Tis the season to give and feel jolly, so why not brighten up someones winter with one of these great Android smartphone gift ideas for under $200.
Weβre kicking off our Christmas gift ideas articles today with the best sub $200 Chinese smartphone deals we can find. If you are willing to spend a little more then keep your eyes peeled for our up coming list, and the same goes if you plan to spend less.
JiaYu G4S
The JiaYu G4 has been on sale in various configurations for almost 2 years now, but is still a dependable and well made smartphone and one we are happy to recommend or even buy for someone this Christmas.
The JiaYu G4S is the top of the range version of the G4 with more powerful octacore MT6592 1.7Ghz processor, and 2GB RAM. Other features include a wonderful 4.7-inch 720hd display, 13 mega-pixel rear camera and dual SIM 3G.
Black and white version of the phone are available, and there are plenty of accessories for the phone too. It also ships with a large 3000mAh battery too.
- Buy JiaYu G4S at Everbuying for $198.54
- Buy the JiaYu G4S at Deal Extreme for $199.99
- Buy the JiaYu G4S at Focal Price for $199.99
IUNI U2
To see the IUNI U2 on a list of Android phone gift ideas for under $200 is simply amazing! Up until just a few months ago the IUNI U2 was the flagship phone for IUNI, and is still one of the best spec phones for the money you can buy!
This is the only Snapdragon 800 phone on this list and is the phone to boast a 16 mega-pixel rear camera and all alloy machined body. This version of the U2 has 2GB RAM and a 4.7-inch 1080p display all for only $188, but if you can stretch your budget to a little more the 3GB RAM version is only slightly more expensive.
Remember the IUNI U2 is a flagship device with amazing hardware, so donβt expect stocks to last long. Also keep in mind the phone is 3G only and only supports Chinese and English languages.
Cubot Zorro
The Cubot Zorro is Cuboβt first Qualcomm Snapdragon smartphone phone and is the first LTE phone to make it on to our list. This is a new device with a current retail price of $199.99, but chances are we will see discounts for the phone as the weeks go buy.
Cabot have given the Zorro FDD-LTE support, 1GB RAM, 13 mega-pixel rear camera, 5 mega-pixel front and Android 4.4 Kitkat OS. As already mentioned this is an all new phone so we donβt have any hands on time for ourselves with the device.
Xiaomi Redmi Note LTE
For lovers of larger phones then the Xiaomi Redmi Note might be the phone for you. With a 5.5-inch display it is the largest on this gift list so far and the second phone to use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. The Redmi Note has 2GB RAM 13 mega-pixel main camera and large 3200mAh battery.
Like all Xiaomi phones the Xiaomi Redmi Note has a huge range of accessories available to it and comes with MIUI based on Android.
DOOGEE DG900 Turbo 2
The DOOGEE DG900 Turbo 2 is another all new phone which launched just recently. This device is very similar in design to the UMi Zero yet it costs over $100 USD less. Like the Zero, the DG900 is a stylish thin phone with glass panels front and rear and a high-end specification.
A 5-inch Gorilla Glass 3 panel is there to keep the 1920 x 1080 display safe, while a rear touch panel on the rear means you can use the phone easily with one hand. Other features include an octacore processor, 2GB RAM and 13 mega-pixel main camera.
Gizchina News of the week
Xiaomi Redmi 1S
If the Redmi Note is too big for your tastes then the smaller 4.7-inch Xiaomi Redmi 1S is more up your alley. The design of the 1S hasn’t changed at all since the phone launched all those months back as the simple Xiaomi Hongmi. The 1s version does see a few changes though with a switch from a Mediatek processor to a more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC.
Despite its name the Xiaomi Redmi comes in more than just red colour options.
iNew V3 Plus
Picking up where the popular iNew V3 left off is the iNew V3 Plus. The Plus is physically identical to the original but on the inside the quad-core processor has been replaced with an octacore MT6592 chipset.
Other goodies include a slim 6.4mm body, 13 mega-pixel main camera, 2GB RAM and Android 4.4 Kitkat. The only concern we have with the iNew V3 Plus is the rather small sub 2000mAh battery, so you might want to order a spare or two with it.
Huawei Honor 3C
Compared to some of the other phones on this list the Huawei Honor 3C is a little down below the rest of the field in terms of specification, but as a complete package the Honor 3C is still a great device. The Honor 3C is the phone that kicked off Huawei’s popular Honor series, and was one of the first big name phones to really take on Xioami at their own game.
Specifications for the Huawei Honor 3C include a quad-core MT6582 processor up to 2GB RAM, dual SIM support, 8 mega-pixel F2.0 Sony main camera, 5-inch 720p display and room for 32GB SD memory cards. The Honor 3C has been on sale for month now and there are plenty of stores offering this mid-range phone.
- Black 1GB RAM Huawei Honor 3C $178.99
- White 1GB RAM Huawei Honor 3C $178.99
- White 2GB RAM Huawei Honor 3C $199.99
Lenovo Golden Warrior A806
The Lenovo Golden Warrior might sound like a bit of a daft name, but this phone is as smart as they come. Highlight features include a 5-inch HD display, Android 4.4 Kitkat, 4G LTE, octacore processor, 2GB RAM and 13 mega-pixel camera, so pretty much everything on the phone is right where we expect it to be.
The black or white phone comes with Lenovo’s own UI skinned of the Android Kitkat OS and supportsΒ WCDMA 900/1900/2100MHz , FDD-LTE 1800/2100 MHz and even does well as a selfie mobile thanks to the 5 mega-pixel front sensor.
