Which brand of Chinese smartphones is the best? Cheap Chinese phones (Chinese copies of phones)
In recent years, the Chinese electronics market has been pleasing buyers all over the world with quite interesting, and most importantly, budget smartphones. Some models from little-known Chinese companies simply amaze with their combination of high performance, colorful screens, camera quality, and powerful battery. In general, they try to take into account all the main requirements of the average user, which creates serious competition for the most popular brands in the electronics market.
Lenovo Vibe K5
Relatively budget smartphone The CPU was Qualcomm Snapdragon 415. This is a processor with 8 Cortex-A53 cores, the maximum frequency of each of which is 1.4 GHz. The device's graphics coprocessor is Adreno 405. The device has 2 GB of RAM, which helps it quickly respond to actions and run multiple applications simultaneously. The built-in storage does not particularly stand out with its performance, since it is equal to 16 GB. Although the lack of memory can be compensated external drives, where you can place third-party games and large programs.
Autonomous operation device is provided battery at 2750 mAh. The 13-megapixel main camera will help you take photos or shoot videos. Available in a good Chinese phone and quite good front-camera at 5 MP. In the smartphone we recommend buying for personal use, a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, convenient for a fragile female hand, is installed, which is quite enough for comfortable viewing video.
Which Chinese smartphone is better to buy?
So we have completed our ranking of the best Chinese smartphones at the beginning and middle of 2018. Summing up, we can safely say that the gadgets presented in the review are high-quality and popular representatives Chinese market electronics. Therefore, when figuring out which smartphone is better to buy, you can easily purchase one of the models discussed in the online store and enjoy using it. Stay tuned for new products and happy shopping!
Read also:
Over the years, we have become accustomed to the idea that Chinese products are mostly of low quality and cheap. People have their own jokes about this. And all because at one time the domestic market was flooded with really low-quality consumer goods produced in the Middle Kingdom...
However, time passes, and the level of work of Chinese manufacturers (as well as the achievements of the PRC economy) has increased significantly. Smartphones made in this country can testify to this. If it all started with simply copying “top-end” devices, today we can talk about high-end phones at an affordable price.
10.Oppo
You may not have heard much about this company, but all because it operates primarily in Asian markets. In our country, you can buy smartphones from this manufacturer, but, as customer reviews note, they really have not received wide distribution.
The peculiarity of the manufacturer's products is that they produce high-quality devices that look like Apple, stuffed with strong processor and generally having serious technical characteristics. An example is the R7 Plus model, which works with Qualcomm Snapdragon 615, has 3 GB of RAM, a colorful AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 13-megapixel camera.
9. Letv
The company, which became famous for creating videos on the Internet (for local audiences), also registered its brand of Chinese smartphones. And it should be noted that it started its activities quite successfully - due to the huge number of pre-orders for their new LeMax model. The device has a nice design with no side frames, which makes it look very unusual and attractive. In addition, there is a 5.5-inch screen, a powerful processor with 8 MediaTek Helio X10 cores and a 13 megapixel camera.
8. ZTE
The next brand of Chinese smartphones, which was included in our rating, also, judging by the reviews, took advantage of the promotional move in the form of curved side edges of the phone and the absence of frames. Meet the flagship - the Nubia Z9 model, which has the feature described above. Not only does the phone look very unusual, but it is also convenient to work with due to various “swipe combinations” invented by the developer. Innovation is bearing fruit - ZTE ranks 5th in sales in the US market, despite the fact that the company opened only in 2012.
7. Gionee
This brand of Chinese smartphones takes advantage of the buyer’s desire to have the most technologically advanced and at the same time very thin device, providing just such products. We are talking about the Elife E8 model, equipped with a durable 3650 mAh battery, a 24 megapixel camera with strong autofocus, a MediaTek Helio X10 chipset, and a colorful 6-inch screen. The model is not cheap - about 36 thousand rubles, but according to its characteristics, it can be said to be included in the category of “Chinese smartphones-analogue brands” - not even all flagships from Samsung demonstrate such performance as the described device, enclosed in such an elegant (if you believe reviews) body.
