5 Unique Android Phones From China (And What They Do)

In North America, Apple and Samsung hold an overwhelming share of the smartphone market. Due to this domination and severe lack of competition, there are a lot of great Android phones you're likely unfamiliar with. However, carrier restrictions, government blacklisting, and different mobile frequency bands limit overall accessibility. For example, Xiaomi phones aren't sold in the U.S. because of pushback from the American government regarding security concerns and a lack of partnership with U.S. carriers.

Now, you may very well be happy with your Pixel, Galaxy, or iPhone, but you're missing out on a lot. Companies like Xiaomi, Vivo, and Huawei are constantly pushing the envelope with unique hardware, such as top-of-the-line camera systems, ultra-fast charging, and a fair share of unconventional features. In this post, we'll look at five standout phones from Chinese manufacturers, devices that are quirky, ambitious, and in some cases downright futuristic. Even if you never buy one of these phones, it's certainly interesting to see how the Chinese phone market is evolving.

There are plenty of practical reasons to avoid foldable phones, but Huawei makes a compelling argument in their favor. The Mate XT Ultimate has all the makings of a flagship: capable cameras, a premium build, and fast charging. All of that is given for a premium phone, but a triple-folding display certainly isn't. 

When closed, the Mate XT Ultimate is just a standard phone with a respectable 6.4-inch display. Unfold once, and you get a larger 7.9-inch display inside. In this form factor, you can unfold the cover display at the back and bring it forward for the Mate XT Ultimate's final form: a high-resolution 10.2-inch tablet. This flexibility is possible due to the dual-hinge mechanism, which is a bold engineering choice for a phone. 

When fully unfolded, you essentially have one of the thinnest tablets out there, but with the benefit of being able to fit it into your pocket. Other than the obvious party trick, this phone encourages you to handle tasks you otherwise reserve for bigger screens. This includes running multiple apps side by side, editing documents with multiple tabs open, or managing video calls while referencing notes.

The Mate XT Ultimate isn't perfect, though. GSMArena's review stated that while the trifold display and camera system were impressive, mediocre battery life, a steep price, and no dust/water protection held it back. Even so, it's intriguing to see how foldables are evolving and where they might be heading next. 

When massive companies borrow ideas from each other, tech enthusiasts are always quick to point it out. This doesn't seem to bother Xiaomi, as the Xiaomi 17 Pro bears a strong resemblance to the iPhone 17 Pro. Xiaomi also offers a 17 Pro Max model, directly copying Apple's naming convention. 

This gimmick, as bold as it is, does work. Sure, Xiaomi did take some design cues from Apple, but the similarities only appear to be skin deep. The Xiaomi 17 Pro manages to deliver better hardware, at least on paper. For example, Xiaomi's flagship has a 6,300-mAh battery and ships with a 100W charger out of the box. In comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro only has a 4,252-mAh battery (3,988-mAh for the physical SIM version), and doesn't ship with a power brick.

The secondary screen on the rear camera plateau is an interesting addition here. It's a bright 120Hz AMOLED display, usable as a viewfinder for the main cameras, for notifications, or music playback shortcuts. Powering this phone is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, making this the first phone to launch with Qualcomm's latest flagship chip at the time of writing.

The Xiaomi 17 Pro starts at 5,000 Chinese Yuan (around $700), while Apple's iPhone 17 Pro begins at $1,100. It's impressive that Xiaomi can offer a bigger battery, an extra screen, and a 100W fast charger in the box, all for a lower price. 

Phone camera systems have matured to the point that you can grab any flagship off the shelf and have a great point-and-shoot experience. The best phone cameras today rely on computational photography and smart image processing to make this possible. But that doesn't mean there's no room for improvement in hardware, as is evident with the Vivo X200 Pro. 

As tested by GSMArena, the main and ultrawide cameras of the X200 Pro, which feature 50MP sensors, produced shots with good dynamic range and pleasing colors. Vivo's unique image processing helped a lot in this regard. But it's the 200MP 3.7x periscope camera that truly stands out here. The X200 Pro features Zeiss-branded bokeh effects, which combine with the 200MP sensor to produce incredible portrait results. Extremely zoomed-in shots are highly usable here, thanks to the high-resolution output. 

Other aspects, such as edge detection, macro shots, and low-light performance, are just as impressive. Apart from the stellar camera setup, the X200 Pro features a 120Hz AMOLED display, a 6000-mAh battery, rapid 90W wired charging, and a fantastic design. Seriously, this phone looks gorgeous in the Titanium Gray color.

Powering the X200 Pro is the Mediatek Dimensity 9400 chip, a 3nm chip that's fast and surprisingly efficient. Referring back to GSMArena's review, the outlet noted that the battery life was fantastic as a result of the chip's efficiency and the massive battery capacity.

While Realme isn't particularly big in China, it is one of the most popular smartphone manufacturers in India. This popularity appears to stem from Realme's focus on affordability and performance. There's also the fact that mobile gaming is a massive market in India, and those gamers care about two things: great battery life and reliable performance. The Realme GT7 delivers on both of those fronts.

Similar to the OnePlus 13 and Nothing Phone 3, the Realme GT7 features a silicon-carbon battery, one of the most revolutionary new battery technologies. This new battery tech holds more energy without taking extra space, which is how the Realme GT7 can have a massive 7000-mAh battery without being too thick or heavy. As a result, this is some of the best battery life you'll find on any phone this year.

To charge that massive battery, you get Realme's SuperVOOC adapter with 120W wired charging. Realme claims you can charge the behemoth of a battery to 100% in 40 minutes thanks to this adapter. The 120Hz AMOLED display is just as impressive, with a peak brightness of up to 6000 nits and razor-thin bezels.

At the heart of this phone, there's a Mediatek Dimensity 9400e chip paired with up to 12GB of RAM. Realme claims that its phone can run many of the top games on the Play Store at 120 FPS. Not everyone buys a phone purely based on specs, but if that's your thing, the GT7 delivers in spades.

In our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review, we stated that the Fold 7 was the best foldable phone for the Western market. It offers a great user experience, the camera system is great, and it's incredibly thin when fully unfolded. These are certainly the makings of the "best" foldable, but the competition is fierce from Chinese competitors like the Vivo X Fold 5. 

For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 features a 4,400-mAh battery, while Vivo's foldable offers 6,000-mAh. Samsung only offers 25W wired charging, whereas Vivo provides 80W. Finally, the X Fold 5 might also prove to be more durable because of the higher IP58 and IP59 water and dust resistance ratings. Thinness when unfolded is equal for both phones, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a millimeter thinner, for what it's worth.

While these comparisons are interesting, the X Fold 5 has its own identity beyond the numbers. The 50MP Zeiss-branded telephoto camera performs admirably even at 10x zoom levels, and the Zeiss-branded portrait shots are just as impressive as seen on previous Vivo flagships. The inner display has a peak brightness of 4500 nits, making it one of the brightest on any foldable.

This phone nails the basics — camera, battery life, and performance — while also delivering on the wow factor. The average consumer may not buy a foldable anytime soon, but X Fold Pro 5 proves that great hardware makes for a well-rounded package.