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MLAIS MX59 Smartphone MTK6589T 2GB 32GB 5.0 Inch IPS FHD Screen US $132.99 Delivered @ Pandawill

190

It's very cheap for the specs. If I haven't bought a mobile phone recently I will give this a go.

From the website:

Basic Information
Model MX59
Band 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/2100MHz
Sim Card Dual SIM Card Dual Standby(one micro-sim card)
Service Provide Unlocked
Style Bar
Color Golden
Shell Material Plastic
 
System
OS Android 4.2.1
CPU MTK6589T, Cortex A7 quad core, 1.5GHz; GPU: PowerVR SGX 544MP
ROM 32GB
RAM 2GB
 
Screen
Display Size 5.0 Inch
Type IPS, capacitive screen
Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels, FHD
 
Support Format
Ringtones Type Polyphonic/MP3
Audio File Format MP3/WAV/AMR/AWB
Video File Format 3GP/MPEG4
Image File Format JPEG/BMP/GIF/PNG/GIF
E-book Format TXT/CHM/DOC/HTML
FM Radio Yes, earphone needed
Earphone Port 3.5mm
Card Extend Yes, support TF card up to 16GB
 
Data Transfer & Connectivity
Data transfer USB/Bluetooth
Mobile internet WAP/WiFi

Related Stores

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closed Comments

  • Only 16gb SD? Anyone got one? Would prefer a name brand for the wife but seems OK… Also older android version…

  • This is a good deal.
    Normally it costs around $200.
    Thanks OP.

    • +1

      $150-$160

      For $200 you can get the 6592.

      Good deal though. Available in Silver and Black also.

  • +2

    Malais mx59. Slow model.

  • +1

    isnt this a htc one knowck off o.o?

    • Looks like it. Wonder if the speakers are stereo. Doubt it though

  • Nice price particularly for FullHD. Similar specs to my current phone but I'm still tempted. If only a higher version of Android.

  • FHD, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5 inch screen, what's the catch?

    • +3

      PayPals exchange rate :( Comes to $147.87 even after applying the $5 off coupon "NEWBUYERCOUPON" (must create an account and be your first purchase)

      I ordered one in gold (was there really any other option ;) I'll let you know what it's like. There seem to be quite a few cheap 5" FHD quadcore options on pandawill for a similar price, maybe making way for the octacores?

      • +1

        Thanks :)

        $142.87 AUD after applying the coupon. Even managed to save a further $1.47 by logging into PayPal first and doing a balance conversion.

        Slightly better exchange rate if you have funds in your account and convert them before making payment :D

        Balance conversion: 1 AUD = 0.905195 USD
        Payment conversion: 1 AUD = 0.895911 USD

        Ended up costing me $141.40 AUD in the end.

  • The battery life probably last 2 hours max.

    • +2

      My current phone is very similar specs and I charge it every 3 days, and not because I have to (it drops to about 65%). That is with a claimed battery of 2200mah versus the 2800mah of this Mlais MX59. I expect a slight decrease in battery life because of the screen, CPU and ram, but not by much. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss these MTK6589 powered devices.

      • I'll be surprised to see this phone last more than 2-3 hours FHD video play!

        • You would be suprised. My MTK6589 based phone does 7 hrs HD video playback (screen is 720p, 5.5 in and 2500 mAh battery). This would probably do just as good if not better with the larger battery and smaller screen.

      • And what's the screen on time with that? I don't suppose you'd be able to post your battery details as proof? I find it very hard to believe it could get 3 days and hold at 65% without having a ridiculously small SOT.

        • That's true, the screen is off most of the time for that claim.

          With the screen on (+wifi) and playing music non-stop it has taken 8 hours for the phone to drop to 65%. Below ~20% my battery drops vertically. So I would estimate a SOT of maybe 16-20hours. I'll upload a pic later/tomorrow once the battery has zeroed.

        • Haha, I was a little off in my estimation just below 14hours

          http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/67889/23117/screenshot_…

    • I owned a MTK quad core processor before. It lasted around a day to begin with but they sent me two batteries so after the first one karked it i used the second one. Both needed replace after a year.

