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Ubuntu Meizu MX4 phone

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    #2
    whats newxt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭whats newxt


    I bought one 2 weeks ago still waiting on the phone, I looks interesting has python 3 installed and runs Ubuntu snappy core so should be fairly secure with apparmour, sure it has very little apps but I can live with that.


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    #3
    Wcool
    Registered Users Posts: 631 ✭✭✭Wcool


    I managed to get an invite on the Meizu site but in the end didn't pull the trigger. I had just bought a cheap Chinse Android phone and can't afford another 300 euro just to try it out.

    It's a bit of a pity as I think it is the way forward: all other phone OS are littered with phone home software in the form of ads or artificial limitations to keep you part of the herd.

    Please let us know if you like the phone and how the software is, I might change my mind. I also wonder if 16Gb is enough as the phone has no SD card.

    Thanks!

    PS here is a review:

    http://www.alphr.com/mobile-phones/1001197/meizu-mx4-ubuntu-edition-review-second-ubuntu-phone-has-much-improved-hardware


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    #4
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,990 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Wcool wrote: »
    I managed to get an invite on the Meizu site but in the end didn't pull the trigger. I had just bought a cheap Chinse Android phone and can't afford another 300 euro just to try it out.

    It's a bit of a pity as I think it is the way forward: all other phone OS are littered with phone home software in the form of ads or artificial limitations to keep you part of the herd.

    Please let us know if you like the phone and how the software is, I might change my mind. I also wonder if 16Gb is enough as the phone has no SD card.

    Thanks!

    PS here is a review:

    http://www.alphr.com/mobile-phones/1001197/meizu-mx4-ubuntu-edition-review-second-ubuntu-phone-has-much-improved-hardware

    That review would definitely put me off .....

    a deal breaker here would be
    the battery isn’t intended to be user replaceable
    and then
    the performance, even when you get the hang of it, is far from smooth

    I might like an OS I can control, but when it does not work smoothly despite good hardware specs then it is not worth the money.


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    #5
    Wcool
    Registered Users Posts: 631 ✭✭✭Wcool


    Yeah, I was hoping the MX4 on its own would be a good phone. If Ubuntu phone wouldn't be my thing, I could flash it with Android.

    But no replaceable battery and only 16Gb without and SD card is too much of risk to me, mind you 16Gb might be plenty for Ubuntu, just not for Android.

    I wish Ubuntu would just create a ROM like Cyanogen or MIU and release it for all to try - but they don't. I have no idea why not. Either it is too tricky or maybe each phone has different closed source hardware drivers?

    Such a pity that even after 3 - 4 years of working on a phone OS it still seems to be too immature


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    #6
    whats newxt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭whats newxt


    So I've had the phone for about three days and to be fair it's a nice device,most of the reviews on youtube and the internet were taken before the latest update a lot has changed since, no more lag, sexier systems icons. It's a beautiful phone both software and hardware, my complaints about the phone are that it gets abit hot has no extra storage or removable battery and uses the samsung usb port it's also not without it's bugs for example charging works only when powered off and even then it dose'nt display the proper charge percentage. App selection right now is very poor probably only 100 apps at best in the store and to be fair 95 percent of them are rubbish webapps.

    I guess all these problems will be fixed in the future. Overall I'm happy with my purchase.😌

    I can't recommended this phone yet as it's just not ready for consumers (like myself) but if you're an early adopter then go for it. Anymore questions about the phone just ask.


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    #7
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,990 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    I can't imagine what they were thinking releasing a phone that has to be switched off to charge it!

    Monstrous fail, IMO.
    my complaints about the phone are that it gets a bit hot has no extra storage or removable battery and uses the samsung usb port it's also not without it's bugs for example charging works only when powered off and even then it dose'nt display the proper charge percentage.


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    #8
    whats newxt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭whats newxt


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    I can't imagine what they were thinking releasing a phone that has to be switched off to charge it!

    Monstrous fail, IMO.

