Welcome back to our monthly rendezvous with some of the best Chinese phones currently on the market. This list includes all the smartphones for under $500, this means flagship-grade devices at very competitive prices. Interested? Then keep reading!
Best Chinese Phones for Under $500
1. Realme X2 Pro
The first phone on our list comes with a bit of a surprise as we’re used to see Xiaomi phones top the charts, but the latest Realme X2 Pro really is an extraordinary phone. The handset does indeed manage to pack the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus for less than $500; heck you can even get it for under $400 if you’re willing to only have 64GB of storage.
The Realme X2 Pro then features a large 6.5-inch display of the AMOLED type with Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile in the camera department we find a 64MP primary shooter accompanied by an 8 MP ultra wide angle lens, a 13MP telefoto camera and a 2MP depth sensor. At the front we have a 16MP camera for high res selfies.
Finally, Realme’s flagship packs a large 4000mAh capacity battery with support for 50W fast charging, headphone jack, NFC and runs ColorOS 6.1 based on Android 9.
2. Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro
Next we have Xiaomi’s international variant of the Redmi K20 Pro flagship-killer – the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro. The smartphone comes with a large 6.39-inch AMOLED panel with a real full screen design an under display fingerprint scanner. The handset is then powered by a Snapdragon 855 coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
On the camera side, we find a main 48MP Sony IMX586 shooter paired with an 8MP telefoto and a 13MP ultra wide-angle lens. Meanwhile in the pop-up camera we find a 20MP snapper.
The Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro is fueled by a 4000mAh, supports fast charge at 27W and runs MIUI based on Android 9.
If you’re willing to lack some global frequency bands, you can also check out the Redmi K20 Pro Premium Edition coming with the slightly more powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus CPU.
3. Vivo iQoo Pro
Yet another great option powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus is the Vivo iQOO Pro which can now be found for less than $500. The handset comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage along with the previously mentioned CPU. We then have a 6.41-inch Super Amoled display with Full HD+ resolution and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.
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In the camera department, the smartphone is equipped with a main 48 MP Sony IMX582 Exmor RS sensor, a secondary 13MP sensor with ultra wide lens and a third 2MP depth sensor; on the front we instead have a 12MP selfie snapper.
Finally, the Vivo iQOO Pro comes with an extra large 4500mAh capacity battery, supports fast charging at 44W and runs Funtouch 9.0 OS based on Android 9 Pie out of the box.
Best Chinese Phones for Under $500
4. Oppo Reno Ace
Next on the list we have the powerhouse recently launched by Oppo’s sub-brand – the Reno Ace. The smartphone does indeed pack the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus along with a minimum of 8GB of RAM an 128GB of internal storage.
We then find a 6.5-inch 90Hz e-sports ready screen and four rear cameras on the back. Including a main 48MP camera, along with a 13MP ultra wide angle, an 8MP telephoto and 2MP depth sensor. For selfies we instead have a single 16MP selfie snapper.
The smartphone supports the new 65W SuperVOOC super flash charging. Meaning it can charge the 4000mAh capacity battery completely in just 30 minutes. With 5 minutes of charging that can bring around 2 hours to 6 hours of autonomy.
5. Nubia Red Magic 3S
Finally, for the gamers out there we have the latest gaming phone by Nubia, the Red Magic 3S. The phone packs a massive 6.65-inch display which should be a joy to play on with its FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate.
The smartphone is then powered by the beastly Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus CPU along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage for an AnTuTu score of over 460k points.
Nubia’s Red Magic 3S is also well equipped in the camera department with a single but high-end Sony IMX586 sensor with 48MP resolution and OIS. Meanwhile at the front we find a 16MP selfie snapper.
Other features on the gaming phone include a 3.5mm audio jack, IR emitter, a large 5000mAh capacity battery and Android 9 Pie as the OS out of the box.
Best Chinese Phones for Under $500
With the Nubia Red Magic 3S powerhouse we conclude our monthly Top 5 Best Chinese Phones list. Did you guys find your next daily driver? If that so let us know down below, other wise tell us what you’d have liked to see on the list!
