$350 range phones

[Rdmkr]

http://www.pandawill.com/zte-geek-v975-s...78003.html

the 2.0Ghz hyperthreaded intel processor in this is the same as the one in the Lenove K900, which can score 27000 on antutu. since it's only on a 720p screen this could actually score considerably higher than that. GPU is a dual core version of the well proven SGX544, which on 720p screen should give it similar graphical performance as the samsung S4. the screen is a decent 5"; slightly above "sweet spot" afaic, but not as bad as the K900's 5.5.

http://www.pandawill.com/xiaomi-m2s-quad...78243.html

quad core krait processor @ 1.7Ghz should perform very well too. a nice 4.3 inch screen making for a compact phone within the sweet spot. memory is quite respectable. 720p should look great on 4.3 inch.

[bertmansk]

The phone I have, of course

Quad core, huge FHD screen, 2gb ram, 32gb rom

http://www.pandawill.com/inew-i6000-smar...78345.html

Honestly, I wouldn't spend anything more than $250 for a Chinese phone (and thats pushing it, ideally they should cost less than 200)... unless of course it has a huge screen (and great specs) like the one I got. The point in getting a Chinese phone was to get something with decent spec but at a very low cost, right?

[GizBeat]

For these phones, I don't think the price is out of order. You're getting a phone that power-wise is double what the MTK6589 scores. I noticed the Xiaomi has OTG as well which is a huge feature. It also "claims" to have 1900MHz WCDMA which is almost unheard of, though I'm skeptical.

The power and OTG and possible 1900MHz are way more important than a big screen IMO. The smaller screens could be seen as an asset.

Also, high-end Lenovo and Xiaomi are not your typical China brands.

The big question here... Are you buying from a buyer you can trust. It's not so much spending $350, (similarly equipped non-China brand phones cost 30%-100% more than this) if you're getting what you need/want - it's, if it has a problem, will I be taken care of? It's a much higher risk than a $200 phone. Though again, Lenovo and Xiaomi SHOULD have better QC, but obviously that's not a guarantee.

[Maine_Coon11]

Don't know.

For this price and screen size I'd rather keep my Nexus 4.

~$200 is what I am willing to pay for the Chinese phone.

[Kasumi]

I agree on the $200 cap for Chinese phones, a lot of them are pretty poorly made will mostly last a few years. In the past my previous Chinese phone lasted 2 years after that self bricked. I'm really not one to care about loads of power for a device that basically just for emergencies and messaging. If you're one to play games or watch full length movies get a tablet for the same price. When I hear people buying $800 phones like an iPhone or Galaxy, they only own the phone for a year, so when you think about it. You're better off buying a phone for $200 or less that fits your needs. You'll want a phone that is reliable, and many Chinese phones actually are, which many think are not.

[GizBeat]

China phones from 2 years ago, yes they were garbage. The situation is much different now. It's actually surprising a China phone from 2 years back lasted you 2 years, let alone "a few years". Any mobile phone, China brand or not will be obsolete or broken in 2 years. That's especially true of phones from a couple years back.

Xiaomi is a top brand China phone with a great CPU, and build quality and specs as good as most any Western or Japanese branded phone. It's not like he's considering buying a Star with MTK6589 for $350.

You pay $200, you're going to get a $200 phone. That's all there is to it. The main thing to be concerned about is, if there's a problem, will he be supported by the seller.

You do bring up a similar point to what I posted earlier, Kusami, is this kind of power even needed by the OP? We haven't seen him back, so we don't know.

[bertmansk]

The main thing to be concerned about is, if there's a problem, will he be supported by the seller

This. This is why I have a limit to how much I will spend on a "Chinese" phone.

If I have to spend $500+, I need to spend it on a company that will provide good customer service, support, and a no hassle warranty repair/exchange. This is all provided when you buy a Samsung, HTC, or any other mainstream name brand. Also, those phones have the specs at that price range, which brings up the question: why buy a Chinese phone for $500+? I suppose if they provide everything I mentioned, you may just prefer the looks of a certain Chinese phone (Oppo Find 5 is a very nice looking phone).

OP should have been more specific on what he was looking for in a phone for $350 .

PS: my phone has OTG I just wanted to gloat some more about my phone .

edit* Just wanted to mention that big Chinese companies like Oppo and maybe Zopo probably provide all that service to people in China, but I feel everyone else around the world might not get that same treatment. This is just me assuming, though.

[Kasumi]

Customer service is basically nothing when it comes to a lot of Chinese products without a proper customer support site, for example. I bought a MOMO9 Tablet a few years back. The original ROM was useless, I bought it from eBay and the seller disabled their account... Luckily there was a small amount of people out there that developed a usable ROM ;) still going well today for a $150 tablet at the time!

I bought my phone from DealXtreme, their customer service is excellent but if you were to buy from some weird site to save a few dollars there's a large risk. The old saying goes "you get what you pay for" so if you buy a under $100 phone it's going to be rubbish. If you want a really good phone, you're better off going with a brand name like HTC, or Samsung.

[GizBeat]

Customer service is basically nothing when it comes to a lot of Chinese products without a proper customer support site, for example. I bought a MOMO9 Tablet a few years back. The original ROM was useless, I bought it from eBay and the seller disabled their account... Luckily there was a small amount of people out there that developed a usable ROM ;) still going well today for a $150 tablet at the time!

I bought my phone from DealXtreme, their customer service is excellent but if you were to buy from some weird site to save a few dollars there's a large risk. The old saying goes "you get what you pay for" so if you buy a under $100 phone it's going to be rubbish. If you want a really good phone, you're better off going with a brand name like HTC, or Samsung.

You said it yourself, you get what you pay for. Show me a China brand phone with OTG, and scoring 20000+ on Antutu for $200. It doesn't exist, THUS, if he can find a seller he can trust and wants the extra juice and can afford it, it's a good buy.

There's no reason to spend the extra dough on Samsung or HTC when all he'd be paying for is branding and advertising, and there's no reason to go with a $200 phone that's not nearly as good if he wants the power/features and has the dough to afford it.

And again, he's not contemplating buying a $350 Star or Hero with MTK6589. The build quality and quality of components in Xiaomi will equal anything Samsung or HTC puts out.

[Kasumi]

I totally agree with you but not only are you paying for branding and advertising, but there's warranties that go along with that and customer service and also 3rd party support.

It's very rare for myself to even buy a brand phone, if you can't afford a contract - unlocked phones are worst than mid-range Chinese phones which is why I have a Chinese phone to begin with