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

The success of Chinese smartphones in the world no longer surprises anyone. Even despite the economic problems that lately observed in China, their smartphones are still produced in huge quantities and displace such Korean giants as Samsung and LG from the ranking of manufacturers of these devices. In 2016, it entered the market large number smartphones produced by Chinese companies, many of which occupy top positions in sales rankings and are popular all over the world.

Such smartphones have a number of advantages; they are usually quite inexpensive, but they also have very good technical characteristics, and also boast a wide variety of functions, many of which cannot be found on other devices of this type. Let's look at the best Chinese smartphones of 2016 and maybe pick one for ourselves.

Our top Chinese smartphones are starting Huawei smartphone P8 Lite, which received as much as 64% of fives in the Yandex.market system. The average price of such a smartphone is approximately 16,000 rubles. The device has a 5-inch screen and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Huawei P8 Lite has Android 5.0 operating system installed. As for memory, the smartphone has 16 GB permanent memory, as well as 2 GB of RAM. The device supports dual SIM card mode. The resolution of the main camera is 13 megapixels, while for the front camera this parameter is 5 megapixels.

Huawei P8 Lite has a very good price, which is affordable for many people, perhaps for this reason it is one of the best-selling Chinese smartphones of 2016.

On Yandex.market, this model was rated five by 57% of all users. The smartphone has a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The Android 5.1 operating system is also installed here and there is support for dual SIM card operation. The amount of permanent memory is 16 GB, the amount of RAM is 2 GB, 13 megapixels on the main camera and 5 megapixels on the front camera.

This device, like many other cheap Chinese smartphones, costs quite reasonable money; its average cost in most stores is 13,000 rubles. Many people probably want to get such functionality for that kind of money, which is why the M2 Note 16Gb is a very popular model on the market. at the moment.

The number of fives in the Yandex.market system for Lenovo K3 Note was 58%. It has a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The device has Android 5.0, as well as 16 GB of permanent memory and 2 GB of RAM. Supports dual SIM card mode, also has two cameras, the resolution of the main camera is 13 megapixels, the front camera has 5 megapixels.

This smartphone fits perfectly into the category of inexpensive Chinese smartphones, since its average price is around 11-12 thousand rubles.

Another device from the famous Chinese company Lenovo. 50% of Yandex.market users noted this model in fives. As for its characteristics, they are quite standard for a smartphone in this price category. There is a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Two cameras are installed, the main resolution is 13 megapixels, and the front resolution is 8 megapixels. The amount of internal memory is 32 GB, and RAM is 2 GB. The smartphone runs Android 4.4 operating system.

Despite the fact that the characteristics of the smartphone are quite standard, for its price, which is around 17-18 thousand rubles, there is still one feature. This feature is a very good front camera that allows you to make video calls on Skype. That is why selfie lovers can safely start buying this smartphone, if only because of such a good front camera, perhaps not least thanks to which this model was included in the rating of Chinese smartphones.

It should be noted that with such good characteristics and additional features, the cost of the smartphone fits within reasonable limits.

As you can see, Lenovo never ceases to amaze and another development from this Chinese company is included in the 2016 ranking of Chinese smartphones. This smartphone was given “A” ratings on Yandex.market in 46% of cases. U Lenovo Vibe Shot has a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The Android 5.1 operating system is also installed here. There is 32 GB of storage and another 3 GB of RAM. The smartphone perfectly supports dual SIM card operation. The resolution of the main camera is 16 megapixels, and the resolution of the front camera is 8 megapixels.

Also in this development, it is worth highlighting the features of the main camera, which has a unique property called infrared autofocus. Infrared autofocus is about twice as fast as regular autofocus. The camera also has a six-component high-definition lens, which allows you to make photos as clear as possible.

The average cost of this model is around 28,000 rubles. This smartphone is included in the latest Chinese smartphones as one of the most successful developments . This is evidenced by the very high popularity of this model in many countries, even despite the rather high cost as for most Chinese smartphones.

The number of Yandex.market users who rated this model with a five is 57%. Chinese meizu smartphone MX5 16Gb has the following parameters. The screen is 5 inches, its resolution is 1920x1080 pixels, 5.0., permanent memory 16 GB, RAM 3 GB. The resolution of the main camera of the smartphone is 20.7 megapixels, while the front camera resolution is 5 megapixels.

The camera of this smartphone uses a special lens consisting of 6 lenses, which allows you to greatly increase the peripheral resolution of the device. It also uses laser focusing technology, which can achieve incredible picture quality, and this also applies to pictures taken in motion. In addition, a number of special algorithms for playing with light and shades are used, which allow you to achieve an even softer and more pleasant quality of the photographs taken. Another feature of the Meizu MX5 16Gb is the fingerprint identification system that this development is equipped with.

With such a large number special features and with such very good characteristics, the average price of this smartphone is only around 25,000 rubles, which should be noted, not as high as for such capabilities.

That is why this smartphone is considered one of the most best smartphones 2016 and is very popular.

