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8 impressive Chinese smartphones you've never heard of

I've had hands-on experience with some amazing smartphones from China that you may not have heard about before. Here is a selection of my favourites.

By Eileen Brown |

March 22, 2018, 8:36 a.m. PT |

Topic: Smartphones

1 of 8 Meizu

Meizu Pro 7 Plus (about $415)

The Meizu Pro 7 Plus is unique in that it has a rear 'Fenetre' display for alerts, time, and notifications whilst the phone is face down. This is a high-performing, fast-charging phone with a 3,000mAh battery.

2 of 8 Doogee

Doogee S60 (about $330)

The Doogee S60 is waterproof and durable with a great set of toolbox features. It is an excellent rugged phone. It also has a clone, the Aermoo M1, which is listed later in this gallery.

3 of 8 Maze

Maze Alpha X (about $299)

The Maze Alpha X is a large-screen, bezel-less phone with Gorilla glass and a coating that almost eliminates fingerprint marks. It is a stylish phablet with long battery life.

4 of 8 Elephone

Elephone S8 (about $240)

The Elephone S8 has a lovely 6-inch, bezel-less display with a curved glass back and a soft silicone case included in the box.

5 of 8 Meizu

Meizu M6 (about $145)

The Meizu M6 is a low-cost workhorse with a good camera and a useful 'kid space' setting to limit children's phone activities.

6 of 8 Doogee

Doogee BL7000 (about $150)

The Doogee BL7000 is a low-cost, Enterprise-ready phone with a large 7,060mAh battery, fast charging, and SmartLock to keep the phone unlocked when it is near you.

7 of 8 Aermoo

Aermoo M1 (about $380)

The Aermoo M1 is essentially an OEM clone of the Doogee S60 -- both are excellent phones, rugged, and have a superb set of extra features in the mobile OS.

8 of 8 Ulefone

Ulefone T1 (about $280)

The Ulefone T1 has some image beauty features that could make it unsuitable for the enterprise. However, it has some nice performance tweaks and comes with a phone case and holder as standard.