20 best Chinese phones 2015/2016: Best Chinese phones and how to buy them in the UK - why you should (and should not) buy a Chinese phone - best Chinese phone reviews
Chinese phones offer excellent value for money, with specs to rival flagship phonessuch as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 and often at less than half the price. So if you want a great deal on a smartphone, look no further than our round-up of the best Chinese phones 2015/2016.
You've probably heard of brands such as Huawei/Honor, ZTE and Lenovo, although you might not be aware that the latter makes phones as well as laptops. Xiaomi, too, is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and in China it's bigger than even Apple and Samsung.
But the problem with many Chinese phones is that they can be difficult to get hold of in the UK. To buy a Chinese phone in the UK you'll either need to look on a site such as eBay orAmazon, or go through a grey-market importer such as Geekbuying, GearBest or Coolicool. Be sure to read up on our grey-market tech buying advice before you do so.
Should you buy a Chinese phone in the UK? Why you should and should not buy a Chinese phone
Pros:
• Excellent value for money
• Competitive specification
• Usually dual-SIM
• None of your friends will have the same phone
Cons:
• Without an official channel through which to purchase you may unintentionally buy a counterfeit product
• Faulty devices may be difficult to return
• You may incur import duty
• The phone may not work with your network
Best Chinese phone specifications: What to expect from a Chinese phone
The majority of Chinese phones we've reviewed have been dual-SIM dual-standby. We've found this to be a standard feature of Chinese phones at any price point. However, as is the case with Huawei/Honor phones, which are among those that are officially sold in the UK, the UK variant is often not dual-SIM. You should also check whether the second SIM slot is in addition to or replacing the phone's microSD slot. Also see: Best dual-SIM phones 2015/2016 and dual-SIM buying advice.
4G is a common feature even at the lower price points. A handful of phones will support 4G on both SIM slots, but in many cases only the first SIM will be used for data. And while we're used to seeing phones that standardise on nano- or Micro-SIM, Chinese phones can often feature full-size SIM slots. Of course, you can pick up an adaptor from somewhere like Amazon for as little as a pound. Also see: What is 4G? Complete guide to 4G.
The fact that a Chinese phone supports 4G doesn't necessarily mean it will work on your UK network, mind. Always check a phone's frequency bands before purchase. In the UK we use LTE bands 3, 7 and 20, or look for 800-, 1800- and 2600MHz. EE operates on all three, Three on 800- and 1800MHz, O2 on 800MHz, and Vodafone on 800- and 2600MHz. Also see: How to tell if a phone is supported by your mobile network.
MediaTek processors are a common feature within Chinese phones. These are usually marketed as octa-core and 64-bit, but whereas many UK-sold flagships are sold with four cores tuned for performance and four for efficiency, here you'll usually find all eight cores running at the same speed. Two- or even 3GB of RAM is not uncommon, and expect to find 16GB of storage, with microSD support (often only to 32- or 64GB, rather than 128GB). Also see: What's the fastest smartphone 2015/2016.
Rather than NFC, phones with MediaTek processors often come with a feature called HotKnot. This works in a similar way, allowing you to do such things as share files and play multiplayer games with other HotKnot-capable phones. You may also find a fingerprint scanner, but if it's a swipe- rather than touch-style scanner then it won't be a lot of use.
In the photography department a 13Mp Sony sensor with f/2.2 aperture is often found at the rear, while you'll usually get a 5Mp selfie camera at the front. The camera functionality is very similar to that of any other Android phone, but you may find the Face Beauty mode whitens your skin tone - the painting of a face white is a cultural tradition. There will be a slider somewhere that lets you turn off this effect.
An HD or full-HD screen is common, and we've reviewed many a 5.5in-screen Chinese phablet, but expect to pay more if you want Quad HD. The screen is usually a good-quality IPS panel, but may often be marketed as having 2.5D Arc glass. This does not mean the screen is curved, but rather that the edges of the screen are slightly curved (like on the iPhone 6). Gorilla Glass 3 is another common feature, which is fortunate because getting hold of a case for a Chinese phone is just as involved as buying the phone itself (we advise getting one at the time of purchase).
Customisable gestures are not built into Android, but they are very common in Chinese phones. This means you are likely to be able to double-tap to wake the screen, and by drawing a letter onscreen in standby mode you will be able to launch an app of your choice. Many Chinese phones will also allow you to use gestures to trigger the camera shutter.
While we're on the subject of software, be aware that some Chinese phones are sold rooted. For many people that's a bonus - for example UMI's Rootjoy app lets you easily install any OS you like, including Lollipop - but it will put off some customers. We advise you to check whether wireless updates are available or if you will have to manually update the phone before you buy, if you think the latter may cause you grief.
