The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 that we reviewed and compared against the Lenovo ZUK Z1, Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, iPhone 6s and Xperia M5, now faces another competition from the Chinese lineup of Meizu, the MX5. Which phone is a better buy, has faster performance and hardware, and more reliable and sharp camera? Find out the answer in our Meizu MX5 vs Redmi Note 3 ultimate comparison.
Advantages or pros of Meizu MX5 over Redmi Note 3
- Sharper camera
- AMOLED display
- Bottom-facing speaker positioning
- More accurate fingerprint scanner
Advantages or pros of Redmi Note 3 over MX5
- Cheaper pricing
- Larger battery capacity
- Longer battery life
Table of Contents
Design and build quality
The two phones look they came from the same factory and design by the same manufacturer with the shape and size closely matching. The only difference from the metal design of these phones is the placement of mono speaker and fingerprint scanner.
Despite the similarities, handling the Meizu MX5 is easier because of the lighter and thinner profile. Its fingerprint sensor works faster and more accurate too, though, we like the positioning of the sensor of the Redmi Note 3.
Display and viewing experience
We noticed in all comparisons that the display of Redmi Note 3 has a reddish tint producing in an off white balance and inaccurate colors. The AMOLED of MX5 is more pleasing to see and is better in terms of contrast and viewing angles than the Redmi Note 3. On top of that, MX5 has Gorilla Glass 3 screen.
Camera in low light, selfie, and video
The 20MP main camera of the MX5 easily trumps the Redmi Note 3 in our shootout. The color rendering and white balance in the images from the Meizu MX5 beats the one on the 13MP camera of Redmi Note 3.
Photos on MX5 look pleasing and more vibrant. The sharpness or detail preservation is even much better on MX5 especially in daylight, though the night or low light and selfie shots have good detail reproduction too.
In video mode, it is hard to notice any big difference. However, in terms of color and sharpness, the MX5 delivered better results.
Performance and benchmarks
You can expect a close fight in the hardware especially in the benchmarks as these two phones are powered by the same MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core chip. Our Redmi Note 3 variant has 3GB RAM with 32GB internal memory. Both don’t support microSD card expansion, which is a bummer, given most mid-range and budget Android phones this 2016 offer microSD card slot.
Meizu MX5 benchmark ratings
- AnTuTu: 47201
- Basemark: 1156
- Geekbench: 718 single core / 3596 multi-core
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 benchmark ratings
- AnTuTu: 47641
- Basemark: 950
- Geekbench: 817 single core / 4481 multi-core
Battery and charging speed
The biggest advantage of Redmi Note 3 is on the battery rating. It has larger battery capacity of 4000mAh versus on the 3150mAh of Meizu MX5. The video loop test produced around 10 hours rating on the two with the moderate use and on-screen time on Redmi Note 3 being higher and longer.
Meizu MX5 battery life and charging time
- Video playback: 10h 31min.
- Moderate use: 1 day (browsing, video, SMS/text, voice calls, casual games)
- On-screen time: 4 hours
- Charging speed: 2h 15min
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 battery life and charging time
- Video playback: 10hrs
- Moderate use: roughly 2 days or 1.5-2d
- On-screen time: 5-6 hours
- Charging speed: 2h 50min
Loudspeaker test
The bottom-facing speaker of the Meizu MX5 proves to be louder and clearer than the rear-facing mono speaker of the Redmi Note 3.
Price and Verdict
The Redmi Note 3 retails at around Php 10,500 pesos price in PH or around $220 in US. The gold variant, which has the same 32GB internal storage and 3GB is much expensive at Php 13k or $280.
The Meizu MX5 is priced for Php 12,500 for the 16GB model with 3GB RAM. It is more expensive than the Redmi Note 3. However, in our comprehensive review and comparison, we found out that the Meizu MX5 for its price is worth it and better than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. The camera and display are superior on the former.
But if you felt the Meizu MX5 is a little too much for your budget, the closest option with a lot of value for your money is the 16GB silver model of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, which could be purchased for Php 9,000 pesos in the Philippines.
Specs and price comparison of ZUK Z1 vs Redmi Note 3
| SPECS, PH Price | Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 | Meizu MX5 | |
| Display | 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD IPS, 401 ppi | 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD AMOLED, 401 ppi | |
| Size | 8.7mm thick, 164g weight | 7.6mm thick, 149g weight | |
| Design | Metal + plastic | Metal + plastic | |
| Colors | White, Black, Gold | White, Black | |
| Chipset & CPU | Mediatek Helio X10 octa-core |
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| Graphics | PowerVR GT6200 | PowerVR GT6200 | |
| Memory | 2/3G RAM, 16/32GB internal, no microSD | 3GB RAM, 16/3264GB internal, No microSD card | |
| Camera | 13MP, AF, dual LED flash, 1080p video | 20MP, AF, 1080p video, dual LED flash | |
| Selfie | 5MP selfie front-facing | 5MP selfie front-facing | |
| Connectivity | Dual micro SIM, WiFi ac, 4G LTE, Bt 4.1, GPS | Dual nano SIM, WiFi ac, 4G LTE, Bt 4.1, GPS | |
| Software | Android 5.0 Lollipop, Mi UI 7.0 | Android 5.1 Lollipop, Flyme UI, upgrade to Marshmallow | |
| Battery | 4000mAh | 3150mAh | |
| Ports, quick charge | microUSB, quick charging | microUSB, fast charging | |
| Release date | December 2015, available in Philippines | July 2015, available online | |
| Price | P12,500 ph price 32GB Gold variant / P10,500 price 32GB Silver | P12,500 ph Price 16GB variant |
