Top 5 Chinese Smartphones for Under $500 – August 2019


Best Chinese Smartphones $500 2019

Hello and welcome to our summer edition of the top 5 Chinese smartphones for under $500 roundup! This time we have some 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, cause we aren’t spending more than $500 on one, then keep reading!

Top 5 Chinese Smartphones for Under $500

1. Redmi K20 Pro

Redmi K20 Pro

You probably already knew it’d be on the list and there it is, the Xiaomi’s Flagship Killer 2.0, the Redmi K20 Pro. The smartphone comes with a large 6.39-inch AMOLED panel with a real full screen design an under display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 855 coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

In the camera department 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 Redmi K20 Pro is fueled by a 4000mAh and supports fast charge at 27W.

2. Xiaomi CC9

Xiaomi CC9

If you want to spend more than $200 but you aren’t ready to throw around $500 on a phone, then the Xiaomi CC9 is a good option to consider. The smartphone does indeed feature a decently powerful Snapdragon 710 CPU along with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. But what’s more appealing is probably the beautiful 6.39-inch AMOLED panel, which you will hardly find on any other device with a price tag of around $260.

On the upper part of said display we then find a super high-res 32MP selfie snapper, meanwhile on the back we have a triple camera setup, including a primary Sony IMX586 48MP sensor, coupled with a 8MP ultra-wide angle lens and a 2MP depth sensor

Finally, the Xiaomi CC9 is powered by a big 4030mAh battery with support for fast charging at 18W, there’s also an IR emitter, NFC and an audio jack.

3. Vivo iQoo

Vivo iQoo

Next up we have the first flagship from the recently established iQOO brand – 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.

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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.

4. OnePlus 7

oneplus 7

While the OnePlus 7 Pro will probably cost more than $500 for a little while, its little brother – the OnePlus 7 – is instead now below our threshold. The smartphone does pack some pretty incredible specs for the price, which paired with the curated OnePlus software makes it one of the best phones on the market.

The OnePlus 7 is indeed powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The display is 6.41-inch in size, with FHD+ res and 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

Camera wise, we find a primary 48MP image sensore paired with a 5MP secondary. On the front we instead have a 16MP selfie snapper.

OnePlus’ 7 is fueled by a 3700mAh capacity battery with support for 20W fast charge and runs Oxygen 9.0.

5. Lenovo Z6 Pro

Lenovo Z6 Pro

Finally, we have one of the most affordable devices fueled by the powerful Snapdragon 855, we’re talking about the Lenovo Z6 Pro. Lenovo’s flagship comes with a
6.39-inch Super Amoled Full HD+ display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and 85 screen to body ratio.

Along with the Snapdragon 855 CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Meanwhile cameras include a main 48MP sensor, a 16MP (ultra-wide) secondary, a third 8MP telephoto lens and a depth sensor. On the front we instead find a 32MP selfie snapper.

The Lenovo Z6 Pro is powered by a large 4000mAh battery, supports 27W fast charging and runs Android 9 Pie out of the box.

Top 5 Chinese Smartphones for Under $500

This is it for the month of August, 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!

If you want to spend a lot less than $500 for your next Chinese smartphones, check out our under $200 and under $100 buying guides!

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