Introduction
We’re talking about two Chinese smartphone manufacturers here. Meizu is far more known company than IUNI, whether you’re looking at it from Chinese or international standpoint. Meizu MX4 and IUNI U3 are company’s respective flagships and these devices certainly pack a lot of heat. Both have premium built materials and really beastly specifications inside which will basically satisfy all your smartphone needs I believe. IUNI U3 does have an advantage as far as screen resolution and RAM count goes, though Meizu has plenty of storage options and hard-to-beat international availability not to mention that 20.7-megapixel camera with Sony’s sensor in it. These devices are direct competitors in China, while for the time being only Meizu’s offering is available internationally. Let’s move on to specs.
Specifications
If you take a look at the image above, you’ll see these devices compared head-to-head. As I mentioned in the introduction, each of them has something over the other. Meizu features “only” a 1080p screen, while UINI has a QHD panel from Sharp. I tend to argue that there’s no point in having QHD display on smartphones these days, but if that’s something you’re into, then you’ll most definitely be more prone to get the IUNI U3. Same thin goes for RAM considering UINI U3 sports 3GB of RAM unlike Meizu MX4’s 2GB. Their processors also differ, Meizu MX4 comes with MediaTek’s “true octa-core” offering while UINI sports a beastly Snapdragon 801 which is a great chip and offers great performance. Both of these devices offer great build and it will mostly depend on what you prefer when it comes to certain aspects of the device.
Meizu MX4
Meizu did a great job when it comes to their MX4 flagship. Not only did they do a great job making that thing (just look at those almost non-existent bezels), but they’re even offering it internationally starting from $449 with free shipping and no tax. That price is hard to beat when we’re talking off-contract flagships. The device sports a great metallic build and all around great specifications which I won’t go much into considering they’re listed above this paragraph. Meizu even has some issues producing enough of these devices considering their orders have gone over 7.7 million recently and there will be some delays when it comes to shipping these devices out. If you want a great phone, off-contract for a really affordable price no matter where you live, this device might be a thing for you.
IUNI U3
This device will be far less familiar to you if you live outside of China. If UINI manages to push this device internationally and keep the price point they currently hold, this device could be a great hit internationally. Snapdragon 801, 3GB of RAM and a 5.5-inch QHD display for 1799 Yuan, well… that’s an unbelievable price point, that’s all I’ll say. The device also offers a magnesium alloy build which is also great and will give you a premium feel for sure. The device, on the other hand, looks fine, I won’t say it’s the most beautiful thing to look at but I believe it will satisfy many people when it comes to that aspect. Hopefully IUNI will be able to arrange some sort of international availability for this device soon.
Conclusion
If I had to pick one of these devices, it would be the Meizu MX4, although I have to admit I’d like to test the IUNI U3. MX4 is just more compact than IUNI U3 (although not by much) and I believe it looks better than IUNI’s offering. Its internals are powerful enough to last for a long time and I really don’t see the point of QHD displays in smartphones / phablets these days. I’m sure many of you would disagree with me on this one and that’s just fine, I’m just expressing my own personal opinion here. IUNI U3 offers great specifications and even though I’ve never had the chance of using the IUNI device I’m sure U3 offers great performance and its internals should also last you quite a while. You can check out a bunch of side by side images in the gallery below, courtesy of GSM Insider. If you live in China IUNI U3 is definitely a great choice, but so is the Meizu MX4. Which of the two devices would you choose?
