In this article I will tell you about the pros and cons of buying a Chinese phone, as well as the best Chinese smartphones of 2016-2017. Chinese smartphones have excellent performance at a fairly low cost. In terms of their functions, they can easily compete with flagships like Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7, at a cost at least several times lower. I suggest you take a look at the best Chinese smartphones you can buy this year.

You've most likely already heard of brands such as Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo. Xiaomi is gaining international popularity, although there are already more smartphones in China than Apple and Samsung combined. But the problem with many Chinese phones is that they are not always available for purchase outside of China. To buy a Chinese phone, you must order it directly from China, or buy it from gray market sellers. In the second case, you will pay significantly more due to markup, but you will receive a similar phone as if you ordered directly from China. I advise you to order your smartphone directly by choosing a trusted store from China. In this article you will find a number of links where you can order smartphones from China with free delivery directly to your home.


So, what are the main advantages of Chinese smartphones? This is price/quality ratio, excellent performance, Dual-Sim function (two SIM cards), the opportunity to buy an exclusive phone. Most of the best Chinese phones have two slots for SIM cards. 4G communication is supported even in the most inexpensive versions, where most often only one slot will work in this mode. Some manufacturers still use a standard SIM card slot instead of the now common Micro-SIM. This problem can be solved by ordering a card adapter that costs approximately $1. You should definitely check the specifications to see if the phone will work with your frequencies. mobile network. The most common eight-core MediaTek processor in Chinese smartphones. All eight cores operate at the same frequency, with no separation taking into account performance and energy conservation. Most often, a smartphone is equipped with 2-3 gigabytes RAM, 16GB internal memory and support microSD cards(32-64GB cards are supported). As for the camera, the main camera most often uses a 13Mp f/2.2 Sony sensor, with a 5Mp front selfie camera. The camera functionality is on par with most popular Android smartphones. All devices support HD or full-HD and are equipped with a display from 5 to 5.5 inches. Most often this is an IPS display good quality, protected by Gorilla Glass 3.

OnePlus 3 smartphone

OnePlus 3 is a popular high-end smartphone that is sold all over the world. Many people do not even suspect that it is produced by a Chinese company. This smartphone is one of the most expensive on the list. But considering the design, performance and quality of the OnePlus 3, it's clear that the price is justified. In many respects, OnePlus 3 is ahead of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7. What is most impressive is the performance of the OnePlus 3 smartphone with a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and 6 GB RAM. According to the results of the AnTuTu benchmark test, this phone will surpass any competitor, giving 140,573 points. This is one of the most powerful Chinese smartphones with top performance. The minimalist design is somewhat reminiscent of the Galaxy S7, and although the display isn't quite as good, the build quality and excellent camera get the job done.

Xiaomi Mi 5

Flagship smartphone Xiaomi company with Android system is in no way inferior to more expensive competitors from famous manufacturers. Users have access to a wide field of customization and numerous settings for maximum ease of use. The stylish design of Xiaomi Mi 5 is backed by high performance and good battery capacity. Xiaomi made a splash at MWC 2016 by introducing its flagship Mi 5 series. These long-awaited devices have already been officially launched in the markets of India and China, but the company intends to expand its horizons and enter global markets. The regular version of Mi 5 is equipped with 3D glass on the back panel, 32 GB or 64 GB internal memory and 3 GB RAM. The Pro version comes with a ceramic body, 128 GB of internal memory and 4 GB of RAM. Both phones are equipped with a Snapdragon 820 processor and a 4-axis optical stabilization system. But the most important advantage of the phone is its low cost.

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro is another great Chinese smartphone that offers maximum performance for just $140 (50% off). This device allows the user to deeply configure all parameters and make the phone truly convenient for personal use.

Huawei Honor 8

The Honor 8 is a fantastic smartphone whose price has increased significantly since the release of the previous model. However, for $400 you get a great camera, a stylish design, a fast fingerprint sensor and a quality display. All this makes Honor 8 a worthy competitor to the OnePlus 3 smartphone.

Elephone P9000

You will be impressed by the Elephone P9000 smartphone with advanced characteristics, Android system and a pleasant price tag of $200. The system works quickly, the battery holds a charge for a long time, and many functions allow you to customize everything to your liking. There is even a quick function wireless charging, NFC support, USB-C, dual-SIM and cards microSD memory.

