End the Past or Embrace the Future? Meizu 21 vs. Meizu 21 Pro Comparison Review

We’ve prepared a comparison video of the Meizu 21 series for you. While it’s called a comparison, it’s not overly strict—it’s more about detailing the specifics of both devices. This review remains purely green and pollution-free, with no promotional or commercial content, so feel free to enjoy.

Design & Display
In terms of design, the Meizu 21 and Meizu 21 Pro share a similar style. Their design language can be summed up in one word: "minimalist." Compared to most flagship phones with bulky camera modules, the Meizu 21 series looks refreshingly clean.

For materials, the Meizu 21 series uses mainstream glass, which leaves a great impression—especially the Pro version, which feels "smooth as jade" and resists fingerprints well. Even compared to newer flagships, the Meizu 21 Pro doesn’t feel outdated.

Looking at the front, the Meizu 21 has a 6.55-inch OLED screen, smaller than mainstream phones but larger than current compact models (e.g., vivo X200 Pro mini at 6.31 inches, Xiaomi 14/15 at 6.36 inches). It sits between mainstream large and small screens (OPPO Find X8 mini, OnePlus ACE5 mini, iPhone 16E).

One note: its physical width is actually wider than the Meizu 21 Pro, only slightly narrower than later models like the OnePlus 13 and Honor Magic7. So its grip feels similar to mainstream phones, not more comfortable despite the slightly smaller screen.

The Meizu 21 Pro also stands out with its 21:9 screen ratio (mainstream phones are closer to 20:9), making it appear slimmer. Don’t worry—it doesn’t look like a giant remote like the Xiaomi MIX Fold. In practice, this ratio reduces black bars in movies and offers a wider view in some games.

Both models feature symmetrical bezels, though the Meizu 21 Pro’s are slightly thicker, with sharper rounded corners, while the Meizu 21 looks more rounded.

Our tests show the Meizu 21 Pro’s manual max brightness is 637 nits, slightly higher than the Meizu 21.

The peak brightness gap is larger: the Meizu 21 Pro reaches 1504 nits.

For color accuracy, the Meizu 21 Pro is better in "Natural Mode," while the Meizu 21 slightly leads in "Vivid Mode," though the difference is minor.

Imaging
Their camera setups differ significantly. The Meizu 21 has a 200MP main camera but lacks a telephoto lens.

The Meizu 21 Pro uses a 50MP OV50H main camera and a more practical telephoto lens, offering a balanced setup.

Another difference: while both have triple rear cameras, the Meizu 21 Pro’s "candy bar" layout includes an extra module.

This is because the Meizu 21’s depth sensor is integrated with the Aicy Ring, while the Pro has a separate one. The middle space isn’t wasted, housing an ambient light sensor and laser autofocus.

The Meizu 21 series places the volume and power buttons on the left. While this doesn’t interfere with cooler attachments (which usually have inner space), the long camera module might. Meizu 21 Pro users should opt for magnetic coolers.

Both models pack useful features: Meizu’s linear motor is finely tuned, and the customizable Aicy Ring adds uniqueness. The Meizu 21 Pro also includes an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner for "blind unlocking," plus IP68 waterproofing.

Performance & Gaming
The Meizu 21 and 21 Pro launched three months apart but both use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. In theory, their performance should be similar. Still, we’ll test them thoroughly.

In AnTuTu and Master Lu benchmarks, their scores are close.

Geekbench 5 shows nearly identical single-core scores, with the Meizu 21 slightly ahead in multi-core.

Geekbench 6 is similar: single-core scores are close, multi-core slightly favors the Meizu 21.

GFXBench scores are nearly identical.

3DMark stress tests show the Meizu 21 with a slight edge in peak performance, while the Pro is marginally more stable.

Given the similar benchmark results, how do they fare in games?

QQ Speed and League of Legends Mobile run smoothly.

Honor of Kings runs near max fps at ultra settings. The Meizu 21 manages thermals and power better.

The Meizu 21 Pro’s 21:9 screen offers a slightly wider view in Honor of Kings.

For Peace Elite, the Meizu 21 initially supported 90 fps (vs. Pro’s 60 fps). Later, both adapted 120 fps, with the Pro running hotter.

The Pro’s wider screen expands horizontal view but narrows vertical.

In Genshin Impact (high settings, ~720p), the Pro averages 59.4 fps (better than the Meizu 21) but runs hotter.

CPU core usage shows the Meizu 21 aggressively uses three high-frequency cores, while the Pro relies more on its prime core.

After updating to v4.7, Genshin added an "Ultra High" setting. Testing at v5.1 (~810p), the Pro averaged 58.8 fps but hit 51°C, while the Meizu 21 averaged 58.4 fps with slightly better thermals. Both showed noticeable stuttering.

Their aggressive performance tuning resembles gaming phones, avoiding major throttling despite high heat.

CPU core frequencies rose in both, but the Pro’s prime core scaled back.

In Honkai: Star Rail (~720p), the Pro averaged 57.9 fps (higher than the Meizu 21) but consumed more power.

Overall, their performance is comparable, with the Pro’s higher screen resolution likely causing its extra power draw. Compared to other Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones, they hold up well.

Charging & Battery
The Meizu 21 Pro has a 5050mAh battery, while the smaller Meizu 21 fits 4800mAh. While decent among older flagships (mostly under 5500mAh), they lag behind late-2024 models.

Most Chinese brands now use silicon-carbon batteries for higher density, enabling 6000mAh+ capacities. The Meizu 21 series sticks to traditional lithium-polymer—hopefully, the next gen upgrades.

Both support 80W wired charging, but the Pro adds 50W wireless and 10W reverse wireless.

Charging tests show nearly identical peak power (64.4W vs. 64.5W), but the Pro’s curve is more aggressive.

Due to battery size differences:

• 10 mins: 1% gap

• 20 mins: Pro 10% ahead

• 30 mins: 11% gap

• 40 mins: Pro at 99%, Meizu 21 at 96%

• Pro fully charged at 41 mins, Meizu 21 at 48 mins.
  

The Pro charges faster in the first 30 mins (~10% lead), then the gap narrows to 4 mins total.

Both phones heat similarly during charging, but the Pro’s charger runs hotter due to higher sustained power.

Battery Life
In 3-hour tests, the Pro drains 20% vs. the Meizu 21’s 30%.

After 5 hours, the gap shrinks to 1% (Pro: 73%, Meizu 21: 74%), as the Pro’s 2K screen consumes more power in games (+9%).