Which Chinese smartphone is better - Honor or Meizu?

Chinese smartphones have become increasingly popular in recent years. Users prefer them due to their good combination of price and quality. Today we hear about two companies from the Middle Kingdom that offer fairly good phones with high-quality build and reasonable prices - Huawei and Meizu.

The most popular line under the Huawei brand is Honor. A natural question from users is whether Honor or Meizu is better. Let's try to figure this out.

About companies

Both Meizu and Huawei are very well-known and important companies for the Chinese economy. Both specialize in the production of communication devices.

Huawei, however, has a longer history. The company was founded back in 1987. It developed quite quickly. Already in 2006, according to company statistics, more than 83,000 employees were registered here. In 2010, the company already had more than 100 offices around the world.

Particular attention is paid to scientific activities, and therefore Huawei has opened research centers in China, Russia, the USA, Sweden, and India. The company cooperates with such mobile operators as France Telecom, BT Group, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica.

The Meizu company was officially founded in 1998 thanks to a Chinese man with the pseudonym Jake Wonzu. At first, only MP3 players were produced under this brand, but over time, smartphones also began to appear on the market. The first serious developments and presentations of the brand’s products occurred in 2003.

Both brands offer their customers modern products with the latest features, and both offer virtually the same prices for their products. Therefore, it is not surprising that users often think about whose products are better - Meizu or Huawei.

When comparing two brands, it is appropriate to compare two smartphones from both manufacturers. Let's try to figure out which is better - Meizu or Huawei Honor - based on the Meizu MX5 and Huawei Honor 7 models.

Displays: Amoled vs IPS

The first difference is the displays. In the models under consideration they are fundamentally different. Let's start with Meizu Pro 7 - it has an Amoled matrix with a diagonal of 5.2 inches (more about the technology here) and FullHD resolution (1920x1080). There is an anti-reflective coating. The advantage (some people consider this a disadvantage) is the matrix from Samsung with the Pentile effect, accurate color reproduction and maximum viewing angles. Brightness ‒ 340 cd/m2, contrast ‒ 10000:1.

The flagship's additional display with a resolution of 1.9 inches is also made using AMOLED technology, has a resolution of 240x536, and a brightness of 350 cd/m2. But the main question is what is it for? There is a separate section for it in the smartphone settings. There you can turn the display on or off, select wallpaper, program its activation by double tap, configure the display of notifications: number of steps, weather, time, missed calls. You can also see your face on it when taking a selfie.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to reject or answer a call from the second screen, SMS or social media messages are also unavailable, and you cannot rewind music while playing. Its functionality is small, mainly the second display is needed to display notifications.

Honor 9 has a classic IPS screen with FullHD resolution and a 5.1-inch diagonal. In terms of brightness, the Honor 9 display is better - 400 cd/m2, but inferior in contrast - 975:1. However, the colors remain bright and contrasting - just like on an Amoled matrix.

This model has an interesting eye protection feature that reduces the level of ultraviolet radiation. In theory, this should cause the eyes to yield less over long periods of use.

The displays stand next to each other. The user will not notice any visual differences in the picture between them, so there is no winner in this case.

Design and ergonomics

Both Honor and the device from Meizu are quite similar to each other: neat, thin. In both versions, the main part of the body is made of metal, namely aluminum. The upper and lower parts of the two devices are plastic, although they are successfully disguised as metal. This is the part that usually suffers the most damage. This is undoubtedly a disadvantage of both flagships, but it can be easily eliminated by purchasing a protective case.

Honor's corners are closer to square, they are very slightly rounded. The Meizu smartphone is more rounded and therefore more neat.

In terms of weight, Honor 7 is slightly heavier: it weighs 162 grams. The MX5 weighs only 150 grams. For flagships with a screen diagonal of more than 5 inches, this is generally a huge rarity. In the hand, such a difference is felt immediately. Conclusion: Honor 7 looks rougher and larger.

Both flagships have a fingerprint scanner, but it is located on different sides of the devices. Honor 7 is equipped with a modern advanced solution Fingerprint Sense 2.0. The scanner is located on the back of the smartphone, next to the main camera.