KingZone N3
Last but by no means least is the KingZone N3. Kingzone splashed on to the smartphone scene and have managed to grab a great number of Android fans with their well made and well prices phones. The KingZone N3 is the latest addition to their range and boasts 4G LTE as one of its main features.
To give LTE on a budget, KingZone have opted for the MT6582 quad-core chip mated to a MT6290 LTE modem. The phone also features a 5-inch 720p HD display and 1GB RAM. Specs for the phone show the front camera as an 8 mega-pixel and the rear 14 mega-pixel, but these figures are achieved by software tweaks, but still the phone is a compelling buy.
As always we would love to hear your views on the best sub $200 phones available, please feel free to leave links below. Also, keep posted for our up coming lists of phone gift ideas for under $150 and over $300.
where is the Coolpad f1? Awesome quality and costs less than the Honor 3c, and it’s an octacore with 5 inch screen!
It’s on the under $160 list.
I cannot find iuni 2 with 200$ in any Store??
pandawill and efox
Did you hit the link in the article? http://en.efox-shop.com/iuni-u2-16g-qualcomm-snapdragon-800-22ghz-quad-core-47-zoll-fhd-bildschirm-android-43-3g-smartpho-g-295117
Does the U2 have the English ROM now. I know before it only had a chinese version
yes, IUNI U2 support both English and Chinese
When it launched it only had the chinese rom, Can it be updated or does it now come with the english rom preinstalled
Is efox-shop.com reliable? This is the first time I heard of this shop. Does anyone have experience buying from them?
Sorry for the late reply. Check the Net. Lots of people complain about myefox and coolicool (which seems to be a clone of the first). I would definitely pass and turn towards a more reliable site.
Just tried en.fox shop i.e link in the article – got to checkout and failed at paypal authorization – just hung. Payment didn;t go through just blank white screen, so tried again and exact same thing – shame was willing to part with my money and buy……not so convinced any more about en.fox phone seems great at that price though!
Update tried again this morning and Paypal went through OK and confirmation of order received. Watch this space!
Update – responce from Efox – basically they don’t have the phone in stock and have no idea when they will get stock/ when its going to be sent. avoid avid avoid. I’m asking for a refund.
Untrusted reseller with very bad reputation and review
merimobiles just over $200 and no green version, but have reasonable reviews so got my money.
is this site trusted ??
Merimobiles is a very good site for Chinese phones.
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Merimobiles
Just received my Xiaomi Pistons from them, so I have faith my Iuni U2 will arrive without issue.
They do price match as well, so might be able to bring price down further, plus $5 coupon for new subscriber, facebook like, etc, all helps.
http://www.coolicool.com/iuni-u2-16g-qualcomm-snapdragon-800-22ghz-quad-core-47-inch-fhd-screen-android-43-3g-smartphone-g-34377
Here you go
This list clearly shows what a great deal is available to us in India..We can buy Redmi 1s for INR 5999 which is just $ 99β¦also another great choice is Huawei Holly somewhat near Huawei Honor with a nice 5inch display for INR 6999 i.e. $ 115β¦my gift to a GF for New Year is going to be a $ 99 Redmi 1S.
Damn why the prices are so low there?
The Chinese at War to capture India..i mean the huge Indian Smart Phone market. Every one wants a piece of this action and taxes on Mobile Phones are low
India is one of the hottest markets right now for cell phones. Companies can’t make them fast enough to keep up with the demand there, just ask Xiaomi.
There is Honor play 4, that has similar specs to Honor Holly a.k.a 3c play, but uses the ^64bit qualcomm chip.
Oh and for the 11/11 shopping season, the Huawei phones have prices cut down: http://sale.vmall.com/1111.html
where is the Coolpad f1? Awesome quality and costs less than the Honor 3c, and it’s an octacore with 5 inch screen!
It’s on the under $160 list.
I cannot find iuni 2 with 200$ in any Store??
pandawill and efox
Did you hit the link in the article? http://en.efox-shop.com/iuni-u2-16g-qualcomm-snapdragon-800-22ghz-quad-core-47-zoll-fhd-bildschirm-android-43-3g-smartpho-g-295117
merimobiles just over $200 and no green version, but have reasonable reviews so got my money.
is this site trusted ??
http://www.coolicool.com/iuni-u2-16g-qualcomm-snapdragon-800-22ghz-quad-core-47-inch-fhd-screen-android-43-3g-smartphone-g-34377
Here you go
Merimobiles is a very good site for Chinese phones.
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Merimobiles
Does the U2 have the English ROM now. I know before it only had a chinese version
yes, IUNI U2 support both English and Chinese
Is efox-shop.com reliable? This is the first time I heard of this shop. Does anyone have experience buying from them?
When it launched it only had the chinese rom, Can it be updated or does it now come with the english rom preinstalled
Just received my Xiaomi Pistons from them, so I have faith my Iuni U2 will arrive without issue.
They do price match as well, so might be able to bring price down further, plus $5 coupon for new subscriber, facebook like, etc, all helps.
Just tried en.fox shop i.e link in the article – got to checkout and failed at paypal authorization – just hung. Payment didn;t go through just blank white screen, so tried again and exact same thing – shame was willing to part with my money and buy……not so convinced any more about en.fox phone seems great at that price though!
Update tried again this morning and Paypal went through OK and confirmation of order received. Watch this space!
Update – responce from Efox – basically they don’t have the phone in stock and have no idea when they will get stock/ when its going to be sent. avoid avid avoid. I’m asking for a refund.
