Get the Perfect Shot: The Best Chinese Camera Phones of the Year

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

1st place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 - 1 x 3.2GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 8 GB RAM
Display: 2650 x 1200, 6.7 inch 120Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: HarmonyOS
Battery: 4700 mAh
Camera: 50 MP + 13MP (dual) + 64MP (triple)
Front camera: 13 MP
LTE: No
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 256 GB
Expandable memory: Hybrid
Weight: 209 g
Dimensions: 162.1 x 75.5 x 8.5 mm
Antutu: 912000

Advantages

incredibly good camera setting
high-quality workmanship
good system performance
fast charger is included
strong battery life
sophisticated firmware (HarmonyOS 3.0)
excellent face recognition
Google Play installable on China version

Disa

dvantages

no Google Play services
no 5G
EU version still with EMUI

Huawei P50 Pro

2nd place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 888 - 1 x 2.84GHz + 3 x 2.42GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 120Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: HarmonyOS
Battery: 4360 mAh
Camera: 50 MP + 64MP (dual) + 13MP (triple)
Front Camera: 13 MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38 , 39, 40, 41
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 128 GB or 256 GB or 512 GB
Expandable memory: Yes
Weight: 198 g
Dimensions: 158.8 x 72.8 x 8.5 mm
Antutu: 732393

Advantages

excellent camera
noble workmanship
German language even with China version
good system performance
good battery life

Disa

dvantages

no Google Play Services
Sstreaming apps like Netflix only in SD quality
no 5G
few Bluetooth codecs
EU version still with EMUI

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

3rd place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 888 - 1 x 2.84GHz + 3 x 2.42GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 3200 x 1440, 6.8 inch 120Hz (AMOLED) Operating system: Android 12, MIUI
Battery: 5000 mAh
Camera: 50MP + 48MP (dual) + 48MP (triple)
Font Camera: 20MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 5,r 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26 , 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 256 GB or 512 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 234 g Dimensions: 164 x 75 x 9 mm
Antutu: 767146

Advantages

excellent videos and photos with all cameras
excellent 120 hertz 2K AMOLED display
top performance (SD888, UFS 3.1, DDR5)
wireless and wired charging with 67W
strong reception and plenty of sensors
China version has all network frequencies
incredible selfies thanks to second display

Disa

dvantages

only USB-C 2.0 port
average battery life
must be imported from China

Xiaomi 12S Ultra

4th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 - 1 x 3.2GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 3200 x 1440, 6.7 inch 120Hz (AMOLED) Operating system: Android 12, MIUI
Battery: 4860 mAh
Camera: 50 MP + 48MP (dual) + 48MP (triple)
Front camera: 32 MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 26
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 256 GB or 512 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 225 g
Dimensions: 163.2 x 75 x 9.3 mm
Antutu: 1068000

Advantages

Excellent 120 Hertz 2K LTPO AMOLED display
50W wireless charging (10W - reverse)
excellent videos and photos with all cameras
strong reception and plenty of sensors
good battery life
great stereo speakers
fast performance (SD8+ Gen1, UFS 3.1, DDR5)

Disa

dvantages

only USB-C 2 port
no 4K with the selfie camera
no LTE Band 20
only available as import
wired charging only with 67W
no second display

Honor Magic 4 Pro

5th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 8GB RAM
Display: 120Hz (AMOLED) OS: Android 12, MagicUI Battery: 4600mAh
Camera: 50MP+ 50MP (dual) + 64MP (triple)
Front camera: 12 MP
LTE: Yes - SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 256 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 215 g
Dimensions: 163.6 x 74.7 x 9.2 mm
Antutu: 962000

Advantages

hardware & features leave nothing to be desired
fast charging: 100 watts via cable & wirelessly
excellent real Face Unlock
strong camera with many options
very good speakers

Disa

dvantages

high price
UWW & tele slightly below the competition
might shots not at top level
magic UI could use some fine-tuning

ZTE Axon 40 Ultra

6th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 2480 x 1116, 6.8 inch 120Hz (AMOLED) Operating system: Android 12, MyOS
Battery: 5000 mAh
Camera: 64MP + 64MP (dual) + 64MP (triple)
Front Camera: 16MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 128 GB or 256 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 204 g
Dimensions: 163 x 73.5 x 8.9 mm
Antutu: 950466

Advantages

full-screen display without notch
excellent camera quality (main, UWW, zoom)
35mm fixed focal length for people photography
excellent workmanship
good performance
strong battery life

Disa

dvantages

no wireless charging
no IP certification

Vivo X80 Pro

7th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM
Display: 3200 x 1440, 6.8 inch 120Hz (AMOLED) Operating system: Android 12, Funtouch OS
Battery: 4700 mAh
Camera: 50 MP + 48MP (dual) + 12MP (triple)
Front camera: 32 MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 66, 38, 39, 40, 41
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 256 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 220 g
Dimensions: 164.6 x 75.5 x 9.1 mm
Antutu: 995800

Advantages

superior fingerprint scanner

superb camera system (photos and videos)

loud Streo speakers

very extensive connectivity

perfect workmanship + exciting design

very good 120Hz AMOLED display

IP68 certification

high charging speed (wireless/wired)

Disa

dvantages

SD 8 Gen 1 overheats
moderate battery life

OnePlus 9 Pro

8th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 888 - 1 x 2.84GHz + 3 x 2.42GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz RAM: 12 GB
RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 3200 x 1440, 6.7 inch 120Hz (AMOLED) Operating system: Android 11, Oxygen-OS
battery: 4500 mAh
Camera: 48 MP + 50MP (dual) + 8MP (triple)
Front camera: 16 MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18 , 19, 20, 25, 26, 32, 66, 38, 39, 40, 41
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 128 GB or 256 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 197 g
Dimensions: 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7mm
Antutu: 812200