The MX5 uses a new version of mTouch 2.0 scanners for the brand. It is particularly accurate and has good speed. It is located on the front side of the device, under the screen.

It's hard to say which is better in terms of design - Meizu or Honor. Both are very modern and stylish, but each user should make a choice according to their own taste.

Comparison of characteristics

To compare which is better – Meizu or Huawei Honor, you should consider the current flagship models Meizu 17 and Honor 30 Pro+, which incorporate advanced technical and software solutions.

Meizu 17.

Display

In the 30 Pro+, 90% of the front panel is occupied by a 6.57-inch OLED screen with FHD+ resolution, support for 90 Hz scanning, and an aspect ratio of 19.5 to 9. The matrix supports HDR, providing a bright, dynamic picture. A dual front camera is integrated into the screen; the edges are rounded, which ensures comfortable operation of the device with one hand. In general, Huawei tries to install displays in accordance with trends, and sometimes shape them.

Meizu's latest flagship smartphones have been criticized for their screen geometry. The manufacturer persistently produced models with a top frame of indecent sizes, like for flagships. In Meizu 17, engineers gave in to the pressure of modern trends, installing a frameless 6.6-inch screen with a built-in front camera. The matrix is ​​developed using SAMOLED technology, supports FHD+ resolution, and an image refresh rate of 90 Hz. An optical fingerprint scanner is integrated into the display.

Design and body

Honor's design consistently continues the concept of the main brand with a discount on “youth”. The 30 Pro Plus case received a number of unusual visual effects, implemented in two glass panels united by a metal frame. Deep shimmer, sea glass effect, and the illusion of volume attract attention to the back cover of the device. The case has moisture and dust protection. The main camera module stands out radically, emphasizing the status of a camera phone.

Meizu 17 also uses a classic, proven solution - using glass and aluminum. A radical difference from most models presented in the segment is the non-standard arrangement of the camera block, placed horizontally in the center of the rear panel.

The case is made of moisture-proof material.

Performance and software

Honor 30 Pro+, like other models, runs on the proprietary Magic UI 3.1.0.138 shell based on Android 10 OS. Considering the capabilities of the screen, the smartphone is among the top in terms of smooth menu operation. All brand smartphones, except outdated models, do not support Google services, including the Play Market application store. Instead, the manufacturer offers AppGallery, where there are not many applications, but the list is constantly updated with popular programs. Users will have to come to terms with the need to download Facebook, Whatsapp in another way, and watch Youtube through a browser.

All Honor models are equipped with Huawei's own processors, which can compete with Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. The latest flagship is equipped with the top-end HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G platform, developed using a 7-nm process technology. 8 cores are complemented by a Mali-G76 MP16 graphics accelerator and 8 gigabytes of RAM. The smartphone supports fifth generation networks.

For a long time, Meizu smartphones were equipped with Mediatek chipsets, which did not allow them to reach the top in terms of performance. Having rethought the policy, the company’s engineers installed the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 platform (8 cores, 7 nm process technology, Adreno 650 video card) into the new flagship, providing advanced performance and the ability to run any games at maximum graphics settings.

The smartphone runs an adapted version of Android 10, implemented in Flyme 8.1 firmware. The shell takes into account the technical capabilities of the smartphone, providing a balance of performance, smooth operation and energy efficiency.

Battery life

The battery capacity of Meizu smartphones meets user requirements. For example, Meizu 17 has a 4500 mAh battery, which is enough for 1.5 days of use under medium loads. There is also a 30W fast charging option. Such power does not correspond to the status of a 2021 flagship.

Meizu 17 battery.

The autonomy indicators of Honor products are not inferior to competitors. The 4000 mAh battery installed in the 30 Pro+ is enough for a whole day of work. With the dark theme turned on, with moderate use - for 2 days. Considering the large area of ​​the OLED matrix, 90 Hz mode is a good indicator. The smartphone supports fast charging up to 27 W, reverse wireless charging at 7.5 W. You can replenish your energy reserve from 0 to 100% in 50 minutes.

