Honor 7 & Meizu MX5 vs the competition
Today not one but two Chinese manufacturers have announced new devices and both handsets are feature-rich at affordable price tags. Huawei’s e-commerce brand Honor has announced the Honor 7 while Meizu has announced the MX5, but how do these two handsets compare against each other and to the competition?
Honor 7 vs Meizu MX5
Before comparing these handsets to their rivals, let’s take a look at how they compare to each other. Both handsets adopt all-metal builds and while the Honor 7 has been influenced by the Ascend Mate 7, the MX5 is Meizu’s first switch to an all-metal design.
Last year’s Huawei phablet – the Ascend Mate 7 – certainly had an influence on the Honor 7
Both handsets offer Full HD displays but the 5.5-inch AMOLED screen on the MX5 is slightly larger than the 5.2-inch IPS display on the Honor 7, meaning it has a slightly lower display density of 401 pixels per inch (versus 424 ppi). Both handsets run on Android Lollipop, with Meizu adding Flyme 4.5 on top, while Huawei added its own Emotion UI v3.1 interface.
Huawei & Meizu in video:
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Switching to the camera, both handsets use Sony modules; the Meizu MX5 comes equipped with an IMX220 module that offers 20.7MP resolution, laser autofocus and 4K Ultra HD video recording while the Honor 7 uses an IMX230 module with 20MP resolution, Phase Detection autofocus, optical image stabilisation and, presumably, 4K Ultra HD video recording as well.
Up front the MX5 has a 5MP front camera with Full HD video while the Honor 7 has an 8MP selfie camera with Huawei’s Beauty Level feature built-in. Beneath the rear camera is where Huawei have added the fingerprint sensor on the Honor 7, which is a feature that’s missing from Meizu’s flagship.
Under the hood, both handsets have octa-core processors with the Meizu MX5 using the MediaTek Helio X10 Turbo CPU clocked at 2.2GHz and the Honor 7 using Huawei’s own Kirin 935 processor, also clocked at 2.2GHz. There’s also 3GB RAM on both handsets and the biggest difference comes in the storage options; the MX5 is available with either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB internal storage while the Honor 7 has either 16GB or 64GB storage.
The price of these handsets is where they may go on to challenge the established manufacturers: the MX5 costs roughly $290 for the 16GB model, while the 32GB costs approximately $322 and the 64GB comes in at $387. In comparison, the Honor 7 is available in three models: the lowest variant comes with 16GB internal storage and single SIM LTE for approx. $322, while the next version up offers the same storage and dual SIM 4G LTE for $354 and the top model offers 64GB storage and dual SIM LTE for $402.
The MX5 replaces Meizu’s previous flagship, the MX4
At these prices, both handsets are significantly cheaper than the competition and while it’s difficult to make in-depth comparisons until these devices arrive for review, let’s take a look at how they compare against the other major flagship handsets on the market.
Honor 7 & Meizu MX5 vs the competition
Like many Chinese companies, both Huawei and Meizu have attempted to challenge established devices by focusing on offering impressive specs with an even more impressive price tag.
they certainly have feature sets that will appeal to almost all users
Along with rival Chinese OEMs Gionee and Xiaomi, these companies have transformed the mid-range market by offering feature-rich smartphones at a price that belies belief. While they won’t have all the bells and whistles found on handsets that retail for almost double the price, they certainly have feature sets that will appeal to almost all users.
Let’s take a look at how the Meizu MX5 and Honor 7 specs compare vs the best from Samsung, LG, Sony and HTC.
