Top Chinese phones. Rating of the best Chinese smartphones in terms of price-quality ratio

We invite you to look at the best Chinese Android smartphones of 2016, at various price levels: from top-level phones to available devices. Take a look at our selection.

Best Chinese Smartphones 2016 – Selection

Things made in China often have a bad reputation, but they are more affordable due to their low price, and you can't deny that Chinese companies are strong and they have recently picked up the pace when it comes to innovation.

Just look at the graph of the world's largest phone manufacturers last year, in 2015: 7 out of 10 companies are from China. This is no coincidence: the Chinese market has grown extremely quickly, but there are also international buyers who have been able to appreciate the work done by Chinese Android phone manufacturers.

With rising stars like Xiaomi and Meizu working alongside giants like Lenovo and Huawei, there are quite a few interesting and new Chinese phones that you should know about.

We have selected the best Chinese Android phones of 2016 according to the TehnObzor website, which are definitely worth your attention.

The best high-end Chinese smartphones of 2016

OnePlus 3 phone

OnePlus 3 price: $400 (25,000 rubles)

The OnePlus 3 is the first OnePlus phone that can truly feel complete: gone are those experimental models, gone is the extremely annoying invite system, and in its place is a new, great phone that's well designed.

The OnePlus 3 may not have any special features that make it unique, but it has all the similar specs found in $800 phones for half the price.

Powered by the top-end Snapdragon 820 chip with a whopping 6GB of RAM, the OnePlus 3 is fast and has a well-functioning camera. It's hard to find a reason not to recommend buying it, at this price, it's one of the best Chinese phones of 2016.

Huawei P9 price: $550 (34,500 rubles)

Huawei has had phenomenal growth in the past year, becoming the world's third-largest phone maker, leaving behind giants like Samsung and Apple.

Huawei P9 became the company's best smartphone in 2016, carrying flagship specifications and offering innovative dual rear camera. The device has a metal design and great capabilities.

But there are a couple of features: first of all, user interface Huawei on top of Android, which many find difficult to get used to. Then the camera has Leica lenses (no doubt Leica had a big hand in the creation of the lenses) with modeling and a super wide aperture, F/1.1, but in reality it's a gimmick and the Huawei P9's camera is worse than the best camera phones this year.

However, if you're looking for the best regular-sized Chinese smartphone of 2016, the P9 offers performance and good appearance to meet all your requirements.

The Chinese phone Huawei P9 is also more affordable than Samsung and Apple, which is why it is on the list of Best Chinese Smartphones 2016.

Price of ZTE Axon 7 and ZTE Axon 7 Mini: $400 and $300 (25,000 and 19,000 rubles)

ZTE is getting serious about entering global markets, and this year the company has unveiled not one, but two top phones: the 5.5" ZTE Axon 7 and its slightly smaller sibling, the 5.2" Axon 7 Mini.

You can already buy the larger model for $400, a good price considering the powerful specs: Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, while the smaller ZTE Axon 7 Mini with the same specs costs just $300.

There is one important thing that you should consider when it comes to purchasing the ZTE Axon 7 or ZTE Axon 7 Mini: Android shell, which is used on both models, is very different from most others and takes some getting used to.

Camera performance is a little lower than the OnePlus 3, but still not bad compared to other smartphones.

A remarkable feature of ZTE Axon 7 and ZTE Axon 7 Mini is dual front speakers that produce clear and loud sound, great for YouTube and Facebook video junkies, as well as those who listen to music through speakers.

Meizu MX6 price: $300 (19,000 rubles)

Meizu MX6 is a thin and stylish phone, made from aluminum and priced competitively with mainstream flagships on the market.

However, for a Chinese phone, Meizu MX6 is not cheap device, but there is a reason for this. The phone performs well, has a smooth and stutter-free interface, and has impressive battery life, but it's not particularly stellar in terms of camera performance and has a few quirks in its menu system.

Additionally, supported 4G LTE networks are extremely limited, so there is a possibility that the Meizu MX6 will only work on 3G networks in many countries.

However, in our opinion, this is one of the best phones in our selection - The Best Chinese Smartphones 2016.

Huawei Honor 8 price: $400 (25,000 rubles)

5.2" Huawei Honor 8 is a truly beautifully designed phone. It has a stylish glass design with a metal frame, a fancy dual-camera system and a pair of 12MP sensors, one of which is used primarily for collecting color information and the other for collecting brightness data.

What's surprising is how this phone squeezes 9 hours of battery life out of its 3,000mAh battery in our test, which is more than any other flagship.

Sure, the Huawei Honor 8's skin on top of Android may take some getting used to, but it functions smoothly and the learning curve isn't as difficult as it might seem.

That's why Huawei Honor 8 is on our list - Best Chinese Smartphones 2016.

LeEco Le Pro 3 price: $400 (25,000 rubles)

LeEco is sort of like the Netflix of China, except it makes its own hardware special, and the company has been making phones for the last few years.

The Le Pro 3 is the first phone that will actually be available worldwide, and it's a big step for the company. So what makes the Le Pro 3 special?

That's the price, of course: at $400, the LeEco Le Pro 3 is another phone that offers incredible specs for a reasonable price.

The phone is thin, stylish and looks very good. It's actually one of the first phones to feature Qualcomm's latest and most powerful chip: the Snapdragon 821, along with 4GB of RAM and a generous 64GB of storage.

Unfortunately the Le Pro 3 has fallen victim to the trend, it doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone jack, you'll have to use yours USB-C port for connecting headphones.

Price of Xiaomi Mi 5s and Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus: $400 (25,000 rubles)

Chinese company Xiaomi, the most talked about technology prodigy. Its phones usually offer great specs for little money, like the Xiaomi Mi 5s and Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus, but they have very limited support for the 4G LTE band.

