With so many flagships coming out these weeks, you might want to wait a bit before buying a new high-end phone. If you can't wait, here's a list of the 5 best Chinese phones currently on sale for under $500!
Xiaomi Mi 10T
Let's start with the Xiaomi Mi 10T, an ordinary-looking phone with a gaming heart under the hood. The Mi 10T is indeed equipped with the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 flagship processor along with a very high refresh rate 144Hz panel, 6,67 inches in size and FHD + resolution. Thus, you will get smooth gameplay without compromising on the appearance of the device, unlike other gaming phones.
You can also enjoy photography with its 64MP primary sensor, 13MP ultra-wide lens and 5MP macro camera. On the front, we find a single 20-megapixel selfie camera.
Finally, the Xiaomi Mi 10T is equipped with a rather large battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh with support for fast charging of 33 W; it has NFC and an IR emitter.
Honor Play 4 Pro
Are you more into photography? Then the Honor Play 4 Pro is an excellent option to consider. Honor's flagship does pack some high-quality cameras, including a large 40-megapixel primary Sony IMX600 sensor with f/1.8 aperture paired with an 8-megapixel camera with 3x zoom; both have OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). For selfies, we have a 32MP selfie camera and an additional 8MP ultra-wide lens.
Honor Play 4 Pro is also equipped with a powerful Huawei Kirin 990 chipset; in combination with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in memory (expandable).
Finally, the smartphone is powered by a 4200mAh battery with 40W fast charging support and comes with an NFC module.
Redmi Notes 9 Pro 5G
If you're willing to give up a few flagship horsepower to save a couple hundred bucks, the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G is definitely your option. For around $300 or less, you're getting a very powerful Snapdragon 750 processor with 5G capabilities indeed; 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in memory (expandable).
Redmi's more affordable Note 9 Pro 5G also sports a 6,67-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling.
On the photography front, the smartphone packs a massive 108MP main Samsung sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP portrait camera, and a 2MP macro camera. For selfies, we have one 16 MP module.
Other features include a 4820mAh battery, 33W fast charging, NFC, a 3,5mm audio jack, and an infrared emitter.
Real Q2
Like the Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G, the Realme Q2 is another smartphone that won't make you regret choosing a mid-range to high-end chipset. The MediaTek Dimensity 800U processor inside the Realme Q2 is really quite powerful and is paired with a 6,5-inch Full HD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch response rate.
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As for the cameras, we have a 16-megapixel selfie camera in the hole on the front; On the back, we have a 48-megapixel primary camera paired with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
Finally, the Realme Q2 boasts a rather large 5000mAh battery with 30W fast charging support.
Ulefone Armor 10 5G
Last but not least, we have one of the few rugged phones to ever make it into the top five phones under $500 – the Ulefone Armor 10 5G. Ulefone's latest rugged phone is definitely a smartphone worth buying if you value durability above all else, but expect everything else to be above average as well.
In fact, the Armor 10 5G's sturdy body hides the MediaTek Dimensity 800, which provides the possibility of using 5G, as well as 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in memory (with the possibility of expansion). The smartphone is equipped with a large 6,67-inch display with Full HD + resolution and a hole in the center, inside which there is a 16-megapixel selfie camera. As for the rear cameras, we have a 64MP primary sensor paired with an 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro and a 2MP depth sensor.
Other specs include a large 5800mAh battery with 15W wireless charging support and NFC features.
