I’m in a conundrum and would like the assistance of the excellent Gizchina audience to help me out. Which Chinese phone would you buy?
Im in dire need of a new phone and I just cannot decided which fantastic Chinese Android phone to choose from. I do have a short list, but I would really appreciate input from you guy’s! The choice are:
- Xiaomi M2
- Meizu MX2
- Oppo Find 5
Why the Xiaomi M2?
The Xiaomi M2 offers amazing performance at an equally amazing price. 1999 Yuan for the base model 16GB version (slightly more if you go the unofficial route) will give you access to a quad-core Qualcomm S4 Pro CPU, 2GB RAM, fantastic 8 mega-pixel camera and wonderful screen.
Should I buy the Xiaomi M2?
[One_Half]
For
- Cheap
- Powerful
- Great cameras
- Great screen
- Perfect size (for me personally)
- A little on the fat side
- A little more money can get me a larger and more modern phone.
- Difficult to buy
I’m a closet Meizu fan, and thats even after my awful experience with the Meizu M9! I love the Flyme ROM, and after testing the MX2 with it’s narrow borders I appreciate the extra screen size without the added girth. The MX2 is slightly more than the Xiaomi M2 but has a larger screen, feels a little better quality and offers equal performance thanks to the Samsung Exynos CPU.
Gizchina News of the week
Should I buy the Meizu MX2?
[One_Half]
For
- Cheap
- Powerful
- Great design
- Thin
- Great quality
- Easily available
- Bad experience in the past
- My wife will kill me.
The Find 5 is the newest, latest and most expensive of the 3 phones I have shortlisted and it will go on sale in just a few short days. The 5 has a 1080 5-inch display, Qualcomm S4 Pro CPU, 2GB RAM but best of all a 13 mega-pixel Sony Exmor Pro camera which can capture 100 photos in just 60 seconds! (perfect for mountain biking!)
Should I buy the Oppo Find 5?
[One_Half]
For
- Drool worthy camera
- Large screen
- Latest, “bleeding edge” flagship phone
- Powerful
- Great looking
- Expensive (when compared to the rest)
- A little on the large side for my tastes.
- Possibly difficult to buy
- My wife will probably steal it from me.
So with those details and your own opinions please help me decide which phone to buy, and if you can leave a reason for your choice in the comments section below.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
[poll id=”2″]
Ascend D1 XL (D2 if you wanna wait a little)?
LG Nexus 4?
ZTE Grand S/Nubia Z5?
Chinese phones only so the LG doesn’t make the grade 😉
I think that one of the new quad core phones , should be an better option.
And perhaps that Gizchina can not only show us the rumors, but can find a trustworthy company that can provide the mentioned phones .
There are a few addresses but their prices are most of the time much higher then in the articles mentioned
Only way to get the price we mention here is to live in China. Sorry 🙁
thaks andi, you’re right. i think the reason why the prices of these chinese phone becomes much more expensive on the link is because the vendor needs to have a bigger profit. ^_^ thats why most of the apple phone is expensive even though the materials on it is cheap. ^^,
i think xiaomi and meizu is a good choice. i think most of the phones today is big and bulky. atleast xiaomi and meizu is just above 4″(4.3″vs.4.4″) and i think that is enough for a phone. ^_^
where is the best place to buy china phones at wholesale prices. like were does android sale and fastcardtech and other site get there phones from so that they are able to sell them a low cost if anybody has a good supplier please let me know. There could be some money involved for you or even a couple free phones. We are just looking for a different supplier ASAP
How bout the Newman N2?
Its cheep and cheerfull!!
I have one on my desk too. It’s an awesome phone for the money, but I didn’t get a Christmas gift and Spring Festival is on the way so feel like treating myself 😉
Huawei or ZTE, depends on price and availability. Don’t think that Oppo will be much cheaper and Huawei and ZTE are better known brands.
i buy a week ago Jianyu G3, is very nice, good and fast phone!
in future, if i have the money, my choose will be Oppo 5
I voted other, and the phones I would recommend to you are the Umi X2 and the Newman N2 because of two simple reasons. Battery and expandable memory. One of my main problems with smartphones were the lack of expandable memory, because I’m the type of guy who installs tonnes of songs on his phone and also a lot of games. Battery life is also important to me, and also the problem if the battery is removable or not.
I picked the Umi X2 because of it’s specs which are similar to the Oppo Find 5, the fact that it has expandable memory and the design which is quite reminiscent to the LG Nexus 4. It also has a removable battery, and is pretty cheap because it is using an MTK processor.