Sorry for the late reply. Check the Net. Lots of people complain about myefox and coolicool (which seems to be a clone of the first). I would definitely pass and turn towards a more reliable site.
Untrusted reseller with very bad reputation and review
Nice list. I like the U2, Redmi Note, V3 Plus. Does anyone have experience with efox?
I heard bad comments about them. I would not recomend it.
Btw sorry for my bad english π
Andi, the g4s specs are wrong. Its not a mt6595 chip.
Ooops thanks
This list clearly shows what a great deal is available to us in India..We can buy Redmi 1s for INR 5999 which is just $ 99β¦also another great choice is Huawei Holly somewhat near Huawei Honor with a nice 5inch display for INR 6999 i.e. $ 115β¦my gift to a GF for New Year is going to be a $ 99 Redmi 1S.
Damn why the prices are so low there?
The Chinese at War to capture India..i mean the huge Indian Smart Phone market. Every one wants a piece of this action and taxes on Mobile Phones are low
There is Honor play 4, that has similar specs to Honor Holly a.k.a 3c play, but uses the ^64bit qualcomm chip.
Oh and for the 11/11 shopping season, the Huawei phones have prices cut down: http://sale.vmall.com/1111.html
India is one of the hottest markets right now for cell phones. Companies can’t make them fast enough to keep up with the demand there, just ask Xiaomi.
Unfortunately many resellers get absolutely shocking reviews, not just bad service but so many reports of blatant deceit, it seems 50/50 or less whether you will actually get your phone or not.
Personally I have used many of the poorly reviewed sites and never had any problems. One of the worst reviewed is Antelife, I have had nothing but excellent service from them. It’s like anything else on the internet you can only believe half of what you read. Some of those negative reviews are people who didn’t get their own way so shockingly they stretched the truth on the internet to make the company look worse than it really was. Just make sure you use a reliable payment method like Paypal with buyer protection and you will be alright.
Hi Andi, hope you are well. I am thinking to buy the Iuni U2 but my concern is about the battery life. I know that you had the opportunity to use that phone in the past and I would like to have your opinion about the battery capacity for a normal use (phone calls, web, skype). Maybe I should buy a power bank too. I will go for the 32GB version on pandawill even if it is a bit expensive comparing to myefox but I can chose the shipping method. Thanks in advance!
I didn’t use long enough to comment on the battery life sorry. But I would suggest carrying a powerbank around as the phone is amazing with a very good camera
Hi Andy, thank you for the tips! I just ordered a IUNI U2 from China for just 999 yuan ~ $163 only!! This is an amazing price for so high specs and high quality materials π
I can’t understand why people are still buying “western” brand phones for 3-5 times the price! By the way, they are made in China too π
Just curious about the website you have used to buy the Iuni u2?
http://search.jd.com/Search?keyword=iuni%20u2&enc=utf-8
But you need a Chinese address and phone number. I have a friend in China and I used his.
Lucky you! I wish I had a friend in China! Which color did you order?
I went for the white-silver but I also like the green one π
great phone with low price, except bad battery life
Can someone tell me about iuni u2’s battery?
Lenovo Golden Warrior A806
or
JiaYu G4S
JiaYu G4S is good phone π
http://www.barsashop.com
Nice list. I like the U2, Redmi Note, V3 Plus. Does anyone have experience with efox?
I heard bad comments about them. I would not recomend it.
Btw sorry for my bad english π
Andi, the g4s specs are wrong. Its not a mt6595 chip.
Ooops thanks
Unfortunately many resellers get absolutely shocking reviews, not just bad service but so many reports of blatant deceit, it seems 50/50 or less whether you will actually get your phone or not.
Personally I have used many of the poorly reviewed sites and never had any problems. One of the worst reviewed is Antelife, I have had nothing but excellent service from them. It’s like anything else on the internet you can only believe half of what you read. Some of those negative reviews are people who didn’t get their own way so shockingly they stretched the truth on the internet to make the company look worse than it really was. Just make sure you use a reliable payment method like Paypal with buyer protection and you will be alright.
Hi Andi, hope you are well. I am thinking to buy the Iuni U2 but my concern is about the battery life. I know that you had the opportunity to use that phone in the past and I would like to have your opinion about the battery capacity for a normal use (phone calls, web, skype). Maybe I should buy a power bank too. I will go for the 32GB version on pandawill even if it is a bit expensive comparing to myefox but I can chose the shipping method. Thanks in advance!
I didn’t use long enough to comment on the battery life sorry. But I would suggest carrying a powerbank around as the phone is amazing with a very good camera
Hi Andy, thank you for the tips! I just ordered a IUNI U2 from China for just 999 yuan ~ $163 only!! This is an amazing price for so high specs and high quality materials π
I can’t understand why people are still buying “western” brand phones for 3-5 times the price! By the way, they are made in China too π
Just curious about the website you have used to buy the Iuni u2?
http://search.jd.com/Search?keyword=iuni%20u2&enc=utf-8
But you need a Chinese address and phone number. I have a friend in China and I used his.
Lucky you! I wish I had a friend in China! Which color did you order?
great phone with low price, except bad battery life
Can someone tell me about iuni u2’s battery?
I went for the white-silver but I also like the green one π
Lenovo Golden Warrior A806
or
JiaYu G4S
JiaYu G4S is good phone π
http://www.barsashop.com
The man who wrote this article, dont want from people to support Coolpad, simple as that.. Coolpad F1 should be the first of the smartphones in this list..
number 1 is under 200$ – IUNI U2 – really amazing price,
number 2 is Coolpad F1.
