Meizu U20 Reviews
One of the most attractive devices for budget consumers is the Meizu U20, which was released in 2016 and combines a beautiful design with good performance. The U20’s performance processor is, as might be expected, one of the most important components in determining its usability, gaming ability, and how well it can handle multitasking. In this article, we will take a closer look at the emerging Meizu U20 Processor in terms of specifications, performance, real-life usage, and how it compares with other similar devices.
Specifications Overview
The Meizu U20 is powered by the MediaTek MT6755 (or Helio P10) processor. This is an octa-core chip made of four 1.8GHz and four 1.0GHz Cortex-A53 cores, built on a 28nm process technology. In addition to this CPU, the U20 also houses Mali-T860 GPU, which is intended for gaming and graphics enhancements.
Processor: MediaTek MT6755 (Helio P10)
Cores: Octa-core (4 x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 + 4 x 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53)
GPU: Mali-T860
RAM: 2GB and 3GB variants available
Storage: Internal storage of 16GB or 32GB, with microSD card support available
This is nice budget performance provided to tackle casual work and light gaming.
Performance Analysis
General Performance
Considering its price segment, Meizu U20 performs quite well for the device. Helio P10 processor has no problem handling web browsing or writing in social networks or using any common applications. As for the multitasking possibilities, they are fair, particularly in the case of a 3GB RAM variant, which lets a user change apps quite quickly without any substantial delays.
Nevertheless, users should keep in mind that multitasking or launching several heavy applications at once can affect the performance. Although the octa-core setup aims at improving multitasking ability, the 28nm design does imply that the processor is not as power-saving as its contemporaries which may in turn cause thermal throttling at extreme usages.
Gaming Performance
In terms of gaming, Meizu U20 can serve light to medium range games very efficiently. Games such as Candy crush and Subway surfers work perfectly, while the more graphically inclined games such as Asphalt 8 can be played on reasonable graphics settings. But one should not be overly excited regarding a game with heavy graphics such as PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty Mobile because the performance can be laggy at high settings.
The Mali-T860 GPU is okay for graphics but isn’t the best one available. For example, users can expect some frame rate losses in very demanding gaming sessions, and in addition, extended play may lead to overheating and therefore the performance suffers.
Benchmark Performance
In the synthetic benchmark tests the Meizu U20 has a fair score, however placing it within the average smartphones ranking. On Geekbench testing, the common scoring for single core remains between the range of 600 to 700 points with the highest of 3000 points for multicore scores. These scores correspond to other devices employing the same Helio P10 processor and thus a class performer.
User Experience
Software Interface
The Meizu U20 is based on Flyme OS which is an Android operating system. The interfaces are quite attractive and easy to access, looking modern yet simplifying the overall navigation. Even this OS has its share of features that can be modified and enhanced, letting the user change them according to his desires.
Nevertheless, one of the cons is that Flyme OS is visually-intensive and may consume a lot of device resources making the device sluggish at times. This is mostly evident when many widgets or live wallpapers are in use. Software patches released regularly throughout the years have brought performance gains but customers should be wary of lag arising from heavy customization.
Battery Performance
The U20 comes along with a 3260 mAh battery with justifiable battery performance. Under a moderate level of usage which incorporates browsing, engaging in social media, and a little bit of mobile gaming, users should be able to enjoy a full day’s worth of battery level. But a great deal of battery power is consumed when one is gaming significantly or doing multiple tasks. The device supports fast charging though, which is great as users will be able to recharge the phone in a relatively short time.
Quality Design and Build
The Meizu U20 features a beautiful design that is made up of a metallic body and a 2.5D curved thin glass. The build quality is robust, however, the phone may feel a little mushy and comfortable to the hand. Button placement is comfortable and a finger print sensor on the front is efficient on unlocking the device quickly.
The display measures 5.5 inches and is Full HD IPS LCD. It produces great colors and has good viewing angles. It may not be as impressive as the displays seen in flagship phones but it still provides a decent experience while watching videos and playing light video games.
Competition Analysis
The price range of the Meizu U20 also draws the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and Lenovo K5 Note both running MediaTek processors.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3: The specifications of the Redmi Note 3 include a Snapdragon 650 CPU which is better than the Helio P10 in both benchmarks and real world usage. Also, the Redmi Note 3 has a bigger battery allowing for longer periods of usage especially when engaged in heavy activities.
Lenovo K5 Note: The K5 Note which has a MediaTek Helio P10 GPU has approximately the same performance parameters. It although comes with a better audio system featuring dual speakers which can be an advantage to multimedia users.
While the U20 is clearly a step up in performance and specs for the price offered, potential buyers may find its competitors’ performance attributes better.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
Satisfactory performance in simple tasks and casual games.
Well-thought-out appearance and good quality housing materials.
Convenient and customizable Flyme OS.
Capacity enough for standard use.
Disadvantages:
Overheats with too much playing time and multitasking operations.
The usual “lag” comes with too many customizations of the User-interface.
Attaining high graphics settings for intensive games is impossible.
Its price can afford devices with more powerful processors than this unit.
In conclusion
Despite the fact that the Meizu U20 processor is somewhat mid-range, it offers reasonable performance for the target market that is seeking low-cost smartphones. Thanks to its MediaTek MT6755 chip, the U20 manages to cope with the routine tasks comfortably and can be considered more than adequate for light gaming. Taken as a whole considering factors like built quality and software quality, this device seems to meet the needs of its users who are looking for a budget option.
But for those people who are interested in performance or serious gaming in this price range, they would need to look for other options. All in all, Meizu U20 is a good entry-level smartphone that lives up to its functionality and is aimed at users who do not want to pay for extravagance in specification.