THE BEST CHINESE SMARTPHONES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

Chinese smartphones have emerged from a murky past of iPhone clones and shady software to become a new force on the global market. Chinese phones tend to be a lot cheaper than phones sold in the West but often have equally good build quality and features. Here are the best Chinese smartphones.

OnePlus 3

The third model in the OnePlus flagship series, the OnePlus 3 was launched on June 14, 2016. It ditched the invite system that generated a lot of buzz for previous models but mostly served to annoy customers. This device ushered in a new era for OnePlus and demonstrated a newfound maturity in the Android market.
The thing that stood out the most for us was the performance of the OnePlus 3. It comes with a quad-core Snapdragon 820 backed with 6 GB of RAM. This device outdid every phone we have in the office with an AnTuTu benchmark of 140,573. If you’re looking for a Chinese phone that performs well then this is your best bet.
The performance was not the only part of the phone that impressed us. The design is minimalist and in the same class as the Galaxy S7. And although the display was not as good as we had hoped, OnePlus made up for it with a quality camera. And the value cannot be beaten.
AndroidPIT oneplus 3 7921
Get a lower cost than smartphones that perform worse. / © AndroidPIT

Huawei P9

The fourth model of the Huawei P series is dubbed the 'Pocket DSLR'. That's because the company partnered with German camera manufacturer Leica to make a device focused around photo capabilities. The smartphone has a dual camera system with two rear cameras.
Despite having a better camera and taking higher quality photos the device is still priced under its competitors. It's not a cheap Chinese phone but in general is not expensive at $559. And unlike other Chinese manufacturers, Huawei has a strong presence in the US.
The Huawei P9 comes with Android Marshmallow right out of the box. The HiSilicon Kirin 955 chipset is backed up with 3 GB RAM. The device has an internal memory capacity of 32 GB and can be expanded with the microSD capabilities. The phone runs on a 3,000 mAh battery.
AndroidPIT huawei p9 review 3604
The dual camera system on the Huawei P9 is a major selling point. / © AndroidPIT

Xiaomi Mi 5 and Mi 5 Pro

Xiaomi made a big splash at MWC 2016 with its new flagship Mi 5 series. These long awaited devices are currently confirmed for the Indian and Chinese markets but Xiaomi's Global VP said in an interview that Xiaomi has "other markets on their radar screen." 
The design and specs of these two devices are impressive. The normal Mi 5 version has a 3D glass rear panel, 32 GB or 64 GB of internal storage and 3 GB of RAM. The Pro version comes with a ceramic back, 128 GB of internal storage and 4 GB RAM. Both come with a Snapdragon 820 processor and a new 4-axis optical image stabilization system that wowed at MWC 2016. 
The incredible prices of these devices is perhaps the most remarkable thing about them. The lowest cost (32 GB) version is set to be released at $407.99. The 64 GB Mi 5 version is going to come in at $459.99 and the Mi 5 Pro at $515.99. 
xiaomi mi 53
The Xiaomi Mi 5 has the specs of a premium device at a mid-range price. / © AndroidPIT

Honor 8

The Honor 8 impressed us when we reviewed it at our offices. Its glass and aluminum body is quite nice to look at and  is ergonomic, as well as having a premium feel. This device has a 5.2-inch full HD resolution delivering 423 ppi. The colors are crisp and remain clear at different viewing angles.This is a fast device and our benchmarking showed excellent performance, especially when you consider that this device's price range starts around $400. Check out our full review and see if this device is right for you. One thing is for sure though, it’s one of the best Chinese phones on the market.