The Newman N2 is mostly the same like above,(expanable battery, removable battery) but it has something that most other China phones don’t have. Good support and firmware updates. Although it is pretty lacklustre against the other phones you have listed, it does have it’s advantages.
Also, I know that the Xiaomi Mi2 has a removable battery and a memory card slot, but that battery is pretty small at 2000 mAh, and as you said, it is quite hard to get.
Thanks for your suggestions 🙂
Which phone do you use Andi ? 🙂
I switch between a few. Oppo Finder 3, HTC One X and iPhone 4, then there are the phones we review too 🙂
Shame it needs to be Chinese, Sony Z is waterproof.
Finder 5 looks very nice.
Lenovo K900
Huawei D2
ZTE Apache
Either buy now or wait for Spain, hmmm how to wangle a press pass?
K900 would be awesome…
Drop $1k on an iphone5
Haha not a chance!! (and that comes from a true Mac user!)
Xiaomi M2: Against: hacked up version of Android. Low-res screen
Meizu MX2: Against: hacked up version of Android. Low-res screen
Oppo Find 5: Against: who really knows, nobody’s seen a shipping version yet! Bait and switch on the online order reservations (they gave everyone FAKE reservations so they would come down on launch day at 10am and make a scene the could photograph!), reports from CES that they hacked up their version of Android…
So… maybe the upcoming rumored Nubia Z7 would be a better choice. Or if you’re in a hurry, then a ZTE Grand S.
I’m a bit sensitive to manufacturers lying about their specs or pulling stunts at their customers expense, so I’m irritated with Oppo and Huawei currently (after the Ascend Mate was “shown” in 1080p dress, and came out as a 720p device with a slower than expected processor.)
I don’t mind either MIUI or Flyme, and having used both the M2 and MX2 I feel the screens are really very impressive even at 720p. But, for just a little extra the Find 5 offers quite a bit more… Z7 is far too huge for me, but the Grand S could be a contender.
I would go for the Xiaomi M2. For the low price, 2G RAM too. 720p screen isn’t really low res for me. It gets to a point when your eyes cant really differentiate the pixels on the screen so the resolution dont matter anymore. I saw my friend’s LG Optimus L9 with 960 X 540 pixels screen and it still looked super cool to me. The idea of 1080p screen is just for bragging rights and hype to me.
Hey Andi,
how about assisting us Gizchina members with purchasing these super awesome Chinese phones? Maybe you can setup some kinda purchase assistance for us. Anyone of us that wants to purchase Chinese phones, you can help purchase it for him with a little added amount for your services. Since you are over there in China, it will be well worth it to get it for us.
Just a suggestion though … what do you think?
Hi Andy… i’ve voted for other. I would buy Umi X2.
I ask you A question (little ot)… have umi X1 a good Camera/Flash for photos in the dark??
I could do the test, if I see the phone in the store … let me some time ,)
Thanks man. The last two chinaphone.i had bought, take really bad photos in only 1m in the dark (sorry my bad english)
Why have non of those Chinese phones Amoled screen?
There are a few with Amoled displays. Ginoee make some
Actually. it is not difficult to buy Xiaomi because you can get it in Shenzhen on the market.
But.. i also choose oppo find 5 and i hope that i can get one on 29th – i got 4 reservation codes 🙂
Thumbs up!
I’ve seen them on sale here too I think a 32GB was only 2300 Yuan, not sure if they have any left now though
oh.. 2300 rmb… thats the same price from the online store… impressive..
Good luck with the Oppo 🙂
JiaYu G4 afcourse! have pre-ordered!
the ones you listed are all expensive, i’d rather have a jiayu g4 or that tegra 3 phone from the company that announced it for $160. These low cost phones are much better value. If i was going to spend these prices i’d want them from a bigger brand that had a uk warranty like LG, Samsung, Alcatel etc.
The nexus 5 will probably wipe the floor once it is released as it will probably have a tegra 4 chip and be about the same price as these phones.
THL W7.
I would be against the MI 2. My previous experiences of miui are not great. It drains the battery like no other rom. Looks nice but I prefer other launchers to be honest. MIUI tend to be on the slow side even compared to flyme.
One great question you want to ask is aftermarket support. If it broke where can you get it replaced. That’s why it is better to buy from an established company such as Huawei or ZTE. OPPO and Meizu are also established but i am not to sure on MI.
Also aftermarket developer support. Of youlike to install custom roms and kennels then only chance is wait until MWC for the HTC M7 or the P2 from huawei.
Don’t mind the crap UI from oppo. Just download apex launcher from Google play (another OPPO positive over the others, its international).
