Introduction

Do we have a good one for you today – the powerful Meizu MX4 Pro takes on the new Samsung Galaxy S6. Both devices really deliver in the specifications department and both are beautiful looking and feel great in your hand. Does the MX4 Pro have ‘the right stuff’ to take down the new Galaxy S6? This is going to be another close contest and one that will be very tough to pick a winner…I do hate ties in these contests. Despite their different heritages, these two devices do share many similarities.

Let’s take a closer look and see what the MX4 Pro and Galaxy S6 have in common…when it comes to the displays we have a 5.5-inch versus a 5.1-inch and both are Quad HD resolutions of 2560 x 1440 pixels on the Galaxy S6 and 2560 x 1536 on the MX4 Pro. Both devices use an octa-core processor, even the same brand, although they are different from one another. Both offer a 3GB of RAM and a 32GB internal storage option with neither device offering room for expansion. The MX4 Pro lists 64GB in the specs, but online, 16GB or 32GB are the only options offered. The Galaxy S6 has options for 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. The devices use a larger than normal front-facing camera (FFC) – with both coming in at 5MP. They also carry the usual suspects of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (4.0 on MX4 Pro and 4.1 on Galaxy S6), GPS, NFC capabilities, and a microUSB port for charging and data transfer. Both devices have bottom-mounted speakers for better sound and both devices provide enhanced audio when using headsets or external speakers. The MX4 Pro and Galaxy S6 also share a fingerprint sensor and non-removable batteries…they even share a similar off-contract price of $600 for the Galaxy S6 and $619 for the MX4 Pro…both 32GB models.

Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.

Specifications Comparison | SpecOut

Meizu MX4 Pro

The new Meizu MX4 Pro has a full aluminum frame and what looks like an aluminum back with rounded sides – but it is actually a great metallic paint job over plastic (ala LG G3). It feels solid and well built, and because of its small bezels, the 5.5-inch display fits in the body dimensions of a 5-inch device.

The Meizu MX4 Pro comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD QXGA display with a resolution of 2560 x 1536 pixels (5:3 aspect ratio) and a very generous 546 pixels-per-inch (PPI) – the Galaxy S6 uses the standard 16:9 ratio and because it is 5.1-inches, has 577 PPI. The MX4 Pro comes with the new 32-bit Exynos 5 Octa-Core 5430 processor – the first one to use 20nm processing technology – versus the Galaxy S6’s Exynos 7420, the newest 64-bit octa-core processor to use 14nm technology. The MX4 Pro packs in 3GB of DDR3 RAM as does the Galaxy S6, except that it uses DDR4 RAM, and the MX4 Pro offers a 16GB, 32GB or 64GB models with no means to expand the internal memory…although 32GB is the largest you can order at this time on their website.

The Meizu MX4 Pro uses a Sony 20.7MP sensor, auto-focus and a dual-tone LED flash for the main shooter and a 5MP FFC for social media selfies and video chatting. The main camera is going up against the Galaxy S6’s 16MP shooter with autofocus, LED flash, but also adds OIS, a larger f/1.9 aperture and Live HDR photos. It also uses a 5MP FFC but adds the f/1.9 aperture, Live HDR and a wide-angle option for great group selfies. The 3350mAh battery is larger than the 2550mAh in the Galaxy S6, but either battery will easily get you through a full day.

The MX4 Pro and Galaxy S6 both put their speakers on the bottom of their devices for better sound. Each includes enhanced sound, so when you plug in a set of headphones or use an external speaker, you will really hear the difference. It also sports a fingerprint sensor, as does the Galaxy S6. The MX4 Pro comes in three colors – white, gray and gold – however, only the gray is available at this time. It runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Meizu’s Flyme 4.1 user interface. It will cost you $619 for the 32GB model online – and of course, this is an off-contract price. The MX4 Pro runs in the US on FDD-LTE bands 1, 3 and 7 – 1800/2100/2600MHz.

Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung started with a completely new design for the next Galaxy flagship device. The Galaxy S6 has a solid metal frame with Gorilla Glass 4 over the display and covering the back of the device – yet it is unmistakably a Samsung Galaxy S series device. It is solid, well-built and premium looking from any angle, as well as comfortable to hold in your hand. It has received favorable reviews and hands on reports and it looks like it will be a real winner for Samsung in 2015.

