Comparison of phones from China. Cheap Chinese phones (Chinese copies of phones). high-quality Chinese smartphones worthy of mention

Old Land Rover or new Lada Vesta? The price is the same, but the capabilities are different, the maintenance costs, to put it mildly, are also different. Even experienced car enthusiasts disagree on which is better. On the one hand, cars are created in order to drive them, and not to crawl and turn nuts under them, and the new Lada, despite all its design flaws, travels longer without breakdowns. On the other hand, we only live once (and we also don’t spend money on cars that often), and a machine with cool characteristics, even in its old condition, is better than a new “economy class”.

It’s the same bullshit dilemma with smartphones - for 6-7 thousand rubles in Chinese stores you can buy either some freak with cool characteristics from the manufacturers “we’re learning how to assemble mobile phones here, and in the meantime, you buy it - maybe a working copy will come to you.” "(Umidigi, Leagoo, Ulefone, Micromax, etc.), or something eight-core, but old and therefore not very fast, and even with minor drawbacks. For example, Meizu M5s, which is not bad in everything, except for autonomy (the Chinese ancient processor loves to eat) and speaker quality.

You can take the path of least resistance and buy a problem-free model, but with a quad-core processor. But remember that four cores in budget smartphones are just a “doesn’t freeze, but slows down almost always” level. But popular Chinese manufacturers offer devices with such characteristics that are cheap to buy (6,000 rubles) and repair, with good battery life and normal quality cameras, screens, firmware - and indeed everything! If you don’t want the romance of “even if it’s old, it’s luxury!”, take the Xiaomi Redmi 6A and you will be satisfied. Don’t buy Meizu M8C and M8T, because they fall short in many respects.

And if your soul asks for the coolest characteristics at a low price, but with good workmanship, buy LeEco/Coolpad Cool1. I can already hear laughter on the other side of the display from some readers, they say, “the reviewer has gone crazy or sold out - he’s selling us an incomprehensible smartphone from God knows what manufacturer.” Although in reality this just means that you missed that short glorious period of time when LeEco were the coolest smartphones in terms of price, quality and characteristics - even cooler than Huawei, Xiaomi or Meizu, not to mention Samsung, LG, Sony and Nokia, which always make a huge markup on budget smartphones for the prestigious nameplate, and therefore cannot compete with the Chinese under any circumstances.

So, about LeEco - these are legendary guys. They created cool smartphones at a loss, wasted money and behaved not like Chinese newcomers, but like Arab sheikhs. The money ran out, the company died, but the part of it that was involved in the release of Cool1 from our article today did not die. Coolpad, the purchased promising “daughter” of LeEco, passed to a new owner and lives (or rather, “exists”) to this day, releasing spare parts and new firmware versions for old smartphones.

Therefore, we are seeing a funny situation when Chinese sellers are already selling a very powerful Leeco-Coolpad smartphone at a minimal price (they say the manufacturer has died, we need to get rid of illiquid stock), while the smartphones themselves are still combat-ready, and even periodically receive updated firmware. And the most exciting fact is what kind of smartphones these are! For example, in Cool1 you get a 4000 mAh battery, a very powerful processor (cooler than in the Samsung Galaxy A8 or Huawei P20 Lite, for example), a large, bright and very high-quality screen and good cameras - no worse than in the promoted Xiaomi Redmi 6 or Nokia 5.1. In short, the dream of an Aliexpress buyer in reality is a high-quality Chinese smartphone with cool characteristics at the cheapest possible price.

Sounds too "sweet"? I agree, and that’s why I’m telling you about all possible problems at once. For example, that LeEco and Coolpad have not existed in Russia for about 2 years. This means that if you manage to “kill” the battery or break the display, you will have to order spare parts on Aliexpress, then wait several weeks for their delivery, and finally look for a fearless repairman - he will need to disassemble and repair the mobile phone, which he will see for the first time in his life.

The second unpleasant nuance: the latest “factory” firmware with Russian language and Google Play, with which the Chinese will send you the device - Android 6.0. Not that this is a tragedy (any, even the newest applications will function as they should), but in two years applications incompatible with the old Android will begin to appear. How to be and what to do? Look for a computer geek you know who will be ready to install modern firmware with Android 8 on your Cool1, because a smartphone with Android 6 will no longer automatically update the system. Be prepared for the fact that the computer guy will swear for a few minutes when he sees the instructions for the firmware, and a little later he will ask for many liters of beer to compensate for the moral damage from tinkering with your mobile phone.