However, if you are interested in the Xiaomi ecosystem, the Xiaomi Mi 5s and Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus will provide more power in terms of adequate specification, at a very attractive price. These are also, in our opinion, some of the best phones in this selection - Best Chinese Smartphones 2016.

The best Chinese budget smartphones 2016

Huawei Honor 5X price: $200 (12,500 rubles)

The Huawei Honor 5X is a stylish metal phone with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a fingerprint scanner and a very decent Snapdragon 615 processor, at a very tempting price.

Its only downside is Huawei's somewhat unusual and slightly clunky user interface, but other than that, the Huawei Honor 5X is a very good-looking device that has a lot more style than other phones, is affordable and is definitely worth considering.

Xiaomi Mi Max price: $220 (14,000 rubles)

The Xiaomi Mi Max is a gigantic 6.44-inch phone with a slim body and premium metal construction, a decent camera and very good performance.

Everything mentioned is exactly what a certain group of people will undoubtedly appreciate. The large size of the smartphone allows it to pack in a huge battery, resulting in impressive battery life.

So for whom will the Xiaomi Mi Max be quite suitable?

First of all, for those who appreciate good performance on a big screen, gamers and everyone else. But keep in mind that LTE connections are limited. Without a doubt, Xiaomi Mi Max deserves to be on our list - Best Chinese Smartphones 2016

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro price: $200 (12,000 rubles)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro is often called the pinnacle of Xiaomi's success. A 5.5-inch Phablet with fairly good build quality, a feature-rich MIUI interface and decent specifications, at a cheap price.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro version of the phone also has a fingerprint scanner on the back, a lot of RAM and expandable memory.

Meizu M3 Note price: $180 (11,500 rubles)

Meizu M3 Note is a repeat and updated version of the already familiar Meizu design.

With a large and good looking 5.5-inch 1080 x 1920 pixel display and traditionally fast Meizu interface, with a well-performing camera, the Meizu M3 Note has everything you need out of the box.

In addition, the smartphone has a very good time autonomous work. This smartphone is also worthy of being included in our selection - The Best Chinese Android Smartphones of 2016.

Xiaomi Redmi 3s price: $140 (9,000 rubles)

Xiaomi Redmi 3s is the most affordable phone in the Xiaomi lineup. It stands out for its remarkable battery life; after all, there aren't many 5-inch phones on the market with a massive, 4100mAh battery.

Xiaomi Redmi 3s phone has a processor entry level Snapdragon 430, which provides fast and smooth performance in your daily activities. The camera is also at the level of other devices in the same price category, which provides very good detail and image quality.

Meizu m3 price: $150 (9,500 rubles)

New Meizu smartphone The m3 is a direct response to the stellar Xiaomi Redmi 3. The phone has everything it needs to be a worthy contender: at a similar price.

Meizu m3 has a very refined and attractive design, which is complemented by a fingerprint scanner (many Meizu phones don't have one), Meizu user interface which works particularly well.

The device also offers a very good camera, which is not bad for such an affordable phone, right? Meizu m3 is also worth considering for purchase and that is why it is in the selection - The Best Chinese Smartphones of 2016.

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A Chinese smartphone is not always bad. If you play by association, then “Chinese” today is rather inexpensive. Of course, you can still find terrible phone models with a wild design, a deafening speaker and four SIM cards, but serious Chinese manufacturers have long understood how to make mobile devices that are not inferior in any way Samsung flagships or Apple devices.

It is clear that any rating that contains the word “best” in its title will be subjective. But I’ll still try to form a small top Chinese smartphones, demonstrating what they can do in the Celestial Empire quality phones with relatively low prices.

The best Chinese smartphones 2016

Smartphone rating

Since we are talking about the best Chinese smartphones of 2016, we will consider them outside the market segments. You will find the best budget models below, and here I will give a small list of simply the best Chinese smartphones.

Xiaomi questions the adequacy of the current price distribution. If you take the same characteristics and write Samsung on top, then the cost will jump by 2 times. Xiaomi Mi5 is also not cheap, but that’s why it’s a flagship, which experts spent 2 years creating.

What we have:

• Attractive glass-covered body.
• Display with an unusual size of 5.15 inches and Full HD resolution with a touchscreen that supports up to 10 touches.
• Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with Adreno 530 video accelerator – best solutions to date.
• 3 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory(of which 54 GB are available).
• Camera 16 MP.

In the AnTuTu Benchmark V6.0 tests, Xiaomi Mi5 took first place in the smartphone rating for the 1st quarter of 2016, showing better results than the Salaxy S7 Edge and iPhone 6S. Again, the cost of the devices is not comparable - the difference is more than 2 times.

LeTv 1s came about as a result of internal struggles in the Chinese domestic market. LeTv is Chinese analogue of YouTube, but this does not prevent the company from creating good phones, which are not ashamed to sell abroad.

Advantages of the device:

• Metal body.
• 13 MP camera capable of recording 4K.
• Great sound with DTS Premium Sound technology.
• Fingerprint's scanner.

The smartphone is built on a Helio X10 processor with 8 cores. I can’t guarantee escape speed, but the device works quite quickly, and it’s not that expensive – offers cost 10-14 thousand rubles.

Pro5 is a model from Meizu with flagship characteristics, which should be compared with devices such as the iPhone 6S, Sony Z5 Compact and Samsung Galaxy S6. Briefly about the characteristics:

The disadvantage of Meizu Pro5 is its size. Length 157 mm – comfortable use is out of the question unless you are a basketball player with a huge palm. If the same technical “stuffing” were combined with a 5-inch screen, it would turn out better, but this is already a subjective attitude to the size of mobile devices.

