Cheap Chinese Phones Unveiled At The CES

The Consumer Electronics Show saw the launch of a number of cheap Chinese phones that are considered suitable enough for people not looking to purchase an iPhone 6S or Galaxy Note 5.

While these phones may not offer all the features offered by high-end smartphones, they are suitable enough for the needs of many consumers. With the reduction in the gap between high-end and mid-range smartphones, the phones offered by Chinese companies are considered suitable enough.

The added benefit of these cheap Chinese phones is the price, particularly with the increasing number of mobile service providers requiring customers to pay for the phones at the start. A basic iPhone 6S of Apple may cost around $650, but these Chinese phones cost half this amount.

Alcatel has six new offerings under the Pixi 4 Android phone range. The screen sizes of the phones these cheap Chinese phones are from 3.5 inches up to 6 inches. The company, which is owned by television manufacturer TCL, is also offering the Windows-powered Fierce XL at a price tag of $140. Alcatel is also aiming to offer a Windows 10 super phone, which challenges similar top-of-the-line devices.

On the other hand, ZTE introduced a pair of budget-friendly phones with the Grand XX 3 and Avid Plus, which have a price tag of $130 and $115, respectively. While Huawei may have the smallest presence in the US market, it offers the most remarkable phone with the Nexus 6P. The gold version of the latest Google phone flagship was unveiled by the company during the CES.

Cheap Chinese Phones Unveiled At The CES - image credit: phonearena.com

The company also unveiled the Huawei Mate 8 and the Honor 5X at the CES. But, it remains uncertain if these phones will be offered in the US market.

These cheap Chinese phones remained unnoticed primarily because carriers normally offer these devices under the budget category or are offered through prepaid services. There are no flashy advertisements for these phones. These companies also started to offer some of their flagship phones directly into the market through their respective online stores. The flagship Axon phone of ZTE was designed to develop a relationship with the consumers.

ZTE USA CEO Lixin Cheng said a product was designed based on the needs of the consumers. Cheng added that the company is happy with the Axon.

North America Business Head of Alcatel, Steve Cistulli, said direct sales are vital to the success of the company. He said their expectations were surpassed by the unlocked market. For the moment, the unlocked market offering these cheap Chinese phones is composed of tech-savvy consumers.

Analyst Tuong Nguyen of Gartner said the market is not yet “an overwhelming wave” where ordinary people get an unlocked phone. Since consumers have the tendency to play with a phone before they purchase it, these Chinese companies have strengthened their respective warranty programs.

Huawei is offering two-year coverage through its website. The Axon Passport 2.0 was introduced by ZTE as a warranty program offering two-year unlimited repairs for its phones.

[Update - Jan. 12th, 2016]: Huawei's Honor 5X is now available for pre-order in the US. Honor 5X will be able from January 31, 2016 and may order your Honor 5X at on Amazon and Newegg.

Posted by Melanie Mendoza on Friday January 08 2016, 9:14 AM EDT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Shopping. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0