I see that you are no longer feeling well, but you really wanted the coolest and at the same time reliable smartphone for cheap? It’s better to think that for 7 thousand you will buy a smartphone, the analogues of which in Russia cost 15-20 thousand rubles, depending on the impudence of a particular manufacturer. And in the next couple of years it is not necessary to flash it - for 2-3 years you will have enough stock for both Android and characteristics. And those who don’t take risks... are content with the slow Xiaomi Redmi 6A above in the text.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X is the latest high-quality budget phone with a 5” screen

No one can still clearly explain why the hell the Redmi Note 4X cosmetic update had to be released twice and called Redmi 5 Plus. Why was it necessary to fence two identical flagships with slightly different screens and call the first Mi Mix 2S, and the second Mi 8. Or release Redmi Note 6 Pro with almost completely copied Redmi Note 5 giblets under the guise of a new model.

At the same time, enthusiasts completely miss the fact that unique Xiaomi models need to be looked for not in the present or future, but in the past. After all, while we are discussing the huge colossus with the stolen design of the iPhone, the unique budget Xiaomi, to which there are still no alternatives or competitors, is gradually disappearing from sale.

This is Redmi 4X - a mobile phone with a screen diagonal of 5” exactly, 4000 mAh in a thin body, with a good eight-core processor and a normal (for a budget smartphone) camera.

Nowadays it’s not difficult to buy a huge mobile phone with an elongated screen and a useless double-barreled camera. It’s difficult to find a compact smartphone, and finding an eight-core compact (up to 5.2 inches) with a large (4000+ mAh) battery and a high-quality screen is impossible at any price. This is the uniqueness of Redmi 4X, which is still alive. If you were looking for the most durable mobile phone among models with a small screen - grab it before it's too late!

And the contraindications are that for everyone who is satisfied with large screens (5.5” or more), buying Redmi 4X does not promise anything inspiring - after all, the mobile phone is already a year and a half old, and today it costs a third more than it cost at the time exit. But that's not so bad. The trouble is that for 8-9 thousand rubles today you can buy smartphones with faster processors and better cameras. And yes, these will be huge and much less durable “shovels”, of which there are many. And Redmi 4X is beautiful precisely because of its narrow specialization - in this regard, the budget Xiaomi is as close as possible to the classic iPhone. Exactly when I stopped copying them.

Moto Z2 Play is the only cheap mobile phone with flagship body quality

You will never explain to hard workers how cognac costing 200 thousand rubles differs from cognac costing 2 thousand rubles. Just like you won’t open the eyes of fanatics who believe that the quality of a smartphone is measured by the power of the processor. I won't be able to do it either, but I'll try.

Take a look at the Moto Z2 Play for example. Like all other Motorolas, this model was originally intended for sophisticated buyers and was produced with the ideology “we are a cool brand, it’s not a sin to overpay!” How it all ended for the company is already known, but for us it is much more interesting how it ended for a good phone, regardless of the price.

So, the price of the Motorola Z2 Play was initially prohibitive - in Latin America it was sold for ~40 thousand rubles, in the USA - for 30-33 thousand. Prices revolved around the “thirty” in Russia, but a year has passed, and now Russian traders, desperate to sell an overly expensive smartphone, are getting rid of it for 18 thousand, and the Chinese, for whom Motorola has never been prestigious, are giving away such devices for 12-13 thousand rubles . We must take it! Because at the price of modern budget mobile phones, this is a very pleasant purchase.

Pleasant not in terms of the processor or any other records, but in terms of the quality of execution of such a banal thing as a mobile phone.

Today, for some reason, it has become unfashionable to talk about the quality of the housing in smartphones. Either everyone has come to terms with the fact that cheap models cannot have good cases, or people are really satisfied with the “aviation aluminum” made from selected grades of foil and ugly plastic supports on the back cover - as if to match the color, but in fact “about the color” of the case . That’s why, for some reason, in an apartment or at a car service station, the painter would receive a bonus directly to the individual for such “hitting the color.” And in mobile phones, the guys go with such a “collective farm” in Huawei P Smart, Xiaomi Redmi 5/Redmi 6 and Redmi Note 5, ASUS ZenFone M1, and they say: “It’s a completely normal case, why are you finding fault, corrupt reviewers?!” And they feel great.

But, if you’ve seen expensive, high-quality smartphones, and now you’re choosing a cheap one and you’re not feeling great, grab the Moto Z2 Play before the Chinese sell it out completely. Get a chiseled thin body made of high-quality metal, an “empty” Android with a minimum of functions and no Chinese initiative, a well-tuned AMOLED display without “blue” in white and stunning technologies of the future that budget Xiaomi smartphones still cannot implement - fast charging and NFC.

But there are also things you won't get. Because, for example, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 at a similar price will be faster, more durable, and will certainly not lag behind in photo quality.