The most beautiful phone from China. But it excels not only in its visual appeal, but also in its intelligence: the Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM do not allow the device to fail when performing tasks of varying complexity. Built-in memory is 16 GB, it is possible to expand the available volume up to 128 GB.

But the design still deserves a separate description:

• Glass panels with 2.5D curve. On Corning Gorilla Glass 3 doesn't leave fingerprints and the glass is strong enough to withstand a fall.
• Mode switch lever (vibration, all notifications, only important ones) on the left side.
• 5-inch AMOLED screen with good brightness and automatic backlight adjustment.

The main camera is 13 megapixels, the front one is 8 megapixels, and half the resolution would be enough for selfies. Autonomous operation is provided by a 2525 mAh battery. Combined with the economical AMOLED screen, you get 10.5 hours of playing unconverted video at maximum brightness. With moderate use, you can achieve two days of work, but it is better to always keep the charger nearby.

The Lenovo corporation is behind the ZUK brand, so it is not surprising that the very first smartphone under this brand is included in the list of the best Chinese smartphones. This is facilitated by high autonomy (12 hours of video playback High Quality, two full days of work in mixed mode - social networks, calls, SMS) and excellent productivity.

Let's go over the characteristics:

• Snapdragon 801 is the flagship processor of 2015.
• 3 GB RAM.
• 64 GB of internal memory.
• Android1.1, thoroughly redesigned.

The device works quickly, allowing you to easily play high-quality online videos or switch between dozens of tabs in the browser, minimizing the game with high graphic settings.

The main camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels, the front one is 8 megapixels, ideal for selfies. The device records video in Full HD. The disadvantages of the device include its big size. The screen diagonal is 5.5 inches, but combined with wide frames and a thickness of 1 centimeter, the phone looks simply huge.

The best budget models

If you think that Chinese smartphones should not cost more than $80, then pay attention to the following models:

• Bluboo Xfire 2.
• Homtom HT7.

You should pay close attention to UMI Rome. It was announced at the end of 2015, but even now remains popular among fans of Chinese gadgets.

The original price was $89, but now you can find it for much cheaper. On the same Aliexpress there are offers to buy “UMI Rome” for 4,000 rubles. What can you get for this money:

• MediaTek MT6753 processor with 8 economical cores.
• 3 GB of RAM.
• 16 GB of internal memory.
• Android1, almost without Chinese reinterpretations.
• Main camera 8 MP.

Of course, 8 cores do not work simultaneously - the smartphone immediately overheats under such a load. But the processor shows top scores than the mid-range Snapdragon 615/616/617. 3 GB of RAM is enough to work with a large margin.

The screen is well calibrated, the image clarity is comparable to the Samsung Galaxy A3 and Sony Xperia C3, and ASUS ZenFone Go was not even close to this indicator. Acceptable viewing angles with slight dimming when rotating the screen, high brightness – pleasing to the eyes. The ears are also not bad: if we ignore the ugly appearance of the built-in player, then the Rome headphones sound good.

As for the external design, UMI Rome looks much more expensive than it actually costs. If you wish, you can make some complaints about the assembly, but visually the phone is very good. Finding a device with similar characteristics at a comparable price is almost impossible, so “Rome” will be in the top of Chinese budget smartphones for a long time.

Chinese companies are gradually displacing global smartphone manufacturers, offering customers budget analogues. The following top 10 best Chinese smartphones of 2016 are compiled based on quality and technical indicators.

10 LeEco Le Max 2 X820 32Gb

The body combines metal and plastic elements. Technical indicators (TP): screen – 5.7 inches; resolution – 2560x1440 P; OS – Android 6.0; memory – 32 GB permanent and 4 GB RAM; battery capacity – 3100 mAh. Camera with optical stabilization, autofocus and LED flash - main 21 MP and front 8 MP. Video in 4K quality. Supports two SIM cards. There is a fingerprint scanner. There is no slot for an external memory card and a headphone jack. Price – over 17,000 rubles.

9 Hiawei Nexus 6P

The case is metal with a screen protected by impact-resistant Gorilla Glass 4. TP: screen – 5.7 inches; resolution – 2560x1440 P; OS – Android 6.0; memory – 32 GB permanent and 3 GB RAM; battery capacity – 3450 mAh. The camera is 12.3 MP main and 8 MP front. Supports one SIM card. Price – more than 30,000 rubles.

8 UMi Super

The body is made of aircraft grade aluminum. TP: screen – 5.5 inches; OS – Android 6.0 Marshmallow; memory – 32 GB permanent and 4 GB RAM; battery capacity – 4000 mAh. The camera is 13 MP main and 5 MP front. Has a slot for a 256 GB memory card. Equipped with an eight-core processor MediaTek Helio P10. Supports two SIM cards. Has a fingerprint scanner. Price – about 16,000 rubles.

7 Hiawei Honor 8 32Gb RAM 4Gb

The body is made using mirror glass. TP: screen – 5.2 inches; resolution – 1920x1080 P; OS – Android 6.0; memory – 32 GB permanent and 4 GB RAM; Battery capacity – 3000 mAh with Smart Power 4.0 energy saving technology. The camera is a dual main one with laser autofocus and professional settings, as well as an 8 MP front camera. Supports two SIM cards. There is a memory card slot and a fingerprint scanner. Price – about 25,000 rubles.

6 ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S 64Gb

The model is equipped with a powerful processor. TP: screen – 5.2 inches; resolution – 1920x1080 P; OS – Android 6.0; memory – 64 GB permanent and 4 GB RAM; battery capacity – 3000 mAh. Camera – 23 MP main camera and 13 MP front camera. Supports two SIM cards. Has a slot for a memory card. A fingerprint scanner allows you to control the camera and make mobile payments via NFC. Price – about 20,000 rubles.