| Detail | Honor 7 | Meizu MX5 | Sony Xperia Z3+ | HTC One M9 | Galaxy S6 | LG G4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware: | ||||||
| Display: | 5.2 inch IPS Full HD (1080×1920) Density: 424ppi |
5.5 inch AMOLED Full HD (1080×1920) Density: 401ppi |
5.2 inch IPS Full HD (1080×1920) Density: 424ppi |
5.0 inch Super LCD3 Full HD (1080×1920) Density: 441ppi |
5.1 inch Super AMOLED Quad HD (1440×2560) Density: 577ppi |
5.5 inch IPS Quad HD (1440×2560) Density: 538ppi |
| Processor: | Octa-core Kirin 930 4 x 2.2GHz + 4 x 1.5GHz |
Octa-core Helio X10 8 x 2.2GHz |
octa-core Snapdragon 810 4 x 2GHz + 4 x 1.5GHz |
octa-core Snapdragon 810 4 x 2GHz + 4 x 1.5GHz |
octa-core Exynos 7420 4 x 2.1GHz, 4 x 1.5GHz |
hexa-core Snapdragon 808 2 x 1.82GHz, 4 x 1.44GHz |
| Storage: | 16/64GB
Expandable: Yes |
16/32/64GB
Expandable: TBC |
32GB
Expandable: Yes |
32GB
Expandable: Yes |
32/64/128GB
Expandable: No |
32GB
Expandable: Yes |
| RAM: | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB |
| Build Type: | Metal | Metal | Glass | Aluminium Unibody | Glass and metal | Plastic front with Plastic or Leather rear |
| LTE: | Cat 6 (300Mbps DL, 50Mbps UL) | Cat 4 (150Mbps DL, 50Mbps UL) | Cat 6 (300Mbps DL, 50Mbps UL) | Cat 6 (300Mbps DL, 50Mbps UL) | Cat 6 (300Mbps DL, 50Mbps UL) | Cat 6 (300Mbps DL, 50Mbps UL) |
| Fingerprint Sensor: | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| SIM card | Single/Dual SIM | Single SIM | Single SIM | Single SIM | Single SIM | Single SIM |
| Software: | Android 5.1 Emotion UI v3.1 |
Android 5.0 Flyme OS 4.5 |
Android 5.0 Sony UI |
Android 5.0 HTC Sense 7 |
Android 5.0.2 TouchWiz UI |
Android 5.1 LG G UX 4.0 |
| Camera: | ||||||
| Sensor size: | 20MP | 20.7MP | 20.7MP | 20MP | 16MP | 16MP with color spectrum sensor |
| Autofocus: | Phase Detection | Laser | Yes | Yes | Yes | Laser |
| Optical Image Stabilisation: | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Video: | 1080p@60fps | 1080p@60fps 2160p@30fps |
1080p@60fps 2160p@30fps |
1080p@60fps 2160p@30fps |
1080p@60fps 2160p@30fps |
1080p@60fps 2160p@30fps |
| Front camera: | 8MP, video TBC | 5MP, 1080p@30fps | 5.1MP, 1080p@30fps | 4MP Ultrapixel 1080p@30fps |
5MP, 1440p@30fps | 8MP, 1080p@30fps |
| Flash | dual-LED (dual tone) | dual-LED (dual tone) | LED flash | dual-LED (dual tone) | LED flash | LED flash |
| Battery: | ||||||
| Capacity: | 3100mAh | 3150mAh | 2930 mAh | 2840 mAh | 2550mAh | 3000 mAh |
| Fast Charging: | 100% in 1 hour 25 mins 50% in 30 mins |
mCharge 60% in 40 mins |
Quick Charge 2.0 60% in 30 mins |
Quick Charge 2.0 60% in 30 mins |
Quick Charge 2.0 60% in 30 mins |
None |
| Wireless Charging: | No | No | No | No | Yes, PMA+Qi | Optional |
There you have it – the specs of the Honor 7 and Meizu MX5 certainly show that it’s possible to make a handset with the latest flagship specs at a price that’s anything but flagship. Of course the specs list only reveals a small part of the overall experience and we can’t comment on how good these handsets are until they arrive for review but the specs comparison certainly gives us food for thought.
What do you think of the specs of the Meizu MX5 and Honor 7 vs the competition? Which handset would you buy (if any)? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Sprint’s HTC One M9 to see Android 5.1 July 1st
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So the story goes anyways. According to Mo Versi, who is the VP of Product Management for HTC, the Sprint variant of the HTC One M9 is on track and approved to receive Android 5.1 just in time for the long holiday weekend. Sprint hasn’t announced anything, nor have they updated the devices software update page, nor has HTC made a change to the Sprint software page, but Mo knows what is going on and hasn’t made a false update announcement before.
HTC One (M9) Sprint Owners! We have received technical approval on Lollipop OS 5.1 which includes camera improvements. OTA to start on 7/1!
— Mo Versi (@moversi) June 29, 2015
Like all other updates, you can expect it to roll out in waves with the first batch landing on July 1st. That could be as early as midnight ya know. You will want to make sure your device is charged well over 50%, you have a solid Wi-Fi connection and some time for the OTA to download and install.