Is this good or bad? Well, you know, new plastic laptops for 30 thousand will also outperform the old flagship Apple MacBooks costing $1000-1500 (at one time) in speed. But the feeling from work will be different. Is it worth exchanging maximum processor power and improved battery life for average processor power and average battery life to make the smartphone more pleasant to use? This is an individual question.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom - 5000 mAh, cool cameras and good AMOLED display

The conveyor and sales life of most good smartphones is short and more often ends with the “death”/disappearance of the mobile phone from sale than with super discounts at parting. For example, OnePlus 5 came out a year ago, and it cost 33-35 thousand on Aliexpress, and it still costs the same today. Or Huawei Mate 10, which remains stable at 30 thousand rubles, and does not decrease in price likewise. And so on. But there are also happy exceptions.

ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom

For example, ASUS smartphones in general, and ZenFone 3 Zoom in particular. This mobile phone was supposed to make a splash, because it appeared at a good moment, when all manufacturers did not care about the wishes of users, and instead of thin smartphones with a large battery, they were preparing to “collectively farm” additional cameras, cut out connectors for memory cards/headphones, and a little later - pull out the screens in height. ASUS figured that it was possible to excel in this field, so it designed a very cool smartphone in terms of power, camera and screen quality + battery life. So cool that to this day there are no options with 5000 mAh and such high-quality cameras!

But they were reluctant to buy ZenFone 3 Zoom, because for such an exclusive ASUS was asking a crazy 30 thousand rubles! If we ignore the battery capacity, the price was very brazen - even in large stores in 2017, for the same money you could buy much faster and better quality Xiaomi Mi 6 or Honor 8 Pro cameras. And in “gray” retail, this amount would be enough even for OnePlus 3!

In general, Zoom, with its budget processor (at the level of a consumer-grade Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X), without fast charging and NFC, was not super popular for the price of thirty, and even lovers of smartphones with a capacious battery bypassed it, and ordered the remaining Lenovo P2 for 15 thousand from China.

At the same time, ASUS did not want to give up, and the price for the ultra-endurable ASUS was inadequately high “to the bitter end” - just a few weeks ago, without 22-25 thousand rubles, ZenFone 3 Zoom was impossible to approach even on Aliexpress. And now the Chinese for some reason are desperate and all at the same time reduced prices to the level of “you got it - buy it!”

After such a maneuver, we have a sudden “killer” of all budget Huawei and Meizu, and some Xiaomi Redmi at the same time - no one else offers you high-quality cameras, 5000 mAh and a good processor for the same money!

And Xiaomi doesn’t offer it either! Yes, like many others, I’m a big fan of sculpting Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 as a recipe in case “if you don’t know what to buy that is equally good for any task - this is the most suitable model!”, But not today, because ASUS is still cooler a sophisticated budget smartphone from Xiaomi.

You can only find a good smartphone with decent performance within $100 among Chinese models. We offer you a selection compiled taking into account current trends and user preferences in 2018. All devices have relatively good performance, which will make it possible to comfortably surf the Internet and take advantage of all the features of the Android system.

Blackview S6

Ulefone Mix 2

The key advantages of the smartphone are a high-quality 5.7-inch frameless screen with HD+ resolution, a 13 MP + 5 MP IMX135 dual camera and good performance. The device runs Android 7.0. Mix 2 is equipped with a 4-core chip, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB storage and a 3300 mAh battery. An inexpensive smartphone with up-to-date hardware and excellent build quality. It becomes more and more difficult to call Ulefone a third-tier manufacturer every year.

Price: $99.99

Cubot R11

This new product went on sale in the spring. The R11 has a high-quality 5.5-inch HD+ screen and a nice design. It should be noted that the color coverage is 90% NTSC, the brightness is 450 nits and the contrast ratio is 1300:1 on the IPS matrix. A 4-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of total memory are responsible for the fast operation of the smartphone. Battery – 2700 mAh. Cameras: main dual 8 MP + 2 MP and front 5 MP. OS installed. We especially focus on the latter: budget gadgets with the latest version of Android are not yet common.

Price: $94.99

Doogee X60L

The smartphone has balanced characteristics that allow you to comfortably play, surf the Internet and watch videos. The X60L runs Android 7.0. The device has a 5.5-inch display with HD+ resolution and an IPS matrix, a 4-core chip, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of total memory, as well as a 3300 mAh battery. Also worth noting is the main dual camera 13 MP + 5 MP and the front 8 MP. The company has once again proven that it can make very decent devices with a modest price tag.

Price: $99.99

Oukitel K5

A very good smartphone with a wonderful 5.7-inch HD+ IPS screen and a large 4000 mAh battery. The K5 has a nice design, a dual camera and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. A quad-core chip, 2 GB of RAM, and a 16 GB storage drive are responsible for performance. The operating system of the device is Android 7.0. For the money, the K5 is a very decent option.