5 Lenovo Vibe X3

The body is made of aluminum combined with plastic. TP: screen – 5.5 inches; resolution – 1920x1080 P; memory – 32 GB permanent and 3 GB RAM; battery capacity – 3600 mAh. Camera – 21 MP main camera and 8 MP front camera. Supports two SIM cards. Equipped with a three-microphone system, three audio amplifiers and an audio chip. It has a fingerprint scanner and a slot for a 128 GB memory card. Price – about 25,000 rubles.

4 Xiaomi Mi5 128Gb

The body is made of metal using Gorilla Glass 4. TP: screen – 5.1 inches; OS – Android 6.0 Marshmallow + MIUI 9; memory – 128 GB permanent and 6 GB RAM; battery capacity – 3000 mAh. Camera – 16 MP main camera and 4 MP front camera. Photos and videos are clear thanks to four-axis image stabilization. There is no memory card slot. Equipped with a Snapdragon 820 processor and Adreno 530 graphics accelerator. Price - over 23,000 rubles.

3 Lenovo ZUK Z2 64Gb

The model is equipped with a Snapdragon 820 processor, which makes it quickly responsive to touch. TP: screen – 5 inches; resolution – 1920x1080 P; memory – 64 GB permanent and 4 GB RAM; battery capacity – 3500 mAh. The camera, which provides high-quality video recording, is a 13 MP main camera and an 8 MP front camera. Has a fingerprint scanner. Price – about 15,000 rubles.1

OnePlus 3T

The screen is covered with tempered glass. TP: screen – 5.5 inches; resolution – 1920x1080 P; OS – Android 6.0; memory – 64 GB permanent and 6 GB RAM; battery capacity – 3400 mAh. Camera – main 16 MP with phase detection autofocus and optical stabilization and a 16 MP front camera. Supports two SIM cards. Has a fingerprint scanner. Price – about 28,000 rubles.

Chinese smartphones gained particular popularity in 2016, eclipsing European and American brands with their price and excellent characteristics.

The beginning of the summer period presented users with many new interesting mobile devices. The pioneers were Xiaomi company and Meizu, which presented Meizu M3S and Xiaomi Redmi 3S, which fall into the budget class in terms of their price. However, this was not the main sensation; the most sensational smartphones were the flagship device OnePlus 3 and the ZUK Z2 phone. After reading the new issue of “”, you will learn everything you need.

UMI London

Price: $69.99
UMI has announced a nice smartphone from budget segment, which was traditionally named after the universally recognizable city - London. The phone's appearance is similar to the flagship Xiaomi Mi5 device, although there is no scanner button on the front. The new product is covered with curved glass on both sides and has a metal frame. According to the vendor, this phone extremely durable. However, it’s hard to believe, taking into account the budget class and modest price tag.

Doogee F7 Pro

Price: $270
The flagship device Doogee F7 Pro was presented in July, but many could see its presentation at an event called MWC, which took place in winter. At that time, it was one of the first mobile gadgets created based on Mediatek chipset Helio X20 (10 cores). However, everyone knows very well that second-rate companies often delay production too much, and only in the summer did information about the start of sales appear. In addition to the interesting processor, this flagship also boasts an impressive 5.7-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. There is also 4 GB of RAM, a main IMX230 photo module with a resolution of 21 megapixels from SONY, the same camera is installed on the Meizu MX5 and a solid 4000 mAh battery.

iNew U9

Price: $94
Everything is leading to the fact that iNew U9 will become the most affordable phablet on the global technology market. Buying it at retail, the new device will cost a little less than $100. Of course, I understand that for such a sum you shouldn’t expect something incredible, but if you look closely, the technical component is not so poor. The big plus is that the phone is built on the MediaTek MT6735 chipset, not the MT6580.

RugGear RG740

Price: $400
RugGear RG740 is a mobile gadget straight from the Middle Kingdom, identified as a protected type. The new smartphone meets IP68 (protection standard), which means it is dust-resistant, waterproof and completely immune to any shock. Compared to its rivals in the global market, the RugGear RG740 boasts a couple of unexpected but necessary details - a port for charger magnetic type, such are found in several copies of Sony Xperia. Such a small detail greatly simplifies the charging process and provides additional safety. But for those who are distrustful, there is also microUSB.
But there is no barrel of honey without a fly in the ointment. The cost is too high, taking into account the fact that funds for production are raised using a crowdfunding scheme.

OnePlus 3

Price: $399 / 399 EUR / 2499 RMB
According to many, the loudest hype of this month was the presentation of the 3rd flagship device, OnePlus 3. As expected, this mobile device from the “upper class” at an affordable cost. Like many of its opponents on the market, the OnePlus 3 phone was built on the basis of the already proven Snapdragon 820 chipset. In addition, there is as much as 6 GB of RAM, which is the maximum today. And it’s worth considering that there are no versions with less RAM. It is also necessary to mention that the flagship is equipped with a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display, a fingerprint scanner, fast charging technology, and a main IMX298 photo module with a resolution of 16 megapixels, from Sony. All this is encased in a metal case (andonized aluminum).
The cost for such a powerful device is not much, not less than 399 dollars for residents of the USA, and for residents of Europe the cost will be 399 euros. In China, the flagship has a price tag of 2499 yuan, which translates to $380.

Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3X

Price: $106/136
Xiaomi Corporation has spoiled its fans with two new products - Redmi 3S and Redmi 3X. It’s not hard to guess that both phones are modifications of the already beloved budget phone Redmi 3. The main difference between the new models and the original is a different processor. Having said goodbye to Snapdragon 616, Redmi 3S and Redmi 3X acquired a fresh Snapdragon 430 chipset. And despite the fact that the “fresh” one is lower in class, in terms of performance it will most likely be more productive than its “big brother”.
In addition, the new models have fingerprint scanners on board, such as those in the Redmi 3 Pro.
The phone's appearance is practically indistinguishable. However, the Redmi 3X model is intended for the operator from China “China Unicom” and has a slightly different shape of the edges - they are straight.

