Meizu 21 Note Review: Stylish, Powerful Phone Special Forces

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Meizu has introduced its third phone following the Meizu 21 and Meizu 21 Pro—the Meizu 21 Note "Phone Special Forces." Many users must be curious: what does a phone have to do with special forces? But after the launch event, everyone has gained some understanding of the Meizu 21 Note "Phone Special Forces."

More Than Just a Note, a Special Forces-Level Quality
Meizu 21 Note

The Meizu 21 Note is positioned as a performance flagship, but the first impression upon handling it is still Meizu's signature refinement. Compared to the Meizu 21, the overall size is slightly larger, featuring a 6.78-inch screen. Yet, it retains the all-white body, with the front screen adopting a narrow-bezel, full-white panel design. The screen bezels are just 1.75mm, achieving a screen-to-body ratio of 95.55%. Just the front design alone can outshine many models in the same price range.
Meizu 21 Note

The screen features a new 1.5K U8 luminescent material, supporting 1-144Hz refresh rate with full-scenario 8T LTPO adaptive high refresh rate. It also boasts a 5000nit peak local brightness and 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming. Beyond high-frequency PWM dimming, the Meizu 21 Note is certified by the China Quality Data Center for Visual Health Friendliness (S++ rating) and incorporates Meizu's Natural Eye Protection, a joint health light-display experience developed with lipro health lighting. For touch sensitivity, it supports all-scenario wet-hand touch technology, ensuring responsive touch experiences even in rainy conditions, with sweaty hands, or if the phone gets splashed.

Additionally, it can upscale games rendered at only 720P to 1.5K clarity using AI Game Super-Resolution algorithms, significantly enhancing immersion and realism. The touch algorithm also supports AI full-link touch optimization and 10x super-resolution touch, improving gaming responsiveness.

The frame uses a high-thermal-conductivity aviation-grade aluminum alloy, rare in its class, with a sandblasted finish for a smooth feel. Despite the flat-edge design, the 2.5D curvature of the screen ensures no discomfort when holding it. The I/O layout is clean: the top houses the microphone and IR blaster, while the bottom includes the SIM tray, USB-C port, and speaker grille. The right side features volume and power buttons. The phone is just 8.2mm thick.

The back looks like an enlarged version of the Meizu 21. The rear design maintains the vertical camera alignment of the Meizu 21 series, though the lenses appear slightly larger. The third bottom ring is still the Aicy Smart Ring, now a signature Meizu design.

The glass back is glossy white, unlike the AG finish on the Meizu 21. The edges are 2.5D curved, seamlessly blending with the rounded frame. Overall, despite its "Note" positioning, the screen and build quality rival flagship standards—truly "more than just a Note."

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + 16GB RAM

The Meizu 21 Note is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a familiar chipset. However, it comes with 16GB RAM and up to 512GB storage. To further unleash performance, it includes a 5000mm² ultra-large VC cooling plate, high-thermal-conductivity aluminum frame, and AI-powered temperature control.

In benchmarks, the Meizu 21 Note scores 1.53 million points, though it uses UFS 3.1 storage, slightly slower than the flagship Meizu 21. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is second only to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, outperforming the newer Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in GPU performance (though lagging in CPU architecture). For gaming, the GPU’s impact is undeniable.

In Peacekeeper Elite (HD HDR + Extreme), the frame rate is nearly flat at 59.98 FPS, with just 0.65 jitter and a peak temperature of 40°C—smooth gameplay.

In Honor of Kings (Ultra HD + 120 FPS), the average FPS stays around 119. Over 20 minutes, slight fluctuations occur, stabilizing between 117-118 FPS. Since this is an early firmware version, future optimizations should improve performance.

As a performance-focused device, the Meizu 21 Note includes gaming-specific features. Enabling AI Super-Resolution mode enhances visual details, making in-game vehicles appear more three-dimensional. Customizable touch-sensitive zones, frame rate locking (60 FPS or adaptive), and bundled accelerators (3-day NetEase UU trial, built-in Xunyou) cater to power users.

Thermal performance is strong thanks to the 5000mm² VC plate and aluminum frame. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s mature tuning ensures even heat distribution, though the frame may get hot—a normal occurrence.

5500mAh Battery + 66W Fast Charging: The Endurance Special Forces

At just 8.2mm thick, the Meizu 21 Note packs a high-density 5500mAh battery. Coupled with the power-efficient 1.5K 8T LTPO screen, battery life is solid. The 66W Super mCharge fast charging takes about 1 hour to go from 24% to 100%—not the fastest but sufficient for long usage.

50MP Flagship Camera System

As a performance-centric device, the Meizu 21 Note features a 50MP main camera (1/1.56" sensor, OIS, f/1.68, 8K video) and a 13MP ultra-wide (122° FOV, 2.5cm macro, 5-element lens).

Compared to the Meizu 21, the 21 Note’s camera shows noticeable improvements in texture, detail, and dynamic range, thanks to new AI algorithms. Night shots even exhibit unique tones.

Flyme 10.5: Already Supports 10 AI Features

The Meizu 21 Note ships with Flyme 10.5, while the newly announced Flyme AIOS will enter beta testing after May 23. Current AI features include Aicy Voice Assistant, AI Smart Replies, AI Copywriting, and AI Image Search.

Aicy can generate text (e.g., proposals, interview tips, news summaries) and control smart home devices.
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Other features like Aicy Vision, Smart Sidebar, and Aicy Suggestions enhance Flyme’s usability. The upcoming Flyme AIOS will add AI wallpaper generation, live call transcription, privacy masking, note creation, and system-wide optimizations (820+ refinements).

As a performance-focused phone, the Meizu 21 Note stands out with its design-driven philosophy. It excels in build quality, performance, battery life, and even camera improvements. With the upcoming Flyme AIOS, its user experience will only get better.