Meizu V8 and V8 Pro smartphones - advantages and disadvantages

Meizu announced the release of new models of budget smartphones V8 and V8 Pro at the presentation of devices 16X and X8. The global version of the device for sale around the world will be known as the Meizu M8.

More details about the features of these smartphones, the differences between the basic and advanced versions, as well as their cost, can be found in this article.

Main characteristics of devices

The manufacturer has equipped the new items with very ordinary hardware, but for their cost, such indicators and capabilities will be enough for users. In their segment, they will not particularly stand out, but they cannot be classified as "bad" devices either.

The table shows the comparative characteristics of these two models:

The junior smartphone is available for purchase in black and white, while the Pro version can be purchased in black or gold.

Meizu V8 appearance

Housing

The novelty is produced in a "cheaper" design with a plastic back panel. The side frames of the device are thin, and the upper and lower ones are slightly thickened. Moreover, they all look organic. The front panel screen occupies 78.2% of the area. There are no buttons (both physical and touch) at the bottom of the device. The speaker for conversations and the front camera are located on the upper frame in the middle as standard.

The volume control swing and the unlock button are also in their usual places - on the right side. The budget unit is equipped with a fingerprint scanner, which is placed by the manufacturer on the rear panel of the device, just below the single camera module. The latter is located vertically at the top of the case in the center. On the bottom, there is a microUSB port, a speaker and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Display

The device received a simple screen with an IPS matrix. The display was made at 5.7 inches with a "fashionable" aspect ratio - 18 to 9. Its resolution is 1440 by 720 pixels, so their density is 282 ppi. You should not expect anything supernatural from such indicators. The picture quality will be far from ideal and only undemanding users will like it.

Meizu V8 Pro appearance

Housing

The advanced version of the V8 has a more solid design. The device is placed in a metal case, and its dimensions are smaller by a few tenths of a millimeter compared to the basic version. But, despite this, the device is 14 grams heavier due to heavier materials.

In terms of other external characteristics, the model does not differ from its younger brother, with the exception of the rear panel, on which the manufacturer has placed a dual module instead of one camera. It is positioned the same as in the base model, and its flash is moved higher above the optics. Meizu V8 Pro is no exception and also received a fingerprint scanner on the back.

Display

The screen of the Pro model is still the same IPS with a diagonal of 5.7 inches. The resolution and aspect ratio are similar - 1440x720 with 18: 9. All dimensions and required area are taken from the basic version. The picture on the screen looks sharp, but individual pixels can be seen on close inspection. The viewing angles are good and the display has a maximum brightness of 450 nits. It is comfortable to use the device both in sunny weather and in poor evening lighting. For more detailed customization, the manufacturer gave the opportunity to adjust the color gamut and several other indicators.

Camera parameters

Rear camera Meizu V8

This device was equipped with a single 13 megapixel camera module. Its aperture is f / 2.2. Such optics are not the lightest in the budget segment of devices. In addition, the gadget does not have optical stabilization, and there is no accurate autofocus data at all. The flash is located at the bottom, just below the module. It is possible to enable the option to enhance portraits. This function works in smart mode. In daylight, the pictures are good, but in the evening there are noticeable noise.

Front camera Meizu V8

This module also does not stand out in any way. Its resolution is 5 megapixels, and the aperture is f / 1.9. Everything is simple, no frills, so you shouldn't expect high-quality selfies. Such indicators will be quite enough for making video calls. There is no flash for the front camera.

Rear camera Meizu V8 Pro

Another distinctive feature of the device is the presence of a dual module of the main camera. The resolution of one sensor is 12 megapixels, and the additional one is 5 megapixels. The aperture characteristic of the smartphone is f / 2.2. Among budget devices, such a camera is quite rare, while it remains the privilege of flagships. Therefore, in this parameter, the device stands out strongly.

But there are also some downsides. It has phase autofocus, so it will not be very accurate in some scenes. But optical stabilization is completely absent. Useful features include Intelligent Portrait Enhancement Mode and Face Detection.

The camera has a resolution of 4000 by 3000 pixels, and the resolution of video files is 3840 by 2160. The maximum number of frames per second is 30.

Front Meizu V8 Pro

Everything here remains the same as that of the first gadget - a shooting resolution of 5 megapixels, an f / 1.9 aperture and the absence of a front flash.