The lack of a microSD card slot, a removable battery and fast wireless charging means the OnePlus 2 isn't exactly a flagship killer. However, it has a number of killer features, including USB Type-C, dual 4G dual-SIM support, and powerful hardware. With the advent of the new version, the price of the old smartphone was reduced and is now $250. Due to the lack of a memory card slot, it is better not to choose the version with 16 GB of memory, but to choose a phone with more voluminous storage.

ASUS ZenFone 2 was recognized as one of the best smartphones of 2015 in terms of price/quality ratio. It has a premium design and good filling. The software is the strong point of this smart phone, and it is complemented by a magnificent screen. However, it is inferior to more modern OnePlus models in a number of ways, including a weaker battery and a less powerful camera. But all these shortcomings are compensated by the low price of the device and do not prevent it from being on the list of the best Chinese smartphones.

Xiaomi Redmi 3S

The Xiaomi Redmi 3S Pro is currently available for just a few dollars more than the 3S. Both of these phones can be called the optimal choice in terms of price and functionality. These budget Chinese smartphones are Android based will give a head start to many more famous competitors outside of China. The new fingerprint scanner in a $150 phone alone speaks volumes.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

The new Redmi Note 4 is not so different from its predecessor of the third version in terms of hardware, having only received more memory and powerful processor, but in terms of design it took a big step forward. If you are not interested in sophisticated design and large storage capacity, then regular will do Redmi Note 3, which is also an excellent device for the money.

Ulefone Future

Ulefone attempted to create a futuristic smartphone by introducing a model with the self-explanatory name Future. The phone features an edge-to-edge display and a USB-C port. This model has quite sufficient performance for a mid-class smartphone. The design of Ulefone Future can be called stylish, although there are a number of disadvantages, such as excess weight and a weak camera. All this is more than compensated for by the attractive price. The company constantly releases firmware updates and software.

Xiaomi Mi Max

If you want big smartphone, but don’t want to pay a lot of money for it - pay attention to Xiaomi Mi Max. This is a very interesting option with a large display, high performance, a capacious battery and a number of other advantages. In the wide range of phones from the popular Chinese manufacturer, this device occupies one of the top positions.

Lenovo ZUK Z1

Smarton Z1 is the first model from ZUK. It can't be called a super-cheap phone, but the price is fully consistent with what's inside. Standard Features include a 5.5-inch full-HD display, high-capacity battery, 64 gigabytes of internal memory and USB-C port. And although the Lenovo ZUK Z1 does not have microSD card support and the battery cannot be removed, it is still one of the best Chinese smartphones of 2016.

Chinese smartphone Xiaomi Redmi 3

Xiaomi Redmi 3 - excellent budget smartphone from China running the Android operating system. Since the service is not preinstalled here by default Google Play, you will have to learn some basics of working with the Android operating system in order to install and configure everything yourself. As for the design, the phone body is made of plastic and is unlikely to impress anyone. The main trump card of Xiaomi Redmi 3 is the price-performance ratio.

Meizu M3 Note

Meizu M3 Note is a great phone with powerful battery and stylish metal body. However, in a number of parameters it is inferior to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 mentioned above. This concerns performance, camera, software updates and even price. Among budget Chinese smartphones, Meizu M3 Note cannot be called a leader, but the model deserves close attention. It is quite possible that it will be released in 2017 new version, which can compete with phones from Xiaomi.

Smartphone Bluboo X9

It's amazing how much money you can save if you buy a smartphone in China. Bluboo isn't a big name outside of China, but their new X9 is a stylish phone with a fingerprint scanner and 5-inch full-HD for just $110. At the same time, the smartphone has good performance and sufficient memory to store all your data, games, music and videos.

Huawei P9

The fourth model in the Huawei P series is also called a pocket camera, as the company created the smartphone in partnership with German camera manufacturer Leica. As a result, the smartphone is equipped with two main cameras and one front camera. With such a complex Huawei cameras P allows you to take great photos in any conditions. At the same time, the smartphone costs significantly more than its competitors, which can be attributed to its disadvantages. Huawei products have already proven themselves around the world and are distributed in all countries of Europe and the USA. The smartphone is sold with a pre-installed Android Marshmallow system, HiSilicon Kirin 955 chipset and 3 GB RAM. The 32GB internal storage can be expanded via microSD cards. The battery capacity is 3,000 mAh.