The post Sprint’s HTC One M9 to see Android 5.1 July 1st appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Sprint’s HTC One M9 to receive Android 5.1 Lollipop from July 1
If you own an HTC One M9 and are rather unimpressed by its camera performance, you can now take a sigh of relief as Spring’s version of the handset is receiving Android 5.1 Lollipop update starting July 1. The over-the-air update will fix some camera issues faced by the device, revealed HTC’s Mo Versi.
“HTC One (M9) Sprint Owners! We have received technical approval on Lollipop OS 5.1 which includes camera improvements. OTA to start on 7/1!,” Mo Versi announced from his Twitter handle @moversi June 29, 2015.
The HTC One M9 sports a 20.7-megapixel rear camera and 4-ultrapixel front camera. The software upgrade is expected to fix issues such as washed out and noisy images.
If you want to update your HTC One M9, go to Settings and tap on About Phone, then go to System Update. If the update is available for your phone, follow the instructions on the screen to update your device. Those who are not on Sprint will have to wait for a few more weeks before the Android 5.1 Lollipop upgrade reaches them.
Source: @moversi
The post Sprint’s HTC One M9 to receive Android 5.1 Lollipop from July 1 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sprint HTC One M9 getting Android 5.1 Lollipop update on July 1st!
It can take manufacturers a while for carriers to approve updates, a burdensome fact we have had to learn to live with. Even brand new devices like the HTC One M9 have us waiting for the latest updates, but today we have good news for those who have the Sprint version of said handset.
Android 5.1 Lollipop will be hitting the Sprint HTC One M9 starting July 1st! This information comes straight from Mo Versi, HTC’s VP of product management. Versi recently published a post on Twitter, mentioning the update received technical approval from Sprint and it was ready to head out the door.
HTC One (M9) Sprint Owners! We have received technical approval on Lollipop OS 5.1 which includes camera improvements. OTA to start on 7/1!
— Mo Versi (@moversi) June 29, 2015
Mo Versi goes on to mention the update will include important camera improvements. Other Android 5.1 additions include better device protection, better contact-specific notification settings, improved screen pinning, better WiFi and more. You can read all about Android 5.1 in our detailed article on the software version.
Meanwhile, you can rest assured the Android 5.1 will hit your device soon if you ar eon Sprint. HTC One M9 users in other carriers will have to wait a bit. People asked about the AT&T and T-Mobile versions, which Mo Versi answers with: “in the lab – will advice once we have approval”. We are sure it won’t take too long for other carriers to follow suit, though. Or at least that is what we are hoping!
HTC’s new tablet Desire T7 DS shipped to India for testing
HTC is yet to announce its Desire T7 line, but two variants of the tablet have already reached India for testing, according to Zauba – a website that tracks shipment of mobile devices to and from the country.
One of the variants of the tablet that is listed on Zauba is the HTC Desire T7 DS. Shipped to India on June 26th, the slate features a 7-inch display, a quad-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz and and dual SIM card slots as the name suggests. As you can see in the image below, 20 units of this slate have been shipped from Taiwan for testing and each of them costs around $180.
Earlier in the month, HTC had shipped one unit of the single SIM variant of the HTC Desire T7. Although details on tablet’s launch are still shaky, we can safely say that it will be a while before HTC makes any announcement as the device is still undergoing testing phase. However, it will be interesting to see how the tablet performs upon its arrival as the Taiwanese firm’s flagship phone, the HTC One M9, hasn’t exactly changed its fortune.
Via: phoneArena
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Galaxy S6 takes first place in real world speed test, beating out LG’s G4 and the iPhone 6
A new massive benchmark from Tom’s Guide has put six of the best performing smartphones on the market against each other to see which phone came out on top in a variety of situations. The tests measured everything from real-life performance and tasks you’d typically do on your smartphone every day, to gaming and other benchmarks. The test measured the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4, HTC One M9, Google Nexus 6, Asus Zenfone 2, and Apple iPhone 6, so there’s a very wide variety of hardware here.
What’s definitely going to be great news for Samsung, their Galaxy S6 finished in 1st place a vast majority of the benchmarks, including PDF loading times, gaming performance, WiFi speed, and a handful of benchmarks. This can probably be attributed to Samsung’s own zippy Exynos processor, their very fast memory modules, and the insanely fast flash storage they opted to use in the S6. Surprisingly, though, the LG G4 beats out the S6 in camera opening time. Considering how much Samsung mentioned the quick camera shortcut on the home button, you’d think that would have scored better in a benchmark. But hey. props to LG for pulling that off.
