Meizu Pro 6 Plus can hardly be called a hot new product - the smartphone was introduced in November 2020 and it has been on sale for a long time. However, the device has only just reached the editorial office and we decided to get acquainted with another Chinese flagship. In the review, we’ll look at how the model looks compared to its competitors six months after entering the market, how its price has changed, and whether this smartphone is interesting now. Since literally everything has already been said about the model, we won’t waste time and tell you about the main points that we liked and didn’t like about this device.
Meizu Pro 6 Plus line Smartphones and mobile phones on
Models in the line: 2
Price range: 4,645 − 5,101 UAH
Specifications (MEIZU PRO 6 Plus 64GB)
- Processor: Samsung Exynos 8890, (8 cores, 64 bits)
- Video processor: Mali-T880MP10 (the more powerful Mali-T880MP12 comes in a 128 GB version)
- Operating system: Android 6.0.1Marshmallow in Flyme 5.2.7 OG shell (they promise to update to 6 soon)
- Display: 5.7 inches, Super AMOLED, 2560x1440
- RAM: 4 GB (LPDDR4)
- Internal memory: 64 GB (UFS 2.0)
- Sim: 2 nanoSIM
- Main camera: 12 MP SONY IMX386 (F/2.0) with 10-LED dual-tone ring flash
- Front camera: 5 MP (F/2.0)
- Audio: FLAC, APE, AAC, MKA, OGG, MP3, MIDI, M4A, AMR
- Communications: 4G TD-LTE and 4G FDD-LTE, 3G WCDMA and 3G TD-SCDMA, 2G GSM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Wi-Fi support (2.4 GHz/5 GHz ), Bluetooth 4.1, BLE support, NFC (NXP PN66T)
- Navigation: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS and digital compass
- Battery: 3400 mAh (non-removable)
- Ports: USB Type C (USB 3.1, USB-OTG), 3.5 mm audio jack
- Sensors: mTouch 2.2 fingerprint, ambient light, gravity, gyroscope, IR distance sensor, capacitive display sensor, heart rate sensor and digital compass
- Other Features: Hi-Fi Audio
- Dimensions: 155.6 mm X 77.3 mm X 7.3 mm (height x width x thickness)
- Weight: 158 g
- Housing materials: aluminum
- Color: gold, silver and dark gray
Front-camera
For the front module, an OmniVision OV5695 sensor was used. Resolution – 5 megapixels, aperture – f/2.0. Five-level image beauty from ArcSoft is available.
Despite the low resolution, the device takes good selfies even in artificial light. The detailing is excellent, color rendition is correct, noise is minimal.
The video is shot in 1920*1080 format. The end result is a decent video, which there is no shame in uploading to YouTube or Instagram.
Equipment
A neat square box made of matte black plastic with laconic embossing PRO 6 Plus reliably protects the contents: inside we have a phone, an envelope with documents and a key for changing Sim, as well as a charger. Under the envelope there is an empty compartment for an audio headset with a mocking inscription: “Headphones are not included.” In short, severe asceticism.
Bottom line
The review of the Meizu Pro 6 Plus smartphone is coming to an end, and we are happy to share with you our opinion. The phone turned out to be very good and well balanced. It has virtually no obvious weaknesses that would make this phone not recommended for purchase.
We can even say on the contrary that, based on the sum of its positive qualities, the smartphone is just right for the vast majority of buyers who are looking for a good device, but do not place special demands on it in terms of specific details.
The AnTuTu Meizu Pro 6 Plus 64 GB test showed that even the “younger” version of the smartphone fully justifies its high title of flagship, so we would definitely recommend looking towards the “older” version only for those who plan to use the phone for a long time, otherwise it’s better still save a little. Now the Pro 6 Plus can be purchased for 20 thousand rubles, and for this price it definitely looks like a pretty attractive device in its class.
Appearance
The first thought that arises when you see MEIZU PRO 6 Plus: What are these “Apple” motifs? These characteristically rounded corners, thin edges and a single control button (well, at least not round, but elongated) hint at slight plagiarism. Okay, let's not blame the Chinese - they were guided by design gurus. And the “geography” of the rear panel varies quite a lot.
The sleek 7.3mm body is made of brushed aluminum with thin antenna lines at the top and bottom. We got the golden color option: a pleasant and non-vulgar shade. Above and below the screen there are 14 mm functional panels, the space on the sides is only 2 mm. At the top center is a long earpiece that glitters gold. On the left is a small indicator light, on the right is a light sensor and a front camera.
