Meizu pro 7 plus sizes. Unpacking and packaging

The new smartphone is equipped with an additional touch color display, which is useful not only for displaying various notifications, but also for controlling the music player, as well as taking selfies with a dual main camera, complemented by a portrait mode function. In addition, this device boasts high-quality sound through headphones, a fast fingerprint scanner, good battery life and fast charging. Vesti.Hi-tech found out not only the pros, but also the cons Meizu Pro 7.

The manufacturer positions smartphones in the “professional” Pro line (see, for example, our reviews and and ) as “musical” flagships, with a special emphasis on sound quality. The new product was no exception, which, however, turned out to be remarkable not only for this. Note that the named 5.2-inch device is a simplified version of the more serious 5.7-inch Meizu Pro 7 Plus device with Quad HD resolution. The significant differences between “big brother” include even more powerful processor, increased volume random access memory, built-in UFS 2.1 storage, as well as increased battery capacity. However, while maintaining the main features, Meizu Pro 7 is available at a more attractive price.

Meizu Pro 7 review: technical specifications

• Model: Pro 7 (M792H)
• OS: Android 7.0 (Nougat) with Flyme OS 6.1.3.0G shell
• Processor: MediaTek MT6757CD (Helio P25), 64-bit, 8 cores ARM Cortex-A53 (4x2.6 GHz+ 4x1.6 GHz)
• Graphics coprocessor: ARM Mali-T880 MP2
• RAM: 4 GB, LPDDR4X
• Storage Memory: 64 GB (eMMC 5.1)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 (LE), USB Type-C(USB 3.1, USB-OTG, Host), 3.5 mm headphone jack
• Main screen: capacitive touchscreen, manufactured by Samsung, Super AMOLED matrix, 5.2-inch diagonal, resolution 1920x1080 pixels, pixel density per inch 423 ppi, contrast ratio 10,000:1, brightness 350 cd/sq. m, color gamut 103% NTSC, 2.5D protective glass
• Additional screen: capacitive touch, AMOLED matrix, 1.9-inch diagonal, resolution 240x536 pixels, pixel density per inch 307 ppi, contrast 10,000:1, brightness 350 cd/sq. m
• Dual main camera: 12 MP (color) + 12 (black and white) sensors, 1.25 micron pixel size, Sony IMX386, 6-element lens, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, dual-tone flash
• Front camera: 16 MP, 5-element wide-angle lens, f/2.0 aperture
• Audio: Cirrus Logic CS43130 32-bit 2-channel DAC, NXP Smart PA amplifier
• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA+, FDD-LTE (b3, b7, b20)
• SIM card: two nanoSIM (4FF format)
• Navigation: GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS
• Sensors: gyroscope, digital compass, Hall sensor, accelerometer, light and proximity sensors (infrared)
• Fingerprint scanner: mTouch capacitive sensor (0.15 s, 360 degrees, 5 prints)
• Battery: non-removable, lithium-polymer, 3,000 mAh, fast charging mCharge 3 (24 W), 50% in 0.5 hours
• Colors: black, gold, red
• Dimensions: 147.62x70.72x7.3 mm
• Weight: 163 grams

Meizu Pro 7 review: equipment

A plastic box with a rather unusual design contains another one, but this one is cardboard, where the smartphone itself is placed in a special slot. Packed together with the “musical” flagship is a power supply with support fast charging(24 W), USB-USB Type-C cable, SIM tray eject tool, documentation, and a clear plastic clip case that protects back cover and the sides of the smartphone. Headphones, alas, are only available locally for China.

Meizu Pro 7 review: design, ergonomics

Meizu, for obvious reasons, has revised not only the packaging design, but also made the appearance of the smartphone itself clearly recognizable. On the back of the Pro 7, the additional display immediately catches your eye, although other differences from the previous model are clearly visible.

Thus, the silver embossed Meizu logo is placed vertically in the lower right corner, and thin curly strips of radio-transparent plastic (for antennas) now seem to literally be adjacent to the ends. Even on the front panel, the designers managed to get rid of unnecessary details, hiding the light and proximity sensors behind the decorative grille of the “conversational” speaker. The body, whose outlines have become more rectangular, is made by stamping from an aluminum alloy, while its matte texture is achieved through numerous polishing and “brushing” operations. The Pro 7 comes in three colors - black, gold and red (we got the smartphone in the latter color for testing). As for the weight and dimensions, they have practically not changed in comparison with the new product - (147.62x70.72x7.3 mm versus 147.7x70.8x7.25 mm) and (163 g versus 160 g).

The entire front surface of the Pro 7, including the screen, is protected by glass (of an unknown manufacturer) with a 2.5D effect. Let us remember that in the previous model it was a Corning product - Gorilla Glass 3. The finger glides across the screen quite easily, which indicates a quite high-quality oleophobic coating.

To the right of the decorative grille of the “conversational” speaker, on the left side of which the light and proximity sensors are visible, is the front camera lens. Using the Light Flow app, you can find an LED indicator to the left of the decorative grille.

Under the screen, its traditional place is occupied by an oval touch-mechanical button with a built-in mTouch fingerprint scanner. Let us remind you that when you press this key when the display is locked, its backlight turns on, and when it is unlocked, the transition to the main screen ("Home") is activated. A normal touch of the touch layer (tap) of this button launches the “Back” function, but when pressed and held, the smartphone is locked (the backlight turns off).

Places for two nanoSIM subscriber identification modules are allocated on a metal tray located in a closed slot on the left edge of the case.

On the right edge there is a common groove for the volume rocker and the power/lock button.

At the top end, the hole for the second microphone (provides noise reduction) is lonely.

The symmetrical USB 3.1 Type-C connector (between two screws with star slots) at the bottom end is surrounded by a decorative grille for the “multimedia” speaker (on the left), as well as a “conversational” microphone and a 3.5 mm audio headset connector ( on right).

Next to the Meizu logo on the back panel there was a place for a barely noticeable inscription, from which you can find out about LTE support, as well as the name of the manufacturing company and the country of production.

The upper left part of the rear panel is occupied by an additional screen, which is protected by dark glass that follows the curve of the case. Two lenses of the main photo module, as well as a two-tone LED flash, fit well above the display.

The metal of the Pro 7 body feels quite pleasant in the palm, and at the same time, the size of the smartphone allows it to be handled with one hand. However, a clip case attached to the case is unlikely to be excessive protection.

Meizu Pro 7 review: main screen

With a 5.2-inch diagonal Super AMOLED matrix, like that of the Pro 7, the screen resolution remains unchanged - Full HD (1920x1080 pixels), so the pixel density per inch is still the same 423 ppi. The manufacturer emphasizes the absence of an air gap between the touch layer and the display elements, which allows for increased brightness and reduced light reflection. The viewing angles of the screen are also okay, and the rated contrast value is 10,000:1.

For brightness, a maximum value of 350 cd/m2 is guaranteed. m. At the same time, it is easy to adjust the screen backlight level manually, or rely on the readings of the light sensor (the "Auto-brightness" option). Multi-touch technology allows you to process up to ten simultaneous clicks on a capacitive screen, which is confirmed by the results of the AntTuTu Tester and MultiTouch Tester programs.

Each of the four display profiles (Adaptive, Standard, Photo, Full Color) carries its own color, saturation, and brightness display range. The settings also provide for adjusting the color temperature of the screen, when colors can easily be made warmer or, conversely, colder. In addition, by activating the eye protection mode, you can reduce the amount of “harmful” blue light. Note that from 3D Press technology, which responds to the applied force to the touch screen by displaying context menu, without opening it, the company refused in Pro 7.

Meizu Pro 7 review: additional screen

An additional color touch screen - the main difference between the Pro 7 - is based on an AMOLED matrix with a diagonal of 536x240 pixels, while the pixel density per inch reaches 307 ppi. At the same time, the maximum contrast and brightness values ​​are the same as those of the main display - 10,000:1 and 350 cd/sq. m, respectively.

