Made in China: three words as ubiquitous as they are controversial. Pick up anything mass-produced today, whether it's clothing, toys, or tech products, and there's a good chance you'll find this phrase stamped on a label or plastic underside.
In the world of smartphones, devices made by Chinese brands have long been considered a curiosity: lesser-known phones with impressive specifications that are often unavailable in Western markets.
However, while it's still very difficult to get a Chinese phone in the US, companies like Xiaomi and Oppo have made strides to enter or return to the local smartphone scene in the UK, Australia and mainland Europe.
Oppo, for example, recently returned to the UK with the Oppo Find X8 Pro, a hugely impressive device that rivals the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro with its dazzling display and exceptional photography capabilities.
Xiaomi also offers a wide range of high-end devices; Our list of the best Xiaomi phones is currently topped by the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which lives up to its name with a ridiculous quad-camera system centered on a 1-inch sensor.
At the beginning of China's smartphone boom, the inspirations for these high-spec devices were obvious. Manufacturers like Huawei and OnePlus were once associated with production, how to put it? – loving interpretations of the most popular flagships.
For example, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, released in 2018, took design and software cues from the iPhone XS, while the 2020 OnePlus 8T shared an uncanny resemblance to the Samsung Galaxy S20.
This turned out to be a sustainable and lucrative business practice, as these Chinese brands were generally able to undercut the competition by quite significant margins, offering consumers rival products to the iPhone and Samsung at more affordable prices. For the most part, this sentiment still holds true for the mid-range models offered by these companies.
However, following the smartphone industry's shift to tiered flagship families, there appears to be a different priority in mind for Chinese high-end mobile makers: outperforming Western competition.
Better products, higher prices
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra, for example, sells for £1,299 (around $1,650) – that's even more than the most expensive nameplate phone available globally, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which starts at $1,299 / £1,249 / AU $2,199.
And while other brands aren't outperforming as much as Xiaomi, phones like the Oppo Find . , Google and Samsung.
The modus operandi of the main Chinese rivals has changed: while previously these companies sought to offer comparable performance at cheaper prices, they are now focused on offering better performance at higher prices.
Note also that we have yet to see the rumored Oppo Surface Find X8 Ultra, which will no doubt be priced even higher than its Pro counterpart.
Similarly, while the globally available OnePlus 12 beats the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24 and Google Pixel 9 on many spec fronts, it also matches them all on price at $799/£849; Meanwhile, last year's OnePlus 11 was noticeably cheaper. at $699 / £729 / AU$1,199.
That is to say, the modus operandi of the main Chinese rivals has changed: while previously these companies sought to offer comparable performance at cheaper prices, they now focus on offering better performance at higher prices.
Of course, companies like Xiaomi, OnePlus and Honor are within their rights to change their strategies in this way; after all, they are producing high-quality devices. But the fact is, from a consumer perspective, the days of getting a flagship phone for a mid-range price could be coming to an end.
So if you're looking for a powerful phone, don't mind using Android, and aren't particularly loyal to a major brand, it might be wise to pick up a high-powered Chinese phone before the de facto discounts disappear completely. .
For more information on the latest smartphones from around the world, including the triple-folding Huawei Mate XT, be sure to check out our phone coverage. And for specific advice on the best Chinese phones, we've got you covered with our lists of the best Xiaomi phones, the best Honor phones, and the best OnePlus phones.