6.Elephone
This company is a relative newcomer, despite the fact that all Chinese brands were founded just a few years ago. Only in 2015 did it release a model that could claim the title of an interesting but affordable device, which was deservedly appreciated on the world market - Vowney. It has a 20-megapixel camera, 4 GB of RAM, an 8-core processor, and a powerful battery. The buyer can get all this for $300 - an incredibly low (confirmed by customer reviews) price for a device of such equipment.
5.Coolpad
Another not so widespread Chinese smartphone is Coolpad, which released its flagship Dazen X7. You may not have heard of this manufacturer, but in terms of the volume of devices sold, it ranks 8th in the world.
The phone released under this brand is also affordable, as it costs only 13 thousand rubles. For this money you get a phone in an attractive metal case, stuffed with a processor with clock frequency 2.1 GHz, 3 GB of RAM, SuperAMOLED display and 13 megapixel camera. In the Chinese market, the company ranks third in terms of sales of its smartphones, so we can be confident in their quality.
4. Meizu
You have most likely already heard about this manufacturer - its products are actively advertised even in official retail networks. What is it about this Chinese company, you ask? Well, firstly, it is one of the top Chinese smartphone brands both due to the quality of its products and the manufacturability of its products. Secondly, Meizu devices (for example, the M2 Note smartphone), judging by the reviews, are too reminiscent of Apple gadgets in appearance. Of course, this is a common trick used by popular Chinese smartphone brands. It's all about Apple's approach to designing its devices, which is clearly justified by millions of sales.
Meizu, of course, has not yet reached the level of an American giant, but the company has some success in sales. For example, the previous model, the MX, became one of the best-selling phones produced by Chinese developers. Probably, this developer wants to repeat the success with the new gadget.
3. Lenovo
We have all heard of this brand - due to its long history as a laptop manufacturer. The company worked for a long time in the computer market, after which, obviously, it also entered the segment mobile devices, taking a significant market share there. Lenovo products are present in all price categories, due to which the buyer has the opportunity to choose both an affordable and functional phone and a flagship equipped with the latest technology. In addition to the global one, the company has also achieved success in the domestic Chinese market, occupying second position here in terms of the volume of devices sold.
Today, Lenovo is included in the category of “Best Chinese Smartphone Brands” due to not only the price differentiation of their products but also due to the quality they provide to the customers. An example of such a device would be the Vibe Shot model, which runs on a Snapdragon 615 processor and has a powerful 16-megapixel camera with six lenses that supports 2 SIM cards. The device has many advantages - and that is why it is in high demand to this day.
2.Huawei
A company that has long been known throughout the world, occupying the third position in terms of volume of products sold, is Huawei, which began its expansion outside the Middle Kingdom quite a long time ago. Gadgets produced under this brand cannot be called simple copies of products from Samsung or Apple, but each model is designed individually. In addition to exclusive design, the company can be proud of its models. For example, the P8 line of flagships is not only about “cool” characteristics (1920 x 1080 pixel display, HiSilicon Kirin 930 processor with 8 cores, 3 GB random access memory), but also a stylish metal case, protected from shocks and other damage. Reviews show that it is really not so easy to damage it.
This model, like the rest of the company's products, looks and functions like... top level, due to which we can expect increased demand for it from buyers. We can observe it in different countries of the world.
1. Xiaomi
Finally, one of the most talked about companies in the world, which has created a kind of market revolution, is Xiaomi, which can definitely be counted among the famous Chinese smartphone brands. Whatever they call it - “Apple killer”, “the second Apple” and so on, and all this is about one company that began its activities only in 2010. What is so outstanding that this brand can offer the buyer?
Firstly, these are devices similar in appearance to Apple devices. They have a glossy shine, the same smoothed shapes, attractive metal body. Secondly, the similarities can be seen in the user interface thanks to the operating variation developed by Xiaomi Android systems, which was called MiUI. The design of this shell uses the same techniques used by Apple on its iOS 8 - gradients, matte transitions, bright colors.
