Top 5 Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $150 – September 2021

Slowly but steadily, prices of smartphones have gone up in the last years, very much so that it's become quite hard to find any device for under $100. That is why today we kick off a new top 5, now listing the best Chinese smartphones under $150; hopefully it lasts!

Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $150

1. Redmi Note 8 2021

Let's get the ball rolling with possibly the best smartphone in this price range, the Redmi Note 8 2021. The new and refreshed Redmi Note 8 is powered by the quite good MediaTek Helio G85 CPU; along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

Redmi’s Note 8 2021 is also relatively compact compared to other phones, bringing a 6.3-inch IPS display sporting Full HD+ resolution with a 13MP selfie snapper at the top. Meanwhile on the back we find a 48MP main camera; paired with an 8MP ultra wide lens, a 2MP macro camera a 2MP depth sensor.

Autonomy wise, the Redmi Note 8 2021 is fueled by a relatively small 4000mAh with support for 18W fast charging. It features a 3.5mm audio jack, infrared emitter and runs MIUI 12 based.

2. Redmi 9

Sticking with the Xiaomi sub brand, the Redmi 9 is a great alternative if you fancy a larger screen. The handset is indeed packed with a large 6.53-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD+ resolution. Performance wise, we find a MediaTek Helio G80 chipset; along with a minimum of 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD).

Meanwhile, as for photography, we find four cameras including a primary 13MP, an ultra wide 8MP lens, an 8MP portrait camera and a 5MP macro camera. At the front we have a notch with a 8MP selfie camera.

Finally, the Redmi 9 is backed by extra large 5020mAh capacity battery with support for 18W fast charging, it has a 3.5mm audio jack and a rear fingerprint scanner.

Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $150

3. POCO M3

The POCO M3 is another great option in this price range as it comes with the decent Qualcomm Snapdragon 662; along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

The M3 by POCO then packs a large 6.53-inch IPS display with Full HD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels). Meanwhile for photos we have three rear cameras with resolutions of 48MP for main, 2MP for macros and 2MP depth sensor. At the front we find a single 8MP selfie snapper.

Finally, the POCO M3 is powered by a massive 6000mAh capacity battery with support for 18W fast charging.

4. UMIDIGI A11 Pro Max

Do you think a 6.53-inch screen is too small? Then UMIDIGI has got your covered with their latest A11 Pro Max. The smartphone does indeed feature a 6.8-inch panel and it sports a resolution of 2460*1080.

The UMIDIGI A11 Pro Max adopts a fast MediaTek Helio G80; paired with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Photography wise, we find a 48MP primary shooter; along with a 16MP ultra-wide angle camera and a 2MP macro lens on the back. Meanwhile selfies will be handled by a 24-megapixel punch-hole camera at the front.

The UMIDIGI A11 Pro Max packs a large 5150mAh capacity battery, it has a 3.5mm audio jack and even an infrared thermometer.

Best Chinese Smartphones for Under $150

5. UMIDIGI A11

Last but not least, coming with a slightly less powerful chipset we find the UMIDIGI A1 with its MediaTek Helio G25 SoC; along with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (expandable).

The smartphone features a 6.53-inch IPS LCD screen with HD+ resolution encased in a body with a flat edges; which gives it a very similar look to the Apple iPhone SE / 5.

Photography wise, we have a total of three cameras on the back, including a 15MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra wide angle lens and a 2MP sensor for depth data. For selfies we find a single 8MP snapper in the notch at the front.

Finally, the UMIDIGI A11 comes with a massive 5150mAh capacity battery; it has a 3.5mm audio jack and runs Android 11 out of the box.