  • Currently awaiting phone Newman n2, a popular deal in APRIL tracking info suggests ended up returned to Nanjing, Customs. So just be aware around this store - could be both slow and less than communicative Customer Service.

    • Got my Newman N2 for sometimes now, sound like from the same deal with Pandawill (99 USD with express shipping, total cost near 150 AUD). Not sure why yours had a problem thought.

      If not for the Newman N2, I would try this one. Spec-wise seems like a great deal, especially the 2GB Ram and 32Gb storage

    • I simply purchased at standard rate rather than extending Cost by another 50%, thus my "shipping informations," quote: "will takes around 29 working days +/-" which would imply ETA 22 May, 29 May being generous.

      They might received an interest-free loan, but may lose in the end, just when Paypal recover those funds which may be better put toward an unproblematic solution.

      PS: It's theirs to own what they do with every Newman impounded at Nanjing.
      I OTOH sense I have dodged a bullet cf. others forced to take theirs back to Android-2011 ICS..to "fix" overheat, screen-wake glitch, unreliable battery indicator , lag, missing/broken google, gps etc that Pandawill 'technology department obviously had been aware to prior to dispatch. Pity learning of those caveats in May as I would have tolerated ROM 8G for the securing a sony lens camera.

  • this phone looks good…

    not sure if i should get it?
    what do you guys think D:

    • +1

      I don't think anyone can answer that for you. I guess the first step would be to narrow down your criteria;

      • Is your mobile provider Telstra (or Telstra network eg Aldi Mobile)
      • Is it an upgrade to what you have already
      • Are you happy having next to zero updates in future for your device nor any 1st or 3rd party support
      • These quad cores are being superseded by octa cores, happy with buying old hardware
      • do you need a compass for GPS

      I ordered this phone because it ticks the box to the first 2. I tend to replace my phone every 8-12months so the 3rd & 4th don't worry me. It does look good on paper (assuming the specs are correct, they are in error regarding the front facing camera) and PandaWill are a big 'reputable' (good or bad) company. My current phone is a HTC One knock off and has exceeded my expectations so I am happy to buy a Chinese phone again. Failing that my second choice would be an Sony Xperia Z when they are on sale again. They have been as low as $330.

      • thanks for the help CyberGenesys

        • i'm with optus but 3g should work fine on the 2100Mhz metropolitan area right?

        • using a Medion E4002 phone so its a good upgrade

        • that's fine as long as it runs well with what it has

        • never had a quad core or octa, but both should run smooth hopefully

        • i don't need a compass :), but i do need the GPS

        • +1

          The Medion works with the same network frequencies as the Mlais so the coverage you have now will be the same with the Mlais.

          I doubt the Medion has a compass either, so navigation will be the same. The compass works in addition to the GPS. Using Google Maps with only a GPS and you will show up as a blue dot, using it with GPS + Compass you will show up as an arrow since it knows where you are and which way you are facing. Without a compass the accuracy of directions provided is decreased since it has to work out directions based on where you were and where you are now ie coarsely based on the direction you have travelled.

          Medion phones are in essence re-branded Chinese phones imported to the West. The Mlais will do everything your Medion does except bigger and faster :)

  • +1

    Is this a good upgrade for my Samsung GALAXY S II?

    • Of cause LOL

  • Will this phone play music louder through my Noontec Zoro headphones than my Samsung e3210?
    http://www.noontec.com.au/?m=Product&i=57&v=Default
    http://www.samsung.com/au/consumer/mobile-phone/mobile-phone…

    Also, will it connect to the Optus network?

    • +2

      Will this phone play music louder through my Noontec Zoro headphones

      From my experience with 2 android phones, I would say yes, it will play louder. My current smartphone actually has a problem that the lowest setting is too loud (I use AudioTechnica ATH-M50s which are a bigger headphone). Of course I can't comment on this specific MLAIS MX59 with your Noontec's.

      Also, will it connect to the Optus network?

