We all want more for our money, and that includes when we're looking for our next smartphone purchase. You can get a lot more bang for your buck with a Chinese phone than if you buy from Samsung or Sony's entry-level range.
We've rounded up some of the best budget options for getting a cheap Chinese phone that looks and feels anything but.
1. Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro
- Phenomenal performance
- Big 120Hz display
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- Big and bulky
- No 5G
- Average camera
From £229 (around $320)
The Poco X3 Pro is a phone designed for Android gamers or power users on a budget, though it might also appeal to those who want to go big on specs in order to futureproof their phone.
If pure performance isn’t your priority, then you can find phones that are slimmer and lighter, with better camera performance, for around the same price.
What you won’t find is any phone that can match this pound for pound right now. This is near-flagship processing power in one of the cheapest phones on the market, and it’s almost ludicrous that Xiaomi has pulled it off.
Read our full Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro review
2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
- Stunning 120Hz AMOLED display
- Long battery life
- Excellent cameras
Cons
- No 5G
- No OIS
- Huge camera bump
- MIUI not for everyone
$379
The Redmi Note 10 Pro is one of the best budget phones you can buy, with Xiaomi delivering exceptional value for money.
Highlights here start with the stunning screen offering AMOLED technology and a 120Hz refresh rate, and continue with an excellent set of cameras. The headline is a 108Mp whopper which is backed up by a reasonable ultra-wide and a surprisingly decent telemacro.
There are smaller delights too such as the inclusion of a headphone jack, Arc fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers and even an IR blaster. Battery life is also strong (Xiaomi includes a 33W charger in the box), and core specs are decent with a Snapdragon 732G ensuring smooth performance.
Our only real gripe is a lack of support for 5G.
Read our full Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro review
3. Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC
- 120Hz display
- 2-day battery life
- Excellent camera
- Powerful
Cons
- Thick and heavy
- MIUI can be clunky
- Unreliable fingerprint scanner
From £199 (around $250)
The Poco X3 isn’t perfect. The big battery makes it bulky, we don’t love the aesthetic, and not everyone will find MIUI 12 immediately intuitive. For the most part these are small complaints though, especially when stacked up against the X3’s myriad strengths: strong specs, an excellent camera, a beautiful display, and absolutely fantastic battery life.
The fact that you can get all of that for under £200 is almost unbelievable, and makes the Poco X3 a shoo-in for the best budget phone of the year.
Read our full Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC review
4. OnePlus Nord 2
- Excellent software
- Great design
- Strong all-rounder
Cons
- Only 90Hz display
- Slightly thick
Unavailable in the US
An outstanding follow-up to 2020's best mid-range phone, with great performance, 5G, OnePlus's signature Oxygen OS user experience, and a near-flagship main camera. What's not to love?
What the OnePlus Nord 2 really demonstrates is the company's ability to prioritise the features that users are looking for right now and wrapping them up in an attractive package with a compelling price point.
The Nord 2 misses out on flagship niceties like wireless charging and waterproofing, but those are really the only compromises made here.
Read our full OnePlus Nord 2 review
5. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
- Respectable peformance
- Impressively thin and light
- Feature-packed
Cons
- MIUI can be unintuitive
- Better value elsewhere
- No water resistance
£399
While the standard 4G-only Mi 11 Lite is already an impressive feat of engineering, thanks to its slim profile, the fact that this 5G equivalent isn't really any thicker, larger or heavier, despite delivering even more power, is an impressive achievement in and of itself. It packs in more than just faster cellular connectivity, too, with a superior chipset and a few other extras that collectively render it a more powerful and competitive mid-range entry.
Mi 11 Lite 5G offers up a pleasingly well-rounded experience and heaps of performance for the price. However, it does occupy a crowded mid-range space, where devices are vying for interest based on standout features, without demanding flagship prices.
As such, if you're looking for the thinnest phone worth buying right now, this is it. If that waistline isn't one of the biggest driving forces behind your purchasing decision, though, there are a number of competitors for around the same money that will also fit the bill.