In the settings of the second screen, options are available to disable it or activate/deactivate it with a double tap. Here you can also decide on the wallpaper, as well as the display of notifications, incoming calls and phone status. In addition, the secondary display can display pedometer values, current weather, as well as the viewfinder of the dual camera. If the wallpaper, pedometer and weather are replaced by horizontal swipes, then to go to the camera you need to make a vertical swipe, and then use a horizontal swipe to select one of the modes - “Original”, “Beauty” or “Blur”. The shutter release occurs 3 seconds after tapping on the screen or immediately when you press the volume rocker (decrease or increase sound) of the smartphone. Exiting the camera menu is done in the same way as entering, with a vertical swipe.

In normal mode, the additional screen displays only information about changing music tracks on pre-installed application branded player. You can switch to the long-playing player mode, which turns off the phone functions and the main display, by pressing and holding the power/lock button, when, along with the “Shutdown” and “Restart” icons, the “Music Only” icon appears. After tapping on it, all playback control and access to songs in the smartphone’s memory goes through an additional screen.

Meizu Pro 7 review: cameras

The main photo module of the Pro 7 consists of color and black-and-white 12-megapixel Sony sensors IMX386 Exmor RS (optical size - 1/2.9 inches, pixel - 1.25 microns), complemented by 6-element lenses (alas, without optical stabilization) with f/2.0 aperture and fast phase detection autofocus. In addition, this photo module has a dual-tone LED flash. The maximum resolution is achieved with the classic aspect ratio of 4:3 and is 4000x3008 pixels (12 MP).

We did not ignore front camera, which turned out to have a 16-megapixel sensor with a 5-element wide-angle lens (f/2.0 aperture). More recently, such parameters would have looked very good for the main photo module of a flagship. By the way, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, the maximum resolution of self-portraits is 4608x3456 pixels (16 MP).

Both cameras can record videos only in Full HD (1920x1080 pixels, 16:9) with a frame rate of 30 fps. Perhaps this limitation is justified by the lack of a 4K screen. However, let us recall that the Ultra HD mode (3840x2160 pixels, 16:9) was, nevertheless, capable of the main photo module of its predecessor -.

The Camera app's basic shooting modes are Auto, Portrait, and Video. If you have a dual camera, you cannot do without, of course, the “Blur Effect” option, the icon of which is displayed directly at the top of the viewfinder. There are also icons for selecting the flash mode, turning HDR on/off, as well as going to the settings screens, filters and additional shooting modes, of which there are eight in total. Including, “Makeup”, “Manual”, Slow motion” (640x480 pixels, 60 sec.), “Frame by frame” (0.5; 1; 2; 4 and 8 sec.), “Panorama”, “Scanner” , GIF and "Black and white". For automatic mode, when selecting the focus point (tap your finger on the viewfinder), you can use the slider (+/-) to adjust the brightness of the image (exposure compensation level). When shooting in manual mode, you are also asked to decide on the parameters yourself. shutter speed, ISO, saturation, contrast, white balance, etc. There are five filters available in Makeup mode, including Delight, Natural, Lolita, Freshness and Charm. In turn, for “Portrait” you can either rely on automation (5 steps of the “Smart” option), or independently adjust the cosmetic options “Eyes”, “Smoothing”, “Tightening” and “Whitening”. In the settings menu, you can, for example, enable the display of watermarks, grid and horizon level, and also select photo resolution or video quality.

At the bottom of the viewfinder there is an icon for turning on the current picture and on the additional screen. This, in particular, allows the subject to see his own image, including when shooting with the main camera. Examples of photos can be viewed.

Meizu Pro 7 review: sound

The “musicality” of the flagship is provided by a 2-channel 32-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) CS43130 from Cirrus Logic, in which each channel is supplemented with amplifiers with load detection (output signal 30 mV at 30-ohm and 5 mV at 600-ohm headphones). By the way, after connecting the headphones in the proprietary Music application, you are offered to use a 5-band equalizer with presets and manual settings. In turn, the sound of the “multimedia” speaker at maximum is quite loud, since a separate NXP Smart PA power amplifier is dedicated to drive it. Established funds Pro 7 allows you to listen to audio files, for example, with FLAC extensions, created by codecs to compress data without losing quality. The simple Voice Recorder program makes good monophonic recordings (44.1 kHz), which it saves in MP3 files.

Meizu Pro 7 review: hardware, performance

As the “motor” for the Pro 7, we settled on the MediaTek Helio P25 (MT6757CD) chip, made according to 16 nm design standards. The processor configuration includes eight Cortex-A53 cores, one quartet of which operates at a clock frequency of up to 2.6 GHz, and the other at 1.6 GHz. RAM type LPDDR4X is supported, the volume of which can reach 6 GB. Graphics capabilities are assigned to the integrated coprocessor ARM Mali T880 MP2 (1 GHz), which, in particular, provides a resolution of up to 1920x1080 pixels. It is possible to use a dual camera with 13 MP sensors or a regular camera with a 24 MP sensor. On-chip support wireless interfaces, GPS/GLONASS navigation, as well as mobile communications 4G LTE Cat.6. Let us remind you that the basic hardware of the Pro 7 is complemented only by 4 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. Because new smartphone After all, it is a simplified version of the next generation of “musical” flagship, but in terms of performance it cannot compete even with last year’s, which is equipped with a more powerful 10-core processor.

TestingMeizu Pro 7 . Results in the AnTuTu benchmark

TestingMeizuPro 7. Results in the GeekBench benchmark

TestingMeizu Pro 7 . Visual test results EpicCitadel

As you can see, Pro 7 shows results that are typical mainly for mid-range smartphones.

The volume of built-in eMMC 5.1 memory in the Pro 7 is 64 GB, with more than 52 GB available after switching on. As in, installation of a microSD memory card, unfortunately, is not provided. Thanks to support for USB-OTG technology, it is easy to connect regular flash drives to the device.

Both subscriber identification modules in nanoSIM (4FF) format are connected to the same radio channel, therefore they operate in Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) mode. The Phone application has the ability to record voice calls, and both SIM card slots support LTE Cat. 6 (300/50 Mbit/s) and VoLTE technology for high-quality voice transmission. The “Russian three” FDD-LTE frequency ranges are available in fourth-generation networks - b3 (1,800 MHz), b7 (2,600 MHz) and b20 (800 MHz). The Pro 7's wireless communications suite includes a dual-band Wi-Fi module 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.2 (LE). The lack of an NFC interface cuts off the possibility of use Android service Pay.

It is proposed to use satellite satellites to determine location and navigation. GPS systems and GLONASS. Wi-Fi coordination mode is also available and cellular networks A-GPS.

The “musical” flagship was equipped with a 3,000 mAh lithium-polymer battery, the capacity of which was 440 mAh more than its predecessor (2,560 mAh). The smartphone comes with the same power adapter model UP1220E (5 V/9 V/12 V, 2 A), which supports fast mCharge charging 3.0. Thanks to it, in half an hour the installed battery is filled by about half.

Thus, the AnTuTu Tester program, when testing the smartphone battery, estimated the achieved result at 11,694 points. At the same time, playing a test set of videos in MP4 format (hardware decoding) and Full HD quality at full brightness every hour reduced the battery charge by about 6-7%.

To save battery power, the “Battery” settings offer two energy saving modes that reduce consumption to the minimum possible, depending on the functionality of the smartphone being maintained. Here you can stop at maximum performance, or strike a balance between performance and autonomy.

Meizu Pro 7 review: software features

The new “musical” flagship runs on the Android 7.0 (Nougat) operating system, the interface of which is replaced by the proprietary Flyme OS 6.1.3.0G shell. Note that in Meizu smartphones Google services are installed independently. We will not discuss the “convenience” of such an option here, but simply recall the sequence of actions. On the main screen you need to go to App Store, and then follow the link “The most required applications" ("More"), where to launch Google Apps Installer.

There is no application menu in the Flyme launcher - program shortcuts, folders and widgets are placed directly on the desktop. It is convenient to launch the task manager by swiping from the bottom edge of the screen. At the same time, the list of open applications opens horizontally, and the “Close all” button (x) has moved to the bottom of the display. The notification shade can accommodate 15 icons quick access, and four more are on the additional list.

The task manager displays the amount of memory used for each application. Running program(swipe down on its preview opens the menu) can be protected from closing, hide the contents of its screen when scrolling, or (if possible) open in one of the two windows into which the screen is divided. The “Special Features” section contains gestures on a switched off screen to quickly wake up the smartphone, as well as “smart” gestures for a ring with adjustable transparency.