Lowest price: Honor 7

AndroidPIT honor 8 review 6443
The Honor 8 is great value. / © AndroidPIT

Meizu Pro 5 

The Meizu Pro 5 ups the price point to just under the $500 mark, but it is a very capable smartphone.
Packing Samsung's excellent Exynos 7420 chipset – the same as the Galaxy S6 – clocked at 2.5 GHz, a 21 MP camera, 3 GB or 4 GB of RAM, front-mounted fingerprint scanner, 5.7-inch Full HD display, Android Lollipop and solid 3,000 mAh battery, the Meizu Pro 5 is one to look out for.
androdipit meizu pro 5 screen
The Meizu Pro 5 uses the same chipset as the Galaxy S6. / © AndroidPIT

ZUK Z1 

You may not have heard of the ZUK Z1, but you'll wish you had. Backed by Lenovo, the ZUK Z1 has outstanding battery life, a rock-solid fingerprint scanner, good performance and a very decent camera, all for the low price of $220.
The ZUK Z1 also features a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 801, CyanogenMod OS 12 (based on Lollipop), 64 GB internal storage, 3 GB of RAM, a 4,100 mAh battery and 13 MP Sony sensor. Not bad at all.
lenovo zuk z1 screen
The Zuk Z1 is a great all-rounder. / © AndroidPIT

Lenovo Vibe P1

Lenovo's Vibe P1 has one feature that will absolutely destroy what you thought was possible for a £160 phone: a 4,900 mAh battery. That's not a typo, the Vibe P1 has a battery that's double the size of many other smartphone batteries right now.
But that's not all – the Vibe P1 also delivers super fast-charging technology to get that monster battery charged pronto, as well as a fingerprint scanner, 5.5-inch Full HD display and Android Lollipop. Did we mention this thing only costs $160?

Lowest price: Lenovo Vibe P1

lenovo vibe p1
The Lenovo Vibe P1 has a battery double the size of most smartphones. / © Lenovo

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Waterproof LG G6 to include wireless charging?

Image
LG's next flagship phone is expected to be called the LG G6. That is the easy part to figure out. What isn't so easy is figuring out what features will be included on the device. According to a report out of Korea published today, the LG G6 will be waterproof. One LG executive was quoted as saying that there is high demand for a waterproof handset in Japan because of the humid and rainy weather. The report adds that this will mean the end of replaceable batteries on LG's flagship phone, which in turn means the end of modular capabilities. Considering that LG was schooled by Lenovo/Motorola on that subject, dropping it might be considered a positive. And speaking of positives, the word is that LG will be using a more expensive waterproofing technique using adhesive rather than the cheaper tape employed by Samsung. While 3M makes the tape used by Samsung for its waterproof  handsets, companies such as Hitachi, Henkel and 3M are competing for the adhesives contract wit
Read more

Super Mario Run: how to unlock all six playable characters (Mario, Peach, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, Toadette)

Image
Super Mario Run is a lot of fun: sure, it takes just an hour or two to go through the whole campaign (we have people on PhoneArena who did it in half an hour, but they also wear a Mario shirt in the office...), but if you want to unlock all the secret characters and pass all the challenges, it will take days. Well, let's not be afraid and get started right away with the first step: here is how to unlock all the six playable characters in Super Mario Run. You start with Mario, of course, but you can unlock five more characters: Princess Peach, Toad, Luigi, Yoshi and Toadette. Note that each one of these characters has a special skill that you can use to pass the challenges in the game. Let's start with the first character that you will likely unlock: Princess Peach The whole story of the Mario game circles around a girl, and not just any girl, but Princess Peach trapped in the evil hands of Bowser. In Super Mario Run you unlock Princess Peach
Read more

All classic 8-bit Mega Man titles are coming to mobile in 2017

Image
Good ol' Mega Man Legendary Japanese video game developer Capcom announced that next year will see the release of all classic Mega Man titles on mobile. All of the Blue Bomber's iconic NES adventures will land on both iOS and Android in Japan in 2017. The press release makes no mention of the games coming to the West, but we'd say there's a big chance this happens sometime following the Japanese release. Mega Man is one of the most recognizable video game characters and has starred in over 100 titles. The first six games in the series, the ones that are launching on mobile next year, first came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System between 1987 and 1993. The first six titles starring the Blue Bomber are notorious for their unforgiving difficulty but are fondly remembered by gamers for their innovative for the time non-linear game design, tight controls and awesome action-packed gameplay. From the single screenshot accompanying Capcom'
Read more