6 Most Budget-Friendly Chinese Smartphone 2018

Want to buy a new smartphone but you’re on a tight budget? Then you’ve come to the right place! We have gathered some of China’s the best cheap android smartphones of 2018 and all of them are under $300.

Best Chinese Smartphone Brands

You guys must have heard of some Chinese phone brands, such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, OnePlus, Lenovo, etc. These companies have millions of fans overseas, and some of them occupy a big share in Southeast Asia, especially in India. Quality and budget-friendly phones are welcomed anywhere.

6 Cheap Chinese Smartphones Released in 2018

Xiaomi pocophone F1 – Master of Speed

Release date: August 22, 2018 (in India)
Battery: 4000mAh (quick charge 3.0)
Screen size: 6.18 inch
Screen-to-body ratio: ~82.2%
Color: Graphite Black, Steel Blue, Rosso Red, Armored Edition with Kevlar
Chipset/processor: Snapdragon™ 845
Price from: ₹20,999/ $298
Buy from: Amazon

As the first smartphone under Xiaomi sub-brand Poco, the Pocophone F1 was launched to target the phone market in India. Branded as Master of Speed, even at such a low low price, poco F1 adopts Qualcomm’s current flagship processor, the Snapdragon 845, and pairs it with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. Besides, the phone uses LiquidCool technology to sustain peak performance, delivering a fast and smooth experience. Gamers will love this, with the cooled Snapdragon 845, no frozen screen will occur no matter how intensely you’re gaming.

This phone also shares many features with Xiaomi’s flagship Mi 8, if you like Xiaomi Mi 8 but your budget won’t allow you to buy it, the Pocophone F1 would be a good choice for you.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite/Youth

Release date: September 19 2018
Battery: 3350mAh (quick charge 3.0)
Screen size: 6.26 inch notched display
Screen-to-body ratio: ~82.5%
Color: Aurora Blue, Midnight Black, Twilight Gold (China only)
Chipset/processor: Snapdragon 660
Price from: ¥1399/ $204
Buy from: Xiaomi

In this September, two new smartphones were added to the Mi 8 family: one is the high-end model Mi 8 Pro, the other is the lower-tier Mi 8 Lite, a budget-friendly edition for students and youth. The Mi 8 Lite or Mi 8 Youth comes in fancy gradient colors, and offers a better selfie experience with its higher-res 24MP front-facing camera.

Huawei Honor 8X

Release date: September 5 2018
Battery: 3750mAh (quick charge 3.0)
Screen size: 6.5 inch notched display
Screen-to-body ratio: ~91%
Color: black, blue, purple and red
Chipset/processor: Snapdragon 660
Price from: ¥1399/ $204

The Honor 8X sports a 6.5-inch full HD+ screen and feels like a 5.5-inch phone in hand with its narrow body. Instead of a typical notch design, Honor introduced the “pearl screen”, where the top-notch has been condensed to the size of a black pearl. Packed inside the pearl are the front-facing camera, two sensors, and the earpiece. With a thin 4.25mm bottom bezel, Honor 8X boasts an impressive 91 percent screen-to-body ratio considering its size.

If you prefer a larger screen smartphone for watching movies, the Honor 8X Max, 7.12-inch portable home theater, is strongly recommended, with prices starting at as low as $219.

Meizu X8

Release date: September 19 2018
Battery: 3210mAh
Screen size: 6.2 inch notched display
Screen-to-body ratio: ~86.5%
Color: Black, Blue, White
Chipset/processor: Snapdragon 710
Price from: ¥1598/ $232

Meizu X8 sports a 6.2-inch full-HD+ screen with a 1080×2220 pixel display at 401ppi pixel density. It is offered in a 4GB RAM variant, and sports a dual camera setup as well. The X8 has one 12MP sensor with f/1.9 aperture and dual PD focus, and a secondary 5MP sensor. The Meizu 8X supports rear fingerprint unlock with a sensor right below the camera.

Take a close look, you may find that the design of Meizu X8 is very similar to that of the iPhone XR, so if you like the design of iPhone but cannot afford it, buy this one!

Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite

Release date: July 24 2018 (Spain)
Battery: 4000mAh
Screen size: 5.84 inch notched display
Screen-to-body ratio: ~79.5%
Color: Black, Blue, Gold (Global); Rose Gold, Red (China only)
Chipset/processor: Snapdragon 625
Price from: $204

If you want an affordable phone with a stock Android experience than the Android One-powered Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite might be your best bet. Xiaomi’s handset comes with a good 5.84-inch FHD+ display and is fueled by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.

On the Mi A2 Lite we then find a 12.0MP + 5.0MP dual camera setup on the back and a 5MP selfie snapper.

The smartphone is fueled by a big 4000mAh battery which brings great battery life and it supports most global 4G LTE bands (out of NA).

Vivo Y85- AI Shots, Beauty Just for You

Release date: May 24 2018
Battery: 3260mAh
Screen size: 6.26 inch
Screen-to-body ratio: ~88%
Color: Champagne, Black
Chipset/processor: Snapdragon 450
Price from: ¥1598/$232

“Your inspiration for perfect selfies”. Most of the Vivo smartphones are well known for their selfies, so is the Vivo Y85, “AI Shots, Beauty Just for You”. Given the technical specifications, highlights and lookalike design, some wonder why the Vivo Y85 wasn’t just named Vivo V9 Lite.

Like the larger and more expensive V9, Vivo Y85 also supports fingerprint unlocking, as well as facial recognition. Above the screen there’s that polarizing notch that houses the 8 MegaPixel front-facing camera powered by Vivo’s own AI beautification software, which supposedly ensures more natural looking selfies even after beautification. This selfie shooter is also a watered down version of the 24MP front-cam of the Vivo V9.

If you’re in love with the Vivo V9, but the price is a little bit too intimidating for you, then the Y85 would be ideal.

Apart from the phone models mentioned above, there are also many other cheap ones. Have you ever purchased a great budget-phone? Comment below and let us know!

Featured photo credit to Honor