Meizu 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S9: A Detailed Comparison of Two Compact Flagships
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user in 2024, the Samsung Galaxy S9 emerges as the slightly better choice. Its more powerful Exynos 9810 (or Snapdragon 845 in some regions) chipset provides a noticeable performance edge, and the broader software support ecosystem offers greater long-term usability, despite similar battery endurance ratings.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Meizu 15 | Samsung Galaxy S9 |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only) |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat6 300/50 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| 1, 3, 5, 8, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2018, April. Released 2018, April | 2018, February 25. Released 2018, March 09 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 143 x 72 x 7.3 mm (5.63 x 2.83 x 0.29 in) | 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 152 g (5.36 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~403 ppi density) | 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~570 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.46 inches, 82.2 cm2 (~79.8% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 84.8 cm2 (~83.6% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED, HDR10 |
| - | 3D Touch (home button only) Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.2 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver) | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEAOcta-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) - USA/LATAM, China |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 (14 nm) | Exynos 9810 (10 nm) - EMEAQualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) - USA/LATAM, China |
| GPU | Adreno 512 | Mali-G72 MP18 - EMEAAdreno 630 - USA/LATAM, China |
| OS | Android 7.1.2 (Nougat), Flyme 7.3 | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10, One UI 2.5 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| eMMC 5.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.3", 1.55 µm, dual pixel PDAF, 4-axis OIS 20 MP, 1/2.8", 1.0 µm, AF, portraits only | - |
| Features | Laser AF, Six-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS (30fps) |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.22µm, AF 2 MP (dedicated iris scanner camera) |
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 20 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/2.8", 1.0µm | - |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Iris scanner, fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 |
| - | ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 24W wired | 15W wired, QC2 Wireless (Qi) (market dependent) |
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable (11.55 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Ink, Yakin, Indigo, White | Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Titanium Gray, Lilac Purple, Burgundy Red, Sunrise Gold, Ice Blue |
| Models | - | SM-G960F, SM-G960, SM-G960F, SM-G960U, SM-G960W, SM-G9600, SM-G960U1, SM-G960N, SCV38, SM-G960X, SC-02K |
| Price | About 400 EUR | About 110 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.63 W/kg (head) 0.96 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.36 W/kg (head) 1.18 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.2dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -93.9dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 77h | Endurance rating 78h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.082 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.630 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 77dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 80dB | Voice 68dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 81dB |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 128680 (v7) GeekBench: 5770 (v4.4) GFXBench: 9.2fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 250156 (v7) GeekBench: 8830 (v4.4) GFXBench: 14fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Meizu 15
- Unique and minimalist design
- Faster wired charging (24W)
- Clean Android experience (potentially)
- Less powerful Snapdragon 660 chipset
- Limited software support
- Lower sunlight contrast ratio
Samsung Galaxy S9
- More powerful Exynos 9810/Snapdragon 845 chipset
- Wireless charging support
- Wider software support and ecosystem
- Slightly slower wired charging (15W)
- More mainstream design
- Potential for Exynos throttling (depending on region)
Display Comparison
Both the Meizu 15 and Galaxy S9 boast 'Infinite' contrast ratios, a marketing term indicating excellent black levels. However, the Galaxy S9 edges out the Meizu 15 with a sunlight contrast ratio of 4.630 compared to the Meizu 15’s 4.082, suggesting better visibility in direct sunlight. While both utilize AMOLED technology, the S9’s higher contrast ratio translates to a more vibrant and readable outdoor experience. Both displays lack high refresh rates, a common feature in modern smartphones.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable photo and video recording, but detailed sensor information is lacking in the provided data. However, given Samsung’s history, the Galaxy S9 likely features a larger main sensor and more sophisticated image processing algorithms. While both phones likely offer similar features like HDR and scene optimization, the S9’s processing power allows for faster image capture and more complex computational photography techniques. The absence of specific details prevents a definitive camera comparison, but Samsung generally excelled in mobile photography during this era.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Samsung Galaxy S9, depending on the region, features either the Exynos 9810 (built on 10nm) or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (also 10nm). Both are significantly more powerful than the Meizu 15’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (14nm). The Exynos 9810’s octa-core CPU, with its 2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 cores, provides a substantial performance boost over the Snapdragon 660’s 2.2 GHz Kryo 260 Gold cores. The 10nm process node used in the S9’s chipsets also contributes to better thermal efficiency, potentially reducing throttling during sustained workloads. This means the S9 is better equipped for demanding games and applications.
Battery Life
Both the Meizu 15 and Galaxy S9 achieve an endurance rating of 77-78 hours, indicating comparable battery life. However, the Galaxy S9 benefits from 15W wired charging with Quick Charge 2.0 and Qi wireless charging, offering more versatile charging options. The Meizu 15’s 24W wired charging is faster, potentially reducing 0-100% charge times, but lacks wireless charging support. The similar endurance ratings suggest that despite the more powerful processor, the S9’s battery optimization and efficient chipset offset the power draw.
Buying Guide
Buy the Meizu 15 if you prioritize a unique, minimalist design and are comfortable with a potentially limited software update path. It’s ideal for users who appreciate a clean Android experience and don’t demand the absolute highest performance. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S9 if you prefer a more established brand, wider app compatibility, and a more powerful processor for demanding tasks like gaming or video editing. The S9 is better suited for users who value a robust software ecosystem and readily available accessories.