Meizu PRO 7 second screen might actually be a mirror only

Well, now it makes more sense now. Not completely but it's just a wee bit less ridiculous than before. When rumors started to swirl around the Meizu PRO 7's second screen, it was rather confusing. That screen wasn't some grayscale, power saving screen on the back but a full color one. Based on a new set of photos leaking on the Internet, it might not even be a second screen as we know it so far. Instead, it will simply be a mirror screen.

Second screens, at least as they are currently implemented, involve either a thin strip of LCD of a full screen e-paper display that runs separately from the phone's main display. These are intended to provide shortcuts or display information independently from the main screen while also minimizing battery use. Meizu's implementation, however, smashes that convention.

Although it's still less than a quarter of the phone's back, the PRO 7's alleged second screen still occupies a large space. Plus, it is a full color screen, so battery savings are minimal. Three new photos now reveal that the screen might not actually be running independently of the main screen but might actually simply mirror it. That is, it will display exactly the same thing, except on a much tinier scale.

For what purpose, you ask? For selfies, of course! This mirroring trick basically allows users to take advantage of the usually higher quality rear camera without shooting it blind. That is, they will be using the regular camera but since the app's screen is mirror on its back, it would be like taking a selfie with it.

Whether that is its only purpose is something we'll have to see when Meizu makes the announcement. Presuming this is the real deal, of course. A smaller screen could indeed be less power hungry than a bigger one, especially if it's an OLED panel that mostly always displays black, like the Galaxy S8's always on display. It is still an odd implementation that is novel at best but probably not entirely useful in the long run.

VIA: Weibo