Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the new LG G Flex 2 goes up against the new Meizu MX4 Pro. Both smartphones are updates to popular devices in their own right, but this time around, LG and Meizu increased the specifications and came out with very desirable and competitive devices. Both devices have the look and feel of premium hardware – the LG G Flex 2 has the curved body and self-healing back while the Meizu MX4 Pro has a full aluminum frame and a back that looks like rounded metal, but is really plastic coated to look like metal – ala LG G3.
Even though LG comes from Korea and Meizu comes from China, these devices do share a little bit of common ground. They both have the same 5.5-inch size display, which makes them almost identical in physical size as well. They both use an octa-core processor clocked at the same speed, they both utilize 3GB of RAM and they both have a 32GB internal storage model. They both have the usual suspects – Dual-Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and a microUSB port for charging and data transfer.
Please look at the detailed Specifications and feature sheet below and there you will be able to see how they compare spec-by-spec. After that, we will take a closer look at the individual devices, weigh their pros and cons, and decide which one of these great smartphones will win this comparison.
Specifications
LG G Flex 2
The LG G Flex 2 is already turning a lot of heads before its ‘February – March’ debut. The loyal followers of the original LG G Flex are ready for the new and improved device…and that it is. LG listened to their users and ‘fixed’ the original in all of the right spots – display, processor, RAM, expansion, camera and more.
The beautiful Plastic OLED display that already offered great contrast is now an FHD model with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 403 pixels-per-inch (PPI) – not quite in the same class as the 546 PPI of the MX4 Pro, but much better than the paltry 245 PPI of the original G Flex. LG went all out and included the newest 64-bit Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor clocked at 2GHz and 1.5GHz and it is an excellent matchup to the Exynos octa-core processor found in the MX4 Pro…also clocked at 2GHz and 1.5GHz. Both devices come with 3GB of RAM and the G Flex 2 offers up a stock 32GB of internal storage, but also allows for expansion with a microSD card – the MX4 Pro has no room for expansion beyond the 64GB model.
LG included the same camera in the LG G3 – an excellent 13MP with Laser autofocus, a dual-tone LED flash, and OIS+. Although lacking the Laser autofocus and OIS, the MX4 Pro uses a huge Sony 20.7MP sensor for excellent photos. The LG G Flex 2 has the ‘standard’ 2.1MP front-facing camera (FFC) for acceptable social media selfies and the occasional video chat with family and friends. The MX4 Pro throws in a larger 5MP FFC for better selfies and video chatting. One thing that LG did (that was uncalled for) is drop the original 3500mAh battery down to 3000mAh in the new G Flex 2, and this compares to the 3350mAh found on the MX4 Pro, although both should get you through a full day of usage.
The extras on the G Flex 2 include the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, Dolby Mobile for great sound (although the speaker is on the back), a built-in IR Blaster, an FM Stereo Radio, Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, and the ability to work on all major US networks. It is priced approximately at $300 on a two-year contract and about $650 – $700 off-contract.
Meixu MX4 Pro
The Meizu MX4 Pro is a nice step up from the original MX4 – it has a much better display, better processor, more RAM and larger battery, as well as adding FDD-LTE. It looks great and feels wonderful in the hand…as does its competition.
The MX4 Pro comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD (5:3 aspect ratio) QXGA display with a resolution of 2560 x 1536 pixels and a very generous 546 PPI. The G Flex 2 is still only FHD with 403 PPI and uses the P-OLED technology rather than LCD. The MX4 Pro comes with the new 32-bit Exynos 5 Octa-Core 5430 processor – the first one to use 20nm processing technology and is clocked at 2GHz and 1.5GHz. The G Flex 2 uses Qualcomm’s new 64-bit octa-core processor clocked the same as the MX4 Pro. They both use 3GB of RAM and the MX4 Pro offers up a 16GB, 32GB or 64GB model with no means to expand the internal memory.
The Meizu MX4 Pro uses a Sony 20.7MP sensor, along with autofocus and a dual-tone LED flash for the main shooter and a large 5MP FFC for great social media selfies and video chatting. The main camera is going up against the G Flex 2’s 13MP shooter with dual-tone LED flash, Laser autofocus and OIS, and as far as the FFC goes, the MX4 Pro throws in a large 5MP sensor versus the 2.1MP on the G Flex 2. The 3350mAh battery will easily give you a full day and then some, but so should the smaller 3000mAh battery of the G Flex 2.
The MX4 Pro has a bottom-mounted speaker for great sound – Meizu also included an HD sound circuit and amplifier. Plugging in a set of headphones or an external speaker will give you a real treat in the sound department. It also sports a fingerprint scanner and comes in three colors – White, Gray and Gold – however, only the gray is available at this time. It is running Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Meizu’s Flyme 4.1 user interface. It comes with a full metal body and frame with a metallic plastic back. It will cost you $549 for the 16GB model and $599 for the 32GB model on OppoMart’s online store – and of course, these are off-contract prices.
…And The Winner Is…
Summary
This is another tough decision to make – as the Chinese devices start to include top specs and FDD-LTE at these lower prices, it is becoming very hard not to choose them over the devices we are most comfortable using. The Meizu MX4 Pros main disadvantages are that it can only be used on T-Mobile if you want to use its LTE capabilities, no internal expansion beyond 64GB and there is no Lollipop available. Other than that, it holds it own and then some against the G Flex 2.
The Meizu MX4 Pro has the better display, compatible Octa-Core processor, 3GB of RAM, and a great main and FFC camera. You will have a good software experience, a large battery, sexy metal trim and metallic-like body and rounded sides that make the device great to hold. You will be treated to some of the smallest bezels you will find, a bottom mounted speaker with HD sound built-in…all for $549…versus the average of $650 – $700 for the LG G Flex 2. Is the G Flex 2 worth an extra $100+…only you can decide.
Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let us know which one of these devices you would pick as the winner of this comparison and WHY…as always, we would love to hear from you.