Elephone Vowney

Elephone is so focused on internal filling, that I forgot to take care of the quality of the case and assembly. The Vowney smartphone stands out for its excellent characteristics, but is slightly inferior to other competitors on this list in design. However, this is one of the best Chinese smartphones that you can order right now.

October 15, 2016 at 5:14:30 am| Categories: Topper , Other , Technology

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2016 was far from the most favorable year for the Chinese economy, but despite this, brands from the Middle Kingdom continued to confidently release new smartphone models. Moreover, the Chinese managed to oust LG from the top five global manufacturers and are confidently approaching the next giant - Samsung. For a simple comparison, here are some numbers: in 2012, Samsung's share of the global community was more than 32%, while now this figure has dropped to 27.8%, while the percentage of sales of several Chinese companies (Lenovo Xiaomi and Huawei) has increased in total from 11% to 20.6%. You can’t argue with the numbers, and is it necessary? Let's just find out which smartphone models were the most popular in 2016.

It is worth noting that Chinese brands have long ceased to be associated among users with the budget segment and have reached a significantly different level. Now the flagships of many companies freely compete with apple products, but cost several times less. Is this good or bad? Of course, it’s good, because healthy competition always generates quality and the need for further development. These are the laws of business, and today we will talk to you about models that have managed to attract users all over the world. Well, which smartphone will be the most attractive is up to you, dear readers, to decide.

The first on our list is Xiaomi Redmi 3S 16 Gb, the average price of which in Ukrainian stores is 3,400 UAH. The device was equipped with a high-quality five-inch IPS screen, 13 MP and 5 MP cameras, 2 GB of RAM and a 16 GB drive. The device works under Android control 6.0, and a 4100 mAh battery is responsible for autonomy. A stable workhorse - this is exactly what we should say about this model with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937 processor. Based on reviews from real users, it should be noted that the smartphone works in active mode for about two days. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best budget smartphones of this year.

Screen:	5", 720 x 1280 (HD), 294ppi
CPU:	8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (4 x 1.4 GHz + 4 x 1.1 GHz)
Graphics accelerator:
Operating system:
	two SIM cards: micro i nano
Built-in memory:	16/32 GB
RAM:	2/3 GB
Wireless interfaces:	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1
Navigation:	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Cameras:	Main camera – 13 MP, front camera – 5 MP
Battery:	4100 mAh
Dimensions:	69.6 x 139.3 x 8.5 mm
	144 g

The next budget phone on our list is HOMTOM HT17 Pro. Almost everyone can afford it, since the price of a new product is on average 2,400 UAH. For this money you will get a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1280x720. The operating system is Android 6.0, the RAM capacity is 2 GB, the internal storage is around 16 GB. The camera capabilities also coincide with the previous hero and correspond to 13 megapixels and 5 megapixels. The only obvious difference is the battery capacity of 3000 mAh. As you can see, the smartphone is also very interesting, especially for its price tag. For more detailed information about all the characteristics, see the table.

System:	Android 6 (Marshmallow)
CPU:	64Bit MTK MT6737 1.1 GHz, 4 cores ARM Cortex-A53
Graphics accelerator:
RAM:
Built-in memory:	8 GB
Memory card support:	There is
Connection:	WCDMA 900/2100, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, FDD-LTE 800/1800/2100/2600
Wireless interfaces:	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Screen:	5.5" IPS with HD resolution (1280 x 720), multi-touch 5 touches
Front camera:	2 MP (interpolation to 5 MP)
Main camera:	8 MP (interpolation to 13 MP)
Navigation:	GPS+AGPS
Battery:	3000mAh
Dimensions:	153.5 x 78 x 8 mm
	113 g

Third on the list of available and popular devices is the Meizu MX5 16Gb with a price tag of 5,200 UAH. For this money you will get an excellent display with a resolution of 1920x1080 and a screen diagonal of 5.5 inches. The operating system for this model is a little older - Android 5.0, but the amount of RAM is 3 GB, with an internal storage capacity of 16 GB. A 3150 mAh battery is responsible for the autonomy of the device. In this smartphone you will definitely be pleased with the 20.7 MP and 5 MP optics. The main camera boasts a laser focusing option, which makes your photos even better.

