Top 5 Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $500 – August 2021

Since we’re already in the second half of the year, most of the smartphones with the latest chips have already come out. So what better time to get a brand new phone? With that in mind, let’s have a look at the best Chinese smartphones now on sale for under $500.

Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $500

1. OnePlus Nord 2

Let’s kick things off with the latest OnePlus Nord 2. The smartphone from the Chinese phone maker comes with the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1200 CPU; along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The Nord 2 then packs a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 1080x2400px resolution and HDR10+ support.

As far as photos are concerned, the smartphones brings three rear cameras including a 50MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra wide angle lens and 2MP black and white sensor. Meanwhile at the front we have a whopping 32MP selfie snapper.

The OnePlus Nord 2 is fueled by a 4500mAh capacity battery with support for 65W fast charging 65W, it has NFC and runs OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11.

2. iQOO Neo5

Following the OnePlus Nord 2 with its MediaTek Dimensity 1200 we find the iQOO Neo5 with the almost as powerful Snapdragon 870. Chipset then coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The smartphone features a large 6.62-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 300Hz.

Photography wise, the handset packs a main 48MP Sony IMX598 image sensor, paired with a 13MP ultra wide angle lens and a 2MP B&W sensor. Meanwhile for selfies we find a single 16MP camera sensor.

The iQOO Neo5 is backed by a 4400mAh capacity battery with support for 66W fast charging. There’s NFC and it runs Android 11 out of the box.

Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $500

3. POCO F3

Also coming with the very popular Snapdragon 870 chipset, we find the POCO F3. Being a POCO, the device is affordable while packing great specs such as the Snapdragon 870 mentioned earlier; along with a large 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED E4 panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 360Hz.

Camera wise, the F3 features a main 48MP sensor, an 8MP ultra wide lens and a 5MP macro camera. At the front, we find a 20MP snapper for selfies.

Finally, the POCO F3 is packed with a slightly bigger 4520mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging; along with NFC and an IR emitter.

Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $500

4. Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition

If you’re more of a gamer, the Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition is probably the best option in this price range. Redmi’s first gaming phone is indeed backed by the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1200; along with  8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

This hardware powers a large 6.67-inch OLED screen with a high refresh rate of 120Hz and a three-finger touch sampling rate of 480Hz.

For photos, the smartphone adopts a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra wide angle lens and a 2MP macro sensor. As for selfies, we have a 16MP selfie snapper at the front.

Finally, the Redmi K40 Game Enhanced Edition will bring a good battery life as it features a large 5065mAh battery, which supports 67W fast charging. There’s NFC and it runs MIUI 12 based on Android 11.

5. Ulefone Power Armor 13

Last but not least, if you need a tougher phone with an incredible battery life, the Ulefone Power Armor 3 is one of the most powerful rugged phones ever launched paired with one of the biggest batteries seen on a phone.

Let’s start with the good performance brought by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC; along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.

In the photography department, the Power Armor 13 features a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra wide lens, 2MP depth sensor and 2MP macro camera. For selfies, we find a 16MP camera at the front.

The Ulefone Power Armor 13 then comes with a quite large 6.81-inch display backed by a massive 13200mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging, 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging. Other features include NFC and Android 11 OS.

Honorable Mention

5. Ulefone Armor 12 5G

As a honorable mention we find the latest Armor 12 5G, the world’s first dual 5G rugged phone with antibacterial function (a silver ion-based additive that can effectively reduce the growth of bacteria). The smartphone is powered by a Dimensity 700 octa-core chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

As far as photography is concerned, the Armor 12 5G brings a quad-camera array comprised of a 48MP main camera, an 8MP wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor. Meanwhile at the front we have a single 16MP snapper.

The Ulefone Armor 12 5G then features a large 6.52-inch waterdrop screen and behind it we find a 5180mAh battery powering it up. There’s support for 18W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The smartphone features NFC, it’s IP68/IP69K certified and runs Android 11 out of the box.

Check out our sub $200 list if you’re on a tighter budget!