For some time I have been extolling the virtues of non-Samsung/Apple smart phones in an attempt to get people to think outside the square in terms of unique features and value-for-money.

Recently I was impressed with the economy and versatility of Meizu's m2 and m2 note handsets. Although they weren't the flashest devices available, they weren't trying to be and were priced accordingly.

So what does Meizu have to offer at the top of its range?

 

The Meizu PRO 5 is as attractive as any high-end phone, straight out of the box.

In fact, even before you open the box, the presentation is very classy, featuring tailor-made packaging for charger, cable, manual etc. The PRO 5 has a metallic feel and look that sets it well above its m2 stable-mates and although it's a maxi-size phone, its precisely engineered rounded edges keep it comfortable to hold and easy to grip.

As usual, being a Meizu device, you'll have to familiarise yourself with the slightly unusual Flyme interface, which is based solely around one central Home button instead of the more familiar 3-button set-up found on other Android phones. Meizu seems to have finessed the latest iteration of Flyme quite a bit, as I found it far more accurate and user-friendly than during my previous experiences, especially when swiping up to access open apps running in the background.

In saying that, taking a couple of minutes to get used to the Flyme O.S. is pretty much the most complicated thing about the PRO 5.

There is next to no pre-installed bloatware and very few unprompted reminder notices. It's basically a 5.7inch blank slate with a high-powered CPU waiting to do your bidding.

This is a massive advantage for those of us prefer to set things up just the way we like them - maybe we have a preferred mail client or perhaps a specific keyboard app that stores our typing preferences in the cloud.

On the other hand, if you like to be told exactly what to do and feel nervous about using anything other than the stock, factory-fitted email, messaging and calendar apps, you may end up feeling a little restricted and underwhelmed.

The email app on the PRO 5 is very bare-bones indeed, with no option for a split-screen landscape display which is unforgivable on a device with such a large screen.

The same applies for the stock messaging app, which again only displays in profile which once more, severely limits the size of your on-screen keyboard.

This is frustrating, because the keyboard itself is one of the best I have used. Normally I install SwiftKey so I can immediately access my preferred colour scheme and prediction settings, but the PRO 5 keyboard let me do all that just as efficiently so I kept it.

Like the stock email and messaging apps, the standard browser is also very no-frills, although this you CAN set to display widthways. I still opted for Chrome in the end. It seemed to work faster and it was already installed anyway.

Mechanically speaking, the PRO 5 functions very well indeed, available in either 3GB or 4GB chipset options. You'll also get twice the storage with the 4GB variant too, although you can use half the dual-sim slot for an SD card if you're not switching between networks.

Either way, you get memory and storage to burn, which means very fast operation and effective multi-tasking.

The 1080P screen is clear and sharp - not the brightest I have used, although you do have the option of adjusting the colour temperature to your individual preference.

The 21MP camera did not blow me away to be honest, but then the last couple of cameras I've used have really redefined how phones can take pictures in low light so when the PRO 5 only did an okay job of birthday candles, it left me a little ho-hum.

The battery life equation was interesting. The charge lasted really well until I started connecting bluetooth devices, then I could only squeeze out about a day's worth before recharging. On the bright side, the fast charger the PRO 5 ships with is genuinely quick, so if you can find a few minutes to top up somewhere along the way, that'll probably get you through easily enough.

Ultimately, I found the PRO 5 looked like a $1200 phone, it worked like a $1200 phone, but it didn't quite have the in-built features we've come to expect from a phone in that price-range.

Which is perfectly fine, because it's not in that price range; it's $300-$400 cheaper. Besides which, most of those other features you can just download from the app store.

If the PRO 5 is Meizu's first real attempt at high-end, I can't wait to see what comes next.

Click here for pricing and more information on the Meizu Pro 5