Available colors:	grey, champagne, silver with black or white front panel
Case materials:	metal, glass.
Operating system:	Flyme 4.5 based on Android 5.0 Lollipop
Networks (depending on phone versions):	GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz (band 5/8/3/2); TD-SCDMA: 1880-1920, 2010-2025 MHz; UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100 MHz; LTE: 1800/2100/2600 MHz (band 3/1/7)
SIM cards:	Dual Nano-SIM, Dual Standby
CPU:	Helio X10 Turbo (MT6795T), 64 bit, 2.2 GHz, 8 Cortex A53 cores
Video accelerator:	PowerVR Rogue G6200 MP4, 700 MHz
RAM:	3 GB LPDDR3, 933 MHz
Data storage memory:	16 GB
Fingerprint scanner:	mTouch 2.0, 0.48 sec., 360°, up to 5 prints in memory
Interfaces:	Micro-USB 2.0, dual band 2.4/5.0 GHz WiFi 802.11 (ac/b/g/n), Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.1, BLE, OTA, OTG, 3.5 mm audio
Screen:	AMOLED, Samsung, 5.5"" Full HD (1920x1080), On-Cell, 401 ppi, Corning Corilla Glass 3
Cameras:	rear 20.7 MP (5248x3936), Sony IMX220 Exmor RS, f/2.2; front 5 MP (2576x1936), f/2.0, OmniVision OV5693
Navigation:	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, digital compass
Battery:	non-removable, 3150 mAh, mCharge fast charging
Dimensions:	149.9 x 74.7 x 7.6 mm

The LeEco company has performed well this year and it is no coincidence that the LeEco (LeTV) Le Max2 X820 32Gb smartphone was included in our list. The Chinese market received the model back in the spring, but we Europeans only received the device in September. It is worth noting that the smartphone was one of the first to replace the usual analog audio output with the advanced CDLA standard. Only 5 months later, we were able to see this technology from Apple. These are not all the advantages thanks to which the device can easily compete with global flagships. At your disposal is a gorgeous 5.7-inch screen with a resolution of 2560x1440, Android 6.0, as much as 4 GB of RAM and a 21 megapixel sensor from Sony. Even the front camera received its legal 8 megapixels. The device runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 processor. You can buy a smartphone in Ukraine for an average of 8,000 UAH.

Screen:	IPS, 5.7", 2560x1440, 515 ppi, capacitive, multi-touch
CPU:	quad-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 2.15 GHz
Graphics accelerator:
Operating system:
RAM:
Built-in memory:	32 GB
Memory card support:
Connection:	GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS: 850/900/1900/2000/2100 MHz || LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 25, 26, 38, 39, 40, 41
	2 x nano-SIM, Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS)
Interfaces:	USB Type-C (including for audio)
Wireless interfaces:	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, IR port
Navigation:	GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
Cameras:	main - 21 MP (optical image stabilization, two-color LED flash, phase detection autofocus), front - 8 MP
Sensors:	illumination, proximity, accelerometer, Hall, microgyroscope, compass, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
Battery:	3100 mAh, non-removable, supports Quick Charge 3.0
Dimensions:	156.8x77.6x8 mm
	185 grams

This model should be classified as a more expensive segment, since the price is present moment is at around 12,500 UAH. The device became a kind of merger of two giants - Huawei and Google. The result of the technological tandem bore fruit and the smartphone captivated buyers with its capabilities and stylish design. First of all, the 5.7-inch screen is impressive and high resolution at 2560x1440. Under the hood, the device has 64 GB of internal storage and 3 GB of RAM, and it all runs on the Android 6.0 operating system. The battery capacity in this case is 3450 mAh. The optics are also great: the 12.3 megapixel main camera with laser autofocus will give you really gorgeous pictures, and the dual LED flash will allow you to work in low-light conditions. The 8 MP front camera also boasts autofocus and excellent selfies.

Operating system:	Android v6.0
Display:	5.7 "; 2560x1440 pixel; 518 ppi; AMOLED
Communication standards:	GSM; 3G; 4G (LTE)
Number of SIM cards:	2
CPU:	Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810, 8 cores, 2.0 GHz
GPU:	Adreno 430
RAM:	3 GB
Built-in memory:	64 GB
Navigation:	GPS, A-GPS, GLONAS
Wireless interfaces:	EDGE; Wi-Fi / 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac /; Bluetooth /v4.2/; USB host; NFC chip
Cameras:	12.3 MP - main, 8 MP - front
Dimensions:	159.3x77.8x7.3 mm
	178 g
Battery:	3450 mAh

The price tag for Xiaomi Mi5 32GB is approximately 7,000 UAH, if you buy the device in Ukraine. The model is truly impressive and is one of the ten most productive gadgets. The system simply “flies” thanks to the super-powerful processor and 3 GB of RAM. The display is also excellent and its characteristics are a 5.15-inch diagonal and a resolution of 1920x1080. But the main pride of the smartphone is its camera with a 16 MP Sony IXM298 sensor. The pictures will easily compete with Apple devices, as well as the popular Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z3. The declared battery capacity is 3000 mAh.

