Meizu officially launched the anticipated Pro 5 smartphone in an event in Beijing, China on Wednesday, and plans to release the handset in India soon.
Meizu held a grand event at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, September 23, to unveil a new product. As the event unfolded, Meizu revealed more than just a new flagship smartphone. The Chinese smartphone maker launched a new Pro series of products, accessories and service. The Pro 5 smartphone was the highlight of the event and here is our first impression of the device.
Display & Design
Meizu Pro 5 features a 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED IPS display with 10000:1 contrast ratio and 100 percent colour gamut. The display is built using 2.5D arc glass to make the large 5.7-inch display comfortable to hold. The handset runs on Flyme 5.0, which uses suitable colours for different apps such as grey and white for messaging and mail apps while bright colours for media, videos and others.
Pro 5 has rounded curves, a slim profile, feels smooth, which could be due to its intensive 3D polishing and surrounded by a metal rim. The full metal body gives it a premium look but does not feel heavy. On the right side of the device is the power/lock button along with the volume keys, which are deeply engraved within the smartphone to give it a sleek look. The sealed unibody has the dual SIM tray on the right side of the device, which can be removed using a pin just like in the iPhones.
The primary camera is placed on the center rear side of the Pro 5 with flash just below it and the company's logo sits right at the bottom. The speakers are placed at the bottom of the handset, as found in iPhone 6, along with a USB Type C port. To connect your headphones, there is a port on the top of the handset.
Camera
After spending quite some time with the handset after the launch, camera turned out to be a great upgrade. The rear-facing camera has a 21.6-megapixel Sony CMOS sensor with laser auto focus and zero delay shutter speed. The quality of the image was good during our test and so was the speed. Pro 5 did not break pixels in some samples we took. The camera also integrates different modes for fine tuning image quality and supports 100 file whitening, defect removal and other real time fine adjustments.
The front camera has a 5MP OV5670 CMOS sensor with f/2.2 aperture. Both phones are expected to perform well under low light conditions.
Under the hood
Meizu Pro 5 is first of the Pro line so the company made sure it handpicked the best in class specs. Firstly, it is powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 7420 octa-core chipset, which is based on 14nm technology clocking 2.1GHz, and backed by 3GB RAM in 32GB storage model and 4GB RAM in 64GB variant. Both RAM and storage configurations use the latest technology of LPDDR4 and UFS 2.0, which uses 16nm process tech and performs read-write functions simultaneously.
These specifications are expected to boost the smartphone's performance but we'll know the real deal after reviewing the handset. During the brief period we used the handset, Pro 5 did not stutter or lag, so we are expecting the handset to bring good results. The handset runs on Flyme 5 based on Android 5.1 OS for smoother functions.
Another key specification of the Pro 5 is the fingerprint scanner, which uses the latest gen Fingerprint Cards to enhance security and response speed. The integrated sensor is built by Panasonic and other leading suppliers. To follow the emerging trend, Meizu Pro 5 sports a USB Type-C port, which supports reversible plugging and is twice as durable as normal ports.
Battery
Meizu Pro 5 is integrated with a 3050mAh battery and uses 24W fast charge technology called mCharge 2.0. As a result, the handset can charge from zero to 65 percent in just 30 minutes. The battery runtime is yet to be tested but the use of Full HD Super AMOLED display, 14nm chipset, LPDDR4 RAM and new Flyme OS based on Android 5.1 translates to a longer than normal life.
Verdict
In our view, Meizu Pro 5 is a good looking device with high-end specifications. Everything from its built quality to camera and specifications is impressive. The handset's biggest competitors are OnePlus 2, Moto X Play, Xiaomi Mi 4 and others. While the pricing of the Pro 5 in China (2,799RMB for 32GB and 3,099RMB for 64GB) was well received, it may pose a challenge for the handset to prevail if it costs between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 30,000 in India, which is highly likely. It is a too big of a risk for Meizu to expect a lot from Pro 5 in India but the company is planning to open R&D's in India, which should shed the prices of its devices.
Also, the Pro 5 will be released sometime next year so interested customers must wait longer than expected. Besides the price, we think the handset can serve as a great primary phone. We will have a full product review soon to give you a better perspective of the Pro 5.
Take a look at the Meizu Pro 5 below:
Note: All expenses for the travel and accommodation for the correspondent was undertaken by Meizu.