Price: $99.99

Keecoo P11

The performance of the P11 according to AnTuTu reaches 40,000 points - this is an excellent result for a state employee. The performance of the device is ensured by a 4-core processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of total memory. The device screen has a diagonal of 5.7 inches, a matrix and HD+ resolution. The battery capacity is 3080 mAh, Android 7.0 is installed out of the box. The gadget is also equipped with 8 MP and 5 MP cameras, a fingerprint scanner and all modern interfaces.

Price: $89.99

HOMTOM S7

Leagoo M9

Bluboo S8 Lite

A simplified version of the previous successful S8 model, which was equipped with a 5.7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1080 x 540 pixels, a quad-core chip, 1 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. There are Sony 5 MP + 3 MP and 5 MP cameras, as well as a good capacity 3450 mAh battery. Out of the box, the smartphone comes with the Android 7.0 operating system. By the way, the S8 Lite is very similar in design to the super popular Galaxy S8.

Price: $99.99

Coming soon

M-Horse Pure 1

We had M-Horse Pure 1 “for dessert”. For its price, this device has an extremely impressive design. The young manufacturer attracts attention by releasing smartphones with low prices and fairly good characteristics. Pure 1 was equipped with a 5.7-inch HD+ IPS screen, a 4-core chip, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB total memory and a 4350 mAh battery. At the same time, let’s not forget about the main camera 8 MP + 2 MP and the front camera 5 MP + 2 MP. The device runs Android 7.0 OS.

Price: $103.99

Conclusion

The rating contains only current smartphones of 2018 with a new type of screen - with. The performance of all is almost at the same level, but there are a couple of particularly interesting models from HOMTOM and M-Horse, which received more memory.

Other models can boast of their advantages - such as branded Sony cameras or a relatively large battery capacity. Each of the smartphones presented in the top is distinguished by the fact that it gives the user much more opportunities than one might imagine when looking at the price tag.

The smartphone market has been developing rapidly over the past 3 years, large companies have already achieved enormous success in this field, but recently there has been stagnation - innovations appear less and less often and people are less interested in purchasing “flagship” gadgets. One of the reasons for the fall of large manufacturers can be called the expansion of devices from the Middle Kingdom. Chinese phone brands occupy an increasingly large part of the market, and restless manufacturers are actively introducing modern technical equipment, while offering products that attract both advanced users and those who are not too biased.

Main models: pros and cons of Chinese smartphone brands

Brands of Chinese Android phones vary greatly. There are both fairly well-known players and “nameless” ones who have presented one or two gadgets to the world. Not all budget manufacturers charge in terms of quantity and price. Well-known brands of Chinese phones managed to enter the vast world market thanks to desperate copying of famous competitors - similar devices at low prices sell like hot cakes.

These devices, of course, have both their pros and cons. The advantages of such gadgets include their price. Chinese phone brands are independent from retail trade, they do not need advertising, therefore, by saving on these components, gadget creators save significant funds, which ultimately manifests itself in the form of a reduced cost of smartphones. It is clear that this fact will certainly please potential buyers.

Also, the advantages of such devices include their “top-end” filling. Chinese brands of mobile phones, despite their commitment to the middle price segment, equip their brainchildren with the latest technology. If you see a 10- or 20-core chip anywhere, it will be a newcomer from China. Recently, Chinese phone brands can boast of interesting designs: if previously all gadgets from the Middle Kingdom looked like randomly and carelessly assembled pieces of plastic, now creators are increasingly paying attention to the appearance of smartphones. It is not uncommon to see the use of more solid materials, such as steel, glass, aluminum, and sometimes even wood.

Unfortunately, inexpensive gadgets also have a number of disadvantages. First of all, you need to realize that phones whose price threshold is especially low will not be able to boast of high-quality assembly. That is, those smartphones that attract people with prices below 3 or 4 thousand rubles still look like those same faded and cheap plastic Chinese fakes.

In addition to low-quality components, you need to remember that the software content of such devices leaves much to be desired. For example, there is often a huge amount of pre-installed, terrible quality or completely unnecessary software, which is stuffed into all cheap brands of Chinese phones: voice-changing applications, demo versions of games, “national software” and the like. Developers don't care much about optimization either. Android is a finicky system and requires powerful hardware or good adjustments on the part of the developer in order to ensure proper performance of the gadget.

And finally, even large manufacturers are not averse to deceiving their fans. If your new, inexpensive smartphone has 8 cores, don’t be surprised that only 4 are actually active, and the 13-megapixel camera, coupled with interpolation, doesn’t even reach an 8-megapixel photo module.

All that can be advised is to choose those “Chinese” who have already received a good reputation. You need to avoid those who, taking advantage of the inexperience of users, deceive them. Actually, more about the devices.

The best Chinese premium phone brands

These should certainly include new products from industry giants Meizu and Xiaomi, and it’s also worth remembering the recently released LeEco.