For connected Wi-Fi networks it is proposed to check its security, and, in addition, measure the exchange speed.

You can take a “long” screenshot and immediately edit it by simultaneously pressing and holding the power/lock button and the volume rocker (decrease/increase), and then tapping on the “Edit” icon.

The mTouch fingerprint scanner with a capacitive sensor will register up to five papillary finger patterns located in any direction (360 degrees). The response speed for recognition is no more than 0.15 seconds. Using stored fingerprints, it is proposed not only to lock the screen, but also to restrict access to files and applications.

Meizu Pro 7 review: purchase, conclusions

Among the main features of the Meizu Pro 7, the first thing worth noting is, perhaps, not even the high-quality sound in the headphones, but the additional color touch screen on the rear panel, as well as the dual main camera, which significantly expanded the functionality of this “musical” flagship. In addition to the nice design, good battery life, fast charging and a fast fingerprint scanner added bonus points to the new smartphone.

Unfortunately, the performance of Meizu Pro 7 turned out to be not flagship at all, and corresponds only to the level of middle-class smartphones. Other shortcomings include the lack of not only a slot for microSD memory cards, but also an NFC interface.

So far, no smartphone on the market can boast of having an additional color touch screen that could be used to control the music player and take selfies with the dual main camera. This is the competitive advantage of the new device, which, by the way, has not become any less “musical” because of this. For Meizu Pro 7 on the company's official website (at the time of writing the review) they asked for 35,640 rubles. The price, of course, is rather high, but taking into account all of the above, the new smartphone is worth the money.

Results of the review of the Meizu Pro 7 smartphone

Pros:

• Original, stylish design
• Additional screen
• Dual camera
• Hi-Fi sound in headphones
• Fast charging
• Good autonomy
• Fast fingerprint scanner

Minuses:

• Average performance
• Built-in memory is not expandable microSD cards
• Lack of NFC interface

Characteristics

• Case materials: metal, glass
• Operating system: Android 7, Flyme 6 shell
• Network: 2G, 3G, 4G, two SIM cards (both nanoSIM)
• Screen: SuperAMOLED, 5.7’’, 2560x1440 pixels (QHD), automatic backlight level adjustment, 2.5D protective glass
• Additional screen: AMOLED, 1.9 inches, 240x536 pixels
• Platform: MediaTek
• Processor: 10 cores, MediaTek Helio X-30 2.6 GHz
• Graphics: IMG PowerVR 7XTP
• RAM: 6GB LPDDR4x
• Storage memory: 64/128 GB (UFS 2.1)
• Main cameras: 12+12 MP (color and black and white), f/2.0. IMX386, phase focusing, dual-tone flash
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.0
• Audio: Cirrus Logic CS43130 DAC
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.2 (A2DP, LE), USB Type-C connector (USB 2.0) for charging/syncing, 3.5 mm for headset
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS ( A-GPS support)
• Additionally: fingerprint scanner
• Sensors: accelerometer, position sensor, light sensor, gyroscope
• Battery: non-removable, 3500 mAh
• Dimensions: 157 x 72 x 7.3 mm
• Weight: 170 grams

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone
• Network adapter
• USB Type-C cable
• Metal clip for removing the SIM tray
• Brief instructions
• Warranty card
• Plastic bumper

Introduction

Every year and even more often, technology manufacturers try to surprise us with new capabilities of their devices, but almost always this is a banal presentation of another powerful processor, multi-pixel cameras or things that never take root over time.

It is now almost impossible to surprise a technology-savvy consumer for a number of reasons. The first is listed above, and the second is numerous leaks that completely discourage even geeks from watching presentations of new products: long before the official event, all technical parameters and other secret information end up in the media. It is interesting that sometimes such “leaks” are carried out by the vendors themselves or their PR agencies - of course, at the instigation of management.

Meizu held out until the last, but also gave up in the last months before the official announcement of Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus: photographs of smartphones with double screens began to appear on the Internet more and more often. Maybe that’s why the “bugs” were not received as warmly as the manufacturer would have liked.

It seems to me that this time Meizu did not have the task of showing off a sophisticated piece of hardware. I think they wanted to demonstrate something original and unforgettable, something that various resources would later write praises about. The idea is actually great: almost no one will go into the technical details of the gadgets, but many will remember the magic words “two Meizu screens” or “additional Meizu display.”

Thus, two devices were born that stand out among all other gadgets by the presence of an additional display on the back side.

To be fair, it is worth noting that we have already seen similar solutions with E-ink matrices and miniature LCD screens on the top end of the phone and on the back. However, Meizu showed their vision by fitting a small display into the back of the case closer to the right side.

At this stage of development, the additional screen does not have wide capabilities and deep settings: it displays the time and date, number of steps, weather, simple notifications without detailed data, animated screensavers. That is, the Meizu team has something to work on, especially since it depends only on the programmers. I would like the API to reach third-party developers as well.

As for the other parameters, they are quite in the spirit of our time: new, relatively fast processor, a large amount of RAM and built-in UFS memory, a high-quality screen, two main camera modules (black and white and color) and a music chip.

The prices for Meizu's new products were apparently invented based on the fact that they began to position themselves as a premium Chinese brand, or a manufacturer that has achieved some success and now has the opportunity to show off. Hence it turns out that a potential Russian buyer should buy Pro 7 for almost 36,000 rubles, and Pro 7 Plus for 45,000 rubles.

Design, dimensions, control elements

The front panel is almost the same as that of any other Meizu smartphone: not the largest frames around the perimeter of the screen, 2.5D glass, a familiar mechanical button and a fingerprint scanner. Regardless of the color, the front panel is always black. In total, 4 colors were invented for the Pro 7 Plus: black, gold and silver, and glossy black (or matte black) was reserved for modification with 128 GB of internal memory.

In my review it turned out to be amber-gold, although in real life It’s not easy to pinpoint the color: it’s somewhere between copper and light grey. I liked the glossy version, it looks interesting and unusual with transverse veins for polishing the metal. Although Huawei P9 Plus looked something like this, which I also liked because of its design.

The only question that raises questions is the additional screen, which does not quite fit correctly into the overall style of the gadget: a black glossy rectangle stands out against a golden background, moreover, it is located on the side, and not in the center or somewhere else. Know that somewhere at Meizu headquarters one (and maybe more than one) perfectionist is crying.

I’ve heard many versions on the Internet about why the additional screen was positioned this way. One option: the display is perceived as a continuation of the main screen with all the swipe movements.

I would mount the screen horizontally at the top center almost the entire width of the device. Below is an example that I made on my own in Photoshop. So the aesthetics are preserved, and the information is read better.

The glossy device is quite slippery, so be careful. Fingerprints remain, but do not interfere with use much. Meizu inscription with reverse side engraved, which looks original.

After Apple iPhone 8 Plus, the Meizu Pro 7 Plus gadget seems thin and narrow, although this opinion appeared only after purchasing the device from Apple.

In any case, the width of 72 mm is not good, it should be less than 70 for a comfortable one-handed grip, but this is not accurate.

If, in my subjective opinion, it were not for the strange placement of the second screen, then I would call the design of the Meizu Pro 7 Plus ideal: strict appearance, high-quality assembly, glossy metal, and so on.

On the top of the front panel there is an indicator of missed events (for some reason it works after a minute), sensors, a selfie camera, and a speaker. The speaker is loud, intelligibility is high, and you are heard just as well.

At the bottom is a standard Meizu multifunctional mechanical button with a touch zone and a fingerprint scanner. To unlock using a fingerprint sensor, you need to press a button.

At the bottom end there is a speakerphone mesh, a Type-C connector, a microphone and a 3.5 mm audio output.

On the right, in a nice border, there is a power button and a volume rocker key; they are metal. The slot for nano SIM cards is on the left. There was no room for the memory card. On top is an additional microphone.

Meizu pro 7 Plus and Apple iPhone 8 Plus

Meizu Pro 7 Plus and ASUS Zenfone 4

Display

Meizu Pro 7 Plus uses a screen with a diagonal of 5.7 inches. The physical size of the Pro 6 Plus display is 70.5x125 mm, the frame on top is 15 mm, on the bottom – 16, on the right and left – just over 3 mm. There is an anti-reflective coating.