Huawei Honor 5X appeared in Russia at the end of January, and has already managed to gain a serious place in the smartphone market. In Yandex.market, 68% of users rated this smartphone with five stars. One of the features of this device that almost immediately catches your eye is its body. The body of this smartphone is made of aircraft aluminum, which makes it very strong and reliable. In addition, Huawei Honor 5X has a screen size of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The smartphone is equipped with the Android 5.1 operating system, as well as 16 GB of permanent memory and 2 GB of RAM. The main camera resolution is 13 megapixels, the front camera resolution is 5 megapixels. Can work with two SIM cards simultaneously.

Among the features Huawei devices Honor 5X should highlight the fingerprint scanner, as well as support for energy saving technology, which allows you to save approximately 30% of battery power. The average price of this model is around 17,000 rubles, which suggests that the smartphone can be classified as affordable, especially considering its very good characteristics and a large number of positive reviews on a variety of sites.

Another representative Huawei, which occupies a strong position both in the market and in this list. Huawei Nexus 6P 64Gb is a real monster among Chinese smartphones that has remarkable parameters and a large number additional and unique features. However, its price is appropriate. The average price of this model is about 50,000 rubles. What are the developers offering us for that kind of money?

Huawei Nexus 6P 64Gb has a large screen measuring 5.7 inches. The screen has a very good resolution, which is 2560x1440 pixels, which allows you to achieve a particularly clear image. This model also boasts the latest operating system, Android 6.0, which is currently one of the most advanced developments in this area.

As for memory, the Huawei Nexus 6P 64Gb is also doing very well. The smartphone has 64 GB of storage and 3 GB of RAM. The resolution of the main camera is 12 megapixels, while the front camera has 8 megapixels.

Despite the remarkable parameters of the Huawei Nexus 6P 64Gb, its main disadvantage remains its rather high price; after all, in our time, not everyone can spend 50,000 rubles on such a smartphone. Perhaps this is why such a smartphone, at least in Russia, is not in great demand yet. Nevertheless, as many as 75% of users of the Yandex.market system gave this development a five.

This model has a low price, which is around 16,000 rubles, as well as very good characteristics. This device appeared on the market in mid-February, and quite quickly was able to take a strong position in the smartphone market, not least due to its affordable price.

What about Lenovo specifications P90 Pro, the smartphone has a screen size of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. But the most important thing is memory, this device has a lot of memory, both permanent and RAM. The amount of permanent memory is 64 GB, and the amount of RAM is 4 GB, which makes this model one of the best among those that can be classified as Chinese smartphones 2016. It also has Android 4.4, a 13 megapixel main camera and a 5 megapixel front camera. The device only supports one SIM card.

It should be noted that such serious parameters for such a low price are rare, even for Chinese smartphones, which is probably why this model has earned its rightful place in the market and is very popular in many countries. And 4 GB of RAM, for such a price, makes it to some extent unique device, since in this parameter it is ahead of most of its competitors, which have much higher prices. However, there is a balance in everything, and in this case the engineers apparently had to sacrifice support for two SIM cards, as was written above Lenovo P90 Pro is capable of supporting only one SIM card. However, this minor minus is outweighed by a number of other advantages that this model has.

Xiaomi smartphones are among the best-selling in the world; every year, more devices produced by this company are sold than smartphones produced by Lenovo. However, despite such great popularity of Xiaomi all over the world, in Russia they are practically unknown, since many of the largest Russian networks sales of electronics do not sell smartphones produced by this company.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 32Gb has a metal body and also boasts a special fingerprint sensor. The sensor installed on this device takes only 0.3 seconds to unlock the smartphone, which is one of the record values.

In addition, the model has a screen size of 5.5 inches, a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the Android 5.1 operating system, and is capable of supporting two SIM cards. In terms of storage, the device has 32GB of storage along with 3GB of RAM. There are two cameras, the main one has a resolution of 13 megapixels, and the front one has a resolution of 5 megapixels.

One of the biggest advantages of this smartphone is its price, which averages 15,000 rubles. It is this price that makes this smartphone accessible to a large number of people, which is what they say high level sales in most countries of the world.

Actually, this article presented the Chinese smartphones rating of the best 2016 that are now in the news. As you can see, the Chinese flagship smartphone companies remain almost the same, these are Xiaomi, Lenovo, Huawei, Meizu and some others. It is these companies that produce a large number of devices almost every year, many of which become one of the best-selling models of the year. If you pay attention to Chinese smartphones in 2015, among the best-selling ones there were also a large number of developments from these companies.

It is also impossible not to note the overall growth in sales of Chinese smartphones in the world, despite the slowdown in economic growth and rising labor costs in China, the best Chinese smartphones are still very popular all over the world. One of the most important reasons for this is undoubtedly the low price of many Chinese devices, which makes them much more affordable. However, one cannot fail to note the growth in quality; every year Chinese smartphones are becoming better and better and offer their users the most advanced technologies and many unique features and functions that even the most modern Korean, Japanese and american smartphones. In any case, the demand for Chinese smartphones will exist for quite a long time, especially if this area develops in China at the same pace as now and the slowdown in economic growth is not a hindrance.