Cameras

Previous generations of Meizu were criticized for the quality of pictures and the lack of flagship solutions. But the requirements of users, among which the main thing was the presence of a good camera, forced the manufacturer to level out this omission. Meizu 17 has a quad unit led by the flagship Sony IMX686 sensor with 64 megapixel optical stabilization. There is also a macro sensor, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens.

Huawei products have always been characterized by excellent photo quality, which is confirmed by the DxOmark rating. At the head of the quad module of the flagship Honor is advanced 50 megapixel Sony IMX700 optics with a laser autofocus system. The sensor is capable of bright, high-definition footage with extended dynamic range. Also installed here are telescopic optics with a five-fold zoom, phase detection autofocus, a video stabilization system, a depth sensor, a 16 MP wide-angle sensor, and a depth sensor. An artificial intelligence system has been implemented that improves the sources, depending on the shooting scene. The smartphone recognizes small objects well without blurring them during automatic post-processing.

Honor cameras are distinguished by high image clarity.

Display

Meizu MX5 is one of the few models of the brand and flagships in general with a 5.5-inch screen. Huawei Honor 7 is only 5.2 inches. The resolution in both versions is 1920x1080.

The IPS touchscreen is a distinguishing feature for both devices. Honor uses Gorilla Glass to protect the front panel from damage.

Both MX5 and Honor 7 boast multi-touch technology, which allows you to simultaneously handle up to 10 touches on the screen.

Both devices are distinguished by high brightness. The image can be viewed normally even in very bright sunlight. But in Meizu the brightness is slightly better than in the “seventh” Honor, because it uses an AMOLED panel.

The oleophobic coating successfully protects the screen from marks both in the case of Meizu and in the case of Huawei.

Comparing Meizu and Honor in terms of display quality does not allow us to give preference to one or another flagship; both are of quite high quality.

Meizu smartphones

In the Russian market (and in China too) Meizu smartphones are less popular. The Chinese brand also produces inexpensive smartphones and mainly offers budget models (although there are also flagships like Meizu Pro 7) with large screens and a price tag. This encourages many buyers to choose Meizu.

Meizu Pro 7

Unlike Xiaomi, Meizu works very closely with Mediatek, a manufacturer of chipsets (processors) for smartphones. Most TOP or budget-class Meizu smartphones are supplied to the market with chips from MediaTek, which is a plus on the one hand, and a minus on the other. The advantage is the low cost of processors from this manufacturer, the disadvantage is their speed. One of the best solutions, the Mediatek Helio X30 with 10 cores, is inferior in performance to a chip of the same category, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. Most often, Mediatek installs weak video processors with a small number of cores, which causes poor graphics performance.

The second drawback of Meizu smartphones is the proprietary Flyme shell. It suffers from the same problems as Xiaomi's Miui, but remains more difficult to understand. It’s hard to say which shell is dumber - Flyme or Miui, but the latter is more widespread and studied.

When choosing between Meizu and Xiaomi (any price category), it is better to give preference to the latter brand. Its gadgets based on Qualcomm Snapdragon processors are more productive and energy efficient. It is Qualcomm that is the leader in the development of mobile processors, not Mediatek.

Performance

Honor 7 uses a single-chip eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 935 processor. Core frequencies are 1.5 and 2.2 GHz. The device works quite quickly, in fact it never freezes. The processor built into the “seventh” Honor is capable of competing with such a powerful system as Qualcomm Snapdragon, which is used by Samsung.

For Meizu MX 5, manufacturers decided to use the no less successful and well-known MediaTek single-chip system. Like Honor, the latter has 8 cores, each core with a frequency of 2.2 GHz.

Both devices have the same amount of RAM - 3 GB each (2 GB of which remain free).

The built-in memory in Honor 7 is 16 GB, but more than 9.85 GB of this is used for the smartphone’s own needs. If desired, the user has the opportunity to expand this volume up to 128 GB using a microSD memory card.