As can be seen from the table, this list contains a device with a very low price. Until recently, this gadget was presented to few people by LeTV.

Brands of Chinese phones that are in the higher price segment are gadgets created by companies that have already grown and see giants such as Apple or Samsung as their main competitors.

These devices are not only equipped with powerful technical components, but also follow the latest trends, coupled with support for the most advanced technological solutions. Such phones are equipped with now fashionable fingerprint sensors that make it possible to ensure the data in the smartphone with the proper level of security, as well as eliminate long passwords. All three gadgets support the modern USB Type-C standard.

Meizu Pro 6 - Chinese iPhone

This device boasts support for the latest 3D Press technology. This display is capable of recognizing pressing force. This feature allows you to use additional parameters and context menus in the system - quick actions on shortcuts, the ability to preview links in the browser, and much more. This has already been implemented in the iPhone, accordingly, we see here an obvious borrowing, which, fortunately, everyone has not paid attention to for a long time, and competition benefits the buyer.

Xiaomi Mi5 is the best skin for Android

The Chinese phone brand Xiaomi is famous primarily for its software platform. The phone runs its own shell, called MiUI. It was received very positively by the public, many loved it for its excellent visual design, as well as for its high-quality optimization. The smartphone turned out to be quite expensive, mainly due to the fact that the famous Snapdragon is used as a processor, while others did not hesitate to put a newcomer in the form of MediaTek into their inventions.

LeEco Le 2 - ahead of the rest

This smartphone surprised me by the lack of a headphone jack. The Chinese have implemented their own audio system, which uses the USB Type-C port, giving the ability to reproduce audio of significantly higher quality, both using a dedicated DAC and thanks to full support for lossless audio formats. But what will the owners of headphones with a standard port say about this? Most likely, they won't be very happy. It is unlikely that people will rush to change their existing headset for the sake of such a new product.

Brands of Chinese phones of the middle and low price segment

One of the advantages of modern consumer electronics is the price range.

Chinese phone brands, the list of which is growing every day, are saturated with gadgets that are much cheaper. Their prices are often below 10,000 rubles, which, of course, attracts a certain audience who do not want to pay a large sum for overpriced technical equipment.

This is a summary table of the most affordable devices on the market that are of acceptable quality and will not cause unnecessary irritation. These phones run on proprietary shells (with the exception of Wileyfox), which allows for decent performance. The table also shows that Chinese phone brands have grown to the level of flagships of previous years.

Wileyfox Swift is one of the first powerful sub-brands

When events related to dumping prices for smartphones and the emergence of certain subsidiaries began, Wileyfox was one of the first to appear on the scene. The amazing value for money impressed everyone without exception. The device was difficult to order, which caused even more excitement. The body of the device is made of plastic and it looks very presentable. The high performance of the gadget is ensured not only by the powerful hardware, but also by the platform on which it runs, namely CyanogenMod 13. A competent combination of technical and software solutions made it possible to create a decent phone in the low price segment.

Xiaomi Redmi 3 - elegant simplicity

This device is a little more powerful, a little more expensive, but at the same time it is somewhat sleeker than its competitors, which is to its advantage. Users are increasingly paying attention to the exterior of their smartphones. The stunningly large display provides a gorgeous picture with maximum viewing angles. The phone runs on MiUI, a high-performance add-on on top of the Android system. Xiaomi devices also delight with high-quality cameras (they are not the best among those available, but decent).

Meizu M2 mini - powerful baby

The moment has come when smartphones with a diagonal of 5 inches receive the “mini” prefix. Yes, indeed, compared to many flagships, a display with such a diagonal already seems small, but not everyone is used to this. This device uses Flyme as a software shell. This is a foundation designed specifically for

Fakes

It is impossible to talk about Chinese smartphones without mentioning the huge number of copies with which both the Chinese and Russian markets are oversaturated. In fact, you've probably come across an iPhone for 2,000 rubles running on Android, a Vertu that costs less than $60, and similar products. From a distance, such phones look similar, but no matter how they reassure you, you just have to touch them and it becomes clear that this is a cheap, low-quality fake. It’s easy not to fall for the trick: you need to remember that Vertu and iPhone will never cost from 400 to 4 thousand rubles. In this case, it would be wiser to take

Gone are the days when the “Made in China” label caused a negative reaction from the buyer. Current Chinese smartphones have improved so much that they can easily compete with such giants of the telephone industry as Samsung, Apple, Sony and LG. This fact is eloquently evidenced by the rankings of global smartphone sales in 2017, where Huawei, Orro and Xiaomi are literally hot on the heels of the best existing brands. Yes, cheap, low-end Chinese smartphones continue to go on sale, but high-quality devices with first-class firmware and excellent technical characteristics have also appeared. This article offers a rating of Chinese smartphone manufacturers in 2017, the best brands offering the buyer powerful but affordable products. The list of manufacturers is ranked based on world sales statistics, ratings of product quality analysis portals and user reviews.