The display resolution of Meizu Pro 7 Plus is QuadHD, that is, 2560x1440 pixels, density is 515 pixels per inch. The matrix is ​​manufactured by Samsung - SuperAMOLED. The so-called Pentile effect is completely invisible, density makes all the difference!

The maximum brightness of white color is 426 cd/m2 (official data is 430). Contrast – 10,000:1.

The white line is the goal we are trying to achieve. The yellow line is the actual screen data. You can see that we are almost directly on the target curve at values ​​from 0 to 100%, which means that at each value the image is sufficiently highlighted. The yellow line is actually the average amount of red, green and blue.

The average gamma value is ideal.

Judging by the level graph, blue is in excess and red is in short supply.

Judging by the chart, the data obtained is MUCH larger than the sRGB triangle, especially in the green zone.

Almost all gray points are located outside the DeltaE=10 radius, which indicates that other shades of colors will be present in gray colors.

The viewing angles are maximum; at a certain tilt of the screen, the picture turns slightly green.

Viewing Angles

The device supports quick wake-up functions: double tap, other gestures.

Additional screen

The diagonal is 1.9 inches, the AMOLED matrix, the resolution is 240x536 pixels (307 pixels per inch), the brightness is about 350 cd/m2.

In the settings for it there are special settings “Second screen”. There you can turn it on or even turn it off, set the activation mode with a double tap, select wallpaper (six in total - time, hummingbird, silk, explosion, jellyfish and water), there are also notifications (incoming calls, music, charging), a pedometer, weather and camera.

From the second screen you cannot answer a call (there is not even information about the number or name of the subscriber), you cannot reject it, you cannot read SMS or any other messages social networks. What’s even stranger is that while playing music there is no way to rewind the melody or select another one. You either see the name of the current track, or swipe to turn off music notifications altogether. To activate them, you need to exit and re-enter the music player.

I think that the developers will release more than one firmware for Pro 7/Pro 7 Plus.

The only time I actually used the additional screen was taking selfies with the main cameras with a bokeh effect. To do this, you need to activate the second screen and swipe down or up.

Battery

This model uses non-removable battery capacity 3500 mAh (lithium polymer).

When working with the device, the battery lasted for about 15-17 hours: about 20-30 minutes of calls per day, about 6 hours of 3G/4G use (constant synchronization of mail, Twitter, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.), about 5 hours of Wi-Fi , several dozen photos, an hour of listening to music.

In a more gentle mode, the gadget works for up to 24 hours. If you leave only data synchronization (Wi-Fi), then you can count on two days. Up to 13 hours of continuous talk time.

In movie mode (720p test video), the battery runs out after about 13 hours 30 minutes, in gaming mode the battery lasts for about 6 hours 30 minutes, in sound playback mode at maximum volume – up to 60 hours.

The device supports fast charging mCharge – 5/9/12 V – 2 A.

Communication capabilities

The device is equipped with two nanoSIM slots. Both connectors support 3G/4G networks (LTE CAT 6) in Russian frequencies: FDD-LTE / TDD-LTE / WCDMA / GSM.

Network types:

• 2G GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• 3G WCDMA/HSPA
• 4G FDD-LTE bands 1/3/5/7

The rest is standard: Wi-Fi (ac and b/g/n/ac) dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C connector (USB-OTG, USB-Host) for charging /sync. GPS navigation works without problems.

There is still no NFC chip in Meizu phones. This is sad, considering the cost of the device - 45,000 rubles.

Memory

The RAM in this model is 6 GB LPDDR4x (speed 4800 MB/s). The internal memory can be either 64 GB or 128 GB. Speed ​​of the 64 GB version of the device: reading – 123 MB/s, writing – 178 MB/s. Strange, extremely low figures, since the declared memory type is UFS 2.1.

Cameras

The new Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus each received two main cameras: one module is black and white, and the other is color. This was done in order to expand the dynamic range.

Both cameras are equipped with the same Sony IMX386 sensor, which we saw in the Pro 6 Plus smartphone. The optics consists of six lenses, the aperture is f/2.0. Focus is phase.

1. Why doesn’t a flagship for 45,000 rubles have optical stabilization in the camera?
2. Why did they install optics with an f/2.0 aperture in the 2017 device?
3. Where did the laser focusing go, because it was in the Pro 6 Plus?

God bless him, with this laser focus, but “optostab” should be a priori, and the aperture in modern top-end gadgets, equal to f/1.7-1.8, is a given.

Since all cameras shoot at least well during the day and about the same, I tested them in low light conditions. Here are shots from Huawei P10 Plus, Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Meizu Pro 7 Plus.

Frankly speaking, before shooting I thought that the difference in quality would be significant. In the end, it turned out that the iPhone has a slightly more detailed and color-correct picture, while with Huawei and Meizu everything turned out, plus or minus, the same, except that the noise reduction in Meizu works stronger, and therefore the image is less sharp.

If Meizu had installed an optical stabilizer and optics with an f/1.7 aperture, the result would have been no worse than Apple’s.

As for background blur, it works at the level of all Android gadgets with two cameras, that is, not great, but it will do. As far as I understand, the blur level cannot be adjusted, unlike Huawei devices. Sometimes the bokeh effect on Meizu pro 7 Plus is so strong that the frame looks unnatural. On this moment The most optimal non-adjustable bokeh is the background blur effect on Apple devices.

The 16 MP (f/2.0) selfie camera is ordinary in terms of quality, without autofocus. Video is shot in FullHD resolution.

The Meizu Pro 7 Plus video device can create maximum UHD resolution at 30 fps in any lighting conditions. The quality of these videos is excellent, even at night. However, switching to FullHD, the camera shows a primitive picture with noise and artifacts. The disadvantage of video shooting is the constantly floating focus.

There are manual camera settings: ISO (100 – 1600), shutter speed (1/500 – 20 seconds), focus and white balance. The only thing is that the developers incorrectly indicated the icon for shutter speed, since the aperture is shown there.

Sample photos

Day

Night

In room

Selfie

bokeh

New features in CorePilot 4.0 include UX Monitoring and System Power Allocator (SPA). System Power Allocator technology is a power distribution system that predicts energy usage scenarios. It determines which application is currently the most important for the user and monitors energy consumption. UX Monitoring analyzes information coming from the system, its current state, running processes and tasks that require immediate execution.

Full featured chipset features include:

• 10nm technological process, 10 compute cores, three-cluster architecture for extreme performance: two ARM Cortex-A73 cores (up to 2.5 GHz), four ARM Cortex-A53 cores (up to 2.2 GHz) and four ARM Cortex-A35 cores (up to 1.9 GHz).
• Adapted for MediaTek Helio X30 GPU PowerVR Series7XT Plus @ 880 MHz

The device barely heats up even under high load. Almost all games are running. Almost, because some of them may not be optimized for MediaTek. During the test, no glitches or brakes of the system, as well as lags and friezes of the shell were noticed.

In Antutu, the device scores a modest 116,000 points for a powerful flagship chipset.



The system, of course, is Google. Android versions 7.0. At the time of writing this review, the Flyme version is 6.1.2.0G. It's time to roll out 7.1, or even prepare for 8.0.



Multimedia

To output polyphony or just any music, only one speaker is used. He's loud and bassy. It seems to me that it is borrowed from the Pro 5 device. Which, in general, is not bad.

As for the musical component, Meizu traditionally offers separate DACs in its top-end devices. This time it's a 32-bit Cirrus Logic CS43130 with a built-in headphone amplifier. It provides:

• Output power up to 30 mW per channel with a load of 32 Ohms or up to 5 mW per channel with a load of 600 Ohms!
• Dynamic range 130 dB
• Coefficient nonlinear distortion+ noise -108
• Sampling frequency 384 kHz



Since I am not an audiophile, but I have a more or less good understanding of sound quality, I can say that the Pro 7 Plus does its job very well. Another question is that I did not have enough volume when connecting monitor headphones. Well, using a 5-band equalizer from 100 Hz to 16 kHz is somehow too primitive for a gadget with a cool “duck”. There should be an equalizer with ten bands, and the frequency adjustment should start at 30 Hz and end at 20 kHz.