The G4 scored 1st in camera opening time, as well as a Basemark OSII Memory test. Interestingly, the G4 pretty typically beat out the Snapdragon 810 powered HTC One M9. Considering the G4 has a higher resolution and only a Snapdragon 808 processor, this is almost irrefutable proof that the 810 has some problems. The only benchmark that the M9 came out ahead in was a 3dMark benchmark.
Another note worth mentioning is how poorly the Nexus 6 runs compared to other devices. It held up fairly well in benchmarks, but in real world tests, it was pretty consistently dead last, beaten by the Zenfone 2 and HTC’s M9. Considering Nexus phone are supposed to run very fast, completely stock versions of Android, that’s more than a little disappointing.
source: Tom’s Guide
via: Android Authority
Come comment on this article: Galaxy S6 takes first place in real world speed test, beating out LG’s G4 and the iPhone 6
Galaxy S6 ranks first in a “real world” speed test
Knowing all about your future smartphone’s potential performance is a useful bit of purchasing information. However synthetic benchmarks have their issues, so perhaps it’s best to look to some real world speed tests to get a feel for how a handset performs in its day-to-day tasks.
TomsGuide has stuck some leading pieces of smartphone hardware up against one other in a range of tests. Here’s the list of the handsets and chip-sets that took part:
- Samsung Galaxy S6 (Exynos 7420)
- HTC One M9 (Snapdragon 810)
- LG G4 (Snapdragon 808)
- Google Nexus 6 (Snapdragon 805)
- Asus ZenFone 2 (Intel Atom Z3580)
- iPhone 6 (Apple A8)
To summarise the results, the Galaxy S6 finished first in the vast majority of the benchmarks, putting in a particularly strong performance in the real world examples, such as PDF loading and camera app opening times. The LG G4 finished second, putting in a good performance in everything but the 3D graphics based categories. The Adreno 418 was always going to have a tougher time pushing pixels to a QHD display, however it only lags 1 frame behind the leading handsets in the Asphalt 8 real world gaming test. Both of these handsets outperform Apple’s iPhone 6 on average throughout.
Perhaps most interestingly, the Snapdragon 810 powered HTC One M9 came in fourth, behind the Snapdragon 808 powered LG G4 and Samsung’s own Exynos 7420. While gaming performance was slightly better in the benchmarks, app opening times, memory and overall benchmarks fell short of the G4, suggesting that LG made a better choice in optingt for Qualcomm’s hexa-core rather than octa-core flagship SoC.
Another contentious point worth noting is that the stock Android Google Nexus 6 game in last in the majority of the real world tests, consistently opening apps much slower than all of the other handsets. The Intel Atom powered Zenfone 2 may have finished last overall, but actually performed faster than the Nexus 6 is a number of scenarios, suggesting rather good performance per dollar from the Asus handset.
Moving back to the winner, the reason for the Galaxy S6’s success doesn’t just come from its SoC package. Samsung has produced a very well-rounded piece of hardware. The company included faster LPDDR4 memory (as does the One M9), as well as UFS 2.0 flash storage for faster read and write speeds in its latest model, which probably explains the faster PDF opening times.
If you’re looking for the best performing smartphone on the market right now, the Samsung Galaxy S6 appears to be the handset for you.
HTC reported to ship 43% fewer One M9 handsets than previous M8
Looking back, HTC might well regret announcing the One M9 handset on the same day that Samsung unveiled its metal and glass Galaxy S6 and S6 edge devices at MWC. Samsung’s devices stole the show, and HTC is struggling to recover. Despite the HTC One M9 being more refined than its predecessors, moving to a more traditional camera setup and using the latest Qualcomm silicon, the handset is not selling well.
According to a report by the China Business Journal, shipments of HTC’s One M9 are down a whopping 43.75% compared to its 2014 flagship, the M8. In the 3 months it has been available, the M9 has managed to ship just 4.75 million units, which explains why it was rumoured last month that HTC was cutting component orders by up to 30%. When you compare those figures to Samsung’s, who shipped 10 million Galaxy S6 and S6 edge handsets in the first month alone and is set to reach figures of around 45 million units, you get the picture that HTC is floundering. Releasing a third flagship with the same design as its previous 2 flagship devices was always going to be a risky move, especially when Samsung was always going to come out fighting after being roundly criticised for its under-performing, samey looking Galaxy S5 in 2014.
