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Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the OnePlus 3 takes on the Meizu MX6. These Chinese companies, known for giving the customer a great value, battle it out for the one with the best specifications. Both devices have a full-metal back and a solid build. Which one of these devices gives us the best bang for our buck? Let’s look at just what these two devices have in common, if anything, and then we will take a closer look at each one in hopes that we can determine a winner of this comparison.
The OnePlus 3 and Meizu MX6 do share a few things in common. We can start with the physical size, which is almost identical as well as the weight. This comparison starts with a common display size of 5.5-inches. While the displays are the same size, the OnePlus 3 uses AMOLED technology, and the MX6 uses IPS LCD technology, and they both come with a Full HD resolution. Both devices use different processors, amounts of RAM, and internal storage – neither one offers any memory expansion. The camera areas are different for the both the primary shooter and the front-facing camera (FFC.) Both have non-removable batteries with rapid charge capabilities. Both have a fingerprints sensor to unlock the device, but only the OP3 can authorize mobile payments. They have most of the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.2 in the OP3 and v4.1 in the MX6), GPS, and a Type-C reversible port for charging and data transfer. Only the OP3 comes with an NFC chip.
Please take a thoughtful 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 device in greater depth 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
OnePlus 3
OnePlus is a small, but growing Chinese phone maker that adheres to the philosophy of building a quality product at a fair price. What upsets many potential buyers is that their products always seemed to be something missing. However, the OnePlus 3 wipes away these deficiencies making the OnePlus 3 the best all-around device they have made to date. OnePlus decided to go with a new all-metal design, but it looks very similar to past designs – a minimalist and business-like design with no ‘wow’ factor. Let’s see just how well it stacks up to the Meizu MX6.
The OnePlus 3 sports a new 5.5-inch FHD Optic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 pixels-per-inch (PPI.) If we couldn’t have a QHD display, at least the new AMOLED display offers much better color contrasts than the old LCD panel. OnePlus chose the best processor on the market – the Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with a dual-core clocked at 1.6GHz and another at 2.15GHz, and it is running an Adreno 530 GPU to provide excellent graphics. OnePlus then packed in a full 6GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of the faster UFS 2.0 internal storage, although there are no means to expand.
OnePlus did some work in the camera area on the OP3 by using a new 16MP sensor, with fast PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), an LED Flash, a large f/2.0 aperture, and both OIS and EIS (Electronic Stabilization) for extra stability. The FFC camera increased from 5MP to 8MP with a f/2.0 aperture for better selfies and video chatting. The OnePlus 3 used a 3000mAh non-removable battery in the OnePlus 3 but included their rapid charge they call Dash Charge that will give you up to a 60-percent charge in only 30 minutes.
OnePlus included BOTH a fingerprint sensor and NFC chip on the same device, and this combination will make mobile, or Android Pay purchases possible with a swipe of your finger – thanks to Marshmallow. It runs mostly stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with OnePlus’ OS called OxygenOS on top. The OP3 measures 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm and weigh in at 158 grams. It will cost you about $400 USD for the 6GB/64GB model. There is a choice of Graphite and Soft Gold.
Meizu MX6
Meizu is one of the more popular companies in China making smartphones, and it continues to grow. Meizu builds a solid device with a nice look and feel to it, although it does have that iPhone 7 look to it. The front is glass, wrapped in a metal frame and back – even the antenna lines are at the top and bottom of the device, a la iPhone 7. Does the $350 Meizu MX6 have what it takes to compete against the $400 OnePlus 3?
The Meizu MX6 sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 403 PPI. It uses a MediaTek MT6797 Helio X20 deca-core processor, with two cores clocked at 2.3GHz, a quad-core clocked at 1.9GHz, and a quad-core clocked at 1.4GHz. It uses a Mali-T880 MP4 GPU for graphics. It packs 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 32GB of non-expandable memory.
The MX6 uses a 12MP sensor as its primary camera along with a f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and a dual-tone LED flash. It uses a 5MP FFC with the same f/2.0 aperture for selfies and video chatting. A 3060mAh battery with rapid charge capabilities supplies the power.
The MX6 runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Flyme UI on top. The MX6 measures 153.6 x 75.2 x 7.3mm and weighs in at 155 grams. One thing to remember – this device is not built for the US market, but will run on 3G on either AT&T or T-Mobile. By leaving out NFC, you will not be able to use the MX6 for mobile payments of any sort. Available colors are Gray, Silver, Champagne Gold, and Rose Gold, and it will cost you about $350.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
This decision was an easy pick – the devices are very close in price, but the few extras the OP3 had me pick it the winner. The OP3 has an AMOLED display, it has as good or better processor, it is packing 6GB of RAM and has 64GB of internal storage versus the 32GB of memory in the MX6. This difference is quite a bit when no expansion is allowed. The OP3 plays nicer with the US carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile), and it has an NFC chip to allow mobile payments. Those factors alone are enough to make it the winner.
The Meizu MX6 is a great device and solid performer, but when compared to the OnePlus 3 and only $50 difference, the winner is obvious.
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