Conclusion

In my subjective opinion, the Meizu team will have a hard time with the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus devices, since the new products turned out to be somewhat controversial. In each section of this review you can find certain nuances of the Pro 7 Plus: the strange location of the additional screen and its not the best functionality, rather slow built-in memory for a flagship, lack of NFC, lack of an optical stabilizer on the camera, small aperture on the lens, not the highest performance (if judging by the tests), not the latest version of the Android OS (but this is not so important, since everything is tied to the proprietary shell).

It will also not be easy because the cost of the Pro 7 Plus in Russia is 45,000 rubles for the version with 64 GB of internal memory (if you look, you can find from 36,000 rubles), and 50,000 rubles will have to be paid for 128 GB (from 40,000 rubles). For this money you can now buy almost anything:

• HTC U11. Price – from 37,000 rubles for the 64 GB version and approximately 42,000 rubles for the 128 GB version;
• LG G6. It’s easy to take from 35,000 rubles;
• Samsung Galaxy S8+. The smartphone needs no introduction. It will cost you from 42,000 rubles for the 64 GB version;
• Huawei P10 Plus. Price – from 35,000 rubles;
• OnePlus 5. The 6/64 GB version is available for 40,000 rubles;
• Apple iPhone 7 Plus. You can find from 48,000 rubles for the 128 GB version;
• Nokia 8. Cost – from 35,000 rubles.

All prices are taken from stores selling official products.

If we talk about the advantages, then these are:

• Excellent assembly and case materials;
• Unusual appearance of the back side due to the additional screen;
• Good SuperAMOLED screen matrix with choice of color rendering and saturation;
• High quality dual camera(Photo and video);
• Cool sound.

If you are a fan of the brand and are looking for the very best among Meizu gadgets, then pay attention to the Pro 7 or Pro 7 Plus. I believe that the Pro 6 Plus still has a place for less money. However, two cameras are present only in new products.

In general, I described the device in as much detail as possible, and, as they like to write now, this is “the most honest review on the RuNet” :)

The Meizu Pro 7 release date was July 26, 2017. The new product caused a great stir. The smartphone has an updated design, is not similar to previous models, has two screens and a dual camera. You can purchase a flagship from 33,000 rubles. The exact cost depends on the modification. The manufacturer tried to introduce as many innovations as possible into the new product. The Meizu Pro 7 review will tell you in detail about the Chinese flagship.

Design

The manufacturer tried to create a smartphone that is not similar to previous models, has interesting options and less powerful hardware. The second display on the rear panel and the dual camera module aroused great interest among fans. Only premium quality materials were used in the construction of the case. It is very pleasant to the touch, but can easily slip out of your hands. To prevent this from happening, the manufacturer includes a silicone bumper that fits over the back smartphone. With it, the device does not slip and fits comfortably in the hand.

The Meizu Pro 7 case comes in several colors, the most attractive in a matte black version. This is the only color where the second screen completely merges with the body and looks solid. The entire front part is covered with 2.5D curved glass. Below the display there is an oval home button and a fingerprint scanner built into it. Above the screen are sensors, an earpiece and a front camera.

The back is made of anodized aluminum, very smooth to the touch and expensive in appearance. The second display is located on the side of the back of the case. The design looks very unusual, and sometimes it seems appropriate to position it a little differently.

Display

There are no complaints about the display of the new flagship; it is based on a Super Amoled matrix. The main screen is 5.2 inches in size and has a FullHD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It displays the picture juicy and rich, all colors are as close to natural as possible. The viewing angle is quite large. The entire display is covered with protective 2.5D tempered glass from Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Second display

The optional touch screen of Meizu Pro 7 is main feature smartphone. It is equipped with an Amoled matrix with a resolution of 1.9 inches (240x536 pixels). It has a high-quality oleophobic coating. It is intended to display various notifications; the time and weather forecast are constantly displayed on it. You can make settings according to your preferences.

The second screen can be used for taking selfies with the main camera. This will allow you to create high-quality photos for social networks, and using the built-in software you can create real masterpieces.

By the way, it is not at all necessary to use an additional screen. You can deactivate it in the settings.

Performance

The Chinese flagship is equipped with an eight-core MediaTek Helio P25 processor and a Mali-T880 graphics accelerator. The phone is available in two versions, the difference being the ROM capacity of 64 and 128 GB, as well as RAM 4/6 GB. High performance allows you to use your smartphone to solve various tasks. It is suitable not only for calls and communication. Powerful hardware allows you to run quite demanding games on the device, without any problems and the device will not freeze.

Despite all the performance advantages, Meizu Pro 7 was not equipped with an NFC interface. The developer did not consider it necessary to add contactless smartphone payments to the flagship options. The problem is not critical, but it would be nicer if the function was present in the top model.

Sound

Fans of impeccable sound will appreciate the new product. A powerful dedicated Cirrus Logic CS43130 audio chip is installed here, which has a built-in headphone amplifier. You will get clear and rich sound not only through the speaker, but also through high-quality, powerful headphones. The sound of Meizu Pro 7 is simply mesmerizing with crystal clarity and excellent detail. Every note is heard clearly, detailed highs and lows allow you to enjoy listening to your favorite music.

Autonomous operation

The big advantage of a smartphone is fast charging. The battery charges from zero to 100 percent in just an hour. The battery capacity is 3000 mAh. At first glance, the volume may seem small, since a large screen and powerful processor can consume a lot of energy. A full charge will last for a maximum of 8 hours of active use.

Despite the energy-saving screen matrix and energy-intensive processor, during continuous games or watching videos, the smartphone will be discharged in 4-6 hours. If you don’t want to be left with a dead battery at the most inopportune moment, it’s better to stock up good power Bank, which will always be at hand.

Main camera

The Meizu Pro 7 review will tell you about another main advantage of the smartphone - its dual camera. It is equipped with a SONY IMX386 matrix, which allows you to take clear, rich and high-quality images. It is possible to create portraits with a blurred background. One camera module is black and white, the other is color. The resolution of each is 12 megapixels. The equipment includes laser autofocus and a two-tone LED flash.

The shooting quality is at the level of flagships from other manufacturers. Excellent high-quality photos will turn out as if daylight, and at night. Noises and ripples are completely absent, the shooting is as detailed as possible. IN automatic mode night photography may not be enough high quality. Maximum detail can be achieved using manual settings and photography skills.

The location of the camera is not quite usual; it is located above the additional display. This is slightly lower than the usual location.

The Meizu Pro 7 smartphone does not have the most best quality video, but it is inherent in many flagship models. Shoots in 4k resolution (1920×1080). It's quite suitable for amateur reportage photography.

Front-camera

The manufacturer stated that the front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels. Such large figures are natural only on paper. In fact, the camera records somewhat weaker. In quality, it is much inferior to the main 12 megapixel camera module.

Advantages

The undeniable advantages include:

• Stylish design with two screens;
• Powerful filling;
• A camera with a good matrix that allows you to take high-quality photographs;
• All audiophiles will certainly appreciate the high sound quality of music in headphones;
• The presence of fast charging allows you to charge your phone in just 1 hour.

Flaws

The gadget has few shortcomings, but still has them. These include:

• Lack of optical stabilization when shooting video;
• High price;
• Small battery capacity.

conclusions

A review of the Meizu Pro 7 smartphone talked about a new unusual flagship with two screens. Of course, the device makes no sense to compete with the top models of the world market, but it has its own zest and advantages. The dual camera and second screen have become the best distinguishing feature of this gadget. Otherwise, it is similar to phones in this price category from other Chinese manufacturers.

For a long time, news about Meizu Pro 7 intrigued fans with various information. The additional screen was of particular interest to everyone, but many did not like its location. Despite its shortcomings, the smartphone deserves attention and respect.

In 2015-2016, Meizu released new smartphone models one after another. In two years, the company announced twenty-one new products. The devices differed little from each other; sometimes the difference between the models had to be looked for, if not under a microscope, then with a magnifying glass. All the more unexpected is the experiment with an additional screen on the rear panel, which the company went for in the flagship model Pro 7. Let's study it and figure out how successful this experiment turned out to be and what, besides it, is interesting about the compact flagship Meizu.

