At the end of July, that is, more recently, Meizu presented its flagship smartphone Pro 7, you can already make a small review. Rumors about new items have been circulating for months, and almost all the characteristics were known back in June. The highlight of the Meizu Pro 7, which many sellers are already offering on Aliexpress, is an additional display that has settled on the back. Paired cameras also tried to attract attention - the debut of Meizu smartphones. But the rest of the characteristics, information about which from time to time appeared on the Internet, did not arouse much interest among users. What has changed after the official presentation of Meizu Pro 7, the release date in the world and in Russia and the price - read our review.
Contents of delivery
Although we wanted to make a short review of the Meizu Pro 7, it is simply impossible not to note the packaging. Meizu can be blamed for using processors that are already boring, but the company knows a lot about how to effectively present the product. This time we have not a rectangular box, as was the case with the Pro 6, but a more familiar shape. However, instead of ordinary cardboard, Meizu uses plastic. When you see the box, which has got sloping edges, and the front glossy part is decorated with the number "7", you understand that you have a really expensive device in front of you, which is probably trying to be one step ahead of the market. It looks really unusual and cool.
But take your time, even the smartphone itself is not just thrown into the box, but neatly stowed in a special compartment of a bizarre look. Inside, by the way, another box awaits us, but already made of cardboard. Nearby we see a branded paper clip for removing the tray, and in the main compartment - a power adapter, a charging wire, documents and a branded case.
Meizu managed to deliver Pro 7 effectively, but will the company keep the bar?
Appearance
Continuing the review of Meizu Pro 7, let's move on to the design. In general, they have always sympathized with Meizu smartphones precisely with their appearance. It seems like nothing special, other companies have already shown something similar, but at the same time I am ready to forgive both weak hardware and imperfect cameras - and all for the sake of this neat design. In Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus, it does not show anything out of the ordinary, but something that we have not seen before. Before us is Meizu, similar to other smartphones of the company, and, of course, the latest iPhone. We have the same sloping edges, rounded corners that shine in the light. Rear screen? Well, he alone makes the Meizu Pro 7 stand out in the market. But he didn't embellish the smartphone. Of course, there is no dispute about tastes, but it does not add attractiveness. And it is located in a strange way.
The main body material is metal, which further emphasizes the presence of an additional display. Bottom and top, plastic inserts for antennas are slightly noticeable (at least on the black Meizu Pro 7). The front side is covered with a curved protective glass. Here, in front, we see the familiar mTouch button. Here Meizu has stability, which pleases. It also performs the tasks of a fingerprint scanner and questions, in principle, neither to the speed of work, nor to the accuracy, no. At the top, the speaker slot is habitually located, and the peephole of the front camera is also visible.
According to the classics, the power button for a pair with a volume control swing is located on the right. On the left we see a small hole that is used to remove the tray for the SIM-card. The tray is not hybrid, that is, you can only install a pair of nano-format SIM cards - you won't be able to install a memory card. On the one hand, it is bad, on the other, there should be enough memory capacity like that of the Meizu Pro 7. Only a microphone settled on top. The bottom end has a USB Type-C port surrounded by two screws. Immediately we find another microphone, a 3.5 mm jack on one side and the main speaker grill on the other. The back, which has probably already been seen by everyone, is represented by another display, just above which there is a dual camera, as well as the company logo, which are atypically located vertically, on the edge.
Can't find information on the waterproofing of Meizu Pro 7? So, it is understandable - how can you generally find information about what is not? Sad Meizu. We have collected hundreds of bloggers for the presentation of Meizu Pro 7, as if you are really showing something super top-end, and you have missed one or two flagship features. Maybe every user does not need this moisture protection, but A-brands present it by inertia.
In general, the design is good. Well, in no way he pulls for something more. Meizu Pro 7 is not frameless, not record-breaking thin, it is presented with the usual body materials. The dual camera no longer surprises anyone, and the additional display does not pull on a design feature.
