Hello and welcome to May’s edition of our top 5 Chinese smartphones for under $500 roundup! This month, we have a couple new interesting additions to go along with some already solid phones which have kept their spot on the list. If you were looking for the best phone money can buy – yes, we aren’t spending more than $500 on one, then keep reading!
Top 5 Chinese Smartphones for Under $500
1. Xiaomi Mi 9
Let’s begin with one of the best bang for the buck phones out there, the Xiaomi Mi 9. For less than $500 we indeed get the most powerful Snapdragon 855 fueling it, along with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage.
The display is also quite impressive being a big and bright 6.4-inch AMOLED of Full HD+ resolution which packs an under display fingerprint scanner beneath it. On the upper part of the display we find a 20MP selfie snapper, meanwhile on the back we have a triple camera setup. It includes a primary Sony IMX586 48MP sensor, coupled with a 16MP ultra-wide lens and a 12MP telephoto shooter.
The Xiaomi Mi 9 is powered by a 3300mAh battery with support for fast charging at 27W and fast wireless charging at a whopping 20W.
2. Vivo iQoo
Next up we have the first phone from Vivo’s new sub-brand iQOO, the Vivo iQOO. The handset is powered by the flagship Snapdragon 855 CPU along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. We then find a large 6.41-inch Super Amoled display with Full HD+ resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
In the camera department, the smartphone is equipped with a main 12MP sensor, a secondary 13MP sensore with ultra wide lens and a third 2MP depth sensor, on the front we instead have a 12MP selfie snapper.
Finally, the Vivo iQOO comes with a large 4000mAh capacity battery, supports fast charging at 22.5W and runs Android 9 Pie out of the box.
3. Lenovo Z6 Pro
Another pretty interesting handset that recently hit the market is the latest Lenovo Z6 Pro. The device comes with all the best specs of the present time, including a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 CPU, from 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage (expandable). It also packs a large 6.39-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340px and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
Lenovo went all in with the cameras as well, the Z6 Pro does indeed pack a total of 5, 4 at the back and 1 at the front. The four rear cameras include a primary 48MP sensor, a secondary 16MP ultra wide lens, an 8MP telefoto lens and a 2MP TOF sensor. Meanwhile on the front we find a high 32MP selfie shooter.
Battery wise, the Z6 Pro comes with a large 4000mAh juice pack with support for 18W fast charging and runs Android 9 Pie out of the box.
4. Redmi Note 7 Pro
Gizchina News of the week
Entering the list with the lowest price among its competitors, we have the just over $250 Redmi Note 7 Pro which brings a pretty good specs to price along with Xiaomi’s very customized software.
The Redmi Note 7 Pro packs a powerful (for its range) Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 paired by a whopping 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage (expandable). Redmi’s higher end device then sports a large 6.3-inch display with a water drop notch on top which hides a 13MP selfie snapper. Meanwhile on the back there’s the much touted 48MP shooter, the Sony IMX586, coupled with a 5MP sensor for the bokeh effect.
Finally, another great selling point for the Redmi Note 7 Pro is its massive 4000mAh capacity battery which can also be fast charged at 18W.
5. Honor View 20
Honor’s latest flagship – the Honor View 20 – comes with the now trendy in-screen camera placed in upper left corner of the large 6.4-inch FHD+ display. The camera sports 25MP resolution and f/2.0 aperture. Meanwhile on the back we have a dual camera setup, including a primary Sony IMX586 48MP shooter and a secondary TOF 3D stereo sensor.
Honor’s View 20 is then fueled by the powerful Huawei Kirin 980 CPU paired with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage.
The handset comes with NFC, a big 4000mAh battery and support for 5V/4.5A 22.5W fast charging.
Honorable Mentions
Meizu 16S
If you’re willing to spend just over $500, the latest Meizu 16S could be a very good option. The smartphone does indeed pack the flagship Snapdragon 855 CPU along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The display on the 16S is not that big at “just” 6.2 inches, with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 and FHD+ resolution.
Cameras include the much wanted Sony IMX586 48MP sensor on the back coupled with a 20MP shooter, meanwhile at the front we find a 20MP selfie snapper.
Finally the battery on the Meizu 16S is 3600mAh and supports 24W fast charging while the phone runs Flyme OS based on Android 9 Pie.
Top 5 Chinese Smartphones for Under $500
This is it for the month of May, hopefully you have found your next daily driver among our picks. If you didn’t and you’d have suggested other options, then let us know in the comments below!