Operating system:	MIUI 7.2 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Contact:	2 x Nano SIM; GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, CDMA 800 / 1900, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, LTE band 1(2100), 3(1800), 7(2600), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500)
Screen:	5.15" IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 (428 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Chipset:	Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820
CPU:	4 Kryo cores, 2 at 1.8 GHz and 2 at 1.6 GHz
Video chip:	Adreno 530
	3 GB
Memory:	32 GB
Camera:	main: 16 MP, f/2.0, 1/2.8“ sensor, pixel size 1.12 µm, phase detection autofocus, OIS (4-axis), dual-tone LED flash, auto HDR, video recording at 2160p@30fps, 720p@120fps; front: 4 MP, f/2.0, 1/3” sensor, pixel size 2µm, video recording at 1080p@30fps
Wireless technologies:	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, access point; Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE; NFC, IR
Connectors:	USB Type-C 1.0, 3.5 mm Jack
Navigation:	GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
Battery:	Li-Po 3000 mAh with Quick Charge 3.0 support
Additionally:	fingerprint scanner
Dimensions:	144.6 x 69.2 x 7.3 mm
	129 g
Case colors:	Black, White, Gold, Ceramic

This model entered the top 8 best-selling smartphones in China and received an honorable second place in the ranking of all products from Huawei. Impressive, isn't it? You can now buy a smartphone in Ukraine for an average of 10,000 UAH. For this money you will get a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080, 4 GB of RAM, which is definitely enough to solve any tasks, 32 GB of internal storage, and a 3000 mAh battery. At first glance, it may seem that such a battery will run out quickly, since the hardware demands are high, but thanks to the Smart Power 4.0 energy-saving technology, the user will get more than a day in active use mode. Another notable detail of the device is the dual 12 megapixel main camera with capabilities manual settings like a SLR camera. In other words, if you are a connoisseur high-quality photos- Huawei Honor 8 is created just for you.

Display:	5.2-inch with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels
CPU:	2.3 GHz HiSilicon Kirin 950
Operating system:	Android 6.0
Built-in memory:	32/64/128 GB
RAM:	3/4 GB
Memory card support:	There is
Cameras:	12-MP dual camera on the back, 8 MP front camera
Dimensions:	145.5 × 71.0 × 7.45 mm
Battery:	3200 mAh
	153 grams

Last on our list we would like to present you the most powerful smartphone in the world OnePlus3 64Gb, the average price of which is 11,500 UAH. The device was immediately dubbed a flagship killer, and all because of its top-end productive hardware and relatively affordable price tag. For a very reasonable price, you get a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920x1080, 16 MP and 8 MP optics, as well as as much as 6 GB of RAM (you must agree, this figure is shocking), thanks to which the device has received the well-deserved status of the fastest smartphone in the world. The device even outperformed the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or iPhone 6S in real tests. The model runs Android 6.0, but soon users will be able to upgrade to Android 7.0. The autonomy of the device is ensured by a battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh.

Screen:	5.5-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, 401 ppi
CPU:	Snapdragon 820 with a frequency of 2.15 GHz
Graphics accelerator:
Operating system:
RAM:
Built-in memory:	64 GB
	two SIM cards (Nano-SIM);
Memory card support:
Navigation:	GPS and GLONASS
Wireless interfaces:	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Cameras:	main 16 MP SONY IMX298 with aperture 2.0, front 8 MP SONY IMX179
Bluetooth:	4.2, A2DP, LE
Battery:	3000 mAh
Dimensions:	1152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4 mm
	158 grams

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 much inferior Samsung flagships or Apple devices.