Best Chinese phones 2015/2016
We've been reviewing Chinese phones supplied to us by Geekbuying, Coolicool and GearBest for many months now, but the honest truth is there are still many Chinese phones out there we have yet to review, and many, many Chinese phone manufacturers we've never even heard of. Some of those phones, such as the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro, probably deserve to sit at the top of our best Chinese phones chart, but Xiaomi phones are not officially available in the UK and landing a review sample is nigh on impossible - also see: How to buy Xiaomi phones in the UK.
We won't recommend any Chinese phone we haven't physically held and tested. Over time we will build up our collection of Chinese phone reviews, and hopefully include some Xiaomi products too, but we offer this chart not as a definitive guide to buying Chinese phones, but as a guide to what you can expect for your money when you buy from China. If you've found a Chinese phone not listed in our chart then check its spec and compare it to the phones we've reviewed here.
Read next: Best new phones coming in 2015/2016.
Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter.
20. Honor Holly (by Huawei)
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 3 June 15
- RRP: £99 inc VAT
The Honor Holly price may drop below £99 but even if it doesn't, it's an affordable Android smartphone. It might not look stylish and have brick-like proportions but it does offer a large HD screen, dual-SIM slots, expandable storage and good battery life. Software is not great with Emotion UI 2.3 and there's no 4G support though.
Read our Honor Holly (by Huawei) review.
19. Bluboo X6
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 28 May 15
- RRP: £90.68 from Geekbuying (+ import duty)
For a cheap phablet the Bluboo X6 has a lot going for it. It's reasonably fast compared to its similarly priced rivals, it supports 4G and dual-SIM functionality, and the large screen is useful for browsing the web and viewing media, if it's not particularly high-res. It has a few quirks, and we're not keen on the fingerprint scanner or software customisations, but at £90 you really can't complain.
Read our Bluboo X6 review.
18. Elephone P5000
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 3 March 15
- RRP: £158 from China
On paper the Elephone P5000 is a great phone with an attractive selling price, plus its monster battery, fingerprint scanner and dual-SIM operation are all key selling points. In reality the battery life isn't as good as we had hoped (this could be due to a firmware issue or a fault with our sample), and the fingerprint scanner was sufficiently annoying to use that we probably wouldn't bother. Other aspects of this phone are all distinctly mid-range, but what more can you expect at £200?
Read our Elephone P5000 review.
17. ZTE Blade S6 Plus
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 30 April 15
- RRP: £203.33 (£180.66 with coupon code ZTES6PLUS)
The ZTE Blade S6 Plus is a nice phablet for £200, but it doesn't offer enough to make it worth an extra £50 on top of the standard model, which already has a large 5in screen. In comparison to that phone it's lost some of the features we liked, and despite having a larger battery runtime still isn't great. If you're looking for a 5.5in phablet at £200, our money would be on the Kingzone Z1.
Read our ZTE Blade S6 Plus review.
16. Doogee F1 Turbo Mini
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 17 March 15
- RRP: £82.49 from China
We're really very impressed by the Doogee F1 Turbo Mini. At £82 or £104 (depending on how you buy it) this is the cheapest 4G phone we've ever seen. It's better-looking and more powerful than any budget phone has any right to be.
Read our Doogee F1 Turbo Mini review.
15. Huawei Ascend P6
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 16 August 13
- RRP: £309 inc VAT
The Huawei Ascend P6 is a fantastic and desirable smartphone, whether it's an iPhone copy or not. It provides real value for money even if it is lacking NFC and 4G support. We particularly like the cameras and the customisable user interface.
Read our Huawei Ascend P6 review.
14. Huawei Ascend P7
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 16 May 14
- RRP: €449
Huawei has produced a stunning smartphone in the Ascend P7 and this is couple with good value for money with that non-flagship price tag. There's some decent hardware on offer here, particularly the camera but the P7 is let down by software performance issues.
Read our Huawei Ascend P7 review.
13. UMI Zero
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 12 January 15
- RRP: $394 (around £295)
We're impressed with the UMI Zero. Ultra-thin, light, good-looking and tough, it packs some impressive hardware for the price. If you're happy to buy a rooted Chinese smartphone then it's a great deal - especially at $203.
Read our UMI Zero review.
12. Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 26 May 15
- RRP: £230 inc VAT
The Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ is one of the best dual-SIM phones we've reviewed and a good choice for the price. It has a nice design and good features like a Full HD display and 13 Mp camera but bear in mind that the Moto G 2014 and ZTE Blade S6 are both cheaper and dual-SIM. However, in the wider smartphone market there is tough competition and its lack of a microSD card slot and other hardware such as 4G LTE support mean it's outpaced by the Honor 6.
Read our Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ review.