Read our full Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G review
6. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite
- Impressively thin and light
- Feature-packed
- Decent value
Cons
- Camera inconsistencies
- MIUI can be unintuitive
- Fingerprint magnet
On first impressions, despite its standing as the lowliest member of the Mi 11 family, are that the Mi 11 Lite 'wows' with its wafer-thin form. Dig a little deeper and you realise it's also imbued with a stunning display, capable internals and a feature-packed user experience.
If design isn't at the top of your list of priorities in a new phone, your money will likely go further elsewhere (although you're still likely to find something suitable within the Xiaomi catalogue), however, the Mi 11 Lite delivers a pleasingly well-rounded experience for the price, complete with a few unique touches.
Read our full Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite review
7. OnePlus Nord CE 5G
- Beautiful display
- Thin and light
- Great software
- 5G
Cons
- Plastic body
- Average camera
- No Alert Slider
The original Nord was a category defining device, and the Nord CE doesn’t quite pull off the same trick. Compromises on the camera and build quality - as well as odd choices like ditching the Alert Slider - make the Nord CE stand out less. This feels typical of the price range, and much closer to the competition.
Still, a solid mid-range chipset, a slim build, and excellent battery life and charging chops are enough to ensure that the Nord CE is still a strong option for budget buyers. It’s also one the cheaper phones around with 5G support included, and OxygenOS alone is enough to give it an edge over the competition.
While the Nord excelled, the Nord CE is instead a capable all-rounder. Other phones out there will trump it on specific specs, but few at this price can deliver such a strong overall package.
Read our full OnePlus Nord CE 5G review
8. Realme X50 5G
- Premium design touches
- 120Hz smooth viewing
- Incredible value
Cons
- Weak macro camera
- No headphone jack
- LCD not OLED
Unavailable in the US
As with the Pro model, Realme had to choose carefully about what to cull and what to keep in order to have the Realme X50 5G stand out from the crowd and still have it remain as affordable as it has.
Against similarly-priced rivals, like the Moto G 5G Plus, Xiaomi's Poco X3 NFC and OnePlus Nord, it beats them out on one or more areas, and while it might not offer as well-rounded a package as pricier alternatives using the same chip, there's little that can compete when it comes to that all-important price/performance balancing act.
Read our full Realme X50 5G review
9. Xiaomi Poco F3
- Superb performance
- Excellent OLED display
- Impressive cameras
Cons
- Underwhelming battery life
- MIUI not for everyone
From £329 (around $460)
The Poco F3 is a cracking mid-range phone. Stellar hardware is led by Qualcomm’s 5G-enabled Snapdragon 870 chipset, which delivers excellent performance across the board.
That extends to gaming, where the 120Hz OLED display comes into its own. However, that high refresh rate does hit battery life, especially when you’re working with a smaller capacity than the Poco X3 Pro. The software is also still an acquired taste, despite big steps forward for MIUI in recent years.
A premium design and solid set of cameras make for an excellent smartphone experience, but the strength of the competition makes it more difficult to recommend.
Read our full Xiaomi Poco F3 review
10. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S
- Excellent Battery Life
- Decent performance
- Nice colour options
Cons
- Average cameras
- MIUI is loaded with bloat
- Lacking high refresh rate
$278
This is the first Redmi Note phone that is just good enough. At times one needs to question the reason for its existence since there are other great Redmi Note 10 models that can provide everything this phone can in a more capable package.
That being said it comes with its own set of strengths - its battery life is definitely superior to its other Redmi Note 10 cousins and its new blue colour is very attractive.
But at a budget price, it just about makes the cut, as spending slightly more will get you a better screen and camera combination in a knockout package that too from the house Xiaomi.
Read our full Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S review
11. Realme 8 Pro
- Thin, lightweight design
- Outstanding battery life
- Rapid charging
Cons
- Unreliable fingerprint sensor
- Middling performance
- Plastic build
Unavailable in the US
The Realme 8 Pro is a device seemingly centred around raising the profile of the company's camera credentials. Based on the rest of the spec sheet, it's a reworking of last year's Realme 7 Pro with a thinner, more lightweight build, slower charging and the same underlying components - save for that all-important camera.