Asus smartphones

The company made its mark on the electronics market in 2017 with several successful models of tablets, communicators and smartphones. Asus products are characterized by high quality parts, striking design and proprietary software. ASUS's reputation is well deserved. Most fans of the brand are well aware of the ZenFone line of smart smartphones - stylish, ergonomic devices with good technical characteristics and an affordable price.

Product advantages: ergonomic body; high-quality assembly and functionality; excellent color rendition and HD screen resolution; fairly powerful processors with 4 and 8 cores; reliable operation of Android OS; stylish design even for budget models; dual camera for fashion smartphones; deep sound; capacious battery.

Shortcomings: low performance of a significant part of devices.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $720.

OnePlus smartphones

OnePlus is a subsidiary of Oppo. This is one of the few companies whose activities consist of the development and production exclusively of smartphones. OnePlus products are distinguished from competitors' products by their high technical characteristics and low cost. The company created its first smartphone in 2013 as a “flagship smartphone killer,” reducing its cost by half. In 2015, this device was withdrawn from sale due to its developers violating Micromax Mobile's exclusive rights to the CyanogenMod shell in South Asia. After which OnePlus created its own OxygenOS firmware and resumed production of smartphones with flagship characteristics and a budget price.

Product advantages: elegant appearance; high-quality display; Qualcomm processors; first-class materials and excellent assembly; thoughtful and convenient OxygenOS firmware; high-quality sound; fast firmware update; good battery life; Well, the cost of the devices is very low.

Shortcomings: average camera quality; lack of a memory card slot and wireless charging support.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $570.

Lenovo has not been striving to become leaders for a long time, since it has a reputation as “good China.” Being a well-known and trusted brand, the company quietly produces and sells its products without resorting to noisy advertising. Among the cardinal changes in the company's policy, one can note the buyout of Motorola, its renaming to Moto and the presentation of the ZUK sub-brand. Now Lenovo offers consumers the Vibe line (with the inexpensive K series), the Moto line (with reasonable prices and high quality) and ZUK (cheap smartphones with flagship hardware).

Product advantages: availability of devices in different price categories; variety of firmware; Recovery mode; screen with high contrast and clear images; powerful processors; excellent quality of materials; ergonomics of devices; convenience and durability of use.

Shortcomings: complexity of firmware and driver installation at home; Incorrect firmware can programmatically “kill” a smartphone.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $270.

Smartphones Coolpad

Having started its activities with the production of computer equipment back in 1993, the Chinese company Coolpad switched to the creation of tablets and computers, and for many years fought for survival in this market. As of 2017, the company has several lines of smartphones in its arsenal and is included in the ranking of the best Chinese manufacturers. Coolpad enjoys great popularity mainly in its homeland, significantly inferior to Huawei, Vivo and Oppo. Experts find it difficult to explain this phenomenon, since tests and reviews did not find any critical flaws in Coolpad smartphones.

Product advantages: elegant body and minimal device thickness; original design; high-quality assembly that does not cause any complaints; rich software; moderate cost of devices.

Shortcomings: they do not provide anything new, they are typical devices with a modest processor.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $410.

Meizu smartphones

The popularity of the Meizu brand is maintained thanks to a well-constructed advertising campaign. The manufacturer, which began with the production of MP3 and MP4 players, this year managed to enter the top ten most popular smartphone manufacturers of 2017. Today, Meizu is one of the main suppliers of functional and inexpensive smartphones to the world market. Meizu's close collaboration between the company's hardware and software teams allows it to quickly create innovations that are useful to users.

Product advantages: beautiful design and thoughtful device interface; metal cases; own FlymeOS shell; excellent software localization; performance; good batteries; attractive price.

Shortcomings: MediaTek processors; rare Android update.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $400.

ZTE smartphones

The ZTE brand has recently been moving more and more confidently in the rankings of the best Chinese smartphone manufacturers. How does he do this? The answer is simple - hard work to improve products and a loyal pricing policy. ZTE smartphones are high-quality devices with an original design that perfectly sets them apart from the crowd of similar devices. The budget Blade line is represented by a large number of models. The flagship and mid-range segments are divided between the Nubia (stylish design) and Axon (high-quality sound) lines. ZTE places the main emphasis in its smartphones on mobile Internet speed, gesture control and music functionality.

Product advantages: constant introduction of innovative technologies; lightweight shockproof gadget cases; displays with good viewing angles and rich colors; high-capacity batteries; functionality; low price.

Shortcomings: product quality is below average and requires significant improvement.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $400.

