Amid the flurry of smartphone news from manufacturers based in China, we haven’t heard a peep from Meizu these past several weeks.
That is, until today when the Chinese OEM officially took the wraps off the Meizu E3 in its native market. Taking its cue from neighbor-rival Xiaomi, Meizu is adopting the “best specs at the lowest price” approach with the E3. And looking at its feature set, it’s fairly obvious this phone is aimed squarely at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, or simply the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 in China.
Looking at its feature set, it’s fairly obvious the Meizu E3 is aimed squarely at the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, or simply the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 in China.
The LCD touchscreen is big and tall, measuring 6 inches and running at 2,160 x 1,080 pixels, leading to a ratio of 18:9. The side bezels are slim and make the screen pop out — typical for a device with a wider aspect ratio.
READ ALSO: Xiaomi’s Philippine flagship store now open. Here’s a price list of what you can buy there
Inside, the phone pairs the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of built-in memory, which can be expanded using a microSD card of up to 256GB.
In our Xiaomi Redmi 5 Note Pro review, we noted that the Snapdragon 636 is noticeably faster than the previous-gen Snapdragon 625, a popular choice in the category. A 3,300mAh battery capable of fast charging over a Type-C port is found at the bottom of the handset.
Like the Redmi Note 5 Pro, the Meizu E3 features a dual-camera module at the back. It consists of 12- and 20-megapixel sensors and protected by a piece of sapphire glass, which is scratch-resistant and more durable than regular glass and Corning Gorilla Glass. For selfies, there’s an 8-megapixel camera of f/2.0 aperture.
SEE ALSO: Price and full specs of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
The Meizu E3 goes up for preorder from March 26 in China, and the first units will start shipping on March 31. Color options include black, blue, and gold. The base model with 64GB of storage has a price of ¥1,799 (about P14,826 or $284), while the 128GB version will retail at ¥1,999 (P16,476 or $316).
For ¥2,499 (P20,599 or $395), the company will sell you the limited-edition Meizu E3 J-20 Edition, which is named after the Chinese J-20 fighter jet. It arrives with a custom back panel, a memorial card, and a SIM-eject tool that is made to look like the J-20 aircraft.
Limited: The Meizu E3 J-20 Edition
Meizu E3 specs
- 6-inch LCD display; 2,160 x 1,080 resolution (18:9)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor
- 6GB RAM
- 64GB/128GB expandable storage
- Dual rear cameras (12MP + 20MP) with LED flash
- 8MP front camera
- Fingerprint sensor
- 3,300mAh battery
- Android 7.1 Nougat
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