It should be noted that Meizu worked closely with MediaTek on many aspects of the smartphone, and for both companies the implementation of a second display was a novelty. The Pro 7 model has been available since Helio processors P25 and Helio X30, however, the small variant of the smartphone with the X30 will not be sold anywhere except the Chinese market. Therefore, hereinafter we will talk about Pro 7 on Helio P25.

Technical characteristics of Meizu Pro 7:

• Network: GSM (Band 2, 3, 5, 8), CDMA (BC0), WCDMA (Band 1, 2, 5, 8), TD-SCDMA (Band 34, 39), FDD-LTE (Band 1, 3, 5, 7, 20), TDD-LTE (Band 38, 39, 40, 41)
• Platform: Android 7.0 Nougat with Flyme OS 6 firmware
• Main display: 5.2", 1920x1080 pixels, 423 ppi, 10,000:1, 350 nits, SuperAMOLED, 2.5D glass, 10-point multi-touch
• Additional display: 1.9", 536x240 pixels, 307 ppi, 10,000:1, 350 nits, AMOLED
• Camera: double (b/w + color), 12 MP + 12 MP, Sony IMX386, f/2.0, phase focus, 6 lenses, dual LED flash in different colors,
• Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.0, 5 lenses
• Processor: 8 cores Cortex-A53, 4 x 2.6 GHz + 4 x 1.6 GHz, 16 nm, MediaTek Helio P25
• Graphics chip: Mali-T880MP2, 1 GHz
• RAM: 4GB LPDDR4X
• Internal memory: 64 GB (eMMC 5.1)
• Memory card: no
• A-GPS, GLONASS
• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
• Bluetooth 4.2LE
• Ports: USB Type-C, 3.5 mm
• Two nano-SIM slots
• Fingerprint scanner mTouch 2.1
• Audio: Hi-Fi DAC Cirrus Logic CS43130, SmartPA
• Battery: non-removable, 3000 mAh, mCharge 3.0 fast charging
• Dimensions: 147.62 x 70.72 x 7.3 mm
• Weight: 163 g

Video review and unboxing

Equipment and design

Meizu Pro 7 comes in an unusual black plastic box. The kit includes the smartphone itself, a needle for removing SIM trays, a USB cable, Charger mCharge 3.0 (up to 24 W), documentation and - which is very unusual for Meizu - a case. A simple hard case that protects the smartphone from the back and sides, and also protrudes slightly above the front panel to protect the screen. The case is easily scratched and deprives you of the thrill of touching the metal case, but the smartphone protects – and that’s the main thing.

In Russia, Meizu Pro 7 is available in black, red and gold colors. All colors are matte. I like the red and black colors best. Red - because the combination of a red back and a black apron, which, unfortunately, Apple did not think of, looks very cool. And black - because in this color the second display does not stand out. In the red version, the display also, surprisingly, fits in organically. The same cannot be said about the gold one - there the screen looks completely alien.

I liked the design of the black Meizu Pro 7. The device looks very neat, all the elements are in their place. The plastic strips blend into the body. If you don't know about them, you might not notice them. Perhaps the second screen could have been played out better, but the option chosen by Meizu does not seem unsuccessful. And the recessed vertical company logo, placed in the lower right corner, looks very appropriate and advantageous. There is no scattering of round holes above the screen - only the front camera peephole. Light and proximity sensors are neatly placed in the cutout for the speaker grille. Interesting solution, Smartisan had this.

The smartphone is small (5.2" plus small frames on the left and right), the location of all control elements is good, the fingerprint scanner is in its best place– under the screen, so ergonomics should be at their best. However, not everything is so smooth. More precisely, everything is too smooth: Meizu overdid the polishing of the phone a little, and it turned out to be slippery. No matter how you take it, there is no feeling of a reliable grip. You have to put on the case: (But the matte back feels just like the iPhone 7. I think this is what the company was aiming for. And I’ll point out an engineering mistake - the only multimedia speaker is located on the left side of the bottom end, and it’s very easy to block it. By the way, this Some other Chinese manufacturers also sin (OnePlus 5 is one example).

The main SuperAMOLED screen has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels with a diagonal of 5.2". The pixel density is 423 ppi. The display brightness is 350 nits. For use outdoors on a sunny day, it is enough. As is traditional for OLED screens, the black color is very deep, but the white is not up to par (but it’s not particularly annoying). PenTile is noticeable if you look closely, but during normal use it also doesn’t cause discomfort. The viewing angles are maximum, noticeable inversions appear only when looking almost along the display. And the company has forgotten about 3D Press.

At first glance, it may seem that there is no LED indicator in Meizu Pro 7, but there is one - to the left of the speaker, it reacts to missed events. The mTouch fingerprint scanner is in its usual place – below the screen. This is a button that when pressed means the action “home”, and when touched it means “back”. The multitasking menu opens by swiping up (or from right to left, if changed in the settings); there is no button for it. For those who switch to Meizu, such a control system may be unusual at first, but in one or two days you completely get used to it and begin to consider it convenient and thoughtful.

Software

Meizu Pro 7 is based on Flyme OS firmware, based on the operating Android system version 7.0 Nougat. The version of Flyme OS itself is 6. As I already said in the review of Meizu M3E (link), there are a lot of small changes in it, but nothing revolutionary. All the features we've never seen before are related to the second screen, and we'll talk about them separately. The shell is pleasant and comfortable, I had no complaints about the stability of its operation.

Second screen

It's time to talk separately about the main feature of Meizu Pro 7 - the additional screen on the rear panel. It has a diagonal of 1.9" and a resolution of 536x240 pixels (307 ppi), the brightness is the same 350 nits, the technology is AMOLED (this time for some reason without the marketing prefix Super). There is oleophobia.

By default, the secondary display interface consists of three screens that scroll horizontally: clock, steps, and weather. By swiping up or down we get to the camera menu, where three modes are offered: background blur, facial beauty, original. Taking photos is done by touching the screen (with a three-second timer) or using the volume down button (without a timer). When shooting with the volume rocker, especially when there is insufficient light, try to hold the device tightly - otherwise the frame will be blurred. A timer would also be nice in this scenario. The ability to use a second screen is also available in the camera application. When you press a special button rear display begins to play the role of an additional viewfinder. As a result, both the photographer and the person being photographed see the frame. What else do you need a second screen for? To show notifications and animated screensavers, of course!

But that's not all about the second screen! Many people know that Meizu began its journey by releasing players. It is therefore not surprising that the smartphone can be turned into a purely music player, which can be useful during a flight. To switch to music mode, you need to hold down the power button and select the appropriate option. After this, all telephone functions will be inactive, the main display will turn off, and tracks will be displayed on the secondary display. As for the sound from the phone in general, I would put it at the Pro 6 level. The volume is enough, the tracks play cleanly, energetically, this is enough for most users. It is better not to connect high-impedance headphones. What should I connect? Well, the Meizu HD50 and the new Flow plugs worked great with the device. I’m glad that Meizu and MediaTek do not ignore the musical roots of the Zhuhai vendor and agreed to enhance the audio capabilities of the device by integrating the Cirrus Logic CS43130 Hi-Fi DAC into the Helio P25 platform. But they could have installed it on the stock codec!

The second screen features don't seem far-fetched to me. These are mostly interesting and convenient things that cannot be implemented without an additional display on the rear panel. I hope that Meizu will not abandon this interesting development, and in new models we will continue to see a second screen, which will receive new interesting functions over time.

Camera

Meizu Pro 7 was the first among the company's smartphones to receive a dual main camera. And who came to the rescue? That's right - MediaTek! The Helio P25 chip has an advanced digital signal processor (ISP), optimized specifically for dual cameras with a monochrome matrix. This ISP can work with two 13-megapixel sensors (or one 24-megapixel), but for the Pro 7 they took a pair of 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 sensors, equipping them with six-lens optics (f/2.0). Additional camera does not have a color filter and can be used to create black and white photographs. It also serves to blur the background in portrait mode. The phone puts a watermark on the pictures it takes by default, but this can be turned off (and it's better to turn it off, in my opinion).