In 2016, the best Chinese smartphones are extremely popular. This is not surprising, because they are much cheaper than their European and American counterparts (although almost all smartphones today are made in China or nearby countries, but only representatives of certain brands are considered purely “Chinese”).

But the characteristics are the same. Users think very simply - why overpay if there is a phone with the same characteristics, but half the price? And this makes sense.

Today we will look at the TOP 10 best Chinese smartphones as of November 2016. This TOP includes those models that users themselves talk about most.

Some third-party sites and their reviews have no meaning here. Before we begin, let's say that this rating was compiled not by price and technical characteristics, but by popularity among users.

It took into account how much people talk about a particular model on different forums, how many users mention a certain smartphone in their posts and comments, as well as user ratings of various devices on market sites (like market.yandex.ua, hotline.ua and the like) .

So let's get started!

№10 HOMTOM HT17 Pro

Our review begins with HOMTOM HT17 Pro, which was recently released. But this model immediately gained recognition in the world of modern technology lovers.

An excellent modern smartphone with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, a 13 MP camera, powerful processor and a 3000 mAh battery.

The battery is removable (most Chinese smartphones have a problem in the form non-removable battery and if it breaks down, it is very difficult to replace the battery yourself).

Quad core MediaTek processor MT6737 at 1.1 GHz will ensure the operation of the entire device without any freezes.

Other characteristics of this smartphone are:

16 GB of RAM and 2 GB of internal memory (there is an expansion slot up to 128 GB);
2 SIM cards;
price – 92 dollars.

№9 DOOGEE X5 Max Pro

This smartphone is slightly inferior to HOMTOM HT17 Pro in many characteristics (the difference is very small), but it has more powerful battery- 4000 mAh.

This beauty will last for several days without recharging. In addition, it has a more powerful processor – MediaTek MT6737. It also has 4 cores, but 1.3 GHz. This means that the device will work faster.

In our TOP 10 best Chinese smartphones of 2016, you definitely can’t do without DOOGEE X5 Max Pro. True, many may be put off by the slightly outdated design. HOMTOM still looks a little better.

Other features:

screen diagonal – 5 inches;
5 MP camera;
16 GB of RAM (only 6 GB available to the user) and 2 GB of its own (expansion slot only up to 32 GB);
IPS screen with a resolution of 1280x720;
pre-installed Android 6.0 OS;
2 SIM cards;
price – 80 dollars.

№8 Elephone S3

More powerful, brighter, more memorable, more stylish than DOOGEE and HOMTOM, which opened our TOP. But the Elephone S3 has a weaker battery - only 2100 mAh.

If you are ready to sacrifice this, be sure to pay attention to this model. It has an excellent 13 MP camera, a 5 MP front camera, at least twice as powerful a processor (MediaTek MT6753 – 8 cores and 1.3 GHz) and more RAM (3 GB).

In addition, 16 GB of internal memory is also available here, but all 16 GB of this is available to the user. System files have their own reserve. And the expansion slot is designed for 128 GB. In general, an excellent, powerful thing for every day.

Other features:

screen diagonal – 5.2 inches (resolution 1920x1080), the same IPS screen;
metal case;
price – 163 dollars.

№7 Meizu MX5

Then, in the summer of 2015, Meizu MX5 became a real killer of all budget employees. The reason for this is that it had much better specifications than other phones at the same price.

Only then all kinds of Xiaomi, OnePlus3 (which we will talk about today) and the like began to come out. Nowadays there is not much talk about Meizu.

It’s interesting that people began to pay attention to those models that came out at the same time as the MX5, but at that time were in the shadow of the glory of the famous Meizu.

We can safely say that the peak of popularity of the MX5 has already passed, even a few months ago.

In any case, a very bright AMOLED (a proprietary development of SAMSUNG, thanks to which this company can outshine everyone else), 5.5-inch diagonal, 20.7 MP camera (!), eight nuclear processor and other features of this smartphone simply shocked the world.

All this works perfectly for a whole day or more without any recharging thanks to the 3150 mAh battery.

Another nice feature is the special NXP TFA9890 music chip, which makes the sound more rich and natural. In general, a real monster!

Other characteristics:

screen resolution 1920x1080;
metal case;
preset Android system 5.0;
MediaTek Helio X10 Turbo processor at 2.2 MHz;
16 GB of own and 3 GB of RAM;
price – 230 dollars.

№6 LeEco Le Max 2

One of the modern giants continues our review. Diagonal LeEco Le Max 2 – 5.7 inches. The screen resolution is 2560x1440, which is higher than almost all smartphones on this list.

At the same time, this phone really powerful camera– 21 MPix and F/2 aperture (the smaller the better). Very few modern models can boast of such an indicator. The front camera here is 8 megapixels.

Among its additional functions, it is worth paying attention to optical stabilization and autofocus - you can take pictures even in a moving car.

The processor is a little disappointing - 4 cores (2 at 2.15 GHz, 2 at 1.5 GHz) in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996. There could be more.