      Yes and no. As discussed in other threads Optus is 900mhz (WCDMA aka 3G) in regional Australia and 2100mhz in metropolitan areas. This phone does 850/2100mhz which means it will not connect (well if at all) to 3G services in regional areas when using the Optus network. It will function fine in metropolitan areas.

  • Did anybody get one yet?

    Want to know if listed specs wrong, it can take larger than 16gb tf card?

    I want put a 64gb in it.

    • 64GB according to the specs on Mlais website (in Chinese)

      • Cool will get one then.

        Do these guys have expediated shipping?

    • I ordered, still hasn't been shipped yet.

      • Pandawill does not keep all items in stock due to maintenance issues. After receiving your order, Pandawill staff will sort them out and place orders at the corresponding factory. Orders are usually filled in about 3 business days. And a email will be sent to you if you wish to have an exchange or refund for your product if it is 3 days overdue.

  • 1 last question
    is pandawills reputation any good? :3

    • +1

      I did some research online before I ordered and they seem to be about the same as many other Chinese sites that sells these things.

      They have a 3.3/10 score on some site called Trustpilot (based on 76 reviews), but I think that may just be a case of people with bad experiences being more vocal. Pandawill has been around since 2008 so I think if they were really as bad as these few reviews claim there would be hundreds more reviews like these.

      I'm willing to give them a chance and if there are any issues I can always open a PayPal dispute, but I hope it won't come to that ;)

      • hey guys, i ended up not buying this smartphone from Pandawill after doing some research about the site back then.

        looking at the comments below, i'm glad I didn't.

        What I actually did was buy a new phone that came out 'Doogee Valencia dg800' from banggood instead.

        Hopefully its good when it arrives.
        faith in banggood > pandawill

  • Gave them a shot and pulled the pin yesterday. Its still sitting as processed…have they shipped anyone's phone as yet?

    • +2

      Ordered 5/29/14 still 'Processing'. I'm in no hurry so I'm going to wait another week, otherwise it's angry letter time.

      • I just clicked live chat, got ready to speak my finest Chinglish -

        then "Customer Service is offline, please leave your message"

        so it lets you click the link, you got to start chatting then that.

        • I was on live chat earlier and was told my order would be shipped out tomorrow.

        • just hit the chat button again:

          Anna 13:08:08: we'll send it out later today
          Me 13:08:33: OK thanks, that would be great who do I contact if its not marked as sent tomorrow?
          Anna 13:09:10: you can see its status changed tomorrow

          doubt it will be sent based on what people have been saying but worth a shot.

        • +1

          they are bullshit artists

          mine is still "processing" too

      • +1

        I contacted them via chat and the next day it was marked as posted. I wonder if it really has been or it's just them reacting.

        • I contacted them twice, both times they said they would action it later that day, both days….nothing.

        • i'm of the opinion that this might be a pricing error?

          why would competing sites say its $240 and here its only $140?

          i think they will come thru but it may be weeks before it ships

          oh well, this is the price you pay for patronising these companies

        • contacted them again today, today they informed me that they didnt have any black or silver left, only gold… (could explain the delay - they may be waiting for more…) told them just to send me the gold, they said it will be sent later today..

          gave them a hard time about them saying that Thursday as well, pretty poor customer service…

  • Everyone here is getting told something different by them. Seems tonyjzx was right in saying that they are bullshit artists.

    I was asked to change my order to another phone as they are not able to get stock. Not prepared to deal with them anymore so I requested a refund.

    • +1

      thing is they are the cheapest out there and you'd be hard pressed to find a phone with the same features for the same money…

      • I guess 4-6 weeks and us buyers will be able to tell you if it was worth it…

  • I contacted them on Monday and got told they got Gold in stock and can send me it ASAP or I can wait till Friday and see if they get Silver.

    I went with gold, order now shows as shipped.

    Good thing about my order is I paid for DHL postage so they should be sending me a DHL tracking code, so I can see if they B.S me about it being shipped or not.

    Will let you guys know as soon as I get DHL tracking code.

    EDIT: Ok just got DHL tracking number but it dosent work on DHL website…..hmmmm…but Pandawill reckon it will arrive within the next 3 - 6 days…fingers crossed.