In practice, it achieves its intended purpose and happens to be a well-balanced affordable mid-ranger in the process, with a killer feature that sets itself apart from the rest of Realme's line-up. Just as Xiaomi is a keen rival of Oppo in the wider mobile market, however, so too is the company's Redmi line against Realme in the mid-range and affordable spaces.
The price/camera performance proposition of the Realme 8 Pro is undeniably strong but Xiaomi's Redmi Note 10 Pro just pipped it to the post, hitting the market only a few weeks earlier. It totes a superior processor, higher refresh rate AMOLED display and the same Samsung-supplied 108Mp camera sensor, all for the same price as the Realme.
Read our full Realme 8 Pro review
12. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
- 5G on a budget
- Decent performance
- Long battery life
Cons
- Cheap rear design
- Clunky fingerprint sensor
- 60Hz refresh rate
From around $313
Xiaomi delivers once again with the Redmi Note 9T. Not only does it offer 5G on a budget, but it also gives fast performance, an impressive battery life and a clear and crisp display.
It’s not all positive - the rear design isn’t anything that impressive, the 60Hz refresh rate is low and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is rather glitchy. In addition, the camera isn’t the best when zooming, and textures are a little soft in portrait mode. In general, there are better budget options out there - though they are without 5G.
Nonetheless, if you want to jump aboard the 5G train without dropping a whole lot of cash on a phone, the Redmi Note 9T is absolutely one to consider.
Read our full Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T review
13. Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro
- 90Hz display
- Great battery life
- 5G connectivity
Cons
- Bloated MIUI software
- Average cameras
- Awkward for one-handed use
Unavailable in the US
The Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro 5G is, on paper, an exceptionally well-rounded budget smartphone. It offers a big 1080p screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 48Mp camera, a big battery and more for a price that won’t break the bank.
It is unfortunate then that its software is something of a let down. While some may be able to live with MIUI, the bloated interface and feature overload need significant work before becoming something worth of recommendation.
But if you can put up with the software, this is a device that will likely meet all of your needs and then some, if never quite trumping the competition in any significant way.
Read our full Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro 5G review
14. Realme 8
- Thin & light
- Solid specs
- Reliable main camera
Cons
- No 5G
- Only 60Hz refresh rate
- Giant slogan on the back
Not available in the US
The Realme 8 is a solid, if unremarkable, budget buy.
For the price you’re getting a dependable main camera, strong battery life, and OLED screen, all backed up by a smooth software experience that prioritises ease-of-use.
Similarly priced rivals might beat the Realme 8 on one or two specs, and particularly you may feel that it’s worth investing in a 5G model at this point.
But you’ll find a welcome balance of features here that should suit most users more or less, making the Realme 8 a jack-of-all-trades.
Read our full Realme 8 review
15. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
- Competitive pricing
- Quad-lens camera
- 3.5mm headphone jack
Cons
- Plastic body
- MediaTek chip sacrifices performance and battery life
$179.99 (3GB/64GB); $205.99 (4GB/128GB)
If you're on a tight budget, Redmi Note 9 is a fantastic smartphone below £200. It ticks a great many boxes and, though it isn't flawless, you can't argue with the value it offers.
Though it's plastic it is well designed, and it comes with impressive-sounding features such as a quad-lens camera that performed mostly well in our tests, save for lacking some finer detail.
There's enough power for casual users, though we had hoped for better performance from the huge-capacity 5020mAh battery.
Read our full Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 review
16. Xiaomi Redmi 9
- Cheap entry price
- Big battery
- Quad-lens camera
- 3.5mm headphone jack
Cons
- Average performance
- Unimpressive photography
- Plastic build
If budget is your primary lookout, Redmi 9 is the best cheap phone we've found. Considered in isolation it has much to offer, with a big battery and a quad-lens camera the highlights - at least on paper.
In reality, performance and photography are distinctly average, it's lacking necessities such as NFC (at least in some markets), and the plastic design with a somewhat dull display leaves us wanting.