But good battery 3100 mAh will ensure the device operates for several days. In general, if you really like it large smartphones, be sure to pay attention to LeEco Le Max 2.

Other features:

the screen occupies almost the entire front panel - it looks very impressive;
32 GB of internal memory (!);
4 GB of RAM;
2K Retina screen;
the body contains a combination of metal and plastic;
price – 305 dollars.

#5 Huawei Nexus 6P

Another wonderful, strong smartphone (we can say this because it has a metal body), which is also large in size and, accordingly, has a higher resolution.

The screen diagonal is 5.7 inches and the resolution is 2560x1440. Here, by the way, there is also a very bright AMOLED (!) screen - on it the picture looks completely different, it is more beautiful, natural and bright.

True, the main camera is lame. It has only 12.3 megapixels (it’s not particularly clear why exactly this number) and, judging by user testimonies, it shoots not nearly as well as we would like.

But the Huawei Nexus 6P has a more powerful processor - the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 has 8 cores at 2 GHz each. The battery is also very good - 3450 mAh.

Features of Huawei Nexus 6P:

Huawei signature design;
32 GB of internal memory;
3 GB RAM;
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 (impact-resistant);
pre-installed Android 6.0 system;
price – 425 dollars.

#4 ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini

Surely popularity ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini is due to the simple fact that despite its relatively small size (5-inch screen diagonal), this device has a very powerful processor.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 MSM8952 with 8 cores will be able to run the most demanding applications today.

In addition, there is as much as 64 GB of its own memory (many people don’t even understand how to fill all this space). There is an expansion slot up to 200 GB (!).

All this is backed up by 3GB of RAM. Indeed, very powerful!

The phone also looks very impressive - the matte metal body will look beautiful in any circumstances.

Other characteristics:

there is a fingerprint scanner;
pre-installed Android 5.1 OS;
IPS screen with a resolution of 1920x1080;
main camera 16 MP and front camera 8 MP;
price – 232 dollars.

#3 OnePlus3

Here we are talking about a real classic in the world modern smartphones– 5.5 inches screen diagonal, 16 MP main camera, quad-core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 – 2 cores at 2.2 GHz and 2 at 1.6 GHz).

But there are many nuances that make OnePlus3 special and, therefore, so popular. For example, corporate design and aluminum body.

The camera here is from Sony (model IMX 298), and it takes really good pictures.

Also here AMOLED screen(taken, of course, from SAMSUNG). There is as much as 6 GB of RAM (!), so the 4 processor cores are more than compensated for - the device will work very quickly.

Other OnePlus3 specifications:

built-in memory – 64 GB;
3000 mAh battery;
special safety glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4;
screen resolution – 1920x1080;
OS Android 6.0;
price – 500 dollars.

#2 Lenovo Vibe X3

A very unusual phone for Lenovo. It is unusual, first of all, for its design. There is something from HTC, something from OnePlus, a little from Meizu, in general, a very interesting combination.

The body is made of durable aluminum and plastic. The camera, in the best traditions of Chinese smartphones, is 21 megapixels. At the same time, it takes pictures worse than the 8 MP camera of any SAMSUNG phone.

But there are many purely unique features. For example, a proprietary three-microphone Lenovo system, thanks to which the sound is cleaner and more natural.

There is also a 3xTIOPA1612 amplifier, also from Lenovo. By the way, there is also a fingerprint scanner from Meizu. In general, the Lenovo Vibe X3 brings together all the best from other smartphones.

Thanks to this, it is becoming increasingly popular.

Other characteristics:

Wolfson WM8281 audio codec;
3500 mAh battery;
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 processor with as many as 6 cores;
32 GB of internal memory (there is an expansion slot up to 128 GB);
3 GB RAM;
IPS screen with a resolution of 1920x1080;
screen diagonal – 5.5 inches;
price – 421 dollars.

No. 1 Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

Undoubtedly, this is the most popular Chinese smartphone today! Perhaps not only Chinese, but in principle, especially considering that the Pro version with 32 GB was recently released.

Let's say right away that it costs only $165 (you will be surprised by this fact more than once when reading the characteristics of this phone further).

So, this beauty came out in the winter of 2016. Its screen diagonal is 5.5 inches, resolution 1920x1080. So far everything is standard, although at $165 it’s not bad at all.

The camera here is 13 MP (with an F/2 matrix – it takes good pictures). There is also a 5 MP front camera.

The processor here is Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 MSM8956 - six-core at 1.8 GHz! RAM– 3 GB. And (attention!) a 4050 mAh battery. These are simply amazing features.

Moreover, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is constantly falling in price - at the beginning of sales it cost about $250. It is not surprising that this is the most popular Chinese.

Other features:

the body is made of a combination of metal and plastic;
there is a fingerprint scanner;
IPS screen;
pre-installed Android 5.1 OS.

Below you can see the opinion of one of the users regarding what the TOP 10 Chinese smartphones look like in 2016.