    • Did you get an rs tracking number, if so wonder if its the same as mine!!!

      Mine is marked as shipped now too… they rekon i should be able to track it tomorrow.. they also gave me the site to track it from…

      • WOW, OK now my order is apparently going to Netherlands, WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!

  • +1

    ok the tracking number they gave me still not working for DHL but they saying it might take some time cause its the "busy period".

    Anyway will give it 3 days either the tracking number will work or the phone should turn up!

  • alright sweet, DHL tracking code now working and it shows phone in Hong Kong on way to my address.

    All good….so far.

    • still don't know why mine needs to go to the Netherlands!

  • +3

    Arrived today which was surprisingly fast for standard postage. So far looks nice and performs ok (for the 10minutes I've used it for) unfortunately the rear camera doesn't seem to work. When switching between front and rear the app seems to freeze. Closing and reopening the app gives the message "cannot connect to camera".

    I'll fiddle around a bit more with alternative apps and google results and post back here later.

    • let us know how plex/XBMC/a graphics intensive game run…

    • Wow that was fast, I ordered on the 30th and paid extra for DHL Express (3-6 days) and all they've done is give me a fake tracking number, and keep telling me to 'wait 2-3 days' even though they've not even shipped it…

      • I ordered 29th and I think they must have posted it then but didn't give me a tracking number or tell me it was posted until the 7th (june). Funnily it came in a box which said office supplies worth 20$.

        As yet I have been UN able to get the rear camera to work. Alternative apps, clear caches and multiple reboots has done nothing. The app for the torch (turns on the flash) does not work either and crashes. Oddly one time I turned the phone over and the flash was on, no idea how or why.

        The screen is really really good with huge viewing angles. The phone performs fast but occasionally seems to freeze for a few seconds but I think this device (mine) is faulty. It has a compass app but no actual compass (as expected). There are about 6 non google apps installed 2 of which are in Asian so I don't know what they do.

        It looks like it can do hdmi output using mhl as the options are there in settings menu(will test later).

        The buttons on the bottom (back/home/menu) are not backlit(UN expected). The buttons are also hard to hit (which I maybe confusing with the freezing mentioned earlier, Ie it seems unresponsive but I'm not actually hitting the button)

        Storage is split 3gb for the system/apps(2.9 free) and 25.3gb for anything else. Doesn't look like you can install apps to the 25gb part. I'll see if an option becomes visible when a musd card is inserted.

        Overall if you got one and the camera actually works then it seems to be a great phone for the price.

        • That's great ! Fast !

          Sucks about the camera though.
          A major part of mobile phones….

          I'm interested in speaker output, mono or stereo?

        • wow that sounds half arsed

          am i expecting too much for future android updates (lol?)

        • think the camera issue is going to be a problem with the ROM they have flashed on to it.

          I had a fake Galaxy S5 (i.e. chinese clone) and read on the forums that some people lost their rear camera because of the incorrect ROM being flashed.
          The backlight on the bottom buttons also is probably controlled by software too. Try and find a suitable ROM to re-flash on to it.

        • The keys on the bottom are not backlit fullstop. They are just silver. The phone does have a light on the top of the device which so far indicates that it is charging (not sure if it does anything else.

          All search results indicated similar, that it was a bad rom flash, or mismatched bootloader. I'll contact pandawill. Hopefully somebody else will receive theirs soon and comment if they have the same issue.

        • Thanks for all the info, good to know if mine ever turns up ;)

        • MHL does work which makes it a step up from a Samsung Galaxy SII and a Sony Xperia Z, both of which are supposed to be able to do it but neither worked when I tried them.

        • The speaker grill at the top does not have a speaker under it (at least not for music/games) so the sound only comes from the one near the bottom. In regards to speaker/headphone volume it has the same issue as my other phone; the minimum volume is too loud. This maybe personal preference, but it is annoying that the volume is so coarse to adjust.

          Gaming seems ok, not sure what to test with though (I don't do mobile gaming). Plays Reckless Getaway fine, Real Racing 3 seems a bit choppy but playable.