    That seems to be a trend these days. I have a samsung galaxy tab and It requires you to power it off when charging on the upside it charges very fast. The Ubuntu phone is also not very customizable, you can change the wallpaper and thats about it. If you're buying just for the phone then its not a bad offering, unlocked bootloader,not carrier locked and good camera specs etc then its a good phone for 300 shipped and no import tax as it shipped from Italy. I'm sure with time you be able to flash sailfish os and so on.


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    #9
    Wcool
    Registered Users Posts: 631 ✭✭✭Wcool


    What about Linux? Will it run a terminal and the usual array of Linux programs like VLC? Is there a decent music player? I presume you are limited to the 100 apps in the app store? Or does it come with apt?


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    #10
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,969 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    whats newxt wrote: »
    That seems to be a trend these days. I have a samsung galaxy tab and It requires you to power it off when charging ...

    What?!? So how do you top up your charge? Half way through watching a movie and the battery gets critical, you have to switch it off and wait half an hour to get the charge back? Cowboys, Ted!
    With no onscreen smartbar to navigate around the OS, and the fact that gestures controls on the home button (and the home button itself) don’t work you really are starting from scratch. Navigating through Ubuntu on the Meizu MX4 is all done with swipes.

    Don't like the sound of this. Sounds suspiciously similar to the Blackberry OS, which irritated me.


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    #11
    whats newxt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭whats newxt


    Wcool wrote: »
    What about Linux? Will it run a terminal and the usual array of Linux programs like VLC? Is there a decent music player? I presume you are limited to the 100 apps in the app store? Or does it come with apt?

    Has a lovely terminal unfortunately no apt get as it's a read only system, no VLC yet either, haven't loaded music onto it yet anyway you are left only 12GB because of the os


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    #12
    whats newxt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭whats newxt


    syklops wrote: »
    What?!? So how do you top up your charge? Half way through watching a movie and the battery gets critical, you have to switch it off and wait half an hour to get the charge back? Cowboys, Ted!



    Don't like the sound of this. Sounds suspiciously similar to the Blackberry OS, which irritated me.

    You can plug in the charger when the phone is on but it just powers the phone not recharging the battery


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    #13
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,969 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    whats newxt wrote: »
    You can plug in the charger when the phone is on but it just powers the phone not recharging the battery

    The first mobile I ever had could charge the phone while it was turned on. I'd really like to hear the reason for this particular 'feature'.


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    #14
    Moonbeam
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Moonbeam


    whats newxt wrote: »
    That seems to be a trend these days. I have a samsung galaxy tab and It requires you to power it off when charging on the upside it charges very fast. The Ubuntu phone is also not very customizable, you can change the wallpaper and thats about it. If you're buying just for the phone then its not a bad offering, unlocked bootloader,not carrier locked and good camera specs etc then its a good phone for 300 shipped and no import tax as it shipped from Italy. I'm sure with time you be able to flash sailfish os and so on.

    It is the only device I own where the battery dies while it is plugged in!

    I think i will be waiting for the follow up phones,still happy with the oneplusone and Nexus5 for now.


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    #15
    whats newxt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭whats newxt


    They fixed the issues with charging it now charges fine.


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    #16
    whats newxt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 431 ✭✭whats newxt


    By the looks of it LXD should be running on the phone shortly so you can install any images you want. Can't wait for it to be honest, also their is a .deb to snappy script on GitHub unfortunately nothing for armhf yet(hopefully they will come up with a one click solution). I have found out that you can make the phone writeable, although you have to jump through some hoop's and it's not recommended (possibly have to re-flash the phone if you mess up). Still as it stands this is not a great offering no sd slot is a big drawback for me especially if you want to run images in containers, I guess it's still early days. At least if we could run containers you could run a backtrack image or whatever and play around till your hearts content.


    EDIT: so I re flashed the phone in write mode it's cool "unlocked" you can install just about any armhf package so basically anything that runs on the raspberry pi install pip, nmap, cmus, irssi and a few others I might upload a video of it later if you want?


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