Performance Meizu V8 and V8 Pro

In this parameter, the devices are very different. The "lightweight" model received a weaker hardware package. The processor here is MediaTek MT6739, which has 4 cores. The chip is developed according to the 28 nm process technology, which is already considered outdated in the mobile market. The cores of the Cortex-A53 device have a maximum clock frequency of 1.5 GHz. All these characteristics are rather weak, so you should not expect good performance from games and demanding applications. However, with minimal settings, everything works decently.

In the advanced version of the phone, things are a little better. The device is equipped with an 8-core MediaTek Helio P22 processor, which has established itself as a good solution for devices in the budget price segment. Its clock frequency is 2 GHz. It is manufactured at 12 nm. This process technology allows you to reduce battery consumption, which is a significant plus for devices with low battery power.

Each device is presented in one complete set.The Meizu V8 has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, while the V8 Pro has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory.

Autonomy of gadgets

Also new items have differences in battery capacity. The Meizu V8 has a 3200 mAh battery, while its brother has a 3100 mAh battery. Both Li-Ion batteries are non-removable. However, do not think that the first device should last longer. Its autonomy will not be higher, since most of the energy is consumed by the chipset, while in the Pro version it, on the contrary, is saved. Therefore, there is no big difference in the duration of the work. According to the manufacturer's information, at full load of the devices, they are able to work on 1 charge for 6 hours.

Interface

Among other features of the gadgets, it should be mentioned that they run a new version of Android with a proprietary Flyme UI shell. The interface is clear, you get used to it quickly. This shell has a single desktop, while it also plays the role of an application menu. The devices can be flexibly personalized, for example, choosing the necessary icons in the notification curtain, changing their location. In general, the proprietary shell is well filled with useful functions (guest, game, child modes and much more) and already has everything you need out of the box (its own music player, video player, smartphone search mode, etc.).

The manufacturer even thought of a built-in utility for optimizing memory and cleaning the device from garbage. Also, if you wish, you can choose one of the many themes for the desktop to make the device more individual.

New versions of the shell have already received a smart system OneMind, which monitors user behavior and speeds up the opening and operation of frequently used applications. The firmware also expands the capabilities of the fingerprint scanner - it became possible to use it as an access key to various phone functions.

Multitasking in the latest version of the shell looks like this: all open applications are placed in a carousel that can be scrolled from left to right, and data on memory consumption for each running program is also displayed. A very convenient function for small RAM parameters.

Additional options

The Pro version has a state-of-the-art Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi dual band support. The basic version is equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi with 2.4 GHz. The fingerprint sensor supports payments such as Alipay and WeChat. The scanner works smartly, without any complaints.

Communication frequencies recognized by these two models: 2G (GSM): 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G (WCDMA): 800/850/1900 MHz 4G (FDD-LTE): B1 (2100) / B3 (1800) / B7 (2600). For navigation there is support for GPS, A-GPS, GLONAS. In Russia, they are compatible with such telecom operators as MTS, Beeline, Megafon, Tele2, Yota.

The devices have the following sensors:

• approximation;
• illumination;
• gyroscope;
• accelerometer;
• compass.

Both versions have support for FM radio. There is no NFC module for these models, which is not surprising, since such a chip is rarely found among state employees. The internal memory of these phones can be expanded using microSD cards for which there is a hybrid slot. If desired, it can be used to apply the dual sim system, which allows you to work alternately with two SIM cards. The total amount of expandable memory for both devices is the same: it is 128 GB.

Equipment

Smartphones Meizu V8 and V8 Pro, the advantages and disadvantages of which are described below, come complete with a charger, microUSB cable, a clip to eject the SIM card slot, warranty card and user manual.

Price

On the territory of China, sales began on September 26, 2018, the date of release of the devices on the world market has not yet been reported. At the start, the average price for the Meizu V8 is $ 115, while the Pro version will cost $ 160.

Some sources claim that the Meizu V8 Pro will be released in two additional colors - purple and blue. However, it is not specified if these models will be available to all buyers, or if it will be exclusive to the Chinese market.

Outcome

Devices from Meizu in 2019 have quite competitive opportunities for work and entertainment among mobile devices in this price segment. As a result, it is worth highlighting the following pros and cons of these smartphones.

• frameless design of both versions;
• a choice of two body material options;
• fast fingerprint scanner;
• low price;
• good quality cameras for budget devices;
• two camera modules for the advanced version.

• low productivity;
• outdated MicroUSB connector;
• not the best screen quality.

You can close your eyes to all the disadvantages of the devices, since the devices have good characteristics for their price. For this money, the user becomes the owner of a device with a modern "elongated" screen and support for most of the functions used.