INTERVIEW: Meizu explains why Exynos powers its flagship device

Meizu, one of the most influential smartphone makers in the world, has officially launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Meizu PRO 6 Plus, powered by Samsung’s Exynos 8 Octa (8890) processor on November 30th. To understand why Meizu has chosen Exynos 8890 for its cutting-edge device, we had an interview with Robin Eyckmans, Global Branding Manager of Meizu. Team Exynos: Meizu has been using Exynos processors for its flagship line-up for the past years. What are Meizu’s deciding factors for continuously choosing Exynos processor for its premium smartphones? Robin Eyckmans: We’ve been using Samsung processors for well over 10 years now. Exynos processors are famous for their uncompromised performance and efficiency, making them a perfect fit for our PRO-series flagships. However, improved performance and efficiency were not the only reason we chose the Exynos 8890 processor to power the Meizu PRO 6 Plus. Using the Exynos 8890 allowed us to improve on aspects such as picture quality and cellular band coverage as well. Team Exynos: AI is one of the hottest topics in the technology industry these days. With that said, I am told that Meizu has implemented its very own artificial intelligence engine. Can you comment on how the Exynos processor can improve the user experience with your AI solution? Robin Eyckmans: The advanced branch prediction of the Exynos 8890 increases the performance of the device by predicting which resources are necessary based on user patterns. Coupled with Meizu’s new AI engine, One Mind, the Meizu PRO 6 Plus prepares resources for common tasks in advance, resulting in a better experience. Team Exynos: With the Exynos 8890, has Meizu PRO 6 Plus’s performance improved compared to its predecessor? Robin Eyckmans: The four 2.6GHz Samsung custom CPU cores are undeniably one of the most groundbreaking features of the Exynos 8890 processor. Working flawlessly together with four 1.6GHz ARM Cortex-A53 cores in a big.LITTLE setup thanks to SCI (Samsung Coherent Interconnect) technology, we managed to achieve a performance improvement of more than 30% compared to the Meizu PRO 5. Team Exynos: A performance improvement of 30% is just astounding. What about graphic performance? Is gaming on the Meizu PRO 6 Plus eye-popping, so to speak? Robin Eyckmans: The 12-core Mali-T880 MP12 GPU brings a performance increase of 300% to the table when compared to our previous generation of phones. In the meantime, its unique 12-core setup and 14nm process significantly reduces power consumption and heat production. Team Exynos: Meizu highlights the high resolution display as one of the most important features of the Meizu PRO 6 Plus. Meanwhile, longer battery life was also highlighted, despite the fact that the high resolution display could drain the battery faster. Can you explain how this was achieved? Robin Eyckmans: We made the switch from a Full HD display in last year’s Meizu PRO 5 to Quad HD in the new Meizu PRO 6 Plus. This was an easy decision for us, given the power and efficiency of the Exynos 8890 processor. The battery life has improved by 13% compared to the Meizu PRO 5, despite the upgraded display. Eight powerful, yet efficient CPU cores in big.LITTLE setup and the new advanced GPU play an important role in keeping power consumption to a minimum. Notably, the second generation 14nm FinFET technology improves battery life even further by controlling current leakage more effectively. Team Exynos: More and more smartphone users are consuming media content on their mobile devices. We’d guess with the new Quad HD display, the multimedia performance on the Meizu PRO 6 Plus is amazing. Can you tell us more about this? Robin Eyckmans: The Meizu PRO 6 Plus is an absolute multimedia powerhouse with its high-performance Exynos 8890 processor, Quad HD display and specialized audio chips. The Exynos 8890 allows for ultra-smooth 4K video playback capabilities and H.265 (HEVC) support, as you would expect from a flagship-level SoC. It also allowed us to implement 4K and slow-motion video recording into the Meizu PRO 6 Plus. Team Exynos: Last but not the least, the camera performance of the Meizu PRO 6 Plus looks great. How did Meizu achieve this? Robin Eyckmans: For the Meizu PRO 6 Plus, we used the Sony IMX386 CMOS sensor, just like we did for the Meizu MX6. However, the camera performance of the Meizu PRO 6 Plus is significantly better, thanks to Samsung’s advanced ISP(Image Signal Processor) in the Exynos 8890 processor. It greatly improves color, sharpness, and noise reduction performance in photos and videos. Team Exynos: We know there’re many fans who wish to experience the Meizu PRO 6 Plus. Can you provide details on where it will be available for sale? Robin Eyckmans: The Meizu PRO 6 will be available internationally through our official resellers. You can find out where to buy Meizu products in your country on the Where To Buy page on our official website. What do you think of the Exynos 8 Octa (8890) and the Meizu PRO 6 Plus? Tell us over on Facebook or on Twitter. Head over to the Meizu PRO 6 Plus product page for more product details, pricing and availability.