Meizu M3S

Price: $106/136
This smartphone was created in order to compete with the Redmi 3 line from Xiaomi Corporation. Previous Meizu version The M3 is inferior with its flimsy plastic body, significantly smaller battery, and lacks a fingerprint scanner. And in new version took into account all the shortcomings previous model and tried to get rid of them. Now everything on board the smartphone is encased in a metal case. The phone has a fingerprint scanner on the front panel of the device. The battery has a reserve of 3000 mAh, in this it is clearly inferior to its competitor, because 4100 mAh is no joke. However, few people pay attention to this point, and therefore now Meizu M3S can measure its strength with budget smartphones from Xiaomi. After all, even the price tags are almost identical.

Meizu Pro 6 (red and pink)

Price: $380
In addition to the updated Meizu M3S, the company presented to the public two new colors for the flagship device Meizu PRO 6. If they had not stood out so much from the crowd, they would not have been included in this list, but today it is rare to see a bright mobile device, in particular red.
Regarding technical data and cost, they are completely identical to the standard Meizu Pro 6.

Gionee S6 Pro

Price: $305
The Gionee company made a splash by presenting the brand new S6 Pro, the main feature of which was the unusual body, which was made of 97% metal. But the technical component doesn’t really stand out. This is a high-quality average mobile gadget, which is built on the MediaTek Helio P10 processor with a solid 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native memory. The cost seems a little high, however, looking at the company that created it, everything falls into place.

Huawei Honor 5A

Price: $106 / $122
The new product from the budget class, Huawei Honor 5A, taking into account its technical data and cost, is quite capable of competing with the brainchild of Xiaomi and Meizu. A mobile gadget with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, built on a Snapdragon 617 processor (8 cores), is armed with 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, a 3100 mAh battery and two photo modules - the main one with a resolution of 13 megapixels, and the front one with a resolution of 8 megapixels . But they won’t buy it online as zealously as, for example, Xiaomi or Meizu.

Asus Pegasus 3

Price: $197 / $228
But at Asus things are very deplorable, because why release a budget-class smartphone with a Mediatek MT6737 chipset in China, evaluating it as a high-quality average gadget. In addition, the new product has an appearance that is not everyone’s taste, thanks to the “bold” frames around the screen. But there is also a plus - an impressive 4100 mAh battery. Mobile phone has a 5.2-inch display. If we think about it, the new product from Asus is the same Xiaomi Redmi 3S, only with a weaker processor at the cost of the Redmi Note 3 Pro on the Snapdragon 650 chipset with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory.

Doogee T6 Pro

Price: $150
Doogee Corporation has made updates to the long-lasting favorite Doogee T6 with a 5.5-inch diagonal and a large 6250 mAh battery. The new product is called Doogee T6 Pro. Now, instead of the MediaTek MT6735 chipset (4 cores), MT6753 with 8 cores is installed on board. And now the RAM size is 3 GB, and the “native” memory is 32 GB. Otherwise, nothing has changed.

Nubia Z11 Max

Price: $305
Everyone will remember 2016 as the heyday of huge mobile devices with screens over 6 inches. And this month, Nubia was also able to boast of such a large specimen. I would like to remind you that Nubia is a sub-brand of ZTE. The new mobile device has a 6-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Matrix Super AMOLED. There is a rather impressive technical part on board, which is based on the Snapdragon 652 chipset. There is also 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. The new brainchild from Nubia is armed with a good photo module with a resolution of 16 megapixels (Sony IMX298), a fingerprint scanner and Hi-Fi sound declared by the manufacturer. And all this is enclosed in a metal shell. And considering all this data, the cost is $305 and this allows the Nubia Z11 Max to compete with the Xiaomi Mi Max in the best configuration.

Lenovo PHAB2 Pro, PHAB2 Plus and PHAB2

Price: $499/299/199
The new Lenovo PHAB2 Pro is not just everyone’s favorite mobile device, but also the first phone on the planet that supports Project Tango augmented virtual reality. This gadget with a diagonal of 6.4 inches has great amount sensors and cameras that are responsible for scanning the surrounding space in order to build a 3D model. Such technology should be used in gameplay or for navigation while in a building.
Other highlights include a QHD screen with 2560 x 1440 pixels, a 16-megapixel main photo module, a metal body, a fingerprint scanner, a Snapdragon 652 chipset and high-level sound from Dolby.
In addition to the flagship type device, its younger brothers were presented - PHAB and PHAB2 Plus. Both new products have exactly the same diagonal, but the resolution will be lower. In addition, the phones are based on chipsets from Mediatek.

Meitu V4s and M6

Cost: $460-535/$610-760
Meitu is widely known in the Middle Kingdom as a manufacturer of expensive mobile devices for a female audience, and this month the company presented two gadgets.
The Meitu V4s is an update to the flagship type device of that year. To put it roughly, they only updated the amount of “native” memory and added a new orange coloring.
But the new Meitu M6 is the new brainchild of the company. This model is the first to have a fingerprint scanner and, unlike the Meitu V4s, it comes with a more modest finish.
As before, the main highlights of mobile gadgets from Meitu are the famous V design and two high-tech photo modules with a resolution of 21 megapixels. Well, the cost is, as always, too high.

OPPO A59

Cost: $275
Long before its release, there were rumors that the new smartphone from OPPO would be able to pamper everyone with its low cost. But what is happening now is completely different from what was said. OPPO A59 is the most expensive mobile gadget based on the modest Mediatek MT6750 chipset. This was also installed on the Meizu M3 mini. The price tag from the manufacturer is 1,799 yuan, which translates to $275. As a comparison, we can mention the ZUK Z2, which was built on the basis of the powerful Snapdragon 820.

