Mlais M4 Note Specs and Performance

The trade-off is that you get a somewhat slower SoC, which saves a few dollars for the metal frame.

The M4 Note ships with a quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, but since it has to deal with a 720p panel and plain Android, it doesn’t really have to work hard. Throw in 2GB of RAM and you end up with a snappy device, although it’s really not designed for gaming.

FDD-LTE support is on board as well, along with more or less standard connectivity and sensor suites.

Let’s take a closer look at the Mlais M4 Note spec:

• SoC: MediaTek MT6732, 28nm HPM
• CPU: Four 64-bit Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 1.5GHz
• GPU: ARM Mali-T760 MP2 at up to 500MHz
• RAM: 2GB
• Storage: 16GB internal storage (partitioned), microSD slot up to 64GB
• Display: 5.5-inch 720p IPS OGS laminated panel, 2.5D glass
• OS: Android 5.0
• Rear camera: 13-megapixel sensor, f/2.2 aperture
• Front facing camera: 8-megapixel sensor
• Battery: 3200mAh lithium polymer, user-replaceable
• Dimensions: 156 x 80 x 8.4mm (6.13 x 3.14 x 0.33in)
• Weight: 160g
• WiFi and Bluetooth: 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Sensors: ambient light, direction, accelerometer, compass, proximity, pressure, GPS, A-GPS
• SIM card: dual SIM (micro and standard SIM), dual standby
• Network support:
• 2G GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• 3G WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100MHz
• 4G FDD-LTE: B1/3/7/20 800/1800/2100/2600MHz

The spec does not appear too impressive on paper, but it's good for the money. The MediaTek MT6732 is used in numerous $100-$200 designs. On the whole, it tends to outperform the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 in most scenarios. In some tests, it manages to beat the mid-range Snapdragon 615 as well.

Of course, it can’t match mid-range and flagship parts, but the chip offers adequate performance. The GPU isn’t very fast, but has no trouble dealing with the 720p panel. With 2GB of RAM, the Mlais offers a smooth user experience. We also suspect the pure Android approach helps, as there’s no bloat to deal with.

Let’s take a look at some numbers.

In Antutu, the Mlais M4 Note scored 32734 on the first run and upwards of 31000 on consecutive runs. It’s a good score, as the MediaTek SoC outperforms the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 and even the mid-range Snapdragon 615.

Basemark OS II is more of the same, as the Mlais outperforms the HTC Desire 820 and ZTE Blade S6, both based on the Snapdragon 615.

In 3D Mark Ice Storm, the MediaTek chip scored an underwhelming 4989, but it still managed to beat the Snapdragon 410.

The MediaTek MT6732 is a good all-round performer, although it can’t come close to proper mid-range and high-end chips in GPU performance. This means it’s not that good for gaming, but realistically you can’t do a lot of gaming on a 5.5-inch device with a 2400mAh battery.

Looking at the big picture, if you’re really not into gaming or imaging, mid-range and even entry-level chips can offer a fair amount of performance. For many users, they should be enough. Paying twice as much simply to get a faster GPU and a marginally faster CPU doesn’t make much sense for many consumers, especially in emerging markets.