Directly below the screen is an oblong control button with a thin gold edge. It is worth noting that the only control key for a Chinese Android is a rarity. (We are more used to the “triptych”). Officially, it is called the “mTouch button” and performs several functions at once depending on the force of pressing: “back”, “home” or “lock”. It also has a built-in fingerprint sensor. An interesting and ergonomic solution that allows you to avoid unaesthetic “crowdling” on the rear panel.
At the top of the smartphone there is only the top microphone point. On the left, on top, there is a SIM card tray; there is no microSD tray. On the right is the volume control and the power button. On the bottom edge, from left to right: a standard audio jack, a bottom microphone, USB Type C and an external speaker. The general fashion for removing the “hole” for headphones did not affect this model: otherwise it would have been a crappy music phone.
On the back panel there is a beautifully framed “halo” camera, and under it, perhaps, the main “highlight” of the PRO 6 Plus design, which distinguishes it from other models, is the ring flash. Below, in gray on gold, MEIZU is written large. The phone fits well in the hand for its size, but because of its “weightless” design, you’re always afraid that the device will break if you squeeze your fingers too hard.
Display
Even with a 5.7” screen, MEIZU PRO 6 PLUS tried to achieve maximum compactness using very narrow frames: almost a record at the moment. In a good way, this smartphone can boast of perhaps the best display in its segment: a Super Amoled matrix with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels (518 PPI) produces 2K images. Protected by durable curved glass at the edges with a 2.5D effect. The colors are bright, clear and rich.
PRO 6 PLUS has amazing user care. It has an "Eye Protection Mode" that helps reduce annoying blue light when needed (like reading). It is possible to change the color temperature of the screen.
The display recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches and supports the 3D Press function, which recognizes the force of pressing the screen and displays the context menu of applications without launching them. This function can also be customized.
The set includes a useful Always On Display AOD function - it permanently displays important information on the screen, but does not consume a lot of energy.
Flyme
Now the international version of Meizu Pro 6 Plus runs on the old Flyme 5, based on Android 6.0.1. The shell is no different from other Meizu devices and is a somewhat controversial decision for a flagship - it does not have normal integration with Google Now, even official devices come without pre-installed Google services, which you need to install yourself from the built-in Chinese store. This can be done in a few clicks, but may potentially make the device less burglar-resistant if this parameter is important to you.
We shared our impressions of Flyme 6 in a separate article. With the new shell, the device looks better, but it does not solve all the problems and remains a somewhat specific solution, moreover, Flyme 6 is not yet completely “polished” and not completely stable.
Camera
The main camera of MEIZU PRO 6 Plus produces very decent shooting quality thanks to the latest SONY IMX386 camera module: 6 lenses, resolution - 12 MP, aperture - f.2/0. Previously, a similar one was installed in the MEIZU MX6, but it was this model that added an optical image stabilization system, fast phase laser focusing and the ability to shoot video in 4K.
A ring flash of 10 LEDs of different tones gives a good effect, but the main advantage is still its unusual appearance. This is what can be considered the “calling card” of PRO 6 Plus.
Having resolution indicators that are not the highest for a flagship model, SONY’s brainchild “takes the cake” with properly configured “brains”. The phone practically never misses, selecting the exposure in automatic mode. It is still better to achieve the best results at night in manual mode.
The focus is fast and works equally well both in landscape photography and in Macro mode: without any problems you can shoot a subject from a distance of about 5 cm.
The setup menu is suitable for both beginners and experienced amateur photographers. You can rely on automation, or you can painstakingly select the exposure according to all the canons of photography. In addition to classic shots, you can take long panoramas and GIFs, regular videos and slow-motion. For complete happiness - a set of built-in filters.
The mysterious Beauty mode is a godsend for taking perfect portraits. The painstaking Chinese anticipated Photoshop, making it possible to correct flaws in appearance not after the shutter click, but before! Cunning software can enlarge your eyes, make your face wider, or, which is important on the eve of the winter holidays, hide skin imperfections or (Asians have a thing for this) make the skin several tones lighter!
The front camera compensates for its weak resolution of 5 megapixels with special filters and image processing algorithms from ArcSoft: selfie lovers will be able to work their magic on themselves in the same “Beauty” mode.