Oppo find 5 is the best build quality Phone Ever made in China .
Huawei Honor 2
Thanks man. The last two chinaphone.i had bought, take really bad photos in only 1m in the dark (sorry my bad english)
How are you finding the G3?
amoi 828
Oppo Find 5, I would love one of those myself, no doubt my I-Phone fanatic son would try to “borrow” it.
Exynos 4412 and Mali400 is your best bet with highest performances
so Newman N2 or any with those CPU and GPU
btw i would like to buy a phone for myself but for around 200-230$ with shipping
what is happening with the Yeezone S3 Mini from Rhythm company (Exynos 4412)
and the Little Pepper Q1 (Tegra 3)
are they released yet ?
Little Pepper Tegra 3 was launched and sold all 20,000 of their stock a few days ago 🙁
umi x2 if price doesn’t exceed $ 300 else JiaYu G4 .
-Jiayu G4
-K-Touch V9
-Deovo V5 Neptune
-Sheng X7
-Hisense HS-T958
-Big Cola (MT6589)
-Micromax A116 canvas HD
-Beidou Big K
All they are great chinese phones and cheaper but I’ll preffer the Jiayu G4, I think…
Airyl +1 for Umi X2, I’m waiting for it.
newman n2 of course the best phone with exynos and 13mp camera
I’m waiting for a phone which is 4.0″<=4.5", 720p, mtk6589, 2GB ram, dual sim, stock Android, easily rootable.
That's all I need. I'm hoping for a big brand like ZTE or Huawei to build something like it.
I want to spend max $350 on it.
Yep something like a ZTE Nexus 5 (if there was such a device)
honor 2 ) i own 1 i luv it so far
The Honor 2 seems like an amazing bargain at the moment. Some online resellers have then price up at 1800 Yuan!! I’ve not had chance to use one yet. How is it?
I’ll buy a Newman N2/Freelander i20, I wanted a Jiayu G4 but I don’t think I can wait too many months unitl it’s released, and probably it will be delayed like the G3
Don’t get the Meizu MX2 Andi. I don’t want you to die, especially by the hands of your wife.
Thanks for the concern 🙂
In the mean time i’m using lg nexus 4, the non removable battery sucks and my hand not big so i think need smaller screen. I bought xiaomi 2 with extra battery and batterycharger so i can play while charge the other battery, but my friend will give it to me in march. the reason i choose over oppo find 5 the removable battery and color option and still a limited app for 1080p screen and finally i get blue color without buying wp8. meizu is not option because i only want gpu adreno or tegra, based with my experience with xperia play both better in compability with most game app (yeah i’m using illegal apk so the gpu is crucial)
UMI X2
Vote you wait for Umi X2. Everything seems perfect about it. Also, mind giving that Newman N2 on your desk?:)
I already bought the Meizu MX2 because it’s the only one we could test before buying.
It’s important for me to try the phone before buying it. I want to feel it, i want to see how is the screen, i want to test the camera and bla bla bla… 😉
The other reason i bought it, is because there are plenty of meizu store, if there is something wrong with it, i just have to bring it to a store. For other phone (except the oppo), you have to send it back by mail, which is pretty boring.
Last reason, i have the Meizu M9 so I know I can’t be disappointed. Even if I don’t like much Flyme ( I would prefer the original android rom), the quality of the phone is really amazing.
And i am not a typical “meizu fan”. Actually i was ready to try another brand, but as I said : If I can’t test it, I don’t buy it.
You bought an MX2 after owning an M9!!! Are you sure you’re not a “Typical Meizu Fan” 😉 haha I hated my M9 but strangely still have a soft spot for them, and the quality of the new phone is fantastic!! Do you find it crashes often? What about the camera and app compatibility?
Dear Friends, I like the Xiaomi Mi2, but as i live outside China the advantage of cost is sort of gone. The phone Mi2 32GB are sold at around 450usd+Shipping+Customs, Now i can get a Samsung S3 (with some +’s and -‘s) out here with a little more money.
How is Newman N2, appears to be selling for 300+shipping+customs but does it have a Gorilla Corning Glass? Does it have OTG.. Is it reliable enough?
Hi Andy,
Funny post! I had to make the exact same choice this week haha! I also choose between 1 of the 3. After 3 weeks of thinking I choose the Meizu MX2. I had the exact same pro’s and cons but the reason I choose the MX2 is because the Oppo is just to damn big for my taste. The Camera is beautiful indeed just as the screen but it’s also the most expensive choice.