The man who wrote this article, dont want from people to support Coolpad, simple as that.. Coolpad F1 should be the first of the smartphones in this list..
number 1 is under 200$ – IUNI U2 – really amazing price,
number 2 is Coolpad F1.
As a Chinese phone lover and tester, I would like to tell how much dissapointed I feel with Gizchina, which selects only specific brands of phones, and have many really good phones hidden. For example, iOcean X8 mini, is the greatest hit for 149 usd now with a whole metal and glass body! It’s sure a better hit from a plastic phone with lower specs!
Because they didn’t pick your favorite phone suddenly they are biased. The X8 had the look and feel of a premium phone but skimped on many of the most important features. The camera’s for instance are great on paper but in actual performance they were horrible thanks to that 2.8 (front) and 2.4 (rear) aperture. It is a good phone for $150 but it is not any better than anything listed above.
I have no favorite phone, like you. I am just a fan of chinese phones and I have conclused that iOcean is just 2 classes over those phone and NOT LISTED. That’s all.
It’s all subject to opinion in the end. In the opinion of the writers (and myself) the X8 isn’t as good as the above listed, in yours it is. Neither is right or wrong.
You are no subjective. You can’t deny that the iOcean it’s the ONLY not-plastic phone (and not listed between 10). I am an iNew V3-e owner (listed above) and I have to say that the built quality is terrible. Additionaly, you just can’t say a word for the MT6592 SoC.
It is not the ONLY not plastic phone. The IUNI U2 is made of Aluminum Alloy. Even so not everyone wants a phone made of metal, especially with heat issues that some of them experience. As for the MT6592 it is an average mid range chip. It doesn’t do anything extraordinary. It is the same chip that is in most of these phones which is why they are all under $200.
Great phone X8 Mini! But where did you find it at 149 USD?
I was not able to find it at this fantastic price? (I don’t have any friends living in China π
As a Chinese phone lover and tester, I would like to tell how much dissapointed I feel with Gizchina, which selects only specific brands of phones, and have many really good phones hidden. For example, iOcean X8 mini, is the greatest hit for 149 usd now with a whole metal and glass body! It’s sure a better hit from a plastic phone with lower specs!
Because they didn’t pick your favorite phone suddenly they are biased. The X8 had the look and feel of a premium phone but skimped on many of the most important features. The camera’s for instance are great on paper but in actual performance they were horrible thanks to that 2.8 (front) and 2.4 (rear) aperture. It is a good phone for $150 but it is not any better than anything listed above.
I have no favorite phone, like you. I am just a fan of chinese phones and I have conclused that iOcean is just 2 classes over those phone and NOT LISTED. That’s all.
Great phone X8 Mini! But where did you find it at 149 USD?
I was not able to find it at this fantastic price? (I don’t have any friends living in China π
It’s all subject to opinion in the end. In the opinion of the writers (and myself) the X8 isn’t as good as the above listed, in yours it is. Neither is right or wrong.
You are no subjective. You can’t deny that the iOcean it’s the ONLY not-plastic phone (and not listed between 10). I am an iNew V3-e owner (listed above) and I have to say that the built quality is terrible. Additionaly, you just can’t say a word for the MT6592 SoC.
It is not the ONLY not plastic phone. The IUNI U2 is made of Aluminum Alloy. Even so not everyone wants a phone made of metal, especially with heat issues that some of them experience. As for the MT6592 it is an average mid range chip. It doesn’t do anything extraordinary. It is the same chip that is in most of these phones which is why they are all under $200.
Does anyone about this website? b2cbuying http://www.b2cbuying.com/
I would like to make an order on this website for the Iuni U2 and its headphones. Can someone could suggest a portable power bank? Thanks in advance!
They are a trusted website, they ship out with PostNL which is awesome because that means no VAT or anything else.
Does anyone about this website? b2cbuying http://www.b2cbuying.com/
I would like to make an order on this website for the Iuni U2 and its headphones. Can someone could suggest a portable power bank? Thanks in advance!
They are a trusted website, they ship out with PostNL which is awesome because that means no VAT or anything else.
I would say that at this point not a great idea to buy A7 based SoCs in the 150-200$ range outside of great deals so most on the list are not a good idea.
With that in mind why go Honor 3c and not Honor 4 Play. The two new ZTE V5 (the max is a bit above 200$ though), the Coolpad F1 Plus and the F2 (with SD 615) could be worth a mention also.
Anyway , with the new chips arriving ,we’ll see lots of new devices so best not to rush. I’m hoping for some MT6595 devices bellow 200$ even if maybe just 720p.
Really depends what you are using your phone for. The A7 is good processor for the average user who doesn’t need or want to play the latest games or run the most demanding apps.
You are misinformed.
The A53 is a new small and low power core, it’s nothing special just a bit faster and doesn’t really cost more. Right now the SoCs are new and there is a minimal premium but just a few $. The actual cores are tiny, an A7 on 28nm is some 0.5mm2, the A53 is not much bigger.
Again, A53 is a decent upgrade over A7 but just that ,it’s not fast, it ‘s not supposed to be fast and it’s cheap.Buying A7 means you are buying something outdated that will be relegated to the sub 100$ category in a matter of months. Quad A7 is the new dual core.and A53 is replacing it with slightly more perf than A9.
I am not arguing the A53 is better or worse but the A7 is fine for the majority of people who use smartphones and don’t do anything too demanding.
I would say that at this point not a great idea to buy A7 based SoCs in the 150-200$ range outside of great deals so most on the list are not a good idea.