Finally, thirdly, buyers receive advanced technical equipment. It is expressed in the powerful, reliable hardware of each gadget, which allows you to perform its functions without hitches.
Due to the fact that the brand has become quite popular, the cost of devices produced under it has risen sharply, about which Xiaomi fans began to complain en masse in reviews. But, despite this, the company clearly ranks first in popularity among phone manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom.
conclusions
Yes, indeed, some are engaged in producing low-quality copies, fakes of devices that begin to “glitch” after the first launch, or even refuse to work at all. However, the participants in our rating are responsible manufacturers trying to improve the quality of their products. Therefore, if you need an inexpensive, but functional smartphone, we recommend that you take a closer look: what if you like something!
In the blink of an eye, Chinese manufacturers rose out of nowhere to challenge the world's most powerful smartphone brands. This article selects a dozen mobile giants in China.
About 20 years ago, dozens of phone manufacturers were popular. Europeans remember Bosch and Sendo, Americans can be proud of Palm Pilots. At the same time, the Japanese market supplied phones from Fuji, Panasonic, Sanyo and others.
However, gradually this business became expensive and consumers began to choose a small number of premium brands. For many years, the market leadership was shared by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, RIM and Samsung. Over time, they were supplanted by Apple, Samsung, HTC, RIM (BlackBerry today) and LG.
Now these successful brands are under threat...
The advent of cheap parts, open source Android, and ambitious emerging economies have begun to change established consumer preferences.
Chinese phone makers, whose products have long been considered cheap and disposable, are on the rise. They have made a splash in their own market, are actively entering new countries and are even making progress in mature regions.
Manufacturers mobile phones China in 2016 took 7 positions in the global top ten smartphones. These included: Lenovo, Xiaomi, ZTE, TCL/Alcatel, Huawei, and Coolpad.
This is an amazing turnaround. And this may just be the beginning; other Chinese brands like Gionee, Tecno and Oppo are working hard to break into the top ten. best smartphones peace.
Below is short description Chinese phone manufacturers seeking to oust Apple and Samsung from your pockets and bags...
Alcatel OneTouch/TCL .jpg)
Previously, the French phone manufacturer was bought by the Chinese telecommunications giant TCL in 2013, the company became known as Alcatel OneTouch, and since then profits from smartphone sales have been steadily growing. It is the tenth largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world and the seventh largest in China. The firm is among Chinese phone makers targeting the US and Canada, increasing its marketing investment sixfold. The most attractive, it bought up the assets of the once beloved US brand - Palm. This led to the launch of the Pixi 3 line of smartphones. The company even launched the production of tablets and smartwatches powered by a patented Alcatel firmware, which works with iOS or Android.
Coolpad .jpg)
Chinese manufacturer cell phones Coolpad sells more devices in the domestic market even than Apple or Samsung. It is second only to Xioami and Lenovo, occupying 11.5% of the smartphone market. Coolpad has actually been around since 1993, initially making devices for major carriers like T-Mobile. However, working for the OEM was not very smooth. The real sensation was the news that Coolpad “intentionally” left a security hole that allowed hackers to “accidentally” receive full control above the device. The company began producing products under its own brand during the heyday of Android.
Gionee .jpg)
This Chinese firm sells about 25 million phones a year, up from 400 million Samsung phones, but nevertheless, she is trying to get into the top five. The company has a long history: in 2002, Gionee began producing consumer electronics - video and DVD. By 2005, the company began producing phones at its own factory in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Now Gionee competes at the highest level, demonstrating such a spectacular advantage as a camera. The firm is aggressively moving into the Indian market and aims to capture a 10% share over the next two to three years.