Screen
From the Meizu Pro 7 body with smooth edges, we smoothly move on to the screen review. This year Meizu is releasing two flagship smartphones with different screen sizes. The more compact Meizu Pro 7 received, as it seems to us, the optimal 5.2 inches to date. The standard resolution for this class is FullHD, which provides 423 dpi. A Super AMOLED matrix is used, a high-quality and pleasant matrix. In general, we have before us a good screen with rich colors, which can be easily compared with the displays of the flagships of other A-brands.
The older Meizu Pro 7 Plus is represented by a 5.7-inch screen made using the same Super AMOLED technology, but with an increased resolution up to 2560x1440 pixels. The declared characteristics give out an impressive 518 dpi. Understandably, the display is at a high level, it has a clear and bright picture, which may seem too cold. However, don't worry - in the settings, you can set the display temperature at your discretion.
The screens have wide viewing angles, which is not surprising, remembering the segment. Covered with slightly curved glass with a good oleophobic layer. The touch quickly reacts to touches, and in general it is pleasant to use them.
Additional screen
What smartphones have recently been able to attract a user with their screens is this. Yes, the Meizu Pro 7 has a good display, but do we really care about it? The additional screen on the back of the smartphone looks much more interesting. What did he forget there? As planned by the manufacturer Meizu Pro 7 through it, the user will receive notifications about missed messages, calls and other notifications. Also, this miracle should help selfie lovers to take self-portraits on the main camera (the front 16-megapixel is not enough).
In terms of specifications, it uses a 1.9-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 240 x 536 pixels. In terms of quality, there are no problems.
Someone will remember LG V10, someone will come to mind YotaPhone - all of them are united by the presence of an additional screen. But even in the unloved Yotafon, the additional display looks more organic. In the LG V10, we saw a strip above the screen. Meizu took a middle path, making the screen larger than the V10, but smaller than the YotaPhone. On the one hand - OK, it will come in handy (look at the time, weather, see how many steps). On the other hand, we constantly twist the smartphone to see what someone wrote, then we do another somersault to read the message itself. Well, such a thing. In LG V10, such tricks were not needed - everything was before my eyes, in Yotafon the screen was much more functional.
In general, while the additional display Meizu Pro 7 looks like an experimental attempt by the company. How useful it will be, whether the manufacturer will further develop this idea, we have to find out in the near future.
Performance
Each review of Meizu smartphones will show you that hardware is often the main drawback. Neither budget solutions, nor the middle segment, nor the flagship class can boast of a chip that would be able to satisfy the needs of the vast majority of users. There should be a reference to, which from small to large are equipped with quite suitable chips from Qualcomm. Nice design is good, but I also want to play games without lags.
So, what do we have in Meizu Pro 7? Pro 7, in terms of hardware, is presented in two versions - on MediaTek Helio P25 and Helio X30. In the first case, we have, in fact, an average chip, which is presented in the same for 10,000 rubles. This is an 8-core solution built on a 16nm process technology. The processor was introduced quite recently, operates at a frequency of up to 2.5 GHz, and the Mali T880 MP2 core is responsible for the graphics capabilities. To help the chip, they gave 4 gigabytes of RAM (the Chinese budget segment is already pulling up to this volume, so it's not surprising). The drive of the younger version is presented at 64 gigabytes.
Meizu Pro 7 in AnTuTu is gaining about 65,000 points. In general, there was a flagship and everything came out.
The older version of Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus with a larger screen are presented on a more efficient MediaTek Helio X30 chip. This is the company's latest 10-core processor based on a 10nm technical processor. It has all the same clock speed of 2.5 GHz, but the PowerVR 7400XT MP4 is responsible for the graphics. The chipset is more powerful, but its top-end language does not dare to call it. Naturally, the Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus are inferior to the flagships of 2017 only in tests - for everyday tasks and modern games, the performance is enough. 6 GB of RAM are responsible for multitasking, 128 GB are allocated for user files.
In AnTuTu, Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus on MediaTek Helio X30 roughly compared with similar smartphones on Snapdragon 821 - around 160,000 points.