With that in mind why go Honor 3c and not Honor 4 Play. The two new ZTE V5 (the max is a bit above 200$ though), the Coolpad F1 Plus and the F2 (with SD 615) could be worth a mention also.
Anyway , with the new chips arriving ,we’ll see lots of new devices so best not to rush. I’m hoping for some MT6595 devices bellow 200$ even if maybe just 720p.
Really depends what you are using your phone for. The A7 is good processor for the average user who doesn’t need or want to play the latest games or run the most demanding apps.
You are misinformed.
The A53 is a new small and low power core, it’s nothing special just a bit faster and doesn’t really cost more. Right now the SoCs are new and there is a minimal premium but just a few $. The actual cores are tiny, an A7 on 28nm is some 0.5mm2, the A53 is not much bigger.
Again, A53 is a decent upgrade over A7 but just that ,it’s not fast, it ‘s not supposed to be fast and it’s cheap.Buying A7 means you are buying something outdated that will be relegated to the sub 100$ category in a matter of months. Quad A7 is the new dual core.and A53 is replacing it with slightly more perf than A9.
I am not arguing the A53 is better or worse but the A7 is fine for the majority of people who use smartphones and don’t do anything too demanding.
Check out the THL 5000 at coolicool. Is currently at $130. They are doing a 50% discount promo currently. I’m buying it for my fiancee.
Can you pls put the link
Unfortunately, they’ve remove the promo. I saw it, came here to alert others about it and before I could go back to order, it’s gone. Pfff!
The Mpie G7 would have been on the list hadn’t it silently changed its specs from 720p screen to 540p, from dual sim to single sim.. plain stupid…
The Cubot Zorro sells for only 169.99 at gearbest
The U2 from Gionee’s IUNI offshot seems to be a way too attractive choice for the price point to be taken seriously. I sincerely doubt about its optimization (no, one cannot expect clearer “MIUI” with the same amount of tweaks), the support also seems to be non-existent. Take a look at “clearing memory cache” from the video review of U3, one of the simplest and most frequent functions, yet without the option to remove all the apps at once, only manually, one by one. Faulty and buggy Gapps, one has to install additionally is only the icing on the cake.
Etotalk seems to offer U2 at a very reasonable price (from the reseller perspective), however, they claim the battery capacity is only 1700mAh, which is suspicious on its own (has the manufacturer decided to produce 1700mAh version at the last moment instead of 2200mAh? – I highly doubt).
I really would like to like this particular model, but from what I’ve read and seen, it doesn’t reach the standard I would expect from the recent generation of smartphones.
Thank you for killing my plan IoI…I was planning to buy that phone but after reading your comment I have completely changed my mind. It seems to be a killer phone for its price but I am deeply concerned about the battery life too.
Yeah, hopefully somebody who has been using the phone for some time is going to reply. Battery life (let’s assume 2200mAh is the correct information), system optimization (app crashes, lack of compatibility, etc.), build quality and all the aspects of Snapdragon chipset, how would you compare these with a comparable devices, is it performance at the expense of other aspects, or are all the aspects on a par with a comparable devices?
I think there’s a reason IUNI U2 still remains in obscurity and nobody cares – the phone is simply bad, it may look good on paper, but its specifications aren’t enough to justify a bad design, limited functionality and all the problems with a “real world” experience. This is not the second Xiaomi Mi2s (with a perfect specifications at its time + flawless OS), it is more of a “killer flagship” wannabe, unfinished product at its best.
Thank you for your comment, I pass my turn…I am not going to buy the Iuni U2.
There is some positive feedback about this phone on Russian forum 4pda.ru, however there is only a few owners so far, hope there will be more soon. I’ve just ordered one for my wife from vifocal store on aliexpress for $179 (incl. $30 discount).
Check out the THL 5000 at coolicool. Is currently at $130. They are doing a 50% discount promo currently. I’m buying it for my fiancee.
Can you pls put the link
Unfortunately, they’ve remove the promo. I saw it, came here to alert others about it and before I could go back to order, it’s gone. Pfff!
The Mpie G7 would have been on the list hadn’t it silently changed its specs from 720p screen to 540p, from dual sim to single sim.. plain stupid…
The Cubot Zorro sells for only 169.99 at gearbest
The U2 from Gionee’s IUNI offshot seems to be a way too attractive choice for the price point to be taken seriously. I sincerely doubt about its optimization (no, one cannot expect clearer “MIUI” with the same amount of tweaks), the support also seems to be non-existent. Take a look at “clearing memory cache” from the video review of U3, one of the simplest and most frequent functions, yet without the option to remove all the apps at once, only manually, one by one. Faulty and buggy Gapps, one has to install additionally is only the icing on the cake.
Etotalk seems to offer U2 at a very reasonable price (from the reseller perspective), however, they claim the battery capacity is only 1700mAh, which is suspicious on its own (has the manufacturer decided to produce 1700mAh version at the last moment instead of 2200mAh? – I highly doubt).
I really would like to like this particular model, but from what I’ve read and seen, it doesn’t reach the standard I would expect from the recent generation of smartphones.
Thank you for killing my plan IoI…I was planning to buy that phone but after reading your comment I have completely changed my mind. It seems to be a killer phone for its price but I am deeply concerned about the battery life too.
Yeah, hopefully somebody who has been using the phone for some time is going to reply. Battery life (let’s assume 2200mAh is the correct information), system optimization (app crashes, lack of compatibility, etc.), build quality and all the aspects of Snapdragon chipset, how would you compare these with a comparable devices, is it performance at the expense of other aspects, or are all the aspects on a par with a comparable devices?