Huawei .jpg)
It must be outrageous for Huawei to watch the unstoppable rise of its compatriot Xiaomi. At the beginning of the decade, the giant telecommunications firm set out to challenge LG, HTC and Sony themselves and take their rightful place among the top five cell phone manufacturers. The company launched its flagship brand, Ascend, and invested heavily in marketing. This has borne fruit, but Huawei products are still more represented in emerging markets than in the US and Europe. Today, Huawei ranks 3rd in terms of smartphone sales, second only to such giants as Samsung and Apple. Recently, Huawei has confirmed its transition from selling cheap phones to delivering high-quality smartphones. It plans to increase smartphone shipments by a third this year.
Lenovo .jpg)
It is unlikely that this name may become new for anyone, but in 2013-2014. Lenovo has finally stopped positioning itself purely as a manufacturer personal computers to become recognized as a serious player in the world of mobile phones. In 2005, Lenovo bought the laptop business from the American company IBM and did something similar in 2014 when it acquired Motorola from Google for $2.9 billion. This acquisition in one fell swoop helped increase the supply of smartphones to the global market by 38%. Today the company ranks 9th in the world along with foreign and local phone manufacturers.
OnePlus .jpg)
It's easy to characterize Chinese phone makers as a prosaic group that produces boring, functional devices with borrowed components. However, this definitely cannot be said about OnePlus, the founder of which is the vice president of another Chinese phone supplier - Oppo. The company is a true innovator in two areas. First, its phones run CyanogenMod firmware, a re-engineered Android that looks like stock Android OS but allows users to customize it based on their own needs. Secondly, OnePlus distributes its phones by personal invitation. While the latest strategy has received a lot of criticism, at least OnePlus is trying to do something different from the rest. Users love their sleek OnePlus devices.
“So thin, it can cut through a watermelon” - this unusual expression characterizes the Oppo R5. Vivo and Kazam also competed in the race for the title of “thintest” in the world. On the battlefield, Oppo has expressed its desire to compete on the basis of design and innovation rather than price. This led to the innovation of the rotating top-mounted camera on the N1. Oppo makes most of its sales in the domestic market, and the company is also popular in India, Indonesia and Australia.
Tecno .jpg)
Most Chinese phone manufacturers are targeting Africa as the next target market for smartphone sales. Interestingly, Tecno is ahead of its competitors in this regard. The firm has taken the cell phone market in Nigeria by storm and currently sells about 12.5 million phones on the African continent every quarter. This is more than BlackBerry and Nokia. The company managed to make cheap and reliable phones from the very beginning installed applications, How social network Facebook and music app Spinlet. Tecno also has its factories in Africa.
Xiaomi .jpg)
Of all the new Chinese phone manufacturers, Xiaomi is undoubtedly the biggest. The company began its work in 2010, in 2013 it hired an ex-vice president Google Android Hugo Barra to manage the company's affairs domestically and throughout Asia. It worked. Three years ago, Xiaomi did not bother the top 10 manufacturers using Android. It now ranks third with 5.3% market share. Essentially, Xiaomi's secret weapon is price. It sells a reliable high-end product with MIUI firmware based on Android. Xiaomi phones are half the price Galaxy phones or HTC. In addition, Xiaomi phones are primarily sold online, so the price of smartphones does not include any retail markups: the company can sell about 150 thousand phones on the Chinese WeChat app within 10 minutes. Xiaomi sells its smartphones mainly in Asian markets, but is currently actively expanding into the markets of India, Latin America and Africa. The company's products are also represented in Russia.
ZTE .jpg)
A subsidiary of the giant ZTE corporation, it is actually the fourth largest phone supplier in the United States. The company achieved this success by creating budget smartphones for all major operators. The firm has been trying to establish itself as a high-demand smartphone manufacturer for many years. Like its close rival Huawei, ZTE made a big push in 2011 with premium phones like Skate, but gradually fizzled out. However, in 2016 the company ranks 8th in the world and 5th in China itself.
Great home projectors at affordable prices.
- AUTOYOUTH is a popular company operating since 2004. Her specialty is car seat covers.
- DEKO is a Malaysian-Chinese company producing electric and hand tools, as well as construction equipment.
- Eunavi- a company founded in 2010. Produces multimedia players for .
