Here we are, back from winter holidays with not too many new alternatives on the market, sadly. Hopefully this will change in the following months as we get closer to the MWC (Mobile World Congress) though. Nonetheless, the five Chinese smartphones listed below are still the best you can currently find online for under $200, so if you need one: keep reading!
Top 5 Chinese Smartphones for Under $200
1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
Albeit getting outdated at more than a year from its launch, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is still one of the best phones under $200 money can buy. Xiaomi’s budget killer comes with a good and power efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (expandable).
The smartphone rocks a 5.5-inch FHD IPS display, a 13MP rear shooter (either a Sony IMX258 or Samsung S5K3L8) with F/2.0 aperture which can shoot videos at 120fps, and a 5MP selfie snapper.
The Redmi Note 4 also boasts a large 4000mAh capacity battery which paired with the efficient CPU delivers outstanding autonomy; in its Global Edition the Note 4 supports a large number of 4G LTE bands.
2. Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
At the opposite end of the spectrum we find Xiaomi’s latest Redmi 5 Plus. The handset does not shine for its internal hardware as we find the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (expandable) of the predecessor, but it does come with 2017’s and probably 2018’s as well 18:9 full screen design trend.
The Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus packs a 12MP rear camera with an F/2.0 aperture, a 5MP selfie snapper and a large 4000mAh capacity battery. It supports 4G LTE networks but band 20 is not among the supported ones.
As we previously mentioned, the Redmi 5 Plus is a good device for those who want a 18:9 phone from a trusted brand for less than $200.
3. Xiaomi Mi A1
Always from Xiaomi but with a stock Android ROM on top, we have the Xiaomi Mi A1. The handset is basically a more premium Redmi Note 4 as it boasts the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB (or 64GB) of internal storage.
What makes the A1 a better choice (for some) over the Note 4 – other than running stock Android – is the presence of a secondary rear camera. This will allow you to snap nice professional-looking photos with a low depth of field (bokeh) effect, much like what you can do on the more expensive Xiaomi Mi 6. The two rear cameras both have 12MP resolution and they can record 4K videos or slow-motion ones at 120fps. The selfie snapper is instead a 5MP Samsung S5K5E8.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 packs a 3080mAh battery and supports a wide variety of 4G LTE networks as it comes in a Global Version.
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4. Huawei Honor 7x
Are you a tiny bit flexible with pricing? Then add a couple extra bucks and get yourself a nice Huawei Honor 7x. Honor’s recently launched budget phone performs very well due to its Huawei powerful HiSilicon KIRIN 659 coupled with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (expandable), plus it features a large 5.93-inch FHD+ 18:9 display and the dual camera setup Huawei is famous for.
The rear camera combo is composed of a main 16MP shooter with F/2.2 shooter that can record 4K videos and a secondary 2MP to create photos with the fancy bokeh effect; meanwhile at the front we find an 8MP shooter with F/2.0 aperture.
The Huawei Honor 7x is fueled by a 3340mAh capacity battery and it supports 4G LTE connectivity on many networks, sadly for Europeans there’s no band 20 support.
Alternatively, check out the Huawei Honor 9 Lite coming in the same price range but downgraded to 3GB of RAM (in the cheapest variant).
5. LeEco Le Pro 3 X722
LeEco does provide a large of number amazing handsets below $200 but we picked the Le Pro 3 X722 as the best of them all. The smartphone does indeed feature the still powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage for around $160.
The handset comes with a 5.5-inch FHD display coated in 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3, a 16MP with F/2.0 aperture, 4K and 120fps video recording capability rear camera, and an 8MP selfie shooter with 1.4μm large pixels.
The LeEco Le Pro 3 X722 is equipped with a large 4070mAh battery and supports most 4G LTE networks around the globe, including band 20.
If you’re wondering what else LeEco can offer; we have the LeEco Le Max 2 with the same Snapdragon 820, 4GB/32GB memory but a larger 5.7-inch 2K display at around the same price, and the LeEco Cool1 with a Snapdragon 652 and 4GB/32GB memory that you can get for slightly more than $100.
Top 5 Chinese Smartphones for Under $200
With LeEco’s really cost-effective device we conclude our top 5 list under $200 for the first month of 2018. Let us know in the comments section below if you agree with our picks or if you’d suggested something else; see you next month!