ZTE Blade A2

Price: $92-107
The new budget mobile gadget ZTE Blade A2 will take the place of the Blade A1 from 2015. As before, one of the main features of the phone will be a fingerprint scanner and a durable metal case will be added to this. In general, the new product from ZTE can compete with the Meizu M3 mini, and perhaps even with the Xiaomi Redmi 3, if the average battery capacity is to your liking.

ZUK Z2

Price: $273
In the end, the prayers of lovers of miniature mobile gadgets were heard and the ZUK company gave everyone who asked a ZUK Z2. You should know that ZUK is a subsidiary of Lenovo. On this moment This is the most affordable phone based on the powerful Snapdragon 820. But in addition to the top chipset, it has 4 GB of RAM, a fingerprint scanner, acceptable photo modules and an impressive 3500 mAh battery. In the Celestial Empire, the cost will cost less than three hundred dollars.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe, ZenFone 3 Ultra and ZenFone 3

Price: $249 / $479 / $499
ASUS Corporation from Taiwan presented three new products at once, including the hi-end flagship device ZenFone 3 Deluxe, built on the Snapdragon 820 and with 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory. In addition, the new gadget has acquired a 5.7-inch display and a 23-megapixel main photo module with optical stabilization (4 axes).
The second, but no less important new product is ZenFone 3 Ultra. a real titanium with a 6.8-inch screen, but it just has less outstanding technical data. However, this will be enough to play or work. One of the top Snapdragon 652 and 4 GB of RAM will ensure stable operation.
Well, the third gadget from the budget segment is ZenFone 3. To be honest, the characteristics of this smartphone are quite consistent with the standards of the middle class, but its cost is almost two times lower than the above-mentioned brothers. The device has a 5.5-inch FHD screen, a fresh Snapdragon 625 chipset with 8 cores, 4 GB of RAM and a main photo module of 16 megapixels.

InFocus S1

Price: $150
This product also comes from Taiwan. For those who are not in the know, this brand is the property of the well-known Foxconn factory.
The new mobile device is an almost exact copy of the Meizu M3 Note with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a Mediatek Helio P10 processor. The only difference is that the amount of RAM is higher, but the battery capacity is slightly lower. However, the main highlight is the Tencent OS 2.0 Android firmware. To date, this is the first phone that runs on Tencent OS. Second generation.

For quite some time now, most of us have not seen much of a difference between smartphones made in China and those made in Korea or Japan. High-quality products from Chinese industry giants mobile communications is confidently gaining worldwide popularity, displacing competitors with its inexpensive and high-tech products. Given the unprecedented interest in gadgets from the Middle Kingdom, readers are presented with a rating of the best Chinese smartphones of 2018 in different price categories that have an optimal price-quality ratio.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X

Our rating is built in order - from simple to complex, and the tenth place in the top 10 went to an excellent budget model– Xiaomi Redmi 4X (32 GB). The smartphone is housed in a metal case, on the front panel of which there is a 5-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Redmi 4X has an 8-core processor - Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 MSM8940 with a clock frequency of 1.4 GHz, for which 3 GB of RAM are allocated. With this chip, the smartphone is fast in operation and can handle most loads. The main camera of the phone with a resolution of 13 megapixels and f/2 aperture takes good photos in HDR mode, and for selfies and video calls there is a 5 megapixel front camera. In addition, Redmi 4X has 2 SIM card slots, one of which is combined with a card slot microSD memory, there is an infrared port and FM radio, a fingerprint scanner and a powerful 4100 mAh battery.

Specifications

• OS: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow - 7.1.1 Nougat with MIUI shell V8.0-V8.2;
• Display: IPS, 5 inches, 1280×720 pixels;
• Cameras: main 13 MP (f/2, autofocus), front - 5 MP;
• Processor: 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 MSM8940 (1400 MHz);
• Video processor: Qualcomm Adreno 505;
• Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in - 32 GB, combined slot for memory cards;
• Battery: 4100 mAh (micro-USB).

pros

1. Compact and fast, with a convenient MIUI shell;
2. Good camera, 3 GB of RAM and fingerprint scanner;
3. IR port and good sound in headphones.

Minuses

1. Touch buttons are not backlit.

In ninth place in the ranking is another model from this company, equally inexpensive - but good smartphone with a large screen - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus in an elegant metal and polycarbonate body. Its 6 inch IPS display from Tianma with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9, covered with scratch-resistant 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass. Redmi 5 Plus has a fairly powerful chipset for the budget segment based on an 8-core processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 with a clock frequency of 2000 MHz, and 4 GB of RAM is more than enough for it fast work. The phone has good cameras from the OmniVision brand with a resolution of 12 and 5 megapixels, the weak software for which can be corrected by installing a program like “Google camera”, or drivers from camera2api, which turn these photo modules into flagship-level cameras with digital video stabilization. And also, big budget smartphone with two SIM cards from Xiaomi works in LTE networks, has a fingerprint scanner and powerful battery capacity of 4000 mAh with fast charging function, which is enough for 2 days of battery life of the gadget.

Specifications

• OS: Android 7.1.2 Nougat with MIUI V9 shell;
• Display: IPS, 5.99 inches, 2160x1080 pixels;
• Cameras: main 12 MP f/2, autofocus), front - 5 MP;

pros

1. Large widescreen display with high resolution;
2. Productive chip - Snapdragon 625 with 4 GB of RAM;
3. Excellent call quality and good sound.

Minuses

1. There is no stabilization for cameras and the NFC module;
2. Combined memory card slot;
3. Poor quality sound when recording video.