- Jooan- since 2008, has been developing security systems and producing video surveillance cameras.
- Joying- a company producing multimedia devices for cars. Based in Shenzhen, operating since 2014.
- Junsun is a company founded in 2013 and specializing in DVRs, navigators and other automotive electronics.
- Launch- founded in 1992, is the first company in China to develop, produce and sell a full range of auto diagnostic and general garage equipment for car services.
- Livolo- stylish and technological touch sockets and switches.
- Luckyled- manufacturer of energy-saving and highly efficient LED products. The company was founded in 2014.
- MING&BEN- produces LED strips and lamps, as well as other lighting accessories.
- Newacalox- hand power tools and Consumables at affordable prices. The company has been operating since 2012.
- Ownice- produces and supplies cool car radios for foreign cars, as well as other car accessories.
- Partol is a large manufacturer and supplier of automotive LED headlights.
- Sricam is a brand of Shenzhen Srictv Technology, which produces cameras and monitors for surveillance systems in smart homes.
- SUNMEIYI- a company founded in 2010. Produces LED chandeliers of classic and modern design, ceiling lamps, floor lamps, sconces, night lamps.
- Trlife- flashlights and other LED lighting for tourists, fishermen and extreme sports enthusiasts.
- VStarcam- offers IP CCTV cameras, network cameras for IP cameras and related accessories at affordable prices.
- Workpro- a company with an excellent reputation, produces hand tools and bags for them. Both amateur and professional locksmiths, installers, and car service employees work with the products of this brand.
- Angela flower- produces naturalistic artificial flowers for all occasions.
- Chenistory- a factory that produces acrylic paints, ready-made canvases and paintings by numbers.
- Choice fun- over 20 years of existence, it has grown from a small factory producing plastic tableware to a large company with several representative offices. Produces all kinds of containers and devices made of plastic.
- Diniwell- organizers and storage systems.
- Findking- produces high-quality ceramic knives and some other kitchen utensils.
- Fheal- dishes and kitchen utensils with an original design.
- Frap is a Chinese holding that is well known to European buyers. For more than 15 years, it has been selling faucets, sanitary ware and accessories for baths and kitchens in Russia.
- Hangerlink- baskets, hangers, covers and other accessories for.
- Hyha- Focuses on creating creative pillowcases and pillows. Also produces tapestries and rugs.
- iKaya- furniture for home and office, as well as furniture fittings.
- iLife- specializes in robotic vacuum cleaners since 2010. Has authorized centers all over the world.
- iSinotex- a company founded in 2017. Dealing with home textiles: producing towels, bed linen, tablecloths and much more.
- KBAYBO- a popular manufacturer of high-tech flavors.
- Meian- has been engaged in diamond embroidery for 10 years and sells high-quality needlework kits.
- Miz- a team of Shanghai designers, collaborating with several factories in Zhejiang and producing very cute interior items.
- Napearl is a company that sells ready-made curtains and sews them to order.
- ORZ is a large and very popular company in Asia that sells all kinds of little things for the home: from pepper shakers to storage systems.
- Puppyoo- The company was founded in 1999 and is considered the No. 1 vacuum cleaner manufacturer in China. Products are available in more than 80 countries.
- Sweet treats- baking trays, roasting pans and other utensils for baking and baking. The company has been operating since 2016.
- Tinton life- specializes in development, production and sales household appliances since 1988. Produces kitchen and cleaning equipment.
- Walfos- has been creating kitchen gadgets since 1996 that are different high quality materials.
- WANFAN- a company with six years of experience, focuses on designer and rather expensive plumbing fixtures.
- Amanda Novias- beautiful and high-quality wedding dresses.
- Bassiriana is a shoe manufacturer operating since 2008. Features - natural materials and low prices.
- Dave Bella is a brand of Hangzhou Riguan Apparel Co., established in 2011. Produces premium clothing for children from 0 to 7 years old.
- Free soldier- camouflage, hiking and military clothing and footwear.
- Giordano is a Hong Kong brand and retailer for women and men. On the market since 1981.