“All these years we sold Nexus at a low price, like fools, by God. But Apple is cutting money - we need to join the premium too,” the guys from Google decided and released smartphones of the Pixel family. To ensure that the new “super-prestigious” Google Phone is not confused with its cheap predecessors, the developers at all presentations persistently emphasized that this is an “all-new” (“completely new”) smartphone, which was not developed by subsidiary brands (LG/Samsung/Huawei/HTC/ Motorola), and Google itself! However, it’s no secret that HTC, respected by Google, still assembles smartphones.

But we are less interested in politics and marketing; let’s talk about the technical component. In this regard, the new Google Phone is encouraging great camera(the best among smartphones in general, according to some experts), good AMOLED display and very powerful Snapdragon processor 821 with ideal system optimization.

By the way, about the system - now it has been added exclusivity and the latest “empty” Android Nougat has been given a new design, and English-speaking users can already talk to a smartphone like a person. That is, no more “inexpensive pickled cucumbers in Moscow” - you can immediately address them with the phrase “Pixel, where can you buy a good snack nearby?” Pleasant innovations? Yes, simply excellent! The Pixel design is a little strange, but the smartphones cannot be confused with anything else.

Another question is that the 8.5 mm thick model (like the Xiaomi Redmi 3S with 4100 mAh) houses a 2770 mAh battery with a ridiculous capacity. However, thanks to the perfectly optimized Android and AMOLED matrix, the Pixel will still last the day. But almost anyone flagship smartphone more compact than the new Google phones, which didn’t even bother to implement optical stabilization in the camera.

And the main thing is that such pleasure costs from 50 to 65 thousand rubles, even just in terms of European prices (Russians are so rich that smartphones in the Russian Federation usually cost more than in Europe). Would you like to shell out a thousand dollars for a “prestigious” Google nameplate? Yes, everyone already understands that you don’t want to, and that’s why Pixels are not sold in Russia. And for 65 thousand in Russia, smart guys buy an iPhone 7 Plus with 128 GB of memory from gray suppliers or is it still cool Samsung Galaxy S7 edge for 40 thousand. And they do it right.

The Pixel is an excellent model in its own right and the best alternative to the great and terrible iPhone (which is why the smartphone made the list). But for record-breaking performance at a high price, we already have Samsung, and Google’s “unique” software can even be made to work on cheap smartphones. That is, no matter what Google creates, it turns out to be Nexus. Only this time, an expensive, slightly strange Nexus that does not encourage reflashing, which failed to jump higher than its glass “head”.

4. Honor 8

In contrast to Google, Huawei knows a lot about “color differentiation” and has been successfully selling almost identical smartphones under different nameplates for a couple of years now. For image-conscious citizens, mobile phones under the name Huawei are coming out. And for everyone who doesn’t care about Scarlett Johansson and the nameplate of partner brands, the Chinese offer Honor models.

So in 2016, engineers “re-shoeed” the expensive Huawei P9 into a glass case, dismantled the Leica logo and began selling this model 40% cheaper than the flagship. Even by Russian standards, Honor 8, worth 28 thousand rubles, looks very cool - of similar quality models, only the “gray” versions of Xiaomi and Meizu are cheaper.

And you can’t say that Huawei has saved some money on customers: good fast processor(although not as cool as that Snapdragon 820 of yours), two cool rear cameras, with which you can “blur” the background in photographs, a high-quality display. Honor 8 is not a flagship of the “nowhere better” format - it is rather a middle ground between expensive “top models” and middle-class smartphones. Such smartphones have become an endangered species - Chinese brands are now arrogant and strive to compete in price with Samsung, so it was impossible not to mention the “anti-crisis” Honor in a special manner.

3. Apple iPhone 7 Plus

iPhone just got better. Better by N percent, because it is not proper for noble dons to focus on the characteristics of mobile phones. Parasite designers, apparently, are still having unbridled fun with uninhibited girls and “washing powder” (iPhone 6 with almost the same appearance appeared in September 2014). But the revolution, comrades, begins from the bottom, and iPhone buyers are still satisfied with the case design. Moreover, lovers of innovation still received the standard “glossy black” color - an important detail for those who want it new iPhone immediately distinguished from the old one.

Generally improved iPhone versions with the previous body design they usually receive an additional index S, but the name iPhone 6SS would sound provocative, and, frankly speaking, technical innovations have accumulated enough to change generations.

Apple iPhone 7Plus

Judge for yourself: a new touch-sensitive Home key with imitation pressing, “identical to natural”. Water protection, which is not very useful in everyday use, but reduces the risk of “killing” a smartphone with liquid. Stereo speakers in a very compact body and a processor that, with four cores at a mediocre frequency, outshines all Qualcomm and MediaTek brands of any degree. 2x optical zoom (a small thing, it doesn’t always work, but it’s still useful). And this despite the fact that the iPhone, as we know, has never competed with rivals for show on the principle of “who has it longer”!

