Meizu announced a high-end Android 2.3.5 phone equipped with an eight-megapixel, f/2.2 backside-illuminated camera with 1080p video recording. Aimed at the Chinese market for now, the Meizu MX features a 1.4GHz, dual-core Samsung Exynos 4210 system on chip (SoC), 16GB of storage, a four-inch, 960 x 640 pixel display, and a micro-SIM slot supporting pentaband 3G with HSPA+ support, says the company.

"With the MX, Meizu is taking its first steps into the international market," the company proclaims. Named for "meng xiang," or "dream" in Chinese, the Meizu MX is heading first to China Jan. 1, when it will begin selling for 2,999 Yuan ($470) unlocked. The company notes, however, that the music store feature available with the phone's Flyme OS UI layer is "China-only," suggesting that the device isn't ready for other markets.

Meizu MX

The MX follows the 3.5-inch Meizu M9, which shipped earlier this year with Android 2.2. The M9 has since gone to Android 2.3 and is said to be due for an Android 4.0 update. That model never made it farther than Hong Kong, however, according to Engadget.

The MX ships with Android 2.3.5 running on Samsung's dual-core, 1.4GHz Exynos processor, but it's also slated for an Android 4.0 update, says Meizu. The phone is said to be equipped with 1GB of LPDDR2 RAM and 16GB of storage. A 32GB model is planned to be released later, followed by a quad-core model, according to Engadget.

Another view of the MX

The four-inch, 960 x 640-pixel, 292-PPI (point per inch) display offers "AVS" screen technology and provides "the ideal 3:2 aspect ratio," according to Meizu. Under the display is found Meizu's "patented situation-aware bottom light keys," says the company.

As a video posted with a Dec. 8 Engadget hands-on shows, the backlit icons change direction based on the orientation of the phone, and appear and disappear, depending on phone activities, providing additional feedback.

The Meizu MX was delayed due to technical issues in implementing its eight-megapixel, f/2.2 back-illuminated camera, according to Engadget. The camera, which offers LED flash, as well as smile detection and panorama shots, produced stills "infected by a green hue," according to the website, but 1080p, 30fps video capture was said to work fine. A 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera is also supplied, along with a second microphone for noise cancellation.

The Meizu MX provides pentaband 3G, support, enabling GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, and HSPA+ service to be added via a micro-SIM slot, says Meizu. Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 802.11b/g/n, and GPS/aGPS wireless features are also said to be available.

The MX offers micro USB 2.0 host and 3.5mm audio ports, but there does not appear to be a microSD slot. Sensors include gyroscope, gravity, ambient light, infrared proximity, touch, and electronic compass sensors, says Meizu.

The phone measures 0.41 inches (10.3mm) thick and weighs 4.9 ounces (139 grams), says the company. A 1600mAh battery is also said to be available.

Demo of Meizu MX on YouTube
Source: Engadget
(Click to play)

Availability

A 16GB version of the MX will be available Jan. 1, 2012 in China and Hong Kong, priced at 2,999 CNY ($470) unlocked. More information may be found at the Meizu MX product page.

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