        • Battery life seems a little poor. In aeroplane mode it's dropped down to 43% after 20 hours. Aeroplane mode should last a week before it drops noticeably.

          *there is the added condition that my device seems to be faulty which may have an adverse effect on battery life.

        • Has Panda got back to you about phone being faulty?

          Mine should arrive tomrrow, DHL info says its in perth ready for delivery.

        • Dear customer,

          Good day! Sorry to hear that,
          I wonder if restore the factory setting can help with this problem?
          if not, we suggest you can kindly consult your local service about this problem,
          but do not fix it or disassemble it firstly, and later inform us the estimated repaired cost in advance.ok?
          sorry for any inconvenience for you.

          Sincerely,
          Wendy

          To which I sent a fairly terse reply about how it is not my job as the customer to find a repairman and organise a quote to an issue which has quite clear course of action; replace or refund.

          Overall a disappointing transaction and I think perhaps I will cross Pandawill off my "ok to purchase from" list.

  • dont think mine has been picked up as yet:

    "Shipment Submitted"

    guessing that's something like manifest received…

  • Hello

    Thanks for your support to pandawill

    Sorry for sku55713 is out of stock, would you mind change to sku49343, pls check here

    http://www.pandawill.com/neken-n6-smartphone-2gb-32gb-50-inc…

    If you agree, pls pay the price difference to our paypal account: [email protected] then tell us transaction ID, we can change it for you

    Anything else, pls contact our livechat or [email protected]

    Awaiting for your reply

    Yours
    Linda

    • No 850/900… Pretty much useless, tell them bait and switch is illegal in au.

      • refund time

        problem is this isnt australia

        • Aren't the rules "If you sell to Australia you abide by their laws"?

  • Received mine today, camera and flashlight app work without fault. Have yet to test anything else.

    Mine appears to have a faulty microphone or something though, on the other phone there is a constant static noise and my voice is extremely muffled, not useable in it's current state. It is clear when I put it on speakerphone.

    • Do you have any slight lags or pauses when using the device? Particularly when navigating the system menus, And how do the buttons on the bottom feel? I'm just wondering if the slight lags and pauses my device has are a result of the faulty camera hardware ie it is interrupting the CPU at times.

      • I haven't yet noticed any lagging/pausing in the menus or otherwise. The buttons on the bottom seem ok, a few times the back button hasn't responded but that's possibly me tapping just off the icon I think. I should add that I've only been playing with it for an hour, did yours lag from the start?
        How's your call quality through the mic?

  • So two have arrived and each got problems….think I am going to have more trouble then joy with thus purchase.

    What chances of getting money back via paypal if phone is stuffed?

    Knew I should have bought the THL w200 from DX instead for $200

    • It appears quite common from reading through their forums, and others comments that if you start a Paypal dispute they will try everything they can to get you to close the dispute before they will commit to doing anything. Then by the sounds of it they stuff you around some more!

      • that's four with issues now,

        Who are the other 2?

        • Sorry my bad, half asleep and thought bargrin meant he'd received two himself, have edited my post.

        • yeah mine should be arriving today, unfortunately I wont be around when it gets here…got to get my brother to test it all.

  • Shipping was very fast in my case, it took 10 days to receive my phone. I think Pandawill tried to clear all the faulty phones at the that price and i picked up the last one. As CyberGenesys said, it lags a bit but i have problems with the reception (tried Optus and Vodafone sims and both keep dropping out and say SOS or No Service). Battery life is poor as well.

  • +1

    This is kind of interesting. It seems that there are a few roms for this device (ie different setups it can be shipped with) and that the one shipped by Pandawill is marked as 'custom' instead of 'Official' which makes me wonder if they are flashing it themselves. Simply that they arrive in English might mean they are at least being partially configured.

    http://www.needrom.com/phone-roms/mlais/mx59/

    I haven't tried any of these but its one of the possibilities for me. Camera issues have often been attributed to bad flashing of the OS.