The iPhone 7 Plus is still full of shortcomings: ridiculous strap suitability, no support fast charging, rather dull shooting quality compared to Android flagships, a headphone jack amputated “for fun” or out of Apple’s greed.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

But in order to criticize, you need to offer something in return. Google Pixel is not sold in Russia, and it can no longer boast of the slogan “Android smartphones are always cooler for the same price.” The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has reached “retirement” age on the assembly line, but is still too expensive, has a modest 32 gigabytes of internal memory (a little more than 20 GB is available for games and applications), and is easily soiled and fragile. It is, of course, very technological in itself, but has changed little since the time of the “breakthrough” S6 edge. And high-quality and cheaper flagships on Android based enough without that.

With such a preamble, the iPhone award sounds like glorifying the best of worst smartphone, but Apple’s flagship still “raises the bar” with each new generation by a sufficient amount so that iPhone users do not migrate to Android phones and do not envy Samsung Galaxy users.

2. Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

Didn't expect it? But I think that budget Xiaomi He fully deserves such honors. Because Redmi has become a symbol and the most desirable budget smartphone during the crisis period not only in Russia, but also in other post-Soviet republics. To be frank, in 2016 Xiaomi made two “revolutions” at once - first, in January, Redmi 3 was born, which brought an unprecedented 8-core processor (not cheap, from Kvalkom bottling!) and a metal case to the budget ranks. And at the end of the year, when Huawei and Meizu released response smartphones, Xiaomi “finished off” all competitors with the release of Redmi 4 Prime.

A bright Full HD display in a smartphone for 8-9 thousand rubles! The coolest Snapdragon 625 - before this it was found in models at least 3 times more expensive! And a capacious battery that lasts all this stuff in a thin case for a long time.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

Why not Xiaomi Mi Mix? Because now it is a very expensive and not very practical prototype smartphone with a flagship processor, but a mediocre camera. Why not Redmi Note 3? Because there is nothing breakthrough in it - Note 3 became a “restyling” of Redmi Note 2, and Note 3 Pro just received a slightly faster and more intelligent processor. Xiaomi Mi5, over time, also looks like “just” another inexpensive Chinese flagship, but the “compact” Redmi is developing much more sharply.

And I understand those who believe that such portions of praise for a budget smartphone are unnecessary. Still, you will have to polish it and Russify it yourself, the cameras in Redmi 4 are still mediocre, fast charging again is not supported due to savings on components.

Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime

But there hasn’t been anything cooler in the budget class, no, and there won’t be in the foreseeable future - in exchange for 8-10 thousand you can “taste” quad-core models from slightly more arrogant vendors that are disgusting in terms of speed and quality, or, at best, buy a plastic Meiza at based on a “deformed” old MediaTek processor. Moreover, if there have never been problems in choosing good and expensive smartphones, then Redmi almost single-handedly defends the honor of truly cool budget models, for which it receives “silver” in our rating today.

Today we choose the best Chinese smartphone of 2016. Despite the fact that only six months have passed, the top five have already clearly been determined.

Let us immediately note that for comparison we are taking devices with top-end technical characteristics that can compete with the Samsung Galaxy S7 itself, but the price range can be quite large.

After all, this is China, where you can buy a smartphone with flagship parameters for just 200-300 dollars. However, if you pay another 100-200 dollars on top, you can get something completely technically advanced.

Another selection criterion is that the manufacturer of the smartphone must be purely Chinese company, no Hong Kong or especially Taiwan.

So let's get started!

Place number 5. Meizu Pro 6: the most balanced

We already wrote about this device at one time, but it wouldn’t hurt to repeat it. After last year's very successful Meizu Pro 5 fans expected from new Pro 6 that it would become an absolute “flagship killer,” but the manufacturer took a completely different path.

Of course, Meizu Pro 6 is a flagship-level device, but the bet was placed on the ideal combination of price and capabilities. It should be noted that Meizu almost succeeded. “Almost” is that very soon other manufacturers presented similar devices. However, it was the Pro 6 that won the greatest success among them.

From a technical point of view, Meizu Pro 6 is very close to ideal: a ten-core Helio X25 processor, a Mali-T880 graphics accelerator (like the Galaxy S7 based on Exynos 8890), 4 Gb of RAM and 32/64 Gb of built-in flash memory, an excellent 21.16 MP camera (6 lens with optical image stabilization, f/2.2 aperture, laser and PDAF autofocus, 10-element circular flash), USB Type-C.

However, the device also has its disadvantages. The screen of Meizu Pro 6 is inferior even to last year’s flagship Pro 5: only FullHD 1920x1080 with a diagonal of 5.2 inches. The battery is also rather weak - only 2560 mAh.

And the main drawback these days is the lack of a MicroSD slot. Almost all smartphone manufacturers, who last year inadvertently deprived users of the ability to expand memory, have corrected their mistakes this year. But this does not apply to Meizu Pro 6.

The cost of the smartphone is about 400 US dollars, and for this it is not at all necessary to order it from China. For example, in the popular and reliable online store Pleer.ru you can buy Meizu Pro 6 for only 27,199 rubles. And you don’t have to wait for the device to arrive from China.