I think there’s a reason IUNI U2 still remains in obscurity and nobody cares – the phone is simply bad, it may look good on paper, but its specifications aren’t enough to justify a bad design, limited functionality and all the problems with a “real world” experience. This is not the second Xiaomi Mi2s (with a perfect specifications at its time + flawless OS), it is more of a “killer flagship” wannabe, unfinished product at its best.
Thank you for your comment, I pass my turn…I am not going to buy the Iuni U2.
There is some positive feedback about this phone on Russian forum
however there is only a few owners so far, hope there will be more soon. I’ve just ordered one for my wife from vifocal store on aliexpress for $179 (incl. $30 discount).
Cubot, Doogee, iNew, Kingzone – China export brands and I belive they don’t sell them in China more than one piece a week. You can open a store and have them for $40 a piece and sell for 5 times higher price. Why would sellers push them so hard otherwise and we know about their quality. Andy, you can do better than this. π
Coolpad F1, TCL S720, Asus Zenfone,… funny that you forgot about China’s best sellers
Can’t speak for the other brands but Kingzone has excellent quality. In fact the quality of the K1 rivals that of most flagships which cost 2-3x more than it does.
Hardware quality isn’t everything. What about software that drives it?
I read about mediocre camera and bad memory management. Does it have regular OS updates, official forum support, support from other rom developers like Baidu, Miui, Lewa?
Coolpad F1 has it all and it is one of best sellers in China. Forgetting about it in top ten selection is intended or it reveals serious lack of knowledge…
My INew V3 has been great, even came already updated to Kitkat despite being advertised still as being on 4.2. The camera also is amazing, takes great shots. Battery is only downside, but no worse than my iPhone and lasts a lit longer on standby. The new plus version looks even better, just stock up on the ( very cheap) spare batteries.
Or you have a serious lack of knowledge about some of the lesser known Chinese brands such as Cubot, Doogee, iNew and Kingzone.
I use the Kingzone K1 for work and never had a single problem with it. You talk about the F1 like it is the greatest phone in the world. It is an average phone no better or worse than any of the phones listed above. There is about 2 dozen phones that could have been listed that weren’t. At this price range there is very little that separates one from the next, it all comes down to what brand you like best.
My knowledge goes like this:
When you look at first pages of popular China phone stores like banggood, pandawill, geekbuying, to2c, minideal, tinydeal… – what do you see?
A bunch of phones that nobody in China ever heard of like Cubot, Star, Landvo, Elephone, Doogee, iNew, Kingzone, Leagoo, Mpai, Mpei, Mpie, M-Horse, Mijue, Jiake, Catee, HDC, HTM, Laude, Axgio, Haipai, iWing, Feiteng… and few dozens more.
Why do sellers push those phones in front of Huawei, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Coolpad, Zte, Asus, TCL, Green Orange, Dakele, XiaoLajiao etc… which are established brands in China and cost the very same price.
You don’t have to be Einstein to guess. π
Sellers get them at much lover price. I know that for sure. Why the low price – cheaper parts, cheaper equipment, low quality control.
Andy knows much about China phones and then recommends those you can’t buy in China (Taobao sold 7 pieces of iNew latest model in China). Why in the Earth he would do so? π
So. I am not saying that lot of Kingzone or iNew phones are bad. I just say that they do not deserve to be in top 10 list since they are not complete products – You won’t have regular updates, community support, spare battery in 6 months, screen if it breaks, nice case to put on. No website, no official forum.
Google “kingzone k1 problem” and “coolpad f1 problem” for fun π
(F1 is for near 8 months in stores)
P.S. F1 is the best but it doesn’t matter here π
Your lack of knowledge is astounding on this one. I went to a few different websites and here is what I saw on the mainpage:
Merimobiles: Xiaomi, Huawei, HTC, LG, Elephone, Meizu, ZTE.
CooliCool: ZTE, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Doogee, THL.
Some of those are the biggest brands in China, not exactly being pushed back. Most of the people who come to this website are not located in China, which is why Andy will often recommend phones that are not available in China.
As for companies not having websites, forums or support:
http://en.kingzone.cc/products.aspx
http://www.cubot.net/
http://www.inewmobile.com/
http://www.doogeemobile.com/
All four of the ones you originally mentioned have a dedicated website. And if you use Google you can find dozens of forums for each brand.
“Most of the people who come to this website are not located in China, which is why Andy will often recommend phones that are not available in China”
This is absolute nonsense :).
I have to take another smile
π
EU folks should buy phones that are not available in China you say.
Why in the Earth? Could you explain that one?
I prefer buying phones that are popular in China, that have user base in hundreds of thousands phone owners at China forums such as Mobile Uncle (YDSS), Anzhi, Anzhuo, Baidu, Odd Rabbit and many many others. They bring their experience and report bugs to manufacturers and they do it at official factory forums, without censure.
I read those forums on daily basis.
Cubot, iNew… do not have such community. Not even 1/1000 of that kind of feedback.
I follow several big forums mobile for a long time (4PDA, Movilesdualsim, Modaco, XDA) and many times found about those (bad brands) cheating on declared battery capacity what’s easy to check. Take your phone’s battery and measure it’s weight. It should be 1g ~ 50mAh. Kingzone may not be cheating but most of those I mentioned do. And it’s not few percents but more than 20-30%. I saw that example many many times.
