comfortable experience even when you don’t stare straight-on.
Touch response is generally smooth and pretty precise. For everyday use the performance feels adequate, with clear visuals and a vibrant look that works for multimedia as well as for gaming too.
Screen Protection
So the display is guarded by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, giving it that bit of resistance for scratches and small impacts. It’s not really on the same level as the newer Gorilla Glass batches though, but still it works out pretty well for everyday use. With Gorilla Glass 3 being included, the device gets more staying power , so it’s less likely to get ruined from normal wear and tear you know, the usual stuff.
Performance
Hardware Specifications
And for what it’s worth, the MT6755 Helio P10 is often talked about because it’s power frugal, and it can deal with usual tasks with decent responsiveness. The 3GB of RAM also helps keep multitasking fairly smooth, so switching between apps stays fluid, and running multiple applications doesn’t usually bring much delay.
Benchmarking the Meizu M3 Note using stuff like AnTuTu and Geekbench sort of makes it look pretty competitive in the mid range, for the money. The MediaTek MT6755 chip has enough muscle for most things, so like web browsing, social media, and also some lighter gaming. When you look at synthetic results, it tends to confirm what you’d expect, it can manage everyday apps pretty well plus some moderate multitasking too though, not without limits.
In day to day use the Meizu M3 Note feels fairly smooth for normal activities. If you push it toward heavier workloads or try high-end games, you might notice some restraints, like slower pacing or less consistency at times. Still it’s a solid pick for people who mostly stick to typical smartphone routines.
Gaming Performance
For games the Meizu M3 Note handles casual titles and games that aren’t too demanding, with relative ease. Things like Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, an Angry Birds usually run pretty smooth on the phone, you know. Still, once you go into the more graphics heavy games, or if you leave a handful of apps going in the background, the performance can start to slide a bit and it gets less predictable.
The Mali-T860 MP2 GPU together with the MT6755 processor brings reasonable graphics output for devices in the middle tier. It doesn’t really try to match the results of top flagships, and that’s fine. For everyday play, and casual gaming sessions, the overall experience comes out as satisfactory, without too much drama.
Camera
Meizu M3 Note camera specs
So the Meizu M3 Note comes with a 13MP back camera , it uses an f/2.2 aperture, plus phase detection autofocus aka PDAF. There is also a dual tone LED flash along with it, to help in darker spaces where light is kinda limited. For the front side, you get a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture, made mostly for selfies and video calls, nothing too fancy but it does the job.
How the camera actually performs
In day to day use, the rear camera feels pretty decent for a mid-range phone. The 13MP sensor grabs images with decent detail, it keeps color more or less accurate, and the dynamic range is pretty reasonable too. When the light is good , photos look sharp and clean , so it works well for everyday snapshots.
The dual tone LED flash is helpful in low light, still the outcome usually won’t match what you see on higher-end devices. Low-light is usable, but some people will spot a bit of noise and less fine detail when the environment turns darker.
The front 5MP camera works fine for simple selfies and for video calls. It doesn’t really bring those extra perks you might expect from higher resolution front cameras, but for everyday, casual stuff it still turns out ok results, like it gets the job done. The f/2.0 aperture part also helps because it gathers more light, so the performance feels more steady, across various lighting scenarios.
Camera software on the Meizu M3 Note feels pretty straightforward, it gives you a set of shooting modes and extra features you can tap through. The default app usually dumps you right onto the usual options like auto panorama and manual, kinda like it just picks for you. In the manual mode, you can start adjusting things like exposure, ISO, and white balance, so you end up with more control over how the scene actually turns out.
There are also filters and effects in the mix, which helps improve the photo look, even if they’re a bit more basic than what you’d see on premium devices. Still, the whole camera software is pretty friendly, and it basically gives you what you need for taking and editing images without much fuss.
The dorsal, or back-facing surface, is built from Meizu M3 Note metal.
Per the manufacturer, the outer frame, or outer shell, of the M3 Note is made with Series 6000 aluminum. That same material has shown up on a lot of flagship phones too.
Meizu M3 Note is pretty impressive hardware overall, with the newest 8-core Helio P10 processor from MediaTek, and you can tell the manufacturer is not cheap about it. Also they do not hide the fact that other chips are inside the M3 Note when it is officially released to the market.