Place number 4. OnePlus 3: a potential leader

The Chinese company OnePlus presented its flagship this year later than all the others, but in terms of its characteristics, the new “troika” is not inferior to branded flagships, and in general it is “packed” with the latest technology. What is only 6 GB of RAM worth?

And the rest of the characteristics of OnePlus 3 are “on the level”: Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 chipset, built-in 64 Gb storage, support for all kinds of future-proof 4G LTE versions, USB Type-C, NFC, Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

The main camera has a resolution of 16 MP, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilization and dual LED flash. The front camera of the new product will definitely appeal to selfie lovers: 8 MP resolution, f/2.0 aperture, very large 1/3.2″ sensor for a secondary camera, 1.4 µm pixel size.

OnePlus 3 also has its downsides. Like Meizu Pro 6, it lacks a MicroSD slot and has a screen with FullHD resolution (in general, this is typical for Chinese flagships). However, OnePlus did not skimp on the durable protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4.

Overall, OnePlus is, of course, not the best Chinese smartphone of 2016, but it’s definitely worth a closer look.

Unlike Meizu Pro 6, which has been on the Russian market for several months now, it is better to order OnePlus 3 from China - it is still very rare in Russia, and where it is available, they charge an unrealistic price for it (from 39,000 rubles).

Place number 3. LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 Pro: the most inexpensive flagship

This smartphone can rightfully bear the title of the cheapest flagship. Because for its $229 (that’s how much you can order it for with free shipping from China), it offers so many features that no other smartphone offers. Even Chinese.

The exception is, perhaps, Vernee Apollo Lite, but the latter has been released in a rather limited edition and is not so easy to buy (but you can try), and it has a weaker processor (Helio X20).

However, let's return to LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 Pro. The processor here is the same (Helio X25) as the Meizu Pro 6, which we wrote about at the beginning: 10 cores and ARM Mali-T880 graphics.

The volume of RAM is 4 Gb, the built-in flash memory is 32 Gb. Unfortunately, there is no slot for a memory card, but there is support for 4G LTE, which will allow you to quickly send your data to the cloud or download it from there.

The main camera is no worse than that of Meizu Pro 6: 21 MP resolution, f/2.0 aperture (even better), dual flash, fairly large 1/2.4″ sensor.

Le 2 Pro pleasantly stands out from the rest of the Chinese “mainstream” with its thin metal body. For its sake, the manufacturer even abandoned the standard 3.5 mm headset jack.

However, you don’t have to worry about its absence: the smartphone comes with an adapter that will allow you to connect headphones or a headset directly to the USB Type-C connector. Moreover, the quality of audio playback in this case will be even higher.

Despite enough slim body(only 7.5 mm) LeEco equipped Le 2 Pro with enough capacious battery at 3000 mAh.

Place number 2. Huawei P9 Plus: the most technically advanced

If we talk about the most technically advanced Chinese smartphone, it is definitely Huawei P9 Plus! I want to write a lot about him at once, but we will try to do it in order.

Unlike other manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom, Huawei fundamentally uses processors of its own design. So the Huawei P9 Plus is based on the HiSilicon Kirin 955 “stone”. This eight-core processor operates at a frequency of up to 2.5 GHz and has a powerful Mali-T880 MP4 graphics core.

As for the rest of the hardware, the Huawei P9 Plus is also great: 4 Gb of RAM, 64 Gb of built-in flash memory, the ability to install a MicroSD memory card up to 256 GB, NFC, infrared port for control household appliances, USB Type-C, a very capacious 3400 mAh battery and support for two SIM cards.

But the main feature of Huawei P9 Plus is the presence dual camera with lenses from the legendary Leica! Pictures from two sensors are taken simultaneously, then the image processing processor analyzes them and produces a high-quality final image.

Thanks to this, Huawei P9 Plus shoots in low light conditions, perhaps even better than Samsung Galaxy S7. At the same time, the noise level is noticeably lower.

Also, the new product from Huawei allows you to take HDR pictures of fast moving objects, which is an almost impossible task for other smartphones even in bright light.

In general, if a smartphone can be a photographer’s dream, then its real embodiment is the Huawei P9 Plus! Yes, it is very expensive (from 45,000 rubles), but even among “brands” it is almost impossible to find something similar.

Place #1. Xiaomi Mi5: the best Chinese smartphone of 2016

Xiaomi Mi5, which was introduced almost simultaneously with the Samsung Galaxy S7, is without a doubt the most successful Chinese smartphone of 2016. What are the sales of this device alone worth!

The range of Chinese smartphones today is very large and choosing among the many models the best ones in terms of price-quality ratio is very difficult. In this article I want to rank the most popular Chinese smartphones for 2016-2017. In this TOP 10, I tried to include smartphones from different price categories. Let's start the review in descending order of price - from expensive to cheap. Let's go!