In the end it was this video that helped me making my decision:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM4ZuhF8910
The Xiaomi has the best screen size for me to but the difference between quality, screen, processor and looks is just to big. Like you sad “it’s hard to get” to and in the end it’s not that professional looking as the MX2.
That left me with the Oppo and the MX2. The Oppo has the same processor as the Xiaomi so that would be a big minus for me. Like I sad before the screen is to big for me but it’s bloody beautiful. But the price made my decision easy.
The MX2 is slightly bigger than the Xiaomi so I guess thats okay. The phone is so fast and thats a big + It looks great and professional. The screen is not 1080P but can you really see that on such a small screen? The specifications of the screen are almost similar to the Iphone 5 and that screen is superb. The camera makes great pictures and the rest of the specs are almost similar (then accept for the Oppo with NFC). 64GB is to much so I choose the 32GB.
Succes with making your choice!
Greetz,
Armando
Ohhhh you are swaying me to the Meizu 🙂
I buy a newman n2 (I’m hoping to reach)
UMI X2
Andi you need to start shop. I will buy from you. I need trustworthy seller in which i can believe.
I have just received my Lenovo K 860 and I love it! But I’m looking forward already to get new Lenovo K 900. I do like the design of both Lenovo models. And I’m curious of new Intel cpu possibilities. Hope you will make a review of K 900 when they start selling it.
I like this idea.
I’m waiting for the Jiayu 4G advanced. It will have a large battery and I don’t have monde for a Motorola RAZR MAXX. And the cortex A7 cores eat less energy, so maybe it will be my last phone. If one doesn’t arrive with a smaller but stronger battery.
I thought that the Jiayu G4 was very tempting, but now that I’ve seen the Umi X2, I think that my heart has just swayed the other way.
Andi, can you comment on the build quality for Umi devices, and also, I’m looking around the net, and some sites list that it has wifi 802.11 b/g/n, where as others just b/g.
Can you confirm on this? seems weird to hit 2013 without wireless N
I think we will get devices:
I now own a Huawei g500, which is mtk6577, 1gb ram, dual sim, 4.3″ qhd, stock Android and easily rootable. Battery life is excellent. Only minor issue is that it’s somewhat bulky. Other than that, top knotch.
If the Honor 2 was Dual Sim, I would’ve bought that..
Huawei Honor 2, meizu mx2, but at the same time the new 6589 based phones are tempting too but i just heard yesterday that the mt 6589 will only be available AFTER the Chinese new year, so march i guess… Do you have similar information from your side?
Honor 2 is a possibility…
exclusively Jiayu G4 flagship model no matter the price will be
I would like to buy MT6589 phone. Maybe a TCL Y900 or Umi X2.
I’ll send you the pictures when I receive it 😉
Andy I figure that you will be happy with any of them (until you get bored lol)
If you want to flog the Newman I would be happy to talk money with you.
As a husband myself I know that getting rid of old gadgets to finance new ones is a wife friendly option lol
I think I personally if I were you I would hold out for the next round of new phones coming, better screens, better cpu’s and gpu’s nothing worse than buying slightly older tech and ending up in essence two generations behind in a months time.
Regards shanos
Haha sorry the N2 isn’t mine its a loaner got to send it back soon 🙁
Yes, now they are the most reasonable chinese phones on 26/01/2012.
Do not buy UMI X2 – GPS is terrible, it will not work (cheap hardware). And screen is pretty dull, you have to pull brightness to 90% for comfort. Battery is weak as well, it is not enough for 1 hr wifi, 2 hr of 3G and 30 min to call per day.
I think the battery of Oppo Find 5 will be weak as well – huge screen + Full HD + strong processor = bad battery.
Meizu MX2 – camera is below average, battery is average, even it is thick, and this chinese site registration thing – you could not sell it easily, Meizu made it very complicated for oversees customers to change the ownership. It is main thing why I am still thinking about Meizu MX2.
Sorry did you mean Xiaomi M2 or Meizu MX2?
Sorry, I meant UMI X1 in previous post, not UMI X2.
Nubia z5 should be much better than oppo 5 or mi 2 but that being said I own a mi 2 for less than a week and wife try to steal from me.
The Nubia would be nice but my budget is 3000 Yuan. The Z5 is 3500+. How are you getting on with the M2?
Mi-2 is really nice I like it nearly the perfect size. No real issues really unless your a phone hacker. In which kernel sources would be nice since the cpu scaling is quite a bit too aggressive. Custom kernels would be really nice on this phone. But other than can’t really complain. It is by far the nicest phone I have owned and I usually stick with sony or htc. I have the sim card issue with t-mobile that shows the carrier twice sometimes in the status bar kinda annoying. This phone after the markups and fees it took to get to usa due to not being sold directly came to nearly the same price as the nubia z5. So for me it would be in the same price range it only puts the z5 50$ ahead.
