Meizu M3 Note Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, Specs, Features

I own a Meizu M1 Note phablet - released early last year - and I have nothing but good words to say about it. The screen is fantastic, the gaming performance is decent, the design is attractive, the cameras are reliable, and the battery life is above average. I still take my unit out with me from time to time.

I passed on the M2 Note - launched in July 2015 - as I didn't think it represented a clear upgrade from its predecessor apart from having a clickable home button.

But this one - the freshly launched Meizu M3 Note - has already captured my fancy. Now, this is what you call an update.

Meizu M3 Note Philippines

Flaunting a shell crafted from 6000 series aluminum as opposed to the polycarbonate frame of the M1 and M2 Note, Meizu M3 Note definitely looks more durable and more elegant compared to the models it superseded. Though, I have to note that its form factor - replete with gentle curves - isn't particularly different from what we've seen before.

Meizu M3 Note

The internal hardware also saw a boost. At its heart, M3 Note runs its FlyMe-UI-flavored Android 5.1 Lollipop OS with a Octa Core 1.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 and Mali-T860MP2 based Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 chipset, which is more powerful than the M2 Note's MediaTek MT6753 processor. As for the RAM and ROM, you get two options: 2GB/16GB and 3GB/32GB combos. Users can augment storage via the handset's hybrid secondady nanoSIM slot that also supports microSD card memory expansion.

Meizu M3 Note Philippines
All photos in this post are courtesy of GizmoChina.

My favorite improved feature, though, is the far larger 4,100 mAh battery pack versus just 3,100 mAh on the M2 Note. This should result in noticeably longer uptime -- but we've yet to confirm that.

Meizu M3 Note Philippines

On paper, Meizu M3 Note's other specs including the 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, 13 MegaPixel autofocus rear camera with Dual Tone LED flash, 5 MegaPixel selfie cam, Full HD video recorder, and LTE connectivity support are just about the same as what you'll see on the M2 Note. However, in lieu of scratch-resistant DragonTrail Glass protecting the screen, Meizu used the new DinoRex shock-and-scratch-resistant panel from Japan on this new release. Also, whereas M2 Note supports LTE Cat4, the successor supports LTE Cat6.

Meizu M3 Note Philippines

So when is Meizu M3 Note arriving in the Philippines and how much will it be when it lands here? Last month, Novo7Tech - the leading distributor of Meizu smartphones in our country - invited me to join them in a trip to China to witness the formal unveiling of Meizu M3 and M3 Note in Beijing. I wasn't able to join them as my schedule back then was really packed. But the fact that they went there and wanted to take bloggers and members of the media with them proved that they have plans to carry those new Meizu models in their stores. They did tell me that they'll let me know once they're ready to make an announcement. Off hand, I'm guessing that the phablet will hit their store shelves come back to school season - around June or July 2016 - with price starting at around Php 6,000 to Php 6,500.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name Meizu M3 Note
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category Midrange
Dimensions153.6 x 75.5 x 8.2 mm
Weight 163 grams
Available Colors Grey, White, Gold
Operating System Android 5.1 Lollipop with FlyMe UI
Display 5.5 inches (~72.1% screen-to-body ratio), 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density), LTPS IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Dinorex T2X-1 scratch/shock resistant glass
Processor Octa Core 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, Mali-T860MP2 GPU, Mediatek MT6755 Helio P10 chipset
RAM 2GB/3GB RAM options
Internal Storage 16GB/32GB ROM options, expandable via hybrid microSD card slot (secondary nanoSIM) supporting up to 128GB
Camera Main: 13 MegaPixels, 4128 x 3096 pixels, f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Front: 5 MegaPixels, f/2.0
Video Capture Full HD 1080p 30 frames per second for main camera, Full HD for front camera
Audio and Video Playback MP4, WMV, H.264, MP3, WAV, WMA, eAAC+, FLAC
Ports microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE, 4G LTE Cat4 (150/50Mbps), 3G HSPA+, LTE Cat6, NFC
GPS Yes, with GLONASS and A-GPS
FM Radio Yes
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, mTouch 2.1 Fingerprint Reader
Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100, 4G LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
SIM Card Type Dual SIM = microSIM + hybrid nanoSIM
Battery Non-removable 4,100 mAh battery
Uptime TBD
Value-Added Features Metal Frame, FlyMe Interface, Large Battery
Announcement China: April 6, 2016
Philippines: TBA, Guesstimate - Back to School Season
Availability China: April 11, 2016
Philippines: TBA, Guesstimate - Back to School Season
Price Official SRP:
2GB RAM - $125 USD
3GB RAM - $155 USD

TP Price Guesstimate for Philippines
2GB RAM - Php 6,000 to Php 6,500
3GB RAM - Php 7,500 to Php 8,000