Communication, interfaces, navigation
In terms of communication, everything is typical: there is support for all the necessary networks, including LTE. No wonder. Everything is typical with interfaces, and for this Meizu Pro 7 gets bad. Not only is the outdated Bluetooth 4.2 announced, but there is also no NFC. Meizu, what year is it? Even ultra-budget devices have begun to acquire an interface, not to mention the flagships. The lack of NFC is really surprising given that you expect it by default in such an expensive smartphone. Well, at least not microUSB (equipped with Meizu Pro 7 USB Type-C 3.1) and thank you for that. Well, Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n, operating in two bands: 2.4 and 5 GHz. GPS and GLONASS systems are used for navigation - again, nothing new.
Operating system
Another thing that made Meizu Pro 7 smartphones fall in love with users is the Flyme proprietary shell. It is notable for its convenience, simplicity and the absence of unnecessary functions that would clutter up the interface. Meizu Pro 7 is presented on Flyme 6, which is based on the latest Android Nougat. Everything, in principle, is familiar, with the exception of some moments. One notable innovation is the music player mode. With its help, it will be possible to transfer Meizu Pro 7 into a kind of MP3-player state, in which unnecessary applications become inactive. It will be possible, because the company has not yet "finished" the function, so the system message politely forgive us to wait a bit. We think that there will not be any serious problems with the Meizu Pro 7 firmware, you just need to wait a little while the company brings everything to mind.
Cameras
Meizu Pro 7, which, in fact, is devoted to the review, became the company's debut smartphone equipped with a dual main camera. It is located right above the additional screen, it all looks not very symmetrical (perhaps because they are already accustomed to the location of the camera in the corner or in the center). According to the manufacturer, the sensors are provided by Sony (IMX386), which supplies more than a dozen companies. Both modules are 12 megapixels: one is color, the other is black and white. Aperture - F / 2.0. The camera received a digital zoom and dual LED flash. He knows how to record video in 4K resolution, although this is not enough to surprise anyone. At the first review of the Meizu Pro 7, the cameras can be characterized positively. Yes, they did not jump in the quality of shooting other flagships of this year, but a good photo on a smartphone can be obtained both during the day and at night. Perhaps the quality will grow a little more after the firmware updates.
But selfie lovers will rather pay attention to the front camera, which is represented by a 16-megapixel matrix. A strong statement on paper to be verified.
Autonomy
Like 99% of flagships, Meizu Pro 7 comes with relatively small batteries. The younger version of the Pro 7 received 3000 mAh, the Pro 7 Plus got a more capacious 3500 mAh battery. It is clear that you cannot count on more than a day of active use, despite AMOLED and relatively energy efficient processors. Therefore, for those who like to watch videos on YouTube or play, it is advisable to have a Power Bank at hand. But there is support for fast charging mCharge 4.0 (the Meizu Pro 7 battery is half full in half an hour). No matter how much we would like, but autonomy cannot be attributed to the merits.
Meizu Pro 7 price, where to buy, release date
Meizu Pro 7 is already available for order in many online stores, the price starts at 30,000 rubles. The official release date of the smartphone in Russia is scheduled for early autumn. It is expected that the cost for the younger version will be around 27,000 rubles, the Pro 7 with 128 GB of memory will cost a little more than 30,000 rubles, and for the Pro 7 Plus version you will have to pay around 36,000 rubles.
Conclusion
Well, we will summarize under our review of the Meizu Pro 7, which was not planned to be so big. Is the Meizu Pro 7 flagship? Yes, the flagship of the company, but clearly not the market. Among the Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6 and other recent top-level smartphones, I don't want to put it. Everyone tried to surprise us: someone with an unusual aspect ratio, others with cameras, and still others with performance. The Meizu Pro 7's only trump card up its sleeve was an additional screen, which, at least for now, looks like a dual camera in a $ 50 smartphone. An important point is the price of Meizu Pro 7, which is rather high, we hope the situation will change. More flagship looks like Meizu Pro 7 Plus, which has the last processor in the line, and the screen is more interesting. However, it will also be hard for him to compete with top-level representatives from other companies.
The new Meizu Pro 7 looks like a transitional product stuck between the mid-range and flagship class. It seems that there is everything, both beautiful and productive for everyday work, but there are many nuances that negate the chances of a smartphone becoming a bestseller.
Pros and cons of Meizu Pro 7
So what we liked:
What didn’t like.