11. UMI Hammer
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 30 June 15
- RRP: £93.03 (plus import duty)
The UMI Hammer offers fantastic value at £93, with 4G connectivity, a decent HD display and a reassuringly tough build. The camera takes a a great shot with HDR turned on, and we particularly like the ease with which you can mess around with custom UIs and install new ROMs. Recommended.
Read our UMI Hammer review.
10. Kingzone Z1
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 12 May 15
- RRP: £199.91 from European Warehouse (no import duty)
For a £200 phone the Kingzone Z1 is a very decent proposition. It has a nice build, some pleasing connectivity features, and we were astonished to find faster performance than phones that cost three times the price, although cutbacks have been made - notably in the screen and fingerprint sensor, although the latter has other uses beyond security.
Read our Kingzone Z1 review.
9. Huawei P8
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 5 June 15
- RRP: 499 Euro
The Huawei P8 has excellent design and build for a price lower than other flagship rivals. On the whole hardware is decent too, particularly in the photography department. However, poor performance and buggy software taint the experience to frustrating level which make it very difficult to recommend.
Read our Huawei P8 review.
8. ZTE Blade S6
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 17 April 15
- RRP: £156.84 from Geekbuying ($30 off coupon code: 0307ZT)
At a touch over £150 the ZTE Blade S6 is a great-value Android Lollipop phone with strong general performance and an attractive iPhone 6-like build. Dual-SIM and 4G LTE connectivity, a selection of smart gestures and a capable Sony camera all add to this phone's appeal, but its battery life is no better than average and we're not so keen on the idea of having all our apps by default laid bare on the home screen.
Read our ZTE Blade S6 review.
7. UMI Iron
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 17 September 15
- RRP: £149.99 inc. VAT
The UMI Iron is a good buy at £149.99, and the first we've seen to include eye-scanning security. This is a cool feature, if no more secure than the requirement for a four-digit PIN. Although the heart-rate scanner didn't work in our tests and the Micro-USB charging port seemed oddly misshaped, the UMI Iron nevertheless offers a good set of hardware and more than acceptable performance for the money.
Read our UMI Iron review.
6. UMI eMax
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 9 July 15
- RRP: £115.59 (plus import duty)
UMI's eMax offers superb value for money. It's not as good-looking as other UMI phones we've reviewed, but the eMax has a big and bright full-HD screen for enjoying media and more, and showed very capable performance in the majority of our benchmarks. Photography is decent at this price, and enthusiasts will appreciate the Rootjoy support. At £115 you can't go far wrong with the UMI eMax.
Read our UMI eMax review.
5. Honor 6 Plus
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 18 June 15
- RRP: £299
For anyone looking for a smartphone with a large screen, the Honor 6 Plus is absolutely worth considering. It has great specs, a good-looking and sleek design and a cool camera, all at a surprisingly low price.
Read our Honor 6 Plus review.
4. Ulefone BeTouch
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 14 July 15
- RRP: 147.06 (plus import duty)
Ulefone's BeTouch is an unrivalled deal at £147. It's fast, it's dual-SIM with 4G connectivity, it has a working fingerprint scanner for security, the screen is large and with an HD resolution plenty crisp enough for the money, and there is absolutely no bloatware. A few minor quibbles aside, it's genuinely difficult to fault this phone at this price.
Read our Ulefone BeTouch review.
3. OnePlus One
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 20 April 15
- RRP: From £229 inc VAT
There are only two, possibly three, bad things to say about the OnePlus One, if you are happy to buy online direct from OnePlus. We wish there was expandable storage, and it's bigger than other smartphones with similarly sized displays. And if we are being really harsh, we would hope for a better camera. But at the price the OnePlus One is an amazing deal. It's a flagship smartphone for a mid-range price. Bargain. Get them while they are hot.
Read our OnePlus One review.
2. Honor 6 (by Huawei)
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 6 November 14
- RRP: £249 inc VAT
We're seriously impressed by the Honor 6 which costs just £249 while providing specs you would normally pay a lot more for. It has a decent 5in Full HD screen, high quality cameras, good battery life, 4G support, good performance, expandable storage and wireless features like NFC and an IR blaster. The microSD cards slot is limited to 32 GB and Emotion UI isn't the best Android software but these don't stop the Honor 6 being the best value smartphone around.
Read our Honor 6 (by Huawei) review.
1. OnePlus 2
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 9 October 15
- RRP: £239 16GB, £289 64GB
The lack of NFC, a microSD card slot, a removable battery, and quick- and wireless charging means the OnePlus 2 is not a flagship killer. It does have some killer new features though, including USB Type-C, 4G dual-SIM support and some powerful hardware. At £289 (we don't recommend the 16GB OP2), it's an unrivalled deal if you can get hold of one.