Meizu today launched its first flagship handset for 2016, the PRO 6. The handset from the Chinese vendor is also the first in the world to make use of MediaTe’s deca-core Helio X25 chipset.
The 10-core chip is the highlight of the PRO 6, and it comprises of 2x Cortex-A72 cores clocked at up to 2.5GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2GHz, and 4x Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.4GHz. This is paired with a Mali-T880MP4 GPU clocked at 700MHz and 4GB of LPDDDR3 RAM. Other specs of the handset include 32 or 64GB of internal storage, a fingerprint scanner integrated into the home button, mCharge 3.0 support, a USB Type-C port, dual-SIM connectivity and LTE Cat. 6 support.
Talking about the design, the PRO 6 looks largely the same as its predecessor, the PRO 5, except for the fact that it is smaller since it comes with a smaller 5.2-inch Full HD AMOLED screen compared to the 5.7-inch AMOLED screen found on the PRO 5. What makes the screen special is a 3D Touch-like technology that Meizu is calling 3D Press. On Flyme OS, it works similar to how 3D Touch does on the iPhone 6s.
While the reduced screen size does make the PRO 6 more compact than its predecessor, it also leads to a drastic reduction in the battery size of the handset that has now reduced to a mere 2560mAh (vs. 3050mAh). Combined with the less power efficient chipset, the PRO 6 is likely going to struggle to get through a day of heavy usage.
Meizu boasts about the audio chip of the PRO 6 and says that it has been sourced from the same company — Cirrus Logic — that provides components to Apple for the iPhone as well.
At the rear of the PRO 6 sits a 21MP Sony IMX230 sensor with Phase Detection AutoFocus that is coupled with an F/2.2 aperture and a LaserAF sensor. There is also a 10-LED ring flash, a first for a smartphone. On the front, there is a 5MP shooter with an F/2.0 aperture.
Meizu PRO 6 has been priced at RMB 2,499 in China for the 32GB variant, with the 64GB variant priced at RMB 2,799. The handset will be available in black, silver and gold colors.