The LeEco company (before rebranding - LeTV) is better known to the world community as a video streaming service and TV manufacturer. LeEco Group is developing its own ecosystem of online services, and is more interested in selling content rather than individual devices. Thanks to this, the manufacturer can sell phones at ridiculously low prices. The company is popular in China, but an attempt to “capture” the US market led LeEco to the brink of bankruptcy. Although the situation of LeEco Group today raises some concerns, this has not affected the smartphones already released by the manufacturer.

Product advantages: wide range of models; durable all-metal smartphone cases; efficient processors; presence of its own shell; multifunctionality; Great performance at a reasonable price.

Shortcomings: no standard audio output; Comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow pre-installed.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $300.

Vivo smartphones

The young Chinese brand Vivo (a sub-brand of VVK Electronics) is considered one of the fastest growing smartphone manufacturers. The company strives to popularize its products through an active advertising campaign. Vivo gadgets are advertised on television and radio, and billboards are full of their images. To promote its products, Vivo collaborates with the 20th Century film studio and the MTV music channel. In June this year, the company entered into an agreement with FIFA, according to which it will become the official sponsor of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. In the CIS countries, buyers are practically unfamiliar with Vivo smartphones, since the company’s main sales market is Southeast Asia. Vivo mobile phones are divided into the following segments: top-end smartphones and camera phones, budget devices and mid-range gadgets.

Product advantages: aesthetic design; excellent build quality; extensive functionality; branded Funtouch shell.

Shortcomings: too expensive, for smartphones from a little-known Chinese manufacturer.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $470.

Xiaomi smartphones

The flagship smartphone Mi6, as well as numerous budget models, helped the Chinese brand Xiaomi return to the top five leaders in the global market. The main feature of the company remains the abundance of models, which it churns out with enviable consistency. There is an opinion that the popularity of Xiaomi is caused by affordable prices; in fact, the brand is glorified by the powerful hardware installed even in the cheapest gadgets. The secret of the low cost of Xiaomi smartphones is simple - for the manufacturer they are not a direct source of income, but only a platform for promoting services that bring the main income to the company.

Product advantages: a large number of models; large amounts of RAM; current platform from Qualcomm; excellent autonomy; the thickness and dimensions of smartphones are within reasonable limits, despite powerful batteries; high resolution cameras; two slots for SIM cards; optimal price/quality solution; proprietary MIUI shell; are part of the Xiaomi smart home ecosystem.

Shortcomings: lack of unique “chips”; problems with international firmware.

Fgagman 2017 – Mi6. Approximate cost – $450.

Oppo smartphones

Oppo is a relatively young company, but has already become one of the top five leaders in the global smartphone sales market. The company tries to compete with competitors by producing high-tech devices. Oppo's focus on the fast-growing markets of Southeast Asia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia has allowed the company to increase its sales by 50%. Oppo smartphones are popular due to their high quality, power and fairly low cost.

Product advantages: wide range of mobile devices; case and interface design; excellent build quality; bright and vibrant displays; Qualcomm Snapdragon processors; excellent sound on external speakers and headsets; Maintaining close relationships with users and developers for feedback to further improve products.

Shortcomings: The firmware, although stable, is not without minor bugs.

Fgagman 2017 Approximate cost – $550.

Chinese manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi, HMD (read Nokia), Meizu offer high-quality inexpensive phones that are superior to their American and Korean counterparts in terms of hardware. For 15,000 rubles you can freely buy a cool smartphone that will take good photographs, play games and work stably for years.

1st place – Honor 10 Lite

Huawei is a leader in the mid-segment. Only it manages to produce high-quality and well-optimized inexpensive smartphones with normal hardware and functionality, Honor 10 Lite is a confirmation.

Specifications:

• OS: Android 9 Pie + EMUI 9 shell.
• Display: IPS, 6.21”, 2340×1080, 415 ppi. Brightness – 441 cd/m2, contrast – 1282:1; average color rendering error DeltaE = 2.7.
• Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 710 (12 nm) + Mali-G51 MP4.
• Main camera: 13 + 2 MP, f/1.8 aperture.
• Front camera: 24 MP, f/2.
• Battery: 3400 mAh, no fast charging, 10 W adapter included.
• Communications and connectors: NFC, Wi-Fi 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.2

The phone is cool - it takes excellent photographs, shows high speed and optimization. The 3400 mAh battery lasts for 28 hours of communication, almost 11 hours of surfing the Internet and more than 11 hours of video playback at a brightness of 200 cd/m2. Examples of photos + test results can be found in the complete analysis of the device:

The phone has no bugs or illnesses; most reviews on Yandex.Market are positive. The assembly and quality of materials and components are also high, which makes the smartphone the best in the segment. The only problem is the old microUSB connector and the lack of fast charging.