You also don't have to look to far to find considerably more value for money with just a small increase to your budget - you needn't even look outside Xiaomi's own product line. With notably better cameras, faster performance and higher storage options, Redmi 9 can't hold a candle to Redmi Note 9 or the Poco X3 NFC.
Read our full Xiaomi Redmi 9 review
17. Oppo A53
- 90Hz display
- Attractive design
- Great battery life
Cons
- Slow performance
- Average camera
- Low resolution
£159 (about $220)
There are better cheap phones out there, but if the Oppo A53 sits at the top of your budget then you could also do much worse.
Perks like the 90Hz display and superb battery life make up for slightly sluggish performance and an unexciting camera, and the premium-feeling design doesn't hurt either.
But if you can spend more, you should.
Read our full Oppo A53 review
18. Vivo Y20s
- Outstanding battery life
- Simple software
- Attractive design
Cons
- 720p, 60Hz display
- Basic camera
- Micro-USB
£149 (about $200)
If a big battery life is your number-one concern then the Vivo Y20s is fairly easy to recommend, while the stripped-back software helps keep performance surprisingly smooth, even with some fairly basic internal specs.
The camera setup is pretty typical for the price point, but bear in mind that you can definitely find faster performance and better displays for a similar price with rival manufacturers - so look elsewhere if you spend most of your phone time gaming or on Netflix.
Read our full Vivo Y20s review
19. Oppo Find X3 Lite
- Eye-catching display
- Ultra-fast charging
- Decent performance
Cons
- Mixed camera
- No IP rating
- No wireless charging
Unavailable in the US
The Oppo Find X3 Lite is a step up from the previous generation, there’s no denying it. The design improvements may be small, but overall they deliver a much more refined aesthetic and feel.
That said, the mid-range and budget phone space is extremely competitive, and the camera on this phone doesn’t quite match up to that of rivals like the OnePlus Nord, which boasts similar specs with a better camera, all for the same price.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is still a solid phone, and one to consider if you want a device that strikes an even balance between good features and reasonable pricing.
Read our full Oppo Find X3 Lite review
20. OnePlus Nord N10 5G
- Nice stereo loudspeakers
- Oxygen OS is great
- Headphone jack
Cons
- Weak depth/macro cameras
- Better value from rivals
- Buggy performance
$299
The Nord N10 5G is perhaps one of the most out-of-place members of OnePlus' current lineup; not because there's no place for an 'affordable OnePlus' but because it's comprised of a number of decisions and traits that seem uncharacteristic for the brand.
Its design and hardware are decidedly more generic compared to the company's other current phones, and while not all of the differences between this and the original Nord are bad (eg a headphone jack and its expandable storage), they don't echo what the OnePlus brand promises.
Thankfully, the company's signature snappy and clean user experience remains intact and is arguably the best thing about the N10, however, it's undermined by bugs that need to be ironed out for it to be a considered recommendation.
Read our full OnePlus Nord N10 5G review
Your buying guide to the best budget Chinese phones in 2021
Many Chinese phones are now officially available in the UK, but you may still find cheaper prices in China through the likes of GearBest. If you're buying from China rather than the UK you'll need to factor import duty into any budgeting decision, which is calculated at 20 percent of the value printed on the shipping paperwork plus an admin fee of around £11.
You'll also have to accept slightly longer delivery times (though free international delivery is usually offered), and accept that should something go wrong it's going to be more difficult to get your money back.
A big one to watch out for is the cellular bands supported by the phone: some of the more obscure Chinese phones don't support 800MHz 4G LTE. That doesn't mean they won't work at all in the UK, but if your network relies on that frequency alone for 4G then the most you'll get is 3G. This will affect you if you subscribe to an O2, GiffGaff, Tesco or Sky Mobile tariff.
Particularly with regard to Xiaomi phones, your smartphone may not come with Google services preinstalled (opt for a Global model or buy within the UK to avoid this). We explain how to install Google Play on a Xiaomi phone here.
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