- Zhi Xiao is a company that has been producing things for babies since 1978: from clothes to strollers.
- HECRAFTED- shoes self made made of genuine leather.
- Heyguys- street fashion from a Chinese manufacturer.
- Li-Ning is a company that produces sports shoes and other sporting goods. Founded in 1989 by the famous Chinese gymnast.
- MIEGOFCE is a Chinese brand specializing in down jackets and other European-style winter clothing.
- Miss ord- produces women's clothing, mainly evening dresses.
- Nakiaeoi- factory production of swimsuits of various styles and styles, including for large women.
- Onemix- the largest manufacturer and supplier of men's and women's sports shoes from the Middle Kingdom.
- Oucui- factory-made evening dresses, not the most budget-friendly, but very high quality.
- Pioneer Camp is a well-known Chinese company founded in 1999. Produces fashionable casual clothing for travel lovers.
Updated: 02/16/2018 11:49:30
Chinese mobile electronics manufacturers produce smartphones that can be either very successful or outright nonsense.
How to choose a Chinese smartphone: what to look for
Among the most important characteristics Chinese smartphones that you need to pay attention to when choosing include:
The manufacturer largely determines both the quality and durability of the smartphone and the availability of spare parts for it;
Reviews on third-party expert sites and forums like IXBT or w3bsit3-dns.com;
Firmware. If possible and if you have special skills, it is advisable to download it and disassemble it yourself;
The specified technical characteristics, especially at a suspiciously low price;
Actual technical specifications (processor, RAM, screen, camera, battery).
Essential also have supported standards cellular communications, since in China 3G and 4G networks operate at frequencies that differ from those used in Russia.
The best manufacturing companies
Among Chinese smartphone manufacturing companies, there are a number of companies that offer enough high-quality equipment at a low price:
Manufacturers who have both high-quality and downright disgusting smartphones include:
To manufacturers whose products it’s worth avoiding the “tenth road” because Low quality , can be attributed to:
Oukitel and dozens of similar “brands”.
But even manufacturers you can trust often outright lie about the specifications of their smartphones.
Chinese smartphone manufacturers often indicate characteristics that do not correspond to real ones. So, among the striking examples of falsification are:
Smartphone Ulephone Be Touch 2 – overpriced version operating system Android (indicated 5.1, in reality 5.0), the battery capacity is overestimated (indicated 3050 mAh, actually 2550 mAh);
Lenovo smartphone K3 Note – the screen resolution is inflated (1920x1080 pixels are indicated, actually 1920x720 pixels);
Lenovo tablet Yoga Tablet 2 – the supported standard of memory cards is too high (SDXC up to 64 GB is indicated, in fact SDHC up to 32 GB).
Thus, it is worth studying reviews from real reviewers before purchasing. The portals iXBT and XDA, as well as the forum (namely a forum, not a website) w3bsit3-dns.com deserve trust.
The operating system in Chinese smartphones may not only be poorly optimized. It sometimes becomes a source of problems. So, among the possible disadvantages are:
Lack of Russian localization. Xiaomi smartphones especially often suffer from this. The MIUI operating system installed on them exists in two implementations - China (with exclusively Chinese and English languages) and Global. It is clear that it is better to buy smartphones with Global firmware, in otherwise you will have to “tinker” with reinstalling Android;
Absence Google services. A common occurrence for most Chinese smartphones. Even devices from Xiaomi, Huawei and Meizu often come without a pre-installed store Google applications Play Store, as well as a contact synchronization provider and others useful services. In some devices you can install them yourself, in others you cannot;
No over-the-air updates or updates that break devices;
SalesTrack. When activated, the firmware sends SMS to short number. Often it is located in China or India, which leads to unnecessary costs;
Backdoors built into the firmware are virus tracking programs that collect information about the user and send it to the manufacturer’s servers. Among the smartphones that have been caught spying on users are products from Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo, Alps, ConCorde, DJC, Sesonn and Xido. Thus, backdoors were discovered even in Xiaomi Mi4;
Auto dialers built into the firmware. Some smartphones periodically make calls to other countries on their own. This leads to increased user costs for international calls.