I would always put my money on known China manufacturers with R&D departments and huge user base such as:
Vivo
Oppo
Gionee
Coolpad
Meizu
Huawei
Lenovo
K-Touch (Nibiru)
ZTE (Nubia)
Xiaomi
TCL
Green Orange
Konka
Neken
Hike
Dakele
ZOPO
THL
Jiayu
Acer
Hasee
Haier
Koobee
Peppers (Yusun)
etc.
I never said what EU folks should or shouldn’t buy. I gave a reason as to why Andy might occasionally (but not often as most the phones talked about here can be purchased in China) showcase a phone that isn’t available to purchase in China. You apparently got very butt-hurt and decided that I was telling you what you should or should not buy. EU folks should buy whatever phone they like best. Personally I prefer to buy the phone that fits my lifestyle and needs the best, not what is most popular. If we all bought what was most popular in China this website would be nothing but coverage of Xiaomi, Apple and Samsung.
This website should cover what it’s named for – Gizmo China means China Gadgets and should follow the best of China made stuff, especially mobile technology.
So why Samsung and Apple? π
Andy is in China (I guess) so he should bring us news from China, not the stuff we all can easily anticipate from well known international phone shops.
We should read here about best selling and best rated products from China sources. Otherwise GizChina existence is pointless.
For its readers and followers.
For Andy, it makes sense.
And money, for sure π
I won’t waste my time here no more.
My butt hurts π
You said you want what is most popular in China. Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi are the three top selling phone companies in China. So which is it do you want what is most popular or do you want new about all the phones that are made in China whether they are sold there or not?
Cubot, Doogee, iNew, Kingzone – China export brands and I belive they don’t sell them in China more than one piece a week. You can open a store and have them for $40 a piece and sell for 5 times higher price. Why would sellers push them so hard otherwise and we know about their quality. Andy, you can do better than this. π
Coolpad F1, TCL S720, Asus Zenfone,… funny that you forgot about China’s best sellers
Can’t speak for the other brands but Kingzone has excellent quality. In fact the quality of the K1 rivals that of most flagships which cost 2-3x more than it does.
Hardware quality isn’t everything. What about software that drives it?
I read about mediocre camera and bad memory management. Does it have regular OS updates, official forum support, support from other rom developers like Baidu, Miui, Lewa?
Coolpad F1 has it all and it is one of best sellers in China. Forgetting about it in top ten selection is intended or it reveals serious lack of knowledge…
My INew V3 has been great, even came already updated to Kitkat despite being advertised still as being on 4.2. The camera also is amazing, takes great shots. Battery is only downside, but no worse than my iPhone and lasts a lit longer on standby. The new plus version looks even better, just stock up on the ( very cheap) spare batteries.
Or you have a serious lack of knowledge about some of the lesser known Chinese brands such as Cubot, Doogee, iNew and Kingzone.
I use the Kingzone K1 for work and never had a single problem with it. You talk about the F1 like it is the greatest phone in the world. It is an average phone no better or worse than any of the phones listed above. There is about 2 dozen phones that could have been listed that weren’t. At this price range there is very little that separates one from the next, it all comes down to what brand you like best.
My knowledge goes like this:
When you look at first pages of popular China phone stores like banggood, pandawill, geekbuying, to2c, minideal, tinydeal… – what do you see?
A bunch of phones that nobody in China ever heard of like Cubot, Star, Landvo, Elephone, Doogee, iNew, Kingzone, Leagoo, Mpai, Mpei, Mpie, M-Horse, Mijue, Jiake, Catee, HDC, HTM, Laude, Axgio, Haipai, iWing, Feiteng… and few dozens more.
Why do sellers push those phones in front of Huawei, Lenovo, Xiaomi, Coolpad, Zte, Asus, TCL, Green Orange, Dakele, XiaoLajiao etc… which are established brands in China and cost the very same price.
You don’t have to be Einstein to guess. π
Sellers get them at much lover price. I know that for sure. Why the low price – cheaper parts, cheaper equipment, low quality control.
Andy knows much about China phones and then recommends those you can’t buy in China (Taobao sold 7 pieces of iNew latest model in China). Why in the Earth he would do so? π
So. I am not saying that lot of Kingzone or iNew phones are bad. I just say that they do not deserve to be in top 10 list since they are not complete products – You won’t have regular updates, community support, spare battery in 6 months, screen if it breaks, nice case to put on. No website, no official forum.
Google “kingzone k1 problem” and “coolpad f1 problem” for fun π
(F1 is for near 8 months in stores)
P.S. F1 is the best but it doesn’t matter here π
Your lack of knowledge is astounding on this one. I went to a few different websites and here is what I saw on the mainpage:
Merimobiles: Xiaomi, Huawei, HTC, LG, Elephone, Meizu, ZTE.
CooliCool: ZTE, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Doogee, THL.
Some of those are the biggest brands in China, not exactly being pushed back. Most of the people who come to this website are not located in China, which is why Andy will often recommend phones that are not available in China.
As for companies not having websites, forums or support:
http://en.kingzone.cc/products.aspx
http://www.cubot.net/
http://www.inewmobile.com/
http://www.doogeemobile.com/
All four of the ones you originally mentioned have a dedicated website. And if you use Google you can find dozens of forums for each brand.
“Most of the people who come to this website are not located in China, which is why Andy will often recommend phones that are not available in China”
This is absolute nonsense :).
I have to take another smile
π
EU folks should buy phones that are not available in China you say.
Why in the Earth? Could you explain that one?
I prefer buying phones that are popular in China, that have user base in hundreds of thousands phone owners at China forums such as Mobile Uncle (YDSS), Anzhi, Anzhuo, Baidu, Odd Rabbit and many many others. They bring their experience and report bugs to manufacturers and they do it at official factory forums, without censure.
