Smartphone manufacturers have put a lot of efforts into the design of their phones in 2017. Since Xiaomi Mi Mix was released back in 2016, the bezel-less trend kicked off and the increased screen to body ratio made the phones taller, narrower, and much more comfortable to hold. Metal unibody designs and back covers made of glass have completely invaded the smartphone market, and smartphones became very attractive for both men and women lately. In this guide, we will show you our selection of the most beautiful Chinese smartphones released in 2017. Beauty is often a subjective parameter and we know it, but we made this selection considering many objective factors, like the innovation brought by these phones, the materials used, and the feedback given by the public for the handsets’ designs.
Let us know with a comment if you agree with us or not. Which is the most beautiful Chinese phone in your opinion?
Most beautiful Chinese phones of 2017
Honor 9
- Display: 5.15 in Full HD LTPS IPS LCD
- Hardware: HiSilicon Kirin 960, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
- Software: Android Nougat, EMUI 5.1
- Camera: Dual 12 + 20 MP f/2.2
- Battery: 3200 mAh
Honor 9 is a phone with one of the most attractive back covers ever. The frame is made of aluminum, while its rear side is made of glass and it creates impressive light wave design with colors changing based on the angle from where you see the phone. The price of this device is very affordable, but inside it, you will find great hardware: the same SoC as Huawei P10 and also the same quantity of RAM (even more if you choose the most advanced version). A powerful dual camera setup completes the beautiful body of the Honor 9.
PRO: Great hardware, nice dual camera, affordable price, compact
CONS: Bezels
Gionee M7 Power
- Display: 6 in HD+ IPS LCD
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM
- Software: Android Nougat, EMUI 5.1
- Camera: 13 MP f/2.0
- Battery: 5000 mAh
The back cover of this phone shares many things in common with the Honor 9. It is simple, yet original. It is made of glass and it reflects light just like Honor 9, creating suggestive light waves. The frame is made of aluminum and, even though there is a monstrous battery with a capacity of 5000mAh inside this device, the profile remains quite thin (8.6 mm). The price is affordable enough, but the SoC is entry-level and the phone is sold only in Asia and cannot be purchased elsewhere. On the other hand, besides an incredible battery life this handset also offers ample RAM and storage, which are perfect for multi-tasking.
PRO: Monster battery, good price, wide display, ample RAM and storage
CONS: Entry-level SoC
Smartisan Nut 2 Pro
- Display: 5.99 in Full HD+ IPS LCD
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, 4/6 GB RAM, 32/64/128/256 GB ROM
- Camera: Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.8
- Battery: 3500 mAh
Smartisan Nut 2 Pro is a phone with a unique look. It has a glass back and a metal frame with round keys on the sides, and it has been released in very interesting colors that is hard to find in the market. The phone’s design is highlighted by its symmetry, which includes a front facing camera aligned in the center as well as a hidden ear piece. In terms of hardware, this is a high-end device but not a flagship. It has a Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with 4 or 6 GB of RAM, and it is possible to choose an internal storage up to 256 GB. On the rear side, there is a dual camera setup which has proved to provide high-quality photos, especially in low light conditions. A 3500 mAh allows to achieve one day of stressed use in every scenario.
PRO: Outstanding camera, nice battery, great hardware side, wide display
CONS: No availability outside China
Nubia Z17s
- Display: 5.73 in Full HD+ LTPS IPS LCD
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 6/8 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
- Software: Android Nougat, Nubia UI 5.1
- Camera: Dual 12 + 23 MP f/1.8
- Battery: 3100 mAh
Nubia Z17s is one of the most affordable flagship phones of 2017. It has the best hardware that you can expect from the most powerful phones on the market, yet its price remain incredibly affordable. The Snapdragon 835 SoC is paired with 6 or 8 GB of RAM depending on the configuration chosen, and this makes the phone one of the fastest and smoothest devices in the market. The display is bezel-less and its size is not large, so you get a compact phone with a wide display too. On the rear side, there is a pretty nice dual camera with a high resolution which can shoot very detailed photos. We expected a slightly bigger battery, but it is still a sufficient unit. Its design is composed of a suggestive glass back and a metal frame in a eye pleasing design.
PRO: Good display, Flagship level hardware, nice dual camera, affordable price
CONS: Battery could be bigger
Huawei Nova 2S
- Display: 6-in Full HD+ LTPS IPS LCD
- Hardware: HiSilicon Kirin 960, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
- Software: Android Oreo, EMUI 8.0
- Camera: Dual 16 + 20 MP f/1.8
- Battery: 3340 mAh
Huawei Nova 2s is a better, but also a more expensive version of Honor 9. It shares a similar glass back which is very beautiful, and in addition, it has an 18:9 display with narrow bezels which is not present on the Honor 9. The display is wide and comfortable and we like its quality. Another important advantage is the high-level hardware side, with a very powerful SoC and a large quantity of RAM. Android is updated to the latest version available and the battery is above-average. There is also a nice dual camera with a bright aperture.
PRO: High-end hardware, wide display, good camera, Android Oreo
CONS: Limited availability
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
- Display: 5.99 in Full HD+ IPS LCD
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 6/8 GB RAM, 64/128/256 GB ROM
- Software: Android Nougat, MIUI 9
- Camera: 12 MP f/2.0
- Battery: 3400 mAh
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is the successor of the bezel-less device which launched the trend of such displays late last year. Its screen-to-body ratio is very high, one of the highest in the market. This makes the phone good to hold even though its display is big (6 inches). The materials are among the best that you can ever find in a beautiful phone. Its back cover is made of ceramic, its frame is made of metal and there is a 18K gold rim around the camera. There is also a limited version entirely made of ceramic, but it is not easy to buy it. This phone is a real flagship with the best SoC of 2017 in the Android market: Snapdragon 835, supported by a huge quantity of RAM (6 or 8 GB depending on the variant).
PRO: Big display, flagship hardware, big battery, affordable price
CONS: Average camera
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
- Display: 6 in Full HD+ AMOLED
- Hardware: HiSilicon Kirin 970, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
- Software: Android Oreo, EMUI 8.0
- Camera: Dual 12 + 20 MP f/1.6
- Battery: 4000 mAh
Huawei Mate 10 Pro is not only one of the best beautiful phones, but also the perfect flagship: it is beautiful, powerful and innovative. It is composed of a glass back with a very original look and a metal frame, and it is a waterproof phone thanks to its IP68 certification. It has a 6-inch AMOLED display with an outstanding viewing quality, and one of the best processors in the market which integrates a dedicated chip for artificial intelligence. Its software its updated to the latest version available (Android Oreo), it has one of the best cameras ever seen on a phone (the phone is in DxOMark’s top 3 of best camera phones), and we also got the biggest battery in a 2017 flagship with a 4000mAh capacity.
PRO: Incredible display, perfect hardware, big battery, excellent camera
CONS: Price
Another phone that we will not include in our ranking but deserves a mention is the ZTE Axon M because of its innovative display. It may not be a great looking smartphone of 2017, but it definitely deserves a mention for its innovative design.
It’s also worth noting that flagships like OnePlus 5T, OPPO R11S are all good looking devices, but given that their design has been replicated by multiple devices, we thought it was best not to include them in this list. For example, OPPO R11S, OP5T, Vivo X20 all have similar designs and they look good too, but they are too similar to each other.
So these were the best looking Chinese smartphones of 2017. Which one would you pick as the best looking phone? Or do you think there’s a different model that should make it to this list?