Finding a phone without backdoors, auto dialers and other “nonsense” is difficult. Independent reviews on the services described above will help with this.
Suspiciously low price
Replicas of smartphones are regularly found in Chinese online stores. And not only famous ones (like Samsung Galaxy S-series), but also quite unpopular. Manufacturers often counterfeit even models such as the Lenovo Vibe X2.
Moreover, counterfeit manufacturers often not only visually copy famous smartphones, but also port the firmware. As a result, the device seems to be equipped with enough big amount RAM and powerful processor, but in practice it slows down and lags when launching any applications.
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to distinguish a fake smartphone from an original one. You can thoughtfully study each item of technical characteristics - but it is possible that a cunning seller or manufacturer simply copied them from some website. Therefore, reviews become important again.
After the purchase, you can evaluate the compliance of the stated technical characteristics with the real ones using applications such as Antutu or AIDA64.
It is almost impossible to protect yourself from counterfeit when buying a smartphone in a Chinese online store. But if some famous brand is sold for mere pennies, most likely it is a replica, but not the original. A suspiciously low price should confuse the user, not arouse purchasing interest.
The main criteria for choosing a Chinese smartphone
When choosing a Chinese smartphone, you should pay attention to the various technical characteristics of the device.
CPU
It’s worth making a reservation right away - it’s better not to buy smartphones with Allwinner, Spreadtrum, Broadcom and Rockchip processors, no matter how cheap they are. In addition to the disgusting performance characteristics at the “call-only” level, they are also distinguished by a complete lack of updates.
MediaTek periodically releases updated drivers for its processors. But rarely. It's easier for this company to release a new processor than to release drivers for the old one. Therefore, smartphones that are equipped with MediaTek chips receive practically no operating system updates - or updates come in one Android branch (this is often the case with models from Xiaomi - various major versions of MIUI are based on the same “bucket”).
The best solution would be to buy a smartphone with a NiSilicon Kirin processor (exclusive to Huawei) or Qualcomm Snapdragon. Slightly less successful - on NVIDIA Tegra (consumes a lot of energy) or Intel Atom(consumes a lot of energy and does not work well).
The best processors for 2017 for budget phones:
MediaTek MT6735, MT6732, MT6732M, MT6752, all from the Helio series;
Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 600 and 800 series.
A good built-in modem with support for a wide range of frequencies (it may even work in the Russian Federation);
Fast and accurate GPS operation;
High performance, including for games;
Relatively low power consumption.
Unfortunately, processors that would simultaneously work quickly and consume minimal energy simply do not exist. Even an active reduction in the technical process does not lead to a “painless” reduction in energy consumption.
RAM capacity
The more RAM, the better. The minimum required volume is 1 GB. With less RAM, the smartphone will unload applications directly during their use.
With 1 GB of RAM, the smartphone can be used for simple operations and a small number of applications. At the same time, for example, it can store about 2-3 web pages in the cache, but they will be unloaded after switching to another program.
With 1.5 GB of RAM, almost all applications will run quite smoothly. Only those programs that have not been used for a long time are “unloaded”. However, when actively switching between applications, recent ones may also be unloaded.
2 GB is the optimal amount of RAM for everyday work. Better, of course, more. But modern versions of the Android operating system can optimize their performance on smartphones with 2 GB of RAM.
Persistent memory
Minimum volume permanent memory, with which you can “live” in 2017 – this is 8 GB. This internal storage will be enough to install almost all the necessary applications. But user data (photos, music, etc.) will have to be stored on a flash drive.
Therefore, when buying a smartphone with 8 GB of permanent memory, you should make sure that it has a slot for MicroSD cards.
The best option would be the purchase of a smartphone with 16 GB of internal memory. Of this, approximately 10 GB will be available for applications and user data, which will allow you to store not only applications, but also, for example, a couple of music albums.
