Meizu has just introduced its new flagship smartphones, the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus. These two phones are direct successors to the Meizu 15 and 15 Plus which were introduced back in April this year, and they’re immensely more powerful than those two phones. The Meizu 15 and 15 Plus were fueled by the Snapdragon 660 and Exynos 8895, respectively, while consumers were waiting for Meizu to introduce true flagship offerings in 2018. Well, the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus are such devices, they come with Qualcomm’s most powerful processor, and a number of other high-end specifications that we’ll talk about in just a second. In addition to all that, the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus also come with a really high screen-to-body ratio, much higher than the Meizu 15 and 15 Plus, and that improves their design quite a bit.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Specifications
The Meizu 16 and 16 Plus are quite similar as far as specs go, though there are some differences, which we’ll get out of the way now. The Meizu 16 sports a 6-inch fullHD+ (2160 x 1080) Super AMOLED display, while the Meizu 16 Plus offers a 6.5-inch fullHD+ (2160 x 1080) Super AMOLED panel. Both phones offer a 91.18-percent screen-to-body ratio, which is amongst the highest in the business. The Meizu 16 comes in both 6GB and 8GB RAM variants, the 6GB RAM model includes either 64GB or 128GB of storage, while the 8GB RAM variant comes with 128GB of UFS 2.1 flash storage. The Meizu 16 Plus, on the other hand, offers either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, its 6GB RAM variants comes with 128GB of storage, while the 8GB RAM model is available in both 128GB and 256GB storage flavors. The Meizu 16 incorporates a 3,010mAh non-removable battery, while the Meizu 16 Plus comes with a 3,640mAh non-removable unit, and both smartphones support Meizu’s 24W mCharge fast charging. Those are pretty much all the differences between these two phones, aside from measurements, which we’ll talk about a bit later.
Both devices are fueled by the Snapdragon 845 64-bit octa-core processor, while both of them ship with Android 8.1 Oreo, with Meizu’s Flyme OS on top of them (we still do not know what version of Flyme is included). Two SIM card slots (2x nano SIM) are available on both devices, while both phones feature 12-megapixel (1.55um pixel size, Sony’s IMX380 sensor, f/1.8 aperture) and 20-megapixel (Sony’s IMX350 sensor, f/2.6 aperture, telephoto lens) cameras on the back. A 20-megapixel (f/2.0 aperture) camera is included on the front side of both devices. A 3.5mm headphone jack is included on both phones, while both devices offer stereo speakers. Interestingly enough, Meizu also included an in-display fingerprint scanner in both devices, in order to keep the differences to a minimum, unlike some previous models, where the smaller phone was basically a mid-ranger. Both devices also ship with a custom copper cooling tube. The Meizu 16 measures 150.5 x 73.2 x 7.3mm, while it weighs 152 grams. The Meizu 16 Plus measures 160.4 x 78.2 x 7.3mm, and it weighs 182 grams.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Design
The Meizu 16 and 16 Plus are both made out of metal and glass, and as you can see, they look the same, even though the 16 Plus is larger than its sibling. Two vertically-aligned dual cameras are placed on the back of both of these devices, and below them is a 6-LED ring flash. The back side of both phones is curved a bit, while Meizu’s logo is also located on the back. It’s worth saying that the dual camera setup on both devices protrudes a bit, it’s not flat with the back. Displays on both devices sport rounded corners, while side bezels are 1.43mm thick. Chin on both devices is 5.74mm thick, and the top bezel is in that area as well. All the physical keys are included on the right-hand side of both of these devices, while a SIM card tray can be accessed from the left. A Type-C USB port is included on the bottom of the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus, while a loudspeaker is included down there as well.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Cameras
The Meizu 16 and 16 Plus feature two cameras on the back, and a single one on the front. As far as main cameras are concerned, you’ll find 12 and 20-megapixel sensors on the back of each of these devices. A 12-megapixel unit is the main RGB camera which comes with a wide-angle lens. We’re looking at Sony’s IMX380 sensor here, 1.55um pixel size, and an f/1.8 aperture lens. Four-axis OIS is also a part of the package, same goes for PDAF and laser autofocus. A 20-megapixel telephoto lens is also included on the back, that camera includes Sony’s IMX350 sensor, and an f/2.6 aperture, while a 6-LED ring flash top of that rear camera setup. A 20-megapixel front-facing camera is also included here, and we’re looking at an f/2.0 aperture, while that camera is also used for facial scanning.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Battery Life
Meizu did not really release any battery life predictions for these two phones, but it’s worth noting that the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus pack in 3,010mAh and 3,640mAh batteries, respectively. Each of the two smartphones also comes with Meizu’s 24W mCharge fast charging which did not change much from the Meizu 15 and 15 Plus it seems. Meizu’s Flyme OS skin does include a number of battery tweaks, so in addition to improvements that Android Oreo brought to the table, you’ll have some more gradual options thanks to Flyme OS. It’s also worth noting that battery packs in both devices are non-removable.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Software
Android 8.1 Oreo comes pre-installed on both of these phones, but you probably won’t be able to recognize it, as Meizu’s Flyme OS is considerably different than Google’s stock offering. Flyme OS comes with different navigation compared to stock Android, though on-screen buttons are an option. Horizontal scrolling in the recents menu is also a part of the package, while Flyme OS does not include an app drawer. Quick reply option is still here, but it looks quite a bit different in Flyme OS, and the whole UI just feels a bit different, and it allows you to theme it quite a bit. We’re not entirely sure which version of Flyme Meizu included here, but it’s probably Flyme 7.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Security
The Meizu 16 and 16 Plus come with a couple of security measures to unlock each device, you can utilize a fingerprint scanner which is included under the display of both devices, or opt for facial scanning. A fingerprint scanner can be utilized after you power on the display, which is something worth noting, and the same goes for facial scanning. If you do not really like either of these options, you can always set a PIN code or pattern in order to unlock your phone, or simply leave it unlocked, which is not the best idea out there, but some people still prefer it, especially if they have their phones on them at all times and are not afraid of theft or prying eyes.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Variants
The Meizu 16 comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, in both 64GB and 128GB storage (UFS 2.1) variants, while the Meizu 16 Plus launched with 6GB or 8GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of storage (UFS 2.1). Differences between Meizu 16 and 16 Plus spec sheets are listed in the ‘Specifications’ section of this announcement, in case you’re interested in checking those out.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Availability
The Meizu 16 and 16 Plus are already available for pre-order in China, while they will go on sale starting on August 16 and 20, respectively. They will become available in markets outside of China in the near future, but we still do not know when exactly. The Meizu 16 with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is priced at 2,698 Yuan ($395) in China, while the 6GB RAM model with 128GB of storage costs 2,998 Yuan ($439). The most powerful Meizu 16 variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will set you back 3,298 Yuan ($483). The Meizu 16 Plus with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, on the other hand, costs 3,198 Yuan ($468), while its 8GB RAM variants with 128GB and 512GB of storage are priced at 3,498 Yuan ($512) and 3,998 Yuan ($585), respectively.
Meizu 16 & 16 Plus Gallery