Meizu Pro 7 is capable of taking very good photos. The smartphone camera makes almost no mistakes with white balance and color rendition, and it often pleases with detail, and this also applies to pictures in low-light conditions. Sometimes there were problems with autofocus, which could not adjust all the way into the distance and had to be helped with a finger. This is noticeable in early comparison shots next to the Pro 7 Plus. The Pro 7’s photos are not as clear and it’s clear that the focus was slightly tweaked. Fortunately, this has already been fixed. We, as reviewers, were sent test firmware several times, and one of them just improved the camera’s performance. With commercial devices everything was fine right away.

By the way, despite the absolute identity of the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus cameras on paper, they still photograph differently. The difference in color rendition is very rare and the pictures look the same with rare exceptions (a photo of a sunset, for example), but differences in noise and detail can be traced and they are not in favor of the small one. Why? Because the drivers are different and the chips are different - P25 is mid-level, and X30 is flagship. However, the differences are so small that they can only be noticed with a direct and close comparison, and even then not always. In general, don’t worry about the photo.

Meizu Pro 7 - Pro 7 Plus:

Meizu Pro 7 - Pro 7 Plus

Photo with old software - photo with new software
Each pair has Pro 7 on the left, Pro 7 Plus on the right

Portrait mode on Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus works the same way - quite accurately, although the boundaries of objects are not always determined accurately. The main point of Meizu's portraits is the "aggressive" bokeh, which makes the picture in the background very blurry. You can’t adjust the strength of the bokeh; it doesn’t always look natural, and that’s up to anyone to decide. Some people like the naturalness of portraits with the iPhone 7 Plus, while others like the wow blur of Meizu.

Meizu Pro 7

Meizu Pro 7 Plus

Meizu Pro 7 - Pro 7 Plus

Although Meizu Pro 7 makes it easy to take selfies with the main camera, the smartphone also has a front camera, and a good 16-megapixel one – useful for video calling. Selfies turn out good, but they are still inferior to images taken on the rear module. We compared them for fun. The comparison is in favor of the main camera, naturally. This is the very moment when resolution does not indicate quality.

Basic camera, facial beauty - basic. camera, blur – front camera

Video shooting is limited to 1080p@30fps. Moreover, the Helio P25 claims to record 4K at 24fps. Meizu deliberately did not enable this mode on the Pro 7, since the result would be inferior in smoothness to Full HD (judging by other models on the P25, where 4K is active). Nevertheless, the smartphone captures sound well, and the detail for 1080 is not bad. You can shoot slow-motion videos (480p, 4 times slowdown) and time-lapses (acceleration from 15x to 240x).

Performance and tests

The hardware of Meizu Pro 7 caused a lot of controversy. People were perplexed why the company installed a mid-level chipset in a smartphone from the flagship line. However, MediaTek positions the Helio P25 as a “premium solution for thin smartphones,” that is, it is still a top-end processor in the understanding of the Chinese parties. The eight-core processor includes four “slow” Cortex-A53 cores (operating at up to 1.6 GHz) and four “fast” Cortex-A53 cores (up to 2.6 GHz). The Mali-T880MP2 video accelerator with a frequency of up to 1 GHz is responsible for the graphics. It comes with 4 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64 GB of internal eMMC5.1 memory (52.6 GB free). There is no microSD slot. More powerful version The compact Pro 7, which has a Helio X30 chipset and 128 GB of UFS 2.1 memory, is not available outside of China.

Performance mode

Meizu has long had several performance modes in its smartphones. We tested the Pro 7 under heavy load in maximum performance mode and in balance between performance and autonomy mode, and we did not notice any difference in speed. Therefore, you can install any or play it safe (if you are a gamer) and turn on the maximum performance mode, there will be no problems. According to Meizu, Flyme OS 6 introduced the One Mind intelligent system, which studies user habits and, based on the analyzed data, offers optimization solutions. The system can supposedly reduce the startup time of the most frequently used applications, finds unused processes running in background to make the entire smartphone work more efficiently. I don’t know which of this is true, but the Pro 7 really works quickly in everyday life.

Balance mode between performance and autonomy

What about performance in real games? The lack of speed is felt only in the most demanding titles, for example, World of Tanks - 60 fps rarely happens there, although there are no wild lags. And it's better not to include Injustice 2. But with maximum graphics, we played Unkilled, Dead Trigger 2, Asphalt Extreme, Modern Strike Online, Last Day on Earth and Air Attack 2 without any problems. It will definitely not be a complete disappointment for anyone who wants to play something . It’s a pity that many users, before the appearance of real tests and reviews, managed to label the Pro 7 with Helio P25 as “a phone not for gaming.” If you're interested, take a look gaming test Meizu Pro 7 Plus on Helio X30:

Unlike the Helio X30, which is made using the latest 10nm process technology, the Helio P25 is made using the older 16nm FinFET+ technology. Despite this, Meizu Pro 7 cannot be accused of either running out of battery quickly (figures in the next paragraph) or overheating. Yes, there is heating, but for me it has never reached such a level that holding the case became unpleasant.

The autonomy of the Meizu Pro 7 is ensured by a battery with a standard capacity of 3000 mAh in modern times. When playing video with maximum brightness and all wireless modules turned on, the discharge from hundreds to zero took fourteen hours. In an hour in Asphalt Extreme, the smartphone lost 19% of its charge, which means it will last for five hours of play. With normal use, a smartphone lasts one and a half to two days with 4-7 hours of screen, and it can only be discharged in one day under very heavy load. We never managed to do this. Colleagues also speak very positively about the autonomy of the Pro 7. Whatever one may say, the combination of a SuperAMOLED screen and the MediaTek Helio P25 processor turned out to be successful. The Meizu Pro 7 has become a compact, long-lasting flagship that also handles games well.

conclusions

After two years of self-copying and stagnation, Meizu decided on an unexpected experiment by installing an additional screen in its flagship smartphone. This idea caused a lot of controversy, but I personally liked it. Firstly, it makes the device stand out from the crowd. Secondly, it offers a number of interesting convenient features. Another experiment was the use of the MediaTek Helio P25 chipset. In terms of gaming capabilities, it did not turn out to be top-end, but it did not disappoint, and also had a positive effect on the autonomy of the device.

Otherwise, we have Meizu in the best traditions: a calm, pleasant design, an excellent fingerprint scanner, decent battery life and functional Flyme OS firmware. The cost of Meizu Pro 7 in Russia is 35,640 rubles. You can get more information on the official website of Meizu in Russia.

At the end of July, that is, quite recently, the Meizu company presented its flagship smartphone Pro 7, you can already do a short review. Rumors about the new product have been circulating for months, and almost all the characteristics were known back in June. The highlight of Meizu Pro 7, which many sellers on Aliexpress are already offering to buy, is the additional display located on the rear back. They also tried to attract attention to the paired cameras – the debut of Meizu smartphones. But the remaining characteristics, information about which appeared on the Internet from time to time, did not arouse much interest among users. What has changed after the official presentation of Meizu Pro 7, about the release date in the world and in Russia and about the price - read in our review.

Contents of delivery

Although we wanted to make a short review of Meizu Pro 7, it’s simply impossible not to mention the packaging. Meizu can be accused of using already boring processors, but the company knows a lot about how to effectively present a product. This time we do not have a rectangular box, as was the case with Pro 6, but a more familiar shape. However, instead of ordinary cardboard, Meizu uses plastic. When you see a box that has sloping edges and the front glossy part is decorated with the number “7,” you understand that this is a really expensive device that 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 placed in a special, fancy-looking compartment. Inside, by the way, another box awaits us, but this time it’s cardboard. Nearby we see a branded clip for removing the tray, and in the main compartment there is a power adapter, a charging cable, documents and a branded case.

Meizu launched the Pro 7 impressively, but will the company keep the bar?

Appearance

Continuing the review of Meizu Pro 7, let's move on to the design. In general, we always sympathized Meizu smartphones exactly his appearance. It seems like nothing special, other companies have already shown something similar, but at the same time I’m ready to forgive weak hardware and less-than-ideal cameras – and all for the sake of this neat design. Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus does not show anything outright unusual, or something that we have not seen before. Before us is Meizu, similar to other smartphones of the company, and, of course, latest iPhone. We have the same sloping edges, rounded corners, sparkling in the light. Screen on the back? Well, it’s the only thing that makes Meizu Pro 7 stand out on the market. But he didn’t embellish the smartphone. Of course, there is no dispute about taste, but it does not add any attractiveness. Yes, and it is located somehow strange.