The most practical solution is to buy a smartphone with 32 GB internal memory or more. But such devices are expensive.
Screen
The operational parameters of the screen are affected by the type of matrix and resolution.
Chinese smartphones use matrices of the following standards:
TN, TN+film – the most budget options. They have poor color rendering, terrible viewing angles (less than 60 degrees) and fade in the sun. Definitely not recommended for purchase;
IPS is the most common option. Color rendition, depending on specific model, can be either good or optimal. But they have wide viewing angles (up to 180 degrees). Recommended for purchase.
Only AMOLED is better than IPS, but they are expensive, so they are practically not found in Chinese smartphones.
Screen resolution:
800x480 – very small, the picture is blurry, pixels are visible to the naked eye;
960x540 – small, but tolerable, suitable only for very undemanding users;
1280x720 – optimal resolution, suitable even for 5-inch screens;
1920×1080 – a high resolution. Provides good quality pictures, but leads to rapid battery drain. However, if the smartphone is equipped with a screen with a diagonal of more than 5 inches, this is what is recommended.
But you should choose the screen diagonal based on your personal preferences.
Camera
Expecting good photography from Chinese smartphones is a bit pointless. Manufacturers do not always have time to properly configure the camera, as a result of which even sensors with 13 MP and f/2.0 can take “soapy” pictures.
The solution to the problem is support for the Camera2 API, which is now implemented in almost all Chinese smartphones. This library opens up access to the camera to third-party applications that can customize photography the way the user wants.
But if you play with the camera settings and set third party applications If you don’t want to take photographs, you should pay attention to smartphones from the following brands:
Huawei (especially the Mate line);
Wileyfox and flagship Fly models;
The rest will not be able to provide the proper quality of shooting.
In addition, if you plan to use your smartphone for photography, you should pay attention to models with flagship processors. They will provide fairly fast focusing and high-speed image capture from the surface of the camera sensor.
Battery
Everything is simple here. The higher the battery capacity, the longer smartphone will “live” without recharging. The minimum required in 2017 is 2300 mAh. With such a battery, the smartphone will be able to work for 3-4 hours of active use (with the screen on).
Since manufacturers like to overestimate the battery capacity, before buying a smartphone it is worth studying reviews of it on independent sites.
3G and 4G bands
Since the frequencies at which they operate mobile networks third and fourth generation, in Russian Federation differ from those used in China, it is worth making sure that the smartphone supports the bands used in our country at the hardware and software level.
The hardware level is the physical support for the corresponding ranges. They are usually indicated in the specifications for the device. Thus, in Russia the following frequency ranges are used:
3G – 1920-1980 MHz, 2110-2170 MHz. In very rare cases, the CDMA 450 range is used - 453-457.5 MHz, 463-467.5 MHz. In Moscow and the region, 880-915 MHz and 925-960 MHz can be used;
4G – 719-862 MHz, for Moscow and the region – 2570-2620 MHz.
In the smartphone specifications, these frequencies are designated as WCDMA B1, B2, B5 (2100, 1900, 850, respectively) and LTE B5, B8, B7 (850, 900 and 2700, respectively).
Implementation of support for frequencies used in Russia mobile internet at the software level is indicated in the firmware version. If it is specialized for China (labeled as China), then these frequencies will not work, even if their hardware implementation is declared. They work on international firmware (Global).
Some manufacturers allow you to switch from local to international versions of the operating system. But this will require independent flashing.
Summary: method for selecting Chinese smartphones
When choosing a smartphone from a Chinese online store, make sure the following:
If it’s a smartphone from a famous brand and is suspiciously cheap, don’t buy it, it’s probably a fake;
Read reviews on forums and third-party sites. Reviews in the online store itself may be falsified;
The smartphone’s firmware must be international (Global) or at least support the Russian language;
Specifications must meet your needs or at least the minimum required at the present time;
The smartphone must support the 3G and 4G bands used in Russia.
It is also advisable to check the online store for the availability of spare parts for your smartphone. Most often, screens and batteries suffer.