You can switch between cameras using the menu icon or a special gesture. True, at first the camera rotates when you don’t expect it...
The built-in photo editor has a fairly wide range of capabilities: from basic cropping, adjusting exposure and applying filters to the ability to use a set of creative tools. The unusual “Mosaic” mode allows you to turn the selected part of the image into artistically “pixelated” areas.
The software distinguishes portraits from other photographs and offers to apply makeup and correct imperfections in appearance. Girls can be happy - MEIZU takes care of them like no one else!
Main camera
The main camera module is a Sony IMX 386 with 12 megapixels on board and f/2.0 aperture. Phase detection autofocus works. And after years of waiting, the developers added optical stabilization to their gadget.
The ten-LED ring flash provides decent quality photos at night. Noise is minimal, detail is quite good for such lighting.
Daytime photos come out simply wonderful: high detail, bright colors, correct shades and good white balance.
Video is recorded in 4K resolution at 30 frames per second and using the H265 video codec. The quality is excellent, there is no need to focus on the object using taps - autofocus works perfectly, and optical stabilization completely eliminates shaking. After the Flyme update, wind noise suppression has been improved. Finished videos can be edited directly on your phone and the desired filters can be applied.
OS and interface
The craftsmen from MEIZU were not too lazy to develop their own version of the shell for Android called Flyme: it has its own redrawn style of screen design and icons, many unique control functions and unusual interface elements, a developed gesture control system and even its own browser. What can we say, there is also a letter layout.
Specifically, our smartphone received Flyme 5.2.7 OG , which is wrapped in 6.0.1 Marshmallow
There is a basic minimum of pre-installed programs, a separate “Tools” folder (for some reason on the screen the word “you” has lost, leaving the mysterious “Toolman”) and a weather widget. The developers have a well-developed economic sense: there is a compass, a mirror, a magnifying glass, a ruler, a flashlight and a magnifying glass, as well as a standard stationery set. A proprietary system optimizer ensures “cleanliness and order.”
A wide range of settings allows you to customize the control of your smartphone for yourself: adjust the screen, controls, gestures, navigation, rebuild the control panel, sort applications into desktops and folders.
When turned on, the smartphone prompts you to immediately register in the “User Center” - an account protection service that will link the device to your number and make it difficult for a thief to get into the smartphone. In addition, by joining the “team”, you get access to branded themes and wallpapers.
For a person who communicates with Flyme for the first time, it will be unusual at first: in general, Android is familiar, but in the details... The devil, as they say, is in the details! It will probably take months to catch and master these features. Either you like it, or you get annoyed and move on to something else. It’s not for nothing that MEIZU fans keep to themselves and even founded the MY+ MEIZU CLUB RUSSIA community. They have their own atmosphere there...
Manufacturers promise to soon update the Flyme shell to version 6: the interface will be seriously redesigned, which will be further sharpened for one-handed control, taking into account the large diagonal, and will also go deeper into protecting and saving user data.
Iron
It’s not for nothing that popular rumor calls the PRO 6 Plus “Chinese Samsung”: in this model, the traditional Mediatek Helio gave way to the Samsung Exynos 8890 (the same one installed in the Galaxy S 7). The latest 8-core 64-bit processor, developed using 14 nm process technology, definitely takes this phone away, making it fast and productive.
4 GB of RAM is inferior to the top 6 GB... but this is the budget segment! Internal memory is limited to built-in storage: 64 or 128 GB to choose from. Our 64 GB version has a 10-core Mali-T880MP10 graphics chip (the more powerful Mali-T880MP12 corresponds to the 128 GB version).
There is more than enough hardware for regular routine applications, videos and 2D games. But 3D for this smartphone is still a bit complicated - the smoothness of playback is lost, and the gadget itself begins to obviously burn your hands.
Hardware platform
The smartphone is built on the Exynos 8890 platform - this is a flagship 8-core chip made using a 14 nm process technology, almost the same as in the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge. The volume of RAM is 4 GB, the built-in memory can be 64 or 128 GB, there is no slot for memory cards.
In the 128 GB version, the SoC features higher clock speeds and 12 rather than 10-core Mali-T880 graphics. There is dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC with limited functionality, you can activate the USB 3.0 connection (Type-C connector) in the settings - files will be copied noticeably faster.
