Meizu Pro 7 prototype #8 pictured with secondary display, dual camera

The Meizu Pro 7 will be the Chinese manufacturer's flagship smartphone for 2017. It's also shaping up as one of the strangest phones we might see this year, for leaked prototype photos confirm that Meizu is placing a secondary display right below a pair of cameras on the phone's back panel. Although the idea isn't new, as it was pioneered by the YotaPhone, Meizu's spin on it is unorthodox, to say the least.

Reportedly, this smaller display shows notifications and other relevant information, just like the YotaPhone or today's smartwatches do, saving battery life. The placement may appear strange, but Meizu probably decided on it after doing some focus testing and listening to feedback. If there's enough people cool with the screen, then the manufacturer must be onto something.

It may be weird, but at least it's not another iPhone clone!

The person who provided the photos reports that Meizu is switching to a glass back, rather than continuing with its traditional metal builds. This decision is, reportedly, due to a "complex manufacturing process." Additionally, the device in the photos is referred to as Prototype 8, which suggests that it's merely one out of a whole collection of prototype units. Therefore, this isn't a final design, and it could actually be very far from it.

Still, the Meizu Pro 7 is, arguably, shaping up as the most interesting entry in the manufacturer's Pro series to date. We'll see how Meizu proceeds with it in the months ahead. Some rumors say the handset is scheduled for a July announcement, which would be a typical move for the Chinese manufacturer.

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