    In addition it seems the "Tianhe ONE H801+" is identical (according to a google translated Russian forum).

    • +1

      (just in case people where following this)
      Many of these devices have 2 recovery modes; one that looks like ClockworkMod ("Android System Recovery (3e)") and another called 'Factory Mode'. One is hold Power + VolUp until the screen comes on and then release power only, the other is the same but VolDown.

      Through translating via Google Translate I was able to test the camera using the built in hardware diagnostics. Still didn't work. Unfortunalty this still doesn't clearly identify if it is a bad flash or faulty hardware, but I think it's pretty safe to say it's a hardware issue.

      • Thanks CyberGenesys, do you have any problem with sim reception?

        • Sorry I can't really comment on that. Since the item had issues I haven't been using it as a phone. Putting a spare SIM (Telstra/AldMobile) in with no credit it connects and shows 3 bars at the top. Signal strength is -91dBm 11asu (whatever that means) and is the same as my other phone.

  • OK mine arrived and got my dad testing it as I am not home.

    Works all fine he says, camera mic no issues. Spoke to him on Skype via it and worked no probs.

    • +2

      Congrats :)
      So the current ratio of faultless to faulty devices is 1:2?

    • you are very lucky lol

  • Phone working fine still, so much so that my dad now taken it and I am not seeing him for a month so can't test it myself.

    Can I ask how does the HDMI work.

    What cable I need?

    Is it via otg so Will it just be normal cheap otg usb cable or something else?

    • Similar to OTG, one of these http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/141293654285 is something like what you are after. To use it you will need a normal HDMI lead to go into the TV and a micro usb cable to power the adapter. The adapter connects to the micro USB connector on the phone.

      Be warned that there are specific MHL adapters for some of the Samsung phones (maybe others) that use an 11pin micro USB-like connector.

      • ok cool thanks, so I dont want 11pin I wnt 5pin

        so that the OTG for HDMI

        What about OTG just for USB, if I want to attach a ubs stick via micro usb?

        • +1

          Much easier; http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/310757292655
          Unlike the MHL connectors these OTG connectors only come in 5 pin (from what I've read).

          Just to clarify, OTG stands for On The Go and it's for connecting USB devices to your phone. OTG is not HDMI. MHL is Mobile High-Definition Link which is the HDMI connection. They are distinctly different.

          MHL for connecting HDMI
          OTG for connecting USB sticks

  • +1

    Thought I would post a short review about this phone.

    I bought the black version of this phone. Purchase date to delivery took about a month in total.

    I've owned multiple android devices. I've used huawei phones ainol tablets galaxy nexus and nexus 7 first gen tablet.

    What can I say best $140 I ever spent. The 1080p screen is gorgeous. The performance is on par with the nexus 7 and with the 2GB of ram you can multitask a lot faster than the nexus 7.

    The camera seems to work as good as my galaxy nexus. Image quality is much better.

    I'm with TPG and so far have not had connection issues around Syd metro area. 3g data works as good as on my gnex. WiFi speeds is very good.

    I encountered one issue with the WiFi where it stopped working and only way to get it working is a reboot. After 3 hours of use the problem haven't reoccured.

    Only thing i can't test is battery life. Will update this after a few days use.

    Overall I am bloody impressed as everything worked out of the box and worked well!

    These Chinese companies have really come along way.

    • Also forgot to add the phone is very thin about the same thickness as galaxy note 3. The build quality is excellent.The screen is mounted with a lot of attention to detail. Gap between screen and bezel is very small. Much smaller compared to the gnex.

      Because it is so thin the phone is very light. About the same weight as my gnex with extended battery.

    • Once you've tried a (working correctly) China phone it becomes very hard to justify the prices asked for name brand devices (Sony, Samsung, LG etc). Granted those devices are better, but 300-400% better? I think not.

      • yes, but thats what you are paying for the "working correctly" - and the working correctly for more than a few months!!! I'll be interested to see how mine goes.

        also thanks for posting the review r33tom, mine should be here any day now… anyday…

        gonna chuck mine on the network and packet sniff to see if its got any dodgy firmware on it…

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