2nd place – Huawei P Smart (2019)

This model is very similar to Honor 10 Lite in terms of hardware and appearance. It uses the same display with identical characteristics, a similar Kirin 710 processor, a rear camera with a resolution of 13 megapixels and an f/1.8 aperture, and a 2 megapixel depth sensor is also available. The only major difference is the front camera. On Honor 10 lite it is a 24 MP sensor, on P Smart it is 16 MP.

Also, the smartphones have the same batteries - 3400 mAh, however, in terms of autonomy, P Smart 2019 is worse - it provides 24:45 hours of communication, 10 hours of surfing and 11 hours of video playback. But as for the cameras, there are no serious differences between the phones. You will find examples of photos and test results in the full review:

NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi AC standard, working with 5 GHz networks, included. However, Honor 10 lite has all this. The disadvantage is the old micro USB connector, lack of fast charging. This spoils the impression of a high-quality and successful device with good hardware, screen and cameras.

3rd place – Meizu X8

The new phone from the Chinese manufacturer Meizu turned out to be cool - with an excellent build, a powerful and energy-efficient processor, and a high-quality screen. Its only drawback is the lack of an NFC chip, which is why I give it third place in the TOP.

Specifications:

• Display: IPS, 6.2”, 2220×1080, 398 ppi.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 + Adreno 616.
• Memory: 4/6 GB RAM + 64/128 GB disk, no slot for microSD card.
• Main camera: 12 + 5 MP, f/1.9, 1.4 micron, Dual Pixel technology.
• Front camera: 20 MP.
• Battery: 3210 mAh, fast charging not stated.
• Communications and connectors: 3.5 mm, W-Fi ac standard, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C.

Meizu X8 is a good quality smartphone with an excellent build without any backlashes or creaks, it fits comfortably in the hand, takes good photographs, but there are complaints about “twisting” of colors in the final image. There are also 4K video recording capabilities, which the processor power allows. By the way, Snapdragon 710 is a new 10nm chip from Qualcomm, which has proven itself well in Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, Nokia 8.1, Meizu 16X. It's a stronger platform than the Kirin 710, but Android 8 out of the box and the lack of an NFC chip are serious drawbacks.

4th place – Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

Xiaomi is trying to keep up and also offers a cool budget phone, albeit without an NFC chip. But all the other hardware here is at the highest level, plus high-quality assembly and stable Android 9 Pie + MIUI OS.

Specifications:

• Glass body (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame.
• Display: IPS, 6.3”, Full HD+ resolution, brightness 479 cd/m2; Contrast ratio: 1338:1, color accuracy DeltaE – 2.0 in standard mode.
• Memory: 4/64 GB.
• Main camera: 48 MP, f/1.8 + 5 MP depth sensor; matrix size 0.5 inches.
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/2.2.
• Battery: 4000 mAh + fast charging QC 4. The charge is enough for 14 hours of web surfing, 32.5 hours of communication, 14 hours of video playback.

Excellent phone under 15,000 rubles. True, you can only get it for that kind of money on Aliexpress, but we are no strangers to it. The smartphone works with a good Snapdragon 660 processor - the predecessor of the SD 710, which is found on the Meizu X8. It also has an excellent camera with a quad Bayer filter and pixel blending technology, a cool screen and QC 4.0 fast charging, but it comes with the simplest 10W charging adapter. If you want to charge quickly, buy a QC 4.0 compatible device separately.

The phone does not have NFC or a 4K video function, which is strange since the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has a similar feature. By the way, he is next in the ranking.

5th place – Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite

The phone was released in September 2018, managed to collect good reviews and became one of the best-selling mid-range phones at the beginning of 2019. The device is made of glass, with an aluminum frame, supports 2 SIM.

Specifications:

• OS: Android 8 Oreo out of the box.
• Display: IPS, 6.26”, Full HD+ resolution, brightness 468 cd/m2; Contrast ratio: 1338:1, color accuracy DeltaE – 2.0 in standard mode.
• Processor: Snapdragon 660 + Adreno 660.
• Memory: 4/64 GB.
• Main camera: 12 MP, f/1.8 + 5 MP depth sensor; matrix size 1/2.55 inches.
• Front camera: 24 MP.
• Battery: 3350 mAh + fast charging QC 3. The charge lasts for 10:25 hours of web surfing, 30 hours of communication, 10 hours of video playback.
• Wi-Fi 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C.

The smartphone turned out to be good, but there are complaints about the quality of shooting on the front and rear cameras. There is also no NFC, stereo speakers, radio, or 3.5 mm headphone output. If you have a cool headset, then you will have to use it through a Type-C to 3.5 mm adapter, which is not very convenient and bad for sound quality.

The Mi 8 Lite is good in terms of display and performance, it supports QC 3.0 fast charging, but it comes with a regular 10W charger. It gives 36% charge in 30 minutes; If you want it faster, buy a compatible QC 3.0 charger separately.