The intrigue before the release of this phone was no less than before the release of the iPhone 7. It is equipped with a rounded 2.5D screen with a diagonal of 5.2 inches and a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, which is not only shock-resistant, but also does not leave fingerprints on it. The device has a reliable case, a 10-core processor – MediaTek Helio X25 (MT6797T) with a frequency of 2.5 GHz and 4 GB of RAM. The camera in this flagship also does not disappoint, and its resolution is 21 megapixels, it has phase and laser autofocus; and the front one is 5 megapixels, which is great for selfies. The battery of the model, with fast charging function, has a capacity of 2560 mAh.

This flagship smartphone is equipped with an 8-core processor – HiSilicon Kirin 955, whose frequency is 2.5 GHz, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory; battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh, as well as 12 megapixels rear camera and 8 megapixel front camera. The manufacturer indicates that the phone is equipped with three external antennas, so the signal quality will be good. The body is all metal, there are no complaints about the assembly. The 5-inch diagonal display with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels is very convenient to use. As befits Chinese smartphones, this gadget can install two SIM cards.

The design of the smartphone is not particularly expressive, but it cannot be called unsuccessful. Subjectively, this is just another Chinese flagship killer. The flagship's body is assembled tightly and neatly; in terms of the accuracy and speed of sensor response, there is also nothing to complain about. The phone's screen is a 5.7-inch panel with a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. The main camera module has a 21 megapixel sensor, which is capable of taking very accurate and high-quality photographs. The front module has an 8 megapixel matrix. The gadget has a powerful 4-core processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 with a frequency of 2.15 GHz. Its memory is 4 GB, expandable up to 32 GB. The battery, with fast charging function, has a capacity of 3100 mAh. And if you don’t know what to buy as a gift for a loved one, then this is a very good option.

The price-quality ratio of this phone is quite decent. This smartphone has a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 2560 by 1440, it is very compact and this is its big advantage. The back of the gadget is made of glass, which retains fingerprints, but this is not critical. The battery in it is 3500 mAh with a fast charging function and the model can last a whole working day, or even two, with average load. Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 has 4 cores, each with a frequency of 2150 MHz. It has a 13 megapixel camera, which makes nice pictures, without any noise, the 8 MP front camera also copes well with its duties. The amount of RAM is 4 GB, which can be increased to 32 GB.

Awesome appearance, not a single photo conveys how cool this phone looks. There are no complaints about the assembly, the buttons on the side are metal and do not dangle. Let's take a closer look at its characteristics: it has a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, and fits very comfortably in the hand. The filling contains something that will allow you to watch videos, open applications and play games even faster. challenging games. Namely, a 10-core processor – Helio X20 with a frequency of up to 2.1 GHz, it has 4 GB of memory, expandable up to 32 GB. The resolution of the main camera is 13 megapixels, and the front camera is 5 megapixels, which can record video in Full HD resolution. The battery of the model has a capacity of 4100 mAh.

The main feature of this model is its appearance. The developers tried to please the weak half of humanity - girls and women. The smartphone looks cool, much more expensive than its cost. Its display is 5 inches with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, quite comfortable to use. Inside there is 3 GB of RAM, which is very good for this class of devices. The model runs on a 4-core processor – MediaTek MT6735, the frequency of each core is 1.3 GHz. He copes with all tasks perfectly. The main camera with an 8-megapixel sensor is equipped with autofocus and LED flash. The battery capacity is 2400 mAh, so the gadget can work all day with an average load.

The smartphone from this company was presented at the beginning of 2016, but the model hit the shelves only now. S3 will not leave its owner indifferent, especially after the owner activates it, and he will see a gorgeous IPS, Full HD screen with a diagonal of 5.2 inches and a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, covering almost the entire front surface area, on which it is convenient to watch various videos. In terms of internal characteristics, the phone also does not lag behind: an 8-core processor – MediaTek MT6753, the clock frequency of each core is 1.3 GHz, the memory of this device is 3 GB, expandable up to 16 GB. Two cameras: main 13 MP and front 5 MP. The phone's Li-polymer battery, with fast charging function, has a capacity of 2100 mAh.

The manufacturer in this model decided to radically change the appearance of the back cover; the designers moved the camera to the upper left corner and changed the material of the back cover; now it is glass. Let's briefly go over the characteristics of this smartphone: 5.5-inch display diagonal with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, Media Tek processor, 8 cores, 4 of them run on clock frequency 1.8 GHz and 4 additional ones operate at a frequency of 1 GHz. The device has 2 GB of RAM “on board” and built-in 16 GB of memory. The smartphone has become a little thinner, so we had to sacrifice the battery capacity, now it is 3260 mAh, but it will also work. The main camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels, and the front one has a resolution of 5 megapixels; video is recorded in Full HD mode on both cameras. The phone's battery capacity is 3260 mAh.

Back cover This beautiful gadget is made of plastic, which is pleasant to the touch and looks like metal. The main camera has a sensor with a resolution of 13 megapixels and is equipped with a flash, the front camera is 5 megapixels, nothing special. Screen 5.5 inches with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels. As for the hardware platform, it has an 8-core processor - MediaTek MT6753 with maximum frequency 1.3 GHz. RAM – 3 GB plus there is a slot for a microSD card. The battery is good, its capacity is 6250 mAh.