[Meizu M2 Note Questions & Answers] azeemzuhair:
The budget phone with best screen-to-price ratio awards goes to....

Coming from Nokia 3210, Moto Razr V3x, Nokia E61, Samsung P780, HTC HD2, iPhone 4, LeMoto S890, LeMoto P780, Alcatel Idol X, LeMoto K910, Huawei Honor 3C, ZTE Blade S6, ASUS Zenfone 2 ZE550ML, Xiaomi Mi4i and current favourite daily-driver, ZTE Nubia Z7 Max.

Bought the Grey Meizu M2 Note 16GB from Lazada Malaysia with RM100 discount at RM599 (SRP =RM699). I have been using it for 7 days now.

It's rooted Lollipop 5.1.0 under Flyme Stock ROM v4.5.2i.

Here are my comments about this device:

A = Android = Flyme v4.5.2i on top of Lollipop is awful. Not really intuitive as too many taps required to get things done. Even the WiFi list is not sorted according to signal strengths. No settings shortcut in the notification shade. Even the default Lollipop User Profile feature is removed unnecessarily.

B = Body-Built = Meizu manages to make the poly-carbonate feels 'acceptable' and almost premium. The device is slippery to hold if your palm is dry. Luckily, the free TPU casing and free low-grade tempered-glass protector are really useful. Buttons are placed nicely with decent tactile feedback. Physical home button is sturdy just like iPhone. Size and weight ratio is perfect. There is Dragontrail protection for the 5.5" screen but no oleophobic coating. Display quality for 1080P during daylight usage is above average.

C = Call quality = Average but not to challenge my daily-driver ZTE Nubia Z7 Max. You cannot get reception when inside elevator or basement one.

D = Data = LTE modules for both nano-SIM 1 and nano-SIM 2 are stable. Bluetooth 4.0 is stable too but not strong compared to Xiaomi Mi4i (Bluetooth 4.1). No NFC and infra-red terminals.

E = Email = Email client is comparable to other Android-based phones. It works as intended but you should install 3rd party email client for better experience.

F = Free-apps = None. Meizu really makes the stock ROM as light as possible. Minimum Google services are included out of the box.

G = Games = Heavy titles produce drop-frames but not obvious and frequent. The internal combo are 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 @ 1.3GHz + Mali-T720MP3 GPU + 2GB LPDDR3 RAM + 16GB eMMC 5.0 flash (11GB free after first boot). Fortunately, no over-heating issue even after 30 minutes intense gaming. Just ordinary warm to the touch.

H = Hangouts = Video call for Skype, Google Hangouts, Tango etc. is superb for 5MP front facing camera.

I = Internet = MIUI built-in web browser is good. No checker-board effect on heavy websites. No need to install Chrome.

J = Juice = 3100mAh sealed Sony lithium-ion polymer cell = "EXCELLENT!". Claimed talk-time, stand-by time, etc. are achievable for dual-standby-nano-SIM LTE phone. Power consumption during 12-hour idle state is only 2% from (i.e.10pm to 10am). Moderate usage (no GPS & gaming) will end up at 6 hrs 45 minutes Screen-On-Time. Daily usage cannot beat my previous LeMoto P780 though. "Semi" quick-charged feature is available which required 2 hours to completely finish charging from 5% to 100% for 3100mAh capacity.

K = Kamasutra (wink-wink) = Phone vibrates with notification/ringtone. Vibrating sensation is average. Laddies may use it for other purpose(s)... LOL...

L = Loudspeaker = Not the loudest for side-firing speaker. Furthermore, maximum volume will distort the sound. Bass is below average level. This is one of the weakest hardware for Meizu M2 Note.

M = Music = Built-in Music app has Dirac HD HiFi Tech that requires high end headphones/earphones to enjoy blasting moments when listening to your favorite tracks.

N = Navigation = Working as expected. Lock satellites within 10 seconds. Waze, Google Maps and HERE Maps are working normally, even indoors.

O = One-hand Operation = I have "big" hands and "long" fingers ;) No further comments. To somebody, the 5.5" screen with average bezel width may not be pleasing enough to handle this 149gm device with one-hand. This award still belongs to ZTE Blade S6.

P = Picture = 13MP Samsung f/2.0 CMOS sensor is acceptable accompanied by dual-tone flash. Auto mode camera snapshot is reliable. Macro shots are acceptable. Low light image is average.

Q = Quirks = Flyme UI. The worst android-based skin that I have ever used. From my history of using different devices running different skins/launchers, Meizu should sack their current UI Engineer and employ ASUS UI engineer instead.

R = Rooting = This is the easiest device to gain root access. Just sign-ups with Flyme Account to root - that's all. However, to get OTA updates after rooting requires detail attention in order to avoid bootloop issue during the update.

S = Screen = The 5.5" IGZO Sharp panel is energy efficient and vibrant at the same time. Almost as good as AMOLED (refering to black colour and contrast). Direct sunlight visibility is also good with 50% brightness. Overall, the screen is soothing to the eyes even when you stare at it constantly for prolong period of time.

T = Texting = stock Google AOSP keyboard is provided. No need to install other 3rd party keyboard apps as you will get the best typing/swiping experience on the 5.5" screen. Get yourself oleophobic tempered glass screen protector and you can glide your fingers on the 3rd party keyboard happily.

U = User-Interface = Flyme UI comes with various themes. You may need to root and install 3rd party launcher or even custom ROM to kill Flyme-not-user-friendly interface.

V = Video = Capturing 1080P video is acceptable. 4K is not supported. Auto-focus is fast and sharp enough. Digital/electronic image stabilisation is not to be found.

W = WiFi = Above average only. Having a/b/g/n dual-band modes is a bonus for sub RM600 phone. Same like most other phones, it only manages to get 3 bars in my basement floor test. My current ZTE Nubia Z7 Max captures 5 full bars without fail. Huawei Honor 3C gets 4 bars. iPhone 4 only 3 bars.

X = X-factors = For dual-nano-SIM LTE phone (both SIM 1 & 2 supports LTE) with 2GB RAM supported by 16GB onboard storage (expandable up to 128GB) is worth every penny. Average voice/data/Wi-Fi reception is not in favour for those who live in the outskirts or camping sites. Light gamers may like this unit too. Clever implementation of Meizu Home Physical Button (aka "mBack" button) is a bonus.

Y = YouTube = The 5.5" IGZO screen at 1080P resolution having brilliant colors accuracy; accompanied by reliable LTE connection is an enjoyable experience. But wear your earphone/headphone to maximise the experience.

Z = Zero-figure. Based price at Malaysia Ringgit RM699-point-zero-zero is a smart investment with current 64-bit chip plus Android Lollipop 5.1 out-of-the-box. But if you get this unit at RM699, better top-up a bit more to opt for other options such as ASUS Zenfone 2, or even the Huawei/Honor portfolios.

Infamous Xiaomi Mi4i can be considered too if you are willing to "trust" Snapdragon SoC. Don't forget the best budget smartphone of 2015 - the LeMoto K3 Note (way cheaper).

CONCLUSION : Buy it if you are looking for budget but having average medium-spec and performance phone having dual-nano-SIM LTE support (both SIMs) with excellent 5.5" IGZO panel. 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 SoC at below RM700 is affordable with the Lollipop 5.1 engine out-of-the-box. The Meizu M2 Note definitely cannot replace my current ZTE Nubia Z7 Max (RM1,149 on September 2014), which is my trust-able and excellent ala-flagship smart gadget for the past 11 months.