Meizu Note9 has a custom 48MP dual camera, giant battery for $210
Maybe with this one it'll be more than marketing.
- More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
The button- and port-free Meizu Zero phone announced in January was a unique device that sadly turned out to be "a research project." The Chinese phone maker's new Note9, though, appears to be real and is still groundbreaking, for its price at least.
Not to be confused with that other Note 9 aimed at power users who love a good stylus, the Meizu Note9 is seemingly designed for cash-strapped gamers who also appreciate high-quality cameras. For photos, Meizu uses a dual-camera system on the back. It features a new 48-megapixel Samsung GM1 sensor on the main camera paired with a customized monochrome 5-megapixel "deep-view camera." The phone will then use its processing power to create larger 1.6-micrometer pixels to improve image quality, improve night photography and add bokeh to photos.
Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chip with two customized cores to handle gaming and other demanding tasks, Meizu said. The company also developed a GPU-scheduling technology to help the phone maintain smooth gaming performance and greatly reduce lag.
To do all of these things and still leave you power to make a phone call, the Note9 has a 4,000-mAh battery behind its 6.2-inch 1080p LCD. Meizu said the phone can be safely charged in 90 minutes, too.
Perhaps the best part is the price, though. The Meizu Note9 is expected to start shipping on March 16 in China for 1,398 yuan -- approximately $210, £160 or AU$295. Global availability was not announced.