I read those forums on daily basis.
Cubot, iNew… do not have such community. Not even 1/1000 of that kind of feedback.
I follow several big forums mobile for a long time (4PDA, Movilesdualsim, Modaco, XDA) and many times found about those (bad brands) cheating on declared battery capacity what’s easy to check. Take your phone’s battery and measure it’s weight. It should be 1g ~ 50mAh. Kingzone may not be cheating but most of those I mentioned do. And it’s not few percents but more than 20-30%. I saw that example many many times.
I would always put my money on known China manufacturers with R&D departments and huge user base such as:
Vivo
Oppo
Gionee
Coolpad
Meizu
Huawei
Lenovo
K-Touch (Nibiru)
ZTE (Nubia)
Xiaomi
TCL
Green Orange
Konka
Neken
Hike
Dakele
ZOPO
THL
Jiayu
Acer
Hasee
Haier
Koobee
Peppers (Yusun)
etc.
I never said what EU folks should or shouldn’t buy. I gave a reason as to why Andy might occasionally (but not often as most the phones talked about here can be purchased in China) showcase a phone that isn’t available to purchase in China. You apparently got very butt-hurt and decided that I was telling you what you should or should not buy. EU folks should buy whatever phone they like best. Personally I prefer to buy the phone that fits my lifestyle and needs the best, not what is most popular. If we all bought what was most popular in China this website would be nothing but coverage of Xiaomi, Apple and Samsung.
This website should cover what it’s named for – Gizmo China means China Gadgets and should follow the best of China made stuff, especially mobile technology.
So why Samsung and Apple? π
Andy is in China (I guess) so he should bring us news from China, not the stuff we all can easily anticipate from well known international phone shops.
We should read here about best selling and best rated products from China sources. Otherwise GizChina existence is pointless.
For its readers and followers.
For Andy, it makes sense.
And money, for sure π
I won’t waste my time here no more.
My butt hurts π
You said you want what is most popular in China. Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi are the three top selling phone companies in China. So which is it do you want what is most popular or do you want new about all the phones that are made in China whether they are sold there or not?
The Elephone P8 seems to be at about 200$, with 5.7 1080p, octa core 1,7GHz, 2GB RAM ,16GB NAND ,13MP cam it’s not bad even if not a new device.
The Elephone P8 seems to be at about 200$, with 5.7 1080p, octa core 1,7GHz, 2GB RAM ,16GB NAND ,13MP cam it’s not bad even if not a new device.
Anyone know that IUNI U2 have notification led ?
Anyone know that IUNI U2 have notification led ?
I would definetively give a try to the IUNI U2, for less than $200 it’s a great deal, IUNI recently release a ROM update for the U2 and U3, and apparently is a good update.
But I don’t understand why they make faster updates of roms for other manufacturers rather than for iuni u2 and u3
Hi, have you bought the Iuni U2? Where have you heard about the rom update? Did Iuni released kitkat for Iuni U2? Does someone know about battery life? Thanks.
I would definetively give a try to the IUNI U2, for less than $200 it’s a great deal, IUNI recently release a ROM update for the U2 and U3, and apparently is a good update.
But I don’t understand why they make faster updates of roms for other manufacturers rather than for iuni u2 and u3
Hi, have you bought the Iuni U2? Where have you heard about the rom update? Did Iuni released kitkat for Iuni U2? Does someone know about battery life? Thanks.
Andi, is efox. com a reliable seller? On the web I found only bad reviews …
Andi, is efox. com a reliable seller? On the web I found only bad reviews …
Oh my… I really love when somebody is judging something he has no experience with. I own the IUNI U2 and can only recomand it. Yes, I had to flash a new ROM since the one it came with didn’t function properly but that is the smallest price to pay for such a reliable, high performance and affordable phone. It makes really great photos, sound output is amazing and you don’t have to worry about the battery. Many hours of listening music, playing less demanding games and calling and at the end of the day I have half of the battery left. Everything works fluently, fast and nothing crashes. And someone who is talking about bad real life experience and not experienced it himself deserves a spit into his face. But there is ONE downside of this phone. Due to the alluminium alloy, while playing demanding games, it heats up to a level in which it is unconfortabel to hold and the battery is drained really fast. But at least you are able to play those games. You wouldn’ be able to play them with all other sub 200USD phones at all. That is my point of view…
Oh my… I really love when somebody is judging something he has no experience with. I own the IUNI U2 and can only recomand it. Yes, I had to flash a new ROM since the one it came with didn’t function properly but that is the smallest price to pay for such a reliable, high performance and affordable phone. It makes really great photos, sound output is amazing and you don’t have to worry about the battery. Many hours of listening music, playing less demanding games and calling and at the end of the day I have half of the battery left. Everything works fluently, fast and nothing crashes. And someone who is talking about bad real life experience and not experienced it himself deserves a spit into his face. But there is ONE downside of this phone. Due to the alluminium alloy, while playing demanding games, it heats up to a level in which it is unconfortabel to hold and the battery is drained really fast. But at least you are able to play those games. You wouldn’ be able to play them with all other sub 200USD phones at all. That is my point of view…
Elephone P200 has 1.7ghz octa core processor, 5.5 in hd screen 13 mp rear and 8mp front, fingerprint scanner, thin, good battery, excellent build. $186 US
Elephone P200 has 1.7ghz octa core processor, 5.5 in hd screen 13 mp rear and 8mp front, fingerprint scanner, thin, good battery, excellent build. $186 US