You know its got to be the oppo find 5 !!! I had my eye on xiaomi m2 for a long time as it blows most phones out of the water with its specifications. until oppo announced the find 5 , I’m sorry but bigger is better . Although I could be tempted by the ZTE nubia z5 as this has LTE capabilities built in …
Problem with the Oppo is that all the stores here are telling me they won’t have stock until after Chinese New Year. Thankfully our review phone should be here early Feb 🙂
huawei honor 2, quad core, 2gb ram, hd, 1,5 days battery life, nice camera…
Still waiting for the quad-core, 1080 screen Zopo phablet. Hope that will be an awesome phone
So far Honor2 works awsome !! i luv it work smoofly no laging no rebooting etc. i really like it !! quality of sound is very good in my wireless headphones!!! camera is ok so far i didnt found any problems with it !!! exept for the back leed its kinda have a lil bit loose after few take off and on !!! rest is exallent !! using it for almost month and half !!
N2 vs honor 2. Wanna buy one of them soon just cant decide:/
Hey Andi,
I have been weighing my options for a while myself and all I can figure is that the Quad Core S4 Pro processor is the only thing that won’t be ashamed by coming Cortex A15 processors like Tegra 4. I was unimpressed by K3V2 power consumption, it makes the bigger battery necessary instead of an advantage. So that leaves the Xiaomi Mi2 and OPPO Find 5. Like the nexus 4,the Mi2 hits a sweet spot that makes it high demand. That leaves the higher priced OPPO which still undercuts the competition on price and will be more available as people avoid the price tag. So I’m waiting for MWC to fill in the blanks,but I’m going with OPPO if nothing sways me.
Might be a good move. Perhaps I’ll wait till MWC too
Jiayu G4 for me … Even with all their delays I still trust them to release a quality phone when they finally do release it.
Besides it’s cheap and you do get some firmware updates. It’s also pretty mainstream unlike some other Chinese phones.
Of those 3 I’d be all over the Oppo Find 5. I’m a sucker for specs :x. The Huawei Honor 2 also looks good despite being a battery vampire and not on your list =)
Although I’d most likely have problems using the Oppo since it’s in chinese and I doubt it makes an international debut for more languages, and I don’t know anything about Oppo community support or ROM updates :c. Huawei I know there’s an international ROM already.
By the way, where do you find those phones at those prices? I want to bring a phone from China in a couple weeks and since my chinese’s pretty bad I’m not sure I can trust most online stores I see, especially Taobao vendors.
Things like a Galaxy S3 at 2390 yuan seem too god good to be true, like this one http://goo.gl/gJWKQ , even if it’s used.
I’d appreciate any help I can get in my quest :p
The Oppo will have English from day one. Most Chinese phones have English on them. We’re based in China so those are the walk in to the store and buy them price.
I see.
I’m hoping I can get an Oppo Find 5 meanwhile, at 3000 yuan it’s too good a phone to pass up 😡
I already payed for the Oppo Find 5 with 32GB 😀 …I hope I will get it soon.
@Chris did you get it in China, or ordered through the internet or something?
If it’s sold out everywhere then meh, I won’t be able to get it since Chinese new year will basically make China stop.
i am unsure of if the chinese phone support 3g on gsa networks, also will they work on Verizons network. i see where most say 2g on GSA networks and 3g on wcdma. can you clearify that for me. i want to buy one but have been hesitating on the internet speed. need suggestion on good phone from reliable source. 5-6 inch or should i wait seems like new better coming down the pike. Terry
jiayu s1 for me.
I don’t really understand why people would buy a $400-$500 chinese phone O_o;. I stick with chinese gadgets because their value for money. I would never spend more than $200 for a chinese phone no matter what, because I think it’s enough to buy a good quality one.
I find it absurd to buy those astronomical price phones because I can go to the mobile market in my city and get famous brands for that price.
What I love from China is their aggressive deals and overall prices for products with far better quality than those horrible phones from mid 2000’s.
$400-500 chinese phones have $750-850 famous brand features,and dual sim to boot. Depends how you look at value.
Andi,is the guy who sold you the Mi2 on Aliexpress or something similar? A genuine phone from Xiaomi is hard to get from resellers,the clone is so accurate.
can some one help me …my phone mt6589 N7100 IS brick…do u have fine any forum for this stock firmware or rom..can flash us flashtool_4.0…? TQ if u can help me pls email to pge910@gmail.com tq