Meizu 21 PRO Review: Unique Design, But Technical Aspects Need Improvement

Design: 21:9 One-Handed Design, All-White Body with Refined Craftsmanship
The unit we reviewed is the "Meizu White" variant of the Meizu 21 PRO. Naturally, the first impression it leaves is its unique white front bezel, a design rarely seen in the industry today. Upon closer inspection, it’s clear that the Meizu 21 PRO’s front and back glass panels are directly connected to the metal frame without any plastic buffer. Considering it also boasts an IP68 dust and water resistance rating, the precision in its construction deserves praise.

Additionally, the front of the Meizu 21 PRO features a 6.79-inch "One-Handed True Color Display." The name comes from its 21:9 aspect ratio and a width of just 74.42mm, making it one of the most comfortable flagship phones for one-handed use.

Of course, if you associate 21:9 with Sony’s 4K display, you might be disappointed—the Meizu 21 PRO’s resolution is only 31921368, slightly lower than the standard 32001440 seen in most flagships. However, it uses a BOE Q9 panel, supporting features like 1250nit peak brightness and 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

From the settings, the Meizu 21 PRO is one of the few devices that simultaneously offers video super-resolution and frame interpolation, with both features usable together. Surprisingly, it lacks common video enhancements like color boosting and SDR-to-HDR conversion, which are widely available in other brands.

Moving to the back, the Meizu 21 PRO features "Titan Glass 2.0" on both front and rear panels.

The rear camera module follows the vertical arrangement seen in the Meizu 20 series and Meizu 21.

Fans of Meizu will recognize the RGB ring flash, which lights up in various colors for notifications, adding a fresh touch to the user experience.

Lastly, long-time Meizu fans might appreciate how the transparent silicone case included in the box, when paired with the pure white body, evokes nostalgia for the brand’s classic double-injection molding design.

Performance: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Not Top-Tier but Respectable
Like the Meizu 21, the Meizu 21 PRO is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, paired with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage.

In testing, with the power mode set to "High Performance," the Meizu 21 PRO fully utilizes the CPU cores of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

However, the Meizu 21 PRO isn’t marketed as a gaming phone, and its benchmark scores reflect this—sometimes appearing slightly under-optimized in CPU tests.

In 3DMark, its scores are better, but even with proper cooling, its ray-tracing performance doesn’t top the charts.

That said, its UFS 4.0 storage performance is strong, with random speeds indicating a TLC-based 512GB chip rather than problematic QLC.

In AnTuTu V10, the Meizu 21 PRO scores over 2.18 million, a respectable result for a non-gaming flagship.

Gaming: Minimal Optimization Features, but Balanced Performance
The Meizu 21 PRO’s gaming interface lacks advanced optimization options, offering only basic filters, screen recording, and background suspension.

Yet, in real-world tests, it balances frame rates and power consumption well, deliberately capping power usage in demanding games without sacrificing too much performance.

Software: Not Yet AI-Focused, but Excellent Fingerprint and Ad-Free Experience
Running Flyme 10.5.1.0A, the Meizu 21 PRO currently lacks many promised AI features, which are slated for a May update.

Its standout feature is the large-area ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which outperforms optical sensors with faster enrollment and wet-hand usability.

The system is also notably ad-free, with no lock screen ads or bloatware in the wallet app.

The mEngine vibration motor and upgraded dual speakers deliver top-tier haptic feedback and audio quality, rivaling gaming phones.

While full AI features are pending, existing AI tools like screen recognition, vision, camera, and suggestions work flawlessly.

Camera: New Flagship Sensor, but Tuning Needs Work
The Meizu 21 PRO features a 50MP OV50H main camera, 13MP ultra-wide/macro, and 10MP 3x telephoto.

While not top-tier hardware (a step down from previous models), the use of OV50H suggests Meizu is rebuilding its imaging pipeline.

Daylight zoom performance is decent, with good white balance up to 10x digital zoom, though 2x crops show noticeable smearing.

Indoor shots reveal average noise reduction but excellent close-up focus. Interestingly, low-light macro shots default to the main camera, highlighting the OV50H’s superior focus.

Standard and portrait mode snapshots are handled well, with fast focus and accurate bokeh.

Night scenes, however, suffer from overexposed highlights and poor processing, with the telephoto rarely used despite its potential.

Conclusion: Bold Changes, but Innovation Needs Technical Backing
The Meizu 21 PRO shows ambition with its unique 21:9 design, white front, ultrasonic fingerprint, and adoption of the OV50H sensor. However, delayed AI features, mediocre secondary cameras, unpolished imaging algorithms, and a lack of end-to-end HDR support reveal gaps in Meizu’s technical foundation and supply chain leverage.