Meizu MX5 is available with various internal memory options: 16, 32, 64 GB. This device does not allow the use of additional memory cards, but it is possible to connect flash drives via microUSB to transfer information.

When thinking about which phone is better - Honor or Meizu, the user must take into account his needs and the required amount of memory.

Honor smartphones prices and reviews

Smartphone Honor 3C 4G LTE 8GB customer reviews

Dmitry Sh. ★★★★★ Advantages:

modern, convenient, fast, reliable, relatively inexpensive
Disadvantages:
none found
Comments:
I have a model with 1GB of RAM - everything flies! Excellent display - bright, rich colors, not even a hint of grain. Good build quality, everything fits very tightly. Phone It’s pleasant to hold in your hands; the back panel with leather-like trim turned out to be especially successful - the device looks more expensive than it costs.

Buy

Smartphone Honor 7X 128GB customer reviews

Victoria I. ★ Disadvantages:

Unfortunately, this model is not intended for Russia.
Everything is in Chinese, installing familiar programs through the play market is not possible, there are Chinese blocks, even the browser is only Huawei and neither Google nor Chrome, and even more so VK or Instagram are not allowed. There is no guarantee in Russia either, as well as instructions in Russian . Comment:
I returned this phone to the store the same day. The money for delivery through the online store, of course, was lost.

Buy

Smartphone Honor 8 Lite 3/32GB customer reviews

Alex N. ★★★★ Advantages:

Good screen Performance, although I don’t play games. Well built. Possibility of connecting external drives, OTG.
Disadvantages:
1. There is no swype on the keyboard.2. Bad camera. If there is not enough light, the photos will turn out bad. On the Samsung, in the same poor lighting, it is much brighter, clearer and juicier.3. Weak vibration.

Marina V. ★★★★★ Advantages:

Just a beautiful and high-quality phone for the money.
I recommend it to everyone. I took it in connection. It arrived in 2 days, everything is perfect. Disadvantages:
No

Buy

Smartphone Honor 8 Lite 64GB customer reviews

Alexander M. ★★★ Advantages:

works well, the screen is fast and there are no issues with the camera
Disadvantages:
very fragile glass, fell twice, changed glass twice: (even in its original plastic case) this is the first time I have such a “delicate” phone
Comment:
works well, but is made of fragile material

Evgeniy B. ★★★★★ Advantages:

For the money it's a good device, I'm satisfied.
Disadvantages:
fingerprints remain on the screen, very bad.
Comment:
in general I am satisfied with the phone, both the soldering and the battery, for me 5 points.

Buy

Smartphone Honor 8X Max 4/64GB customer reviews

PAVEL G. ★★★★★ Advantages:

Screen, sound, operating time.
Chic appearance. Disadvantages:
No NFC
Comment:
An excellent smartphone, unfortunately we do not sell this particular configuration. I bought it in China and it cost 12,600 rubles. and 10 days of waiting.

Ivan P. ★★★★★ Advantages:

Screen, sound and battery capacity
Disadvantages:
Camera is not great
Comment:
I bought it in China for 14 k, firmware up to global version 1.5 is worth it if you are too lazy to bother yourself, my wife just has Chinese firmware, everything works, the camera is not great, no NFC, but the screen just a song, the sound too, you quickly get used to the size

Buy

Smartphone Honor 9 6/64GB customer reviews

Katya Gladkikh ★★★★★ Advantages:

First of all, it’s beautiful =) It’s a good camera, the battery lasts a long time and charges quickly from the mains.
Disadvantages:
Charging from a laptop via USB is quite slow.
At the beginning there were problems with the charging connector, because... the previous phone had a different standard. After purchasing a couple of corresponding wires everything became ok. Take a spare tire right away. Comment:
So far I am very pleased with the phone. A transparent case was included. Very convenient fingerprint unlock feature. Does not slow down, lives a long time even with a low charge and without turning off the geo.