The eighth position of the top 10 best Chinese smartphones went to Meizu M6 Note - a high-quality budget model, assembled in a metal case with a Home button, combined with a fingerprint scanner, located under a 5.5-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, and protected from scratches from 2.5D glass. The M6 ​​Note has the same powerful processor - Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953, as the previous device in the rating, hence its high performance both in the network and in working with applications. But the cameras here are even more interesting: the main photo module is double, and consists of sensors with a resolution of 12 and 5 megapixels. The module's senior camera, Sony IMX362 with f/1.9 aperture, is considered the best in the mid-budget smartphone segment, according to users. Front-camera phone with a resolution of 16 megapixels and a relative aperture of f/2, also of a good level. Among the functionality of the smartphone, it is worth noting support for LTE networks of ten frequency bands, the presence of 2 slots for SIM cards, a fingerprint scanner and a 4000 mAh battery with a fast charging function, which is enough for 2 days of battery life of the device.

Specifications

• OS: Android 7.1.2 Nougat with FlyME 6.0 shell;
• Display: IPS, 5.5 inches, 1920×1080 pixels;
• Cameras: main (dual) 12+5 MP (f/1.9), front - 16 MP;
• Processor: 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 (2000 MHz);
• Video processor: Qualcomm Adreno 506;
• Memory: RAM - 4 GB, built-in - 64 GB, combined slot for memory cards;
• Battery: 4000 mAh, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, (micro-USB).

pros

1. High performance and comfortable FlyME shell;
2. Excellent screen with realistic color reproduction and a fingerprint scanner;
3. Fast charging and two days offline mode batteries.

Minuses

1. If worn without film, the oleophobic coating is erased within 2 months;
2. The display and slippery case are scratched;
3. Lack of NFC module.

ASUS ZenFone Max Plus

In seventh place in the ranking is a smartphone with two SIM cards, in a durable metal case – ASUS ZenFone Max Plus. The screen of the device is made using IPS technology; with a diagonal of 5.7 inches, it has a resolution of 2160 × 1080 pixels and is protected from damage by tempered 2.5D glass. The model's chipset contains an 8-core processor - MediaTek MT6750 and a video accelerator - Mali-T860 MP2, which are supported by 4 GB of RAM. Thanks to this filling, ZenFone Max Plus is productive and fast in operation. Multimedia part cell phone is also of a decent level, since its main camera is made up of two high-quality sensors with a resolution of 16 and 8 megapixels, taking photos and videos of good quality. The front camera of the device is also 8 megapixels, its aperture is f/2 and the viewing angle is 85°. The smartphone operates on LTE networks, has two SIM card slots, a fingerprint scanner and FM radio; and its 4130 mAh battery has a fast charging function.

Specifications

• OS: Android 7.1.2 Nougat with ZenUI 4.0 shell;
• Display: IPS, 5.7 inches, 2160×1080 pixels;
• Cameras: main (dual) 16+8 MP, front - 8 MP;
• Processor: 8-core MediaTek MT6750 (1500 MHz);
• Video processor: Mali-T860 MP2;
• Memory: RAM - 4 GB, built-in - 64 GB, slot for memory cards;
• Battery: 4130 mAh, Fast charging, (micro-USB).

pros

1. Nice design, compact;
2. Good camera and good performance;
3. Battery with fast charging.

Minuses

1. Gets warm when navigating;
2. Doesn't run games at maximum settings;
3. Slippery body.

Meizu Pro 7

The sixth position in the top 10 was given to powerful model mid-price category - Meizu Pro 7. The front panel of the gadget is occupied by an excellent Super AMOLED display made by Samsung with a diagonal of 5.2 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, protected by scratch-resistant glass. On the back panel under the lenses dual camera There is an additional information screen. The smartphone has a fast and productive 10-core processor – MediaTek Helio X30 with operating frequency up to 2.6 GHz, video coprocessor – PowerVR 7XTP-MT4 and 4 GB of RAM. Thanks to the powerful chip, it runs great 3D games and 4K videos, and the body of the device does not heat up at all. The rear photo module of the phone consists of two cameras with a resolution of 12 megapixels; the eldest of them is the Sony IMX386, with f/2 aperture, and, among many functions, has digital image stabilization and touch focusing. The main camera, thanks to the ability to control it from the auxiliary screen, can take excellent selfies. The front camera is also of good quality; it has a resolution of 16 megapixels and an f/2 aperture. This one has stylish smartphone There is an infrared port that turns it into a control panel for household appliances, a fingerprint scanner and a separate audio chip - CS43130 Master HIFI, thanks to which the phone has excellent sound. Well, a battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh with a fast charging function will allow Meizu Pro 7 to last autonomously for at least a day.

Specifications

• Display: Super AMOLED, 5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels;
• Processor: 8-core MediaTek Helio P25 (MT6757T) (2.6 GHz);
• Memory: RAM - 4 GB, built-in - 128 GB;
• Battery: 3000 mAh, fast charging, (USB Type-C).

pros

1. Stylish design, “cool” display, there is an auxiliary screen;
2. Great sound, battery life and fast charging.

Minuses

1. No NFC module;
2. No SIM card slot;
3. No moisture protection.

Xiaomi Mi 6

In fifth place in the ranking is a well-balanced and functional smartphone in a metal and ceramic body - Xiaomi Mi 6. This model has a high-quality IPS screen with a diagonal of 5.15 inches with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels and an image density of 428 ppi, protected by scratch-resistant Corning glass Gorilla Glass 4. Inside the smartphone there is a powerful 8-core processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 with a clock frequency of 2.45 GHz, for which 4 or 6 GB (optional) of RAM are allocated. With such amazing features, Mi 6 is very fast to use. Also, this cell phone has very good cameras: the main one is Sony IMX386 with a resolution of 12 megapixels and f/1.8 aperture, which has the functions of digital and optical stabilization, touch focusing and shooting in RAW format. This photo module is double; On the back of the device there is another 12 MP camera with a telephoto lens to create a blurred background effect. The smartphone’s selfie camera – Sony IMX268 has a resolution of 8 megapixels, an f/2 aperture and a viewing angle of 80°. Both cameras have a wide range of manual settings that greatly expand the photographer's capabilities. The Mi 6 has 2 SIM card slots, good stereo speakers and a fingerprint scanner, IRDA and NFC modules, as well as fast charging for its 3350 mAh battery.