Productive power mode
In everyday use, the smartphone works well (by flagship standards), but rather average optimization, it seems to me, has become typical for Meizu flagships, so sometimes you can notice stuttering on the device, for example, in Chrome. Games are a separate matter; many will slow down even in productive mode. You can look at a top-end modification with a more powerful SoC, wait for optimizations and updates, or simply choose something with a Snapdragon 8xx - such devices turn out to be the most suitable for games.
Standard power mode
Connection
The PRO 6 PLus retractable universal tray is designed for 2 nanoSim cards with support for 4G (including Band 20) and VoLTE. Now these networks in Russia have already begun to operate, so the function will not be idle. The musical “sharpening” of the device also extends to telephone conversations, so sometimes you have to worry that your interlocutor will be heard by others at a distance of a couple of meters.
Autonomy
The battery of the Pro 6 Plus smartphone has a capacity of 3400 mAh, which is clearly not enough given the large display and high resolution. With active use, it survives until the end of the day, which is not bad, but in the evening it will have to be charged. At maximum screen brightness, it lasted 6 hours, and playing HD videos at comfortable brightness - 14 hours. With active Internet surfing, the battery lasted for 12 hours.
Fortunately, the Meizu Pro 6 Plus features support fast charging technology, which takes no more than an hour. There is a standard and extreme power saving mode. The latter greatly extends battery life and saves you in emergency situations by switching the display to black and white mode and disabling all options except the dialer.
Sound
Good sound is the element of MEIZU, which at one time started with MP3 players. In PRO 6 Plus, the creators put all the best they have developed in terms of audio, including a dedicated Hi-Fi audio chip ESS ES9018K2M, a 2nd generation SOLO audio amplification circuit, RUBYCON capacitors, an ADI AD45275 operational amplifier, specially designed filters... In short , if you don’t understand this whole audiophile topic, you’ll hear the difference right away.
First of all, this phone is worth buying good headphones to pair with it - it sounds like a quality audio player. Secondly, powerful speakers will make the owner the center of kitchen gatherings: clear surround sound without strain, squeals and wheezing. For example, if you put the same ringtone on several phones, you will definitely recognize yours with your eyes closed. Thirdly, the phone has a special “Sound and Vibration” menu, where you can select “Hi-Fi sound” and select settings for listening.
However, there is one fly in the ointment here. When several applications are running in parallel, the audio chip (more delicate than the video chip) overheats and the music in the player begins to periodically stop and stutter. So if you want to listen to music, it is better to focus exclusively on this activity.
Conclusion
Those who have always used systems with almost pure Android on board (that is, me) will take a long time to get used to the Flyme interface and the Meizu ecosystem. It is logical, in some ways even convenient, but unfamiliar, and therefore you will have to spend time studying it. And for setting up the keyboard too.
The dimensions of the smartphone and its appearance clearly hint at an Apple competitor, but other brands are also doing this. And on the one hand, unification is convenient, but you shouldn’t forget about individuality. This personality of the Pro 6 Plus is evident in the interface and sound.
The smartphone sounds noticeably better than the average mobile phone: it is capable of driving quite serious headphones, if you remember to select the right mode, and it makes sense to listen to lossless on it - Meizu can adequately reproduce the nuances and details that compression inevitably destroys. It has some minor preferences, but in general, any melody will sound fuller and brighter on it than on a smartphone not intended for listening to music.
Another question is that after recent releases, Meizu Pro 6 Plus can no longer be called a flagship - its hardware was relevant about six months ago. But at the same time, it has enough power for the tasks that the user sets for the smartphone, and the advantage of the special interface is that it is perfectly optimized for this power.
Advantages: pleasant sound, different from ordinary smartphones, almost top-end hardware at a non-top price
Disadvantages: peculiar interface, metal case
Official website: Meizu Pro 6 Plus
Price: 34,990 rubles (64Gb)
Fingerprint scanner
The idea of combining a fingerprint sensor and a control button should be recognized as an excellent solution from MEIZU, both in terms of design and functionality. The scanner is capable of recognizing up to 5 fingerprints and, as a rule, does this quickly and without delay, unless your fingers are numb from the cold - there may be a delay. It also recognizes and enters a new fingerprint into the database very quickly - literally in 3 touches (and not in 10, as happens with other Chinese). As the “cherry on the cake” - “Heart Rate Sensor”.