Konstantin T. ★★★★★ Advantages:

An excellent phone, it takes good photos, and the battery lasts for a day during active use.
It has a USB type-c connector, so I had to buy more cables for work. The kit included a plastic bumper. Disadvantages:
No

Buy

Smartphone Honor 6 Plus 16GB customer reviews

Nikita M. ★★★★★ Advantages:

Fantastic camera. Luscious display. All sorts of goodies ala USB charging. Controversial, but very beautiful EMUI shell from version 3.
Very convenient and nice Software component - camera application, file manager, optimization of battery performance, applications, etc. Long-lasting - 2 days of operation easily. Stylish, thin, status. Disadvantages:
Shovel, I like it when it fits in my hand Quiet speaker (as on almost all modern ones)
Comment:
Chasing subtlety, manufacturers pay little attention to speaker volume.

Alexander ★★★★ Advantages:

There are a lot of advantages.
It consists entirely of advantages. But…. Disadvantages:
Why didn’t anyone write that this magnificent device does not work with Russian LTE frequencies.
Comment:
The overall impression is good, except for the above.

Buy

Smartphone Honor 7X 32GB customer reviews

Dmitry S. ★★★★★ Advantages:

A good screen (oleophobic coating is nothing like that), the camera is great. The battery lasts a day, 10-15% remains in stock with normal use, with passive use for a day and a half. For surfing the Internet or social media.
networks are just that. Disadvantages:
If you take the phone for games, then the processor obviously won’t let you, the stabilization is crappy when shooting video. And on the back cover, fingerprints are collected once or twice.
Comment:
I bought it at the beginning of September. Despite the shortcomings, it works stably, I haven’t noticed any lags. Otherwise, the phone is very good for the money.

Dmitry A. ★★★★★ Advantages:

Beautiful, fast, convenient.
Disadvantages:
the case is too thin and slippery for me, I immediately bought a case.
Comment:
I bought it in November to replace the ancient Lenovo A766. Internet, video viewing and camera work well. I don't play games.

Buy

Smartphone Honor 6X 4/32GB customer reviews

Nikolay E. ★★★★★ Advantages:

Price, fast, smart, fingerprint, reliable, you can install a bunch of programs and applications, enough memory, good audibility during conversations and music.
Disadvantages:
The battery may not be enough for the whole day, but if you use it all day from 7 am, calls, internet by 20 o'clock there is still 15-20 percent charge left.
Comment:
Great phone for the price. I recommend

Cameras

In terms of cameras, both Honor 7 and Meizu MX 5 are good phones. In both devices, the main camera has a 20 megapixel module. The aperture, however, is different. So, Huawei has F/2.0, and Meizu has F/2.2.

The front camera in Honor 7 is equipped with an 8 megapixel module and f/2.4 aperture. You can quickly take a photo from it by touching your finger to the fingerprint scanner. The advantage of the flagship is the presence of the “Smile Tracking” function. In addition, the device has such a useful mode as “Perfect Selfie”. Thanks to this, it is possible to use various effects and manually edit the captured image.

Meizu has a 5 MP front camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The downside is the lack of flash and autofocus. You can take pictures using the hardware volume button.

The lens in the Meizu device is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The Huawei device uses ultra-strong sapphire glass for this purpose.

If we compare Huawei with Meizu in terms of front cameras, then it’s worth saying that selfies come out well in both versions, but with Honor they turn out to be of higher quality and more detailed. Shooting from the main camera (especially panoramic ones) is better with the MX 5.

Honor 10 – Meizu 15

In general, Meizu 15 has more advantages in terms of multimedia, but Honor is more attractive in appearance (subjectively) and has better performance. The Meizu 15 screen is much nicer in terms of color reproduction due to the fact that it is Super AMOLED. It allows you to enjoy true black and enjoy a richer color palette. In addition, Meizu has better sound quality from stereo speakers. This smartphone also has a better camera. Even in low light conditions, the pictures turn out more interesting.

But Honor 10 has a more powerful processor, and therefore the performance is better. This model is also equipped with a more capacious battery. But whether it will last for a longer period of time is unclear. After all, Meizu 15 has AMOLED, which compares favorably in terms of energy consumption. Plus, the Snapdragon 660 chip cannot be called too power-hungry either.