One thing the Meizu M3 Note is known for, is having a fingerprint sensor, and a battery with capacities that can go up to 4,100 mAh. That part matters, especially if you care about daily use.
As for the cameras, the device comes with two different sensors: a 5 megapixel front camera and a 13 megapixel rear camera. The rear part also supports hand adjustment style features, kind of like what you see in higher end smartphones.
In terms of software, this model uses the Flyme OS 5.1.3 interface, developed by Meizu, and it is built on the Android operating system 5.1. Meizu also bundles a pretty wide range of applications, plus other interfaces for the machine, so it is not just one simple skin and done.
Meizu Note3 / M3 Note International Version 3+32GB 4G LTE Dual Sim Android 5.1 Octa Core 1.8GHz 5.5 inch FHD 5+13MP Smartphone Gray: Buy it now
Meizu M3 Note- Helio P10 MT6755 Octa Core 5.5inch FHD IPS Screen Android 5.1 Fingerprint ID 4G Phone: Buy it now
Meizu M3 Note Android Smartphone – 5.5-Inch FHD Display, Dual-IMEI, 32GB, Octa-Core CPU, 3GB RAM, 4G, 13MP Camera (Silver): Buy it now
Battery Life
Battery Specs
The Meizu M3 Note comes with a non removable 4,100mAh battery , which is kinda fixed in place. Because of how the phone is built, plus the display hardware , the capacity is meant to carry you through a full day, even if your everyday use is moderate to pretty intense. It supports regular charging too, though it doesn’t bring fast charging along with it, so you’ll need a bit more time compared to newer models.
Battery Results
Honestly, the battery life on the Meizu M3 Note is one of those standout bits. That 4,100mAh capacity usually turns into strong day long endurance. In practice people report making it through an entire day of heavy activity, including voice calls, texting, web browsing, and streaming or other media. If you don’t push it too hard, a day and a half is a realistic expectation.
Of course, if you jump into more power heavy stuff like gaming, or you binge a lot of multimedia, the battery may drop faster. Still, it stays quite competitive for its class. The reason is mostly tied to how the hardware works together with the Full HD display, they help the phone pace its energy use.
Power Handling
There are also power management tools inside the Meizu M3 Note that help stretch the battery. The software side offers settings you can tweak, plus ways to control background activity, so less power gets drained when you’re not actively using apps. All of that is basically there to help you squeeze out the most runtime possible, right through the day.
Software Experience
Operating System and User Interface
The Meizu M3 Note comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop, but it’s been tuned with Meizu’s Flyme OS 5.1. Overall you get a pretty distinctive user interface, Flyme OS adds extra little features and some deeper personalization options. In practice it feels made to look nice and stay easy, you can tweak things like themes and icons, plus there are layout adjustments, too… though it depends on what you like.
Flyme OS comes with a bunch of upgrades like gesture navigation, you can tweak the lock screen and a whole set of pre-installed apps too, and it’s kinda, sort of designed so the software matches the device hardware really well. So most of the time scrolling feels smooth, the menus look clean, and day-to-day tasks stay quick and snappy, like they just flow. It’s not only about visuals either, it’s more like a guided day-to-day workflow.
Software Updates
For updates, the Meizu M3 Note only reached Android 5.1 Lollipop, after that there weren’t any big major releases. So even if Lollipop still gives you familiar improvements and features, the phone doesn’t move on to later Android versions. As a result, users miss out on new functions and also the security upgrades that show up in newer Android builds.
Still, even without extra system updates, Flyme OS manages to stay solid. You get a mature suite of customization tools, plus those built-in enhancements that make the phone feel usable and not boring. In short, you can keep enjoying its unique interface and the extra conveniences, even if it’s stuck on that Android generation a bit.
User Experience
Using Flyme OS on the Meizu M3 Note feels generally smooth, and it’s easy to learn. The custom options and extra features help create a responsive interface, and day-to-day handling is pretty pleasant. The system is made to be user-friendly, with quick access to key controls and settings, without too much digging.
Everything feels like it’s trying to keep things simple, even when the skin changes the look. You can jump to what you need, adjust what you want, and generally get through normal tasks without unnecessary friction, or weird delays.
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Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.