It is clear that any rating that contains the word “best” in its title will be subjective. But I will still try to create a small top of Chinese smartphones, demonstrating that the Celestial Empire knows how to make high-quality phones at 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. The best budget models you will find 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 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 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. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 doesn't leave hand marks, and the glass is durable enough to withstand drops.
• 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 work provides a 2525 mAh battery. Combined with the economical AMOLED screen, you get 10.5 hours of unconverted video playback at maximum brightness. With moderate use, you can achieve two days of operation, 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 large 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 better results 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, image clarity is comparable to the Samsung Galaxy A3 and Sony Xperia C3, and the ASUS ZenFone Go is 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.

Looking for best smartphone at an attractive price? We present to your attention the top most powerful smartphones of 2016 at an affordable price that the Chinese market offers.

This list is based on AnTuTu results. Although this test does not reflect the global picture, it is still one of effective ways quantitative assessment of device performance.

Equipped with a processorHuawei HiSilicon Kirin 950/955. Considering the last line of the rating, it does demonstrate lower performance compared to its competitors, but this is not an obstacle to purchase. 94,164 points on AnTuTu is considered a very authoritative score in 2016.

The model comes in 3 versions:

1080p screen / 4GB RAM / 32GB / Kirin 950 processor, price - 2299 yuan (352 USD);

1080p screen / 4GB RAM / 32GB / Kirin 950 processor, price - 2499 yuan (383 USD);

1440p screen / 4GB RAM / 64GB / Kirin 955 processor, price - 2799 yuan (42 USD).

9th place - LeEco Le 2 Pro X625 (94,345 points)

The LeEco Le 2 Pro smartphone is very close in characteristics to the Huawei Honor V8. It boasts a Mediatek Helio X25 processor, which is the most powerful Mediatek CPU available in the market today.

LeEco Le 2 Pro was the first smartphone to abandon the 3.5 mm jack standard in favor of USB Type-C. The smartphone also features a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 32GB of eMMC5.1 internal memory.

8th place - Meizu Pro 6 (96,756 points)

Similar to LeEco Le 2 Pro X625 Meizu smartphone Pro 6 is powered by MTK Helio X25. The Meizu flagship, which was announced in early April, caused some controversy due to smaller capacity battery (2650 mAh) compared to the previous Meizu device (Pro 5 - 3050 mAh) and a less efficient processor.

Other specifications include a 5.2-inch 1920x1080 screen with 3D technology, 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB/64 GB of internal memory.

7th place - ZUK Z2 (129,076 points)

First in this list smartphone, which is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. The flagship smartphone of the young company (a subsidiary of Lenovo) includes a 5-inch Full HD display, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal memory, 8 MP front camera and a 13 megapixel main camera.

6th place - ZTE Axon 7 (132,217 points)

ZTE AXON 7 is currently available for sale in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom via Amazon.

Axon 7 is the latest powerful model in ZTE's flagship Axon line. Uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 20 MP main camera with PDAF, OIS, aperture (F / 1.8).

5th place - Xiaomi Mi 5 (136,497 points)

Xiaomi Mi 5 was announced at the last MWC and takes 5th place in the ranking. 5.15-inch display made by Xiaomi, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 16 MP IMX298 camera made by Sony with 4-axis OIS and sapphire lens, 4 GB RAM and 128 GB internal memory.

This Chinese smartphone was the most powerful according to AnTuTu in the first quarter of 2016.

4th place - ZUK Z2 Pro (136,853 points)

ZUK Z2 Pro is Lenovo's second flagship model this year. Features include Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 5.2-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, 13 MP camera with OIS and F/1.8 aperture.

3rd place - LeEco Le Max 2 (138,026 points)

An impressive 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, as well as a Snapdragon 820 processor. The model from LeEco is one of the most powerful devices on the market. Among other characteristics, a 2K 515ppi display, a 21 MP camera (F2.0 IMX230) with OIS, a Qualcomm processor, the ability fast charging 3.0.

2nd place - Vivo Xplay 5 (138,706 points)

Vivo Xplay 5 is obviously one of the most powerful smartphones made in China considering its high score. Similar to LeEco Le Max 2, the user has 6 GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor.

Other characteristics include 128 GB of internal memory and an innovative cooling system used to reduce the core temperature of the smartphone by up to 10 degrees.

1st place - OnePlus 3 (140,288 points)

OnePlus 3, which costs only $399, is equipped with a 5.5-inch optical AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Gorilla Glass 4, 16 MP IMX298 camera made by Sony with F/2.0 aperture, OIS, PDAF, 4K video, RAW- support.

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