Since the One M9’s release, HTC has launched a variety of similar-but-different smartphones that includes the One ME, the One M9+ and the E9+, not forgetting the Japan oriented J Butterfly handset. Much like it did in the years after being crowned the King of Android, releasing a proliferation of similarly specced and poorly supported smartphones that led the Taiwanese company to financial woes. HTC went from having a stock value of around $33 billion to the current market value of just $2 billion.
So, what is next for HTC? Well, the handset maker has announced that it plans on releasing a new flagship device in October. It’s anyone’s guess what specifications it will carry, although it’s probably safe to say it will use the latest Qualcomm processor.
Personally, I’ve always been surprised that HTC hasn’t released a smartphone to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note series. HTC flirted with stylus technology when it released its Flyer tablet, and then it simply hasn’t been seen again. It would also give the company a legitimate second flagship device that wouldn’t cannibalize sales from its standard flagship.
What features and specifications would you like to see in HTC’s upcoming flagship? Would you like to see a similar design to the M9, or would you like to see HTC’s renowned design team burst out of its shell with a fresh idea? As always, let us know in the comments.
Source: DigiTimes
Come comment on this article: HTC reported to ship 43% fewer One M9 handsets than previous M8
Report: HTC One M9 shipments 43% lower than M8
HTC’s woes look set to continue with a new report suggesting the One M9 is underperforming massively, with shipments expected to be 43.75 percent lower than the One M8 managed in the first three months after launch. Things are so bad for the Taiwanese manufacturer that it has announced plans to introduced a new redesigned flagship phone in October instead of next year as its current product strategy might suggest
The One M8 and the One M9 have very little difference and this is arguably the biggest problem for HTC; its latest smartphone bought the same screen size and resolution and the small changes included an extra gigabyte of RAM, a two-tone colour finish and a redesigned camera. There was also a small bump in the battery capacity to 2840 mAh plus a change in processor and the latter has bought its own raft of issues (more on that below).
The biggest criticism leverages against the One M8 was the sub-standard 4MP UltraPixel camera and in the One M9, HTC moved this to the front of the handset while adding a 20MP Toshiba-supplied sensor on the rear. The problem is that, despite the increase in resolution, the camera is still a lot poorer than the competition and as we discovered in our blind camera shootout, it’s significantly inferior to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and Huawei P8 plus the mid-range Huawei Honor 6 Plus.
The other change in the One M9 was the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, which bought its own problems. Like other Snapdragon 810 powered devices, the One M9 does occasionally overheat and the negative press around the processor – which Qualcomm claims is rubbish – coupled with the lack of real innovation has led to HTC’s struggles.
HTC’s Product Strategy – time to change?
A new report suggests that HTC shipped just 4.75 million units of the One M9 during the first three months after the handset went on sale, which is 43.75% lower than shipments of the One M8 in its first three months. By comparison, Samsung shipped 10 million units of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in its first month, which shows the sharp contrast in fortunes between Samsung and HTC.
With HTC’s redesigned hero device coming out in October, the company might yet right its sinking ship. Let’s just hope it takes a long good look at its Product Strategy when deciding what comes next.
Ouch: HTC has shipped 43.75% fewer HTC One M9 handsets than HTC One M8 in first three months
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The HTC One M9 isn’t a bad device, though it’s definitely not going to win any awards for innovation. Sales of the HTC One M9 have suffered due to this perceived lack of innovation, so much so that a report today has revealed that HTC has shipped 43.75% fewer HTC One M9 handsets than HTC One M8 handsets in its first three months of being on the market. That’s a pretty substantial downturn when you consider the HTC One M9 is supposed to be HTC’s flagship device with its highest profit margin. And that’s shipped devices, not sold – some would call that a financial disaster.
The HTC One M9 likely wasn’t done any favours by its brethren, the HTC One M9 Plus, a bigger, better version, which was released not long after the release of the One M9. And it certainly hasn’t helped that the One M9 is basically a carbon copy of its predecessor apart from adopting a single rear camera and two-tone colour scheme. Whatever the root cause of this is, HTC needs to have a strong finish to the year, otherwise an acquisition may be their only salvation.
What do you think about HTC’s dismal HTC One M9 shipments this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: DigiTimes via Phone Arena
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AIVAnet 