Meizu announced the Meizu 20 earlier this year, later expanded to the Meizu 20 Classic last month. The device’s key specifications include Samsung E6 LTP, a 50MP camera sensor, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The device has a wide range of capabilities and unique features. However, consumers have many questions about buying the Meizu 20. Here is why you should not buy the Meizu 20. Here are the problems you should know about before buying.
Meizu 20 Review: Pros and Cons
Here are the things that you need to know before diving into the review:
Pros
- The device comes with 5G connectivity.
- Equipped with a 5000mAh massive battery with 80W fast charging and 50W wireless charging,
- Powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen2 paired with LPDDR5x and UFS4.0.
- It comes with a good-performing battery and has outstanding ultra-wide camera performance.
Cons
- It has a 6.5″ display with only FHD+ RGB-Delta Strruct, which feels blurry and has little brightness.
- Benchmarks suggest it is not satisfying, making it much worse than other phones.
- Despite having a massive battery, it does not match the endurance of competitors like the Xiaomi 13.
Design
It has an 88% screen-to-body ratio, giving the device a premium look and making it feel solid and durable. It is built with a metal frame, metal edging, a stylish glass back panel, and an original and sleek glass back panel that almost has a non-protruding block look, which is not beautiful. The sleek ergonomic design measures 157.73.5x8mm and weighs 190g.
The stylish glass back panel is almost non-protruding, with a photomodule block look still visible to the naked eye. The Meizu 20 design is also inspired by Samsung’s design. However, compared to other devices, it has better build quality in the sub-$5000 range smartphone category. The device supports dual SIM cards, providing flexibility for users, and also comes with an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance to ensure durability.
Display
The device has an impressive Samsung E6 LTPO AMOLED RGB-Delta structure display panel with a 3200x1400p (FHD+) resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The device’s frame is a 6.5″ display that boasts ultra-narrow bezels with DC dimming and a built-in in-display fingerprint scanner. The typical display experience has a 20:9 aspect ratio and a density of 402 PPI.
With this display, you may experience some blurriness, which often causes issues while reading. Additionally, the maximum brightness is not comparable to Samsung’s panel. Another issue with this device’s display is its HDR video capabilities; the narrow bezels are thicker than the other three sides.
Performance
Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which can achieve a high score of 1.3M on AntuTu. However, Geekbench shows that its multi-core performance is much worse than its competitors running on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. On the other hand, the CPU throttle test performance was also disappointing, resulting in frame drops. Therefore, actual performance may vary under different conditions. The SoC is based on 4nm and is paired with 12GB of RAM and 12GB/256GB of onboard UFS 2.0 storage.
The Meizu 20 is equipped with the Adreno 740 GPU, which is claimed to be 25% faster than the Adreno 730 and also outperforms the Apple A16 iGPU. It can run quite capable games, but not on the highest settings. Despite having such a powerful GPU and CPU, it is still incapable. Running games at low settings is suitable for casual gamers. If you want good performance, consider buying other options since the performance of the Meizu 20 can be influenced by various factors, such as temperature or other apps running in the background.
Camera Capabilities
The Meizu 20’s primary camera performance is similar to the Xiaomi 13 during the day; however, the white balance is incredible. Photography capabilities are more realistic, but the saturation is too high when shooting flowers. Meanwhile, the dynamic range has a minor issue; it is acceptable but overexposed in some areas. Considering the price, it aligns with expectations, and the ultra-wide camera performance has purple fringe issues.
Another issue is with the super-wide camera; the auto mode is underexposed. The Meizu 20 is also cheaper than the Xiaomi 13. The device also supports a Ring-LED flash and can record 8K and 4K videos. The selfie shooter also captures high-quality selfies.
Audio and connectivity
Now, here, things look good. Users have shown a positive attitude as the sound quality via the headphone jack is excellent, and the stereo speakers also provide a high-end music experience. Regarding connectivity, it supports dual SIM, NFC, Wi-Fi 6, GPS, and Bluetooth 5.3. Furthermore, there is an infrared-controlled compatible device and support for 5G connectivity.
Battery and charging
It has a 5000mAh battery supports 80W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. It charges 36% in 10 minutes, 56% in 20 minutes, and 75% in 1.5 hours. It could last longer despite having a bigger battery—an extra 200 mAh.
Meizu 20 Review & Verdict
Before ending, you must know that specifications and things may vary based on the specific model and region. Also, if you want to buy the best 5G smartphone under USD 724, the Meizu 20 will be in the first row among the best smartphones.