The Galaxy S6 sports a 5.1-inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 577 PPI compared to the QHD display and 546 PPI on the MX4 Pro. It should also be noted that the Galaxy S6 uses their Super AMOLED display while the MX4 Pro uses the LCD technology. Samsung boldly (or smartly) did away with their use of a Qualcomm processor this time around and decided to go with their own 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core 14nm processor. It has four cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz. The 32-bit Exynos 20nm octa-core 5430 processor in the MX4 Pro cannot keep up to the new 14nm processor from Samsung. The Galaxy S6 is packing 3GB of DDR4 RAM, compared to 3GB of DDR3 RAM used in the MX4 Pro, and it also has Samsung’s new, faster, UFS 2.0 flash memory offering 32GB/64GB/128GB models with no room for expansion – a first for Samsung’s Galaxy S series.

The main camera is the best that Samsung has ever put in a smartphone – it packs a 16MP Sony sensor, autofocus, LED Flash, large, f/1.9 aperture, Live HDR and OIS. The increase in aperture, Live HDR and OIS help make a great camera even better. They also increased the speed, so it now takes less than a second to open and be ready to shoot. The FFC increased from 2MP to 5MP with an added a wide angle lens option, f/1.9 aperture and Live HDR for excellent low-light selfies and video chatting. I already discussed the camera differences in the MX4 section so I will not repeat them here! The 2550mAh battery is much smaller than the 3350mAh in the MX4 Pro, however, it should easily get you through the entire day – the new Samsung non-removable battery can charge up to 4 hours of usage in only 10 minutes and they added built-in wireless charging (Qi and PMA) for the first time.

The Galaxy S6 has a large speaker on the bottom of the device, like the MX4 Pro. It also has a PayPal certified fingerprint sensor, is Samsung Pay ready, and includes an IR Blaster, heart rate monitor and oxygen saturation sensor. It comes in White Pearl, Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum and Blue Topaz – an exclusive Galaxy S6 color. It will be running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with the lightest touch of TouchWiz we have ever seen and is available everywhere. Pricing on the 32GB on a two-year contract is about $200 and off-contract you are looking at about $600 – the same price as the Meizu MX4 Pro.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

This was a VERY close race, but we have to tip our hat to the Samsung Galaxy S6 as the winner of this comparison, and if for no other reason, simply because it has newer spec’d technology and is available for use on all US networks. Both devices are well-built, although the Galaxy S6 is metal and glass while the MX4 Pro is metal and plastic.

Both devices share many similar specifications, but the key word there would be ‘similar’…for instance, they both have an Exynos octa-core processor, but the MX4 Pro’s is a 32-bit 20nm model versus the newer 64-bit 14nm model in the Galaxy S6. That means that the Galaxy S6 – besides running the 64-bit Lollipop operating system more efficiently – is faster, smaller, runs cooler and is less of a drain on your battery. They both pack 3GB of RAM, but the MX4 Pro uses the older DDR3 type and the Galaxy S6 uses their newest DDR4 RAM, which is much faster. Even the internal Flash Memory on the Galaxy S6 is Samsung’s newest UFS 2.0, which again is much faster.

The MX4 Pro may pack a larger 20.7MP versus 16MP main camera sensor, but the Galaxy S6 offers OIS, a larger f/1.9 aperture and Live HDR for superior shots. They both have 5MP FFCs, however, the Galaxy S6 adds the wider f/1.6 lens, wide-angle capabilities and Live HDR selfies and video chatting. Both devices offer a fingerprint sensor, but the Galaxy S6’s is PayPal certified and the device has Samsung Pay built-in as well as an IR Blaster, heart rate sensor and oxygen saturation sensor.

When you factor in the usability on all US networks, the fact that both devices will cost you about the same amount buying them outright and the fact that you can purchase it out a two-year contract for only $200 makes the Samsung Galaxy S6 the winner of this comparison.

[socialpoll id=”[socialpoll id=”2264437″]