Advantages

excellent display
top performance (SD888, UFS.31, DDR5)
very strong main camera
& top ultra-wide angle
charging time & wireless charging (65 & 50 watts)

Disa

dvantages

Thermal throttling on SD888

OnePlus 10 Pro

9th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 3216 x 1440, 6.7 inch 120Hz (AMOLED) Operating system: Android 12, Oxygen-OS
Battery: 5000 mAh
Camera: 48MP + 50MP (dual) + 8MP (triple)
Front camera: 32MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17 , 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 66, 38, 39, 40, 41
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 128 GB or 256 GB E
xpandable memory: No
Weight: 201 g
Dimensions: 163×74×8.6mm
Antutu: 988500

Advantages

first-class display
great performance
great camera & software
strong front camera
fast charging time: 80 & 50 watts

Disa

dvantages

ultra wide-angle camera downgrade
thermal throtteling with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
high price
no real stereo speakers

Vivo IQOO 10 Pro

10th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 - 1 x 3.2GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM
Display: 3200 x 1440, 6.8 inch, resolution, size 120Hz (AMOLED)
Operating system: Android, Android 12, OriginOS
Battery: 4700 mAh
Camera: 50MP + 50MP (dual) + 14.6MP (triple)
Front camera: 16MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 256 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 216 g
Dimensions: 164.91 × 75, 5 × 9.49 mm
Antutu: 1072600

Advantages

excellent workmanship
brute performance
excellent display
200 Watt fast charging

Disa

dvantages

cameras only mediocre
few limitations in the software
few differences to the IQOO 9 Pro

Vivo IQOO 9 Pro

11th place

Price

Technical details

CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 - 1 x 3.0GHz + 3 x 2.5GHz + 4 x 1.8GHz
RAM: 12 GB RAM or 8 GB RAM
Display: 3200 x 1440, 6.7 inch 120Hz (AMOLED) Operating system: Android 12, OriginOS
Battery: 4700 mAh
Camera: 50MP + 50MP (dual) + 16MP (triple)
Front Camera: 16MP
LTE: Yes - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19 , 20, 25, 26, 28, 32
SIM: Dual - nano
Memory: 256 GB or 512 GB
Expandable memory: No
Weight: 210 g
Dimensions: 164.8 x 75.2 x 8.8 mm
Antutu: 1017600

Advantages

brute performance
strong battery life & charging speed
good main camera sensor with gimbal OIS
very wide-angle UWW sensor
full network support & Google support
Vivo cools the SD 8 Gen 1

Disa

dvantages

no camera progress compared to the predecessor
lots of bloatware / China features
no IP certification

Why is a smartphone camera good?

The list of Chinese smartphones with particularly impressive mobile cameras can be found here. When people buy a new smartphone, the camera is one of the most important things for them to think about. The best smartphone camera depends on a number of factors.

How well-defined are the photographs?

The camera, lighting, and other factors can make a big difference in the quality and clarity of a photo. Well-defined photographs are sharp and clear with minimal blur or distortion. The colors should be vibrant and true to life, while details should be easily visible in both light and dark areas.

Is there good color reproduction?

Color reproduction is done with the help of tools and processes for managing colors that make sure colors look the same from one device to the next. It also means making sure that the colors don't get messed up or changed in any way.

Can the mobile phone camera produce usable images when little light is available?

The cameras on mobile phones are made so that they can take good pictures even when there isn't much light. Many phones also come with night mode options and other features to help improve image quality in darker environments.

Are there extra sensors that let you take zoomed-in telephoto photos and photos with a very wide angle?

There are additional sensors available for smartphones that allow for telephoto and ultra-wide angle photos. Most of the time, these sensors are part of a camera system with more than one lens. Each lens has a different focal length, which gives you more options when taking photos. The most common lens types used in multi-lens camera systems are wide-angle, telephoto, and superzoom lenses.

Can the front camera produce decent selfies?

Modern front cameras are capable of producing high-quality selfies. Most smartphones have front-facing cameras with at least 5 megapixels, which is enough to produce clear and detailed photos.

Additionally, there have been a lot of models with dual, triple, and quad cameras for a while now. These cameras allow users to take portrait photos (called "bokeh shots") with blurred backgrounds, as well as multiple optical zoom, macro shots, and ultra-wide-angle photos. When assessing a mobile phone camera, all these considerations must be made.

The megapixel count by itself does not indicate the caliber of the photos. Several hardware and software components of the mobile phone affect picture quality. Determining factors include the manufacturer's choice of sensor and how well the software was designed to work with it. A quick shutter release time and a quick and accurate autofocus are also crucial for taking excellent pictures. Similar to photo capture, video recording involves not only a high resolution (such as 4K), but also stabilization via an EIS or OIS, as well as the ability to record videos in slow motion or at a high frame rate. We made a list of the best Chinese camera phones by putting the ones we tested in order of how well they met these criteria.

What is on the best Chinese camera smartphones list?

All of the high-end flagships essentially make up the top, but some mid-range smartphones also stand out in their price range. In terms of daylight photography, midrange phones have largely caught up.

The best Chinese smartphones in 2023 on this list take very high-quality photos and are especially well-suited for users who frequently use their phones to take pictures. In the corresponding test reports for each smartphone, you can find test photos taken with the mobile phone camera. Most reports also include a standard image for comparison, which makes it easier to compare the cameras on different phones.

So that you can buy a cheap Chinese smartphone without worrying about getting ripped off, our site has chosen mobile phones and sellers that have been tried, tested, and proven time and time again. In our article [Online shops in comparison], you can find a comparison and evaluation of numerous China mobile phone stores.