The main material of the case is metal, which further highlights the presence of an additional display. Below and above are slightly noticeable (at least on the black Meizu Pro 7) plastic inserts for the antennas. The front side is covered with a curved protective glass. Here, on the front, we see the usual mTouch button. Here Meizu has stability, which is good. It also performs the tasks of a fingerprint scanner and, in principle, there are no questions about the speed or accuracy. At the top there is the usual speaker slot, and the front camera peephole is also visible.

According to the classics, the power button paired with a volume adjustment rocker is located on the right. On the left we see a small hole that is used to remove the SIM card tray. The tray is not hybrid, that is, you can only install a pair of nano SIM cards - you cannot install a memory card. On the one hand, this is bad, on the other, similar amounts of memory as the Meizu Pro 7 should be enough. Only the microphone was located on top. At the bottom end USB port Type-C, surrounded by two screws. Here we also find another microphone, a 3.5 mm jack on one side and the main speaker grille on the other. The back side, which everyone has probably already seen, is represented by another display, just above which there is a dual camera, as well as the company logo, located atypically - vertically, on the edge.

Can't find information about the moisture protection of Meizu Pro 7? So, it’s understandable - how can you even find information about something that doesn’t exist? Sad, Meizu. We gathered hundreds of bloggers for the presentation of Meizu Pro 7, as if we were really showing something super top-end, and there weren’t too many flagship features. Maybe every user does not need this moisture protection, but A-brands present it out of inertia.

In general, I would like to call the design quite good. Well, there's no way he can do anything more. Meizu Pro 7 is not frameless, not record thin, and is made of familiar body materials. The dual camera no longer surprises anyone, and the additional display does not look like a design feature.

Screen

From the Meizu Pro 7 body with smooth edges we move smoothly to an overview of the screen. This year Meizu is releasing two flagship smartphones with different screen diagonals. The more compact Meizu Pro 7 received, as it seems to us, the optimal 5.2 inches for today. 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 a good screen with rich colors, which can be easily compared with the displays of flagships of other A-brands.

The older Meizu Pro 7 Plus has a 5.7-inch screen made using the same Super AMOLED technology, but with an increased resolution to 2560x1440 pixels. The stated specifications give an impressive 518 dpi. Of course, the display is at a high level, it has a clear and bright picture, which may seem too cold. However, do not worry - in the settings you can set the display temperature to your liking.

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 reacts quickly to touches, and in general it’s a pleasure to use them.

Additional screen

Some smartphones that have recently been able to attract users with their screens are . Yes, the Meizu Pro 7 has a good display, but is it really what interests us? The additional screen located on the back of the smartphone looks much more interesting. What did he forget there? According to the Meizu Pro 7 manufacturer, the user will receive notifications about missed messages, calls and other alerts through it. This miracle should also help selfie lovers take self-portraits with the main camera (the front 16-megapixel camera is not enough).

As for the characteristics, it uses a 1.9-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 240 x 536 pixels. There are no problems in terms of quality.

Some will remember the LG V10, others will think of the YotaPhone - they are all united by the presence of an additional screen. But even in the Yotafon, which is unloved by many, the additional display looks more organic. In LG V10 we saw a stripe above the screen. Meizu took a middle path, making the screen larger than that of the V10, but smaller than that of the YotaPhone. On the one hand – OK, it will be useful (check the time, weather, see how much you’ve walked). On the other hand, you constantly rotate your smartphone to see what someone wrote, then do another somersault to read the message itself. Well, that's it. In the LG V10, such techniques were not needed - everything was in front of your eyes; in the Yotafon, the screen was much more functional.

In general, so far the additional display of Meizu Pro 7 looks like an experimental attempt by the company. How useful it will be, and whether the manufacturer will further develop this idea, we will have to find out in the near future.

Performance

Every 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 could satisfy the needs of the absolute majority of users. There should be a reference here to, which, young and old, are equipped with quite suitable chips from Qualcomm. Beautiful design is good, but you also want to play games without lags.

So, what do we have in Meizu Pro 7? Pro 7, regarding hardware, is presented in two versions - MediaTek Helio P25 and Helio X30. In the first case, we have, in fact, an average chip, which is also presented 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 were given 4 gigabytes of RAM (already Chinese budget segment is drawn up to this volume, so nothing surprising). The drive of the younger version is presented at 64 gigabytes.

Meizu Pro 7 scores about 65,000 points in AnTuTu. 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 powerful MediaTek Helio X30 chip. This is the company's latest 10-core 10nm processor. It has the same clock frequency of 2.5 GHz, but the PowerVR 7400XT MP4 is responsible for graphics. The chipset is noticeably more powerful, but I wouldn’t dare call it top-end. Naturally, Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus are only inferior to the 2017 flagships in tests - for everyday tasks and modern games the performance is sufficient. 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 were approximately comparable to similar smartphones on Snapdragon 821 - around 160,000 points.

Communication, interfaces, navigation

In terms of communication, everything is typical: there is support for all necessary networks, including LTE. Nothing surprising. Everything is typical and with interfaces, and for this Meizu Pro 7 gets a bad rating. Not only is Bluetooth 4.2 announced, but there is also no NFC. Meizu, what year is it? Even ultra-budget devices, not to mention flagships, have begun to get the interface. The lack of NFC is really surprising, considering that in such an expensive smartphone you expect it by default. Well, at least not microUSB (equipped with Meizu Pro 7 USB Type-C 3.1) and that’s it, “thank you”. 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 proprietary Flyme shell. It is distinguished by its convenience, simplicity and the absence of unnecessary functions that would clutter the interface. Meizu Pro 7 is presented on Flyme 6, which is based on latest Android Nougat. Everything is, in principle, familiar, with the exception of some moments. There is one noticeable innovation - the mode music player. With its help, it will be possible to transfer Meizu Pro 7 into a sort of MP3 player state in which they become inactive unnecessary applications. It will be possible, because the company has not yet “finished” the function, so the system message will politely forgive us to wait a little. We think there are some serious problems with Meizu firmware Pro 7 will not appear, you just need to wait a little until the company brings everything to fruition.

Cameras

Meizu Pro 7, to which this review is actually devoted, became the company’s debut smartphone equipped with a dual main camera. It is located directly above the additional screen; it all does not look very symmetrical (perhaps because we 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 digital zoom and dual LED flash. It can record video in 4K resolution, although this will surprise few people. At the first review of Meizu Pro 7, the cameras can be described positively. Yes, they haven’t surpassed the quality of shooting of other flagships this year, but good photo You can get it on your smartphone both day and night. Perhaps the quality will improve a little more after 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 that remains to be tested.

Autonomy

Like 99% of flagships, Meizu Pro 7 has relatively small batteries. The younger version of Pro 7 received 3000 mAh, Pro 7 Plus received a more capacious 3500 mAh battery. It’s clear that you can’t count on more than a day of active use, despite the AMOLED and relatively energy-efficient processors. Therefore, for those who like to watch videos on YouTube or play games, it is advisable to have them on hand Power Bank. 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 I would like to, autonomy cannot be considered an advantage.

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, 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, let's sum it up under our Meizu review Pro 7, which was not planned to be so big. Is Meizu Pro 7 a flagship? Yes, the company's flagship, but clearly not the market's flagship. I don’t want to put it among the Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6 and other recent top-level smartphones. Everyone tried to surprise us: some with an unusual aspect ratio, others with cameras, others with performance. The Meizu Pro 7's only trick up its sleeve was its secondary screen, which, at least for now, looks like a dual-camera setup on a $50 smartphone. An important point remains the price of Meizu Pro 7, which is quite high, we hope the situation will change. The Meizu Pro 7 Plus looks more flagship-like, with both the latest processor in the line and a more interesting screen. However, it will be difficult 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 to have everything, both beautiful and productive for everyday work, but there are many nuances that cancel out the smartphone’s chances of becoming a bestseller.

Pros and cons of Meizu Pro 7

So what did you like:

What I didn't like.