Specifications

• OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat - 8.0 Oreo with MIUI V8.2-V9.5.3 shell;
• Display: IPS, 5.15 inches, 1920×1080 pixels;
• Cameras: main (dual) 12+12 MP, front - 8 MP;
• Processor: 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 (2.45 GHz);
• Memory: RAM - 4/6 GB, built-in - 64/128 GB;
• Battery: 3350 mAh, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, (USB Type-C).

pros

1. Ceramic body, excellent display;
2. High performance Snapdragon 835;
3. Very good cameras, NFC.

Minuses

1. Not autonomous enough;
2. There is no mini-jack 3.5 mm audio jack;
3. Heavy.

The fourth position in the ranking is occupied by a smartphone with two SIM cards in a durable metal case - Meizu Pro 7 Plus, which differs from its younger counterpart in the size of the display; here it measures 5.7 inches diagonally. The older model has a more powerful processor – a 10-core MediaTek Helio X30 with a clock frequency of 2.6 GHz. Naturally, for increased power consumption, the manufacturer increased the capacity of the battery with fast charging - Meizu Super mCharge, and in Pro 7 Plus it is 3500 mAh. The main camera of the phone is the same Sony IMX386, but the front camera has been replaced with a more powerful one with a resolution of 16 megapixels. Otherwise, the same excellent functionality: 2 SIM card slots, a fingerprint scanner and a separate CS43130 Master HIFI audio chip.

Specifications

• OS: Android 7.0 Nougat with FlyME 6.0 shell;
• Display: Super AMOLED, 5.7 inches, 2560x1440 pixels;
• Cameras: main (dual) 12+12 MP, front - 16 MP;
• Processor: 10-core MediaTek Helio P30 (MT6799) (2.6 GHz);
• Video processor: PowerVR 7XTP-MT4;
• Memory: RAM - 6 GB, built-in - 64/128 GB;
• Battery: 3500 mAh, fast charging, (USB Type-C).

pros

1. Design, excellent screen, auxiliary screen;
2. Fast interface, plenty of memory, convenient FlyME shell;
3. Audio chip CS43130 Master HIFI, autonomy and fast charging.

Minuses

1. No NFC module;
2. No SIM card slot;
3. No moisture protection.

OnePlus 5

The top three of the top 10 best Chinese smartphones opens with a model in an aluminum alloy case – OnePlus 5, equipped with an excellent Optic AMOLED display made by Samsung with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, protected by scratch-resistant 2.5D Corning Gorilla glass Glass 5. The phone's performance is excellent, since it contains a modern 8-core chip - Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 with an operating frequency of 2450 MHz. The main photo module of OnePlus 5 is double and consists of cameras with a resolution of 16 and 20 megapixels. The older one is a 16 MP sensor – Sony IMX398 with an f/1.7 aperture, among other functions, equipped with digital image stabilization, touch focusing and the ability to create pictures in RAW format. The secondary 20 MP camera has a telephoto lens and is used to create a background blur effect. Regarding the quality of photos and videos of the main module, the owners' reviews are the most positive, but they advise installing the HDR+ application from Google Pixel. The front camera is a Sony IMX371 with a resolution of 16 megapixels, has an f/2 aperture and is an excellent tool for taking selfies. If we add to this description the presence of Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC modules in OnePlus 5, a fast fingerprint scanner and a 3300 mAh battery with fast charging function, the image of one of the best smartphones of 2018 emerges in terms of price-quality-functionality ratio.

Specifications

• OS: Android 7.1.1 Nougat - 8.1 Oreo with Hydrogen OS-Oxygen 5.1.2 shell;
• Display: Optic AMOLED, 5.5 inches, 1920x1080 pixels;
• Cameras: main (dual) 16+20 MP (digital stabilization), front - 16 MP;
• Processor: 10-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 (2.45 GHz);
• Video processor: Qualcomm Adreno 540;
• Memory: RAM - 6/8 GB, built-in - 64/128 GB;
• Battery: 3300 mAh, OnePlus Dash Charge, (USB Type-C).

pros

1. High performance Snapdragon 835 and excellent Optic AMOLED display;
2. Pure Android 8, fast charging and fast fingerprint scanner;
3. Incredible fast connection to the network and finding Wi-Fi, an excellent Selfie camera.

Minuses

1. Camera noises in the dark, screen scratches;
2. No protection from water;
3. No memory card slot.

OnePlus 5T

In second place in the ranking is the older brother of the previous model – OnePlus 5T. Its main difference from OnePlus 5 is its larger size and display format: here the screen has a diagonal of 6.01 inches and a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels with an aspect ratio of 18:9, thanks to which the gadget does not feel bulky. The basis of the electronic content of this phone is the same processor - Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998, thanks to which there are no performance problems under any load. The multimedia part of the device is similar to the contents of the younger model - the same dual photo module of cameras with a resolution of 16 and 20 megapixels and an excellent selfie camera. The battery, despite the enlarged screen, remained the same capacity - 3300 mAh. OnePlus 5T has a face unlock feature, and will be an excellent choice for lovers of top-end phablets.