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Like The iPhone X's All-Screen Look But Not The Price? Here Are Some Budget Bezel-less Alternatives

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Ben Sin

In the aftermath of Apple's big announcement yesterday in California, it's safe to say these are the top two things everyone's talking about:

1: the iPhone X looks amazing

2: the iPhone X is expensive

Consumer behavior will fall into one of three categories:

1: "It's expensive, but I'm still going to buy it."

2: "It's expensive, so I'm not going to buy it."

3: "It's expensive, and I want to buy it, but I cannot afford it."

To the third group, there are budget Chinese companies looking to provide you with all-screen alternatives without the high price tag.

Now, let's be clear: these phones do not look as nice as the iPhone X (there's a very noticeable chin that the iPhone X amazingly got rid of; though one can argue these phones have a cleaner forehead than Apple's device). They of course do not offer that Apple "luxury brand cachet" that some buy into (in some parts of China, holding an iPhone is almost a sign of status symbol). And they're nowhere near as powerful, at least on the spec sheet. But truth be told, you'll only notice the performance difference in photography (admittedly a huge deal to most) and heavy gaming/video editing (won't matter to the average smartphone user). If you're the type who mostly use a phone to browse Facebook/Instagram, send emails, and read online articles? A $200 Chinese phone will get the job done as well as the $1,000 iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. I have personally tested every one of these devices, if you want to see these tests in-depth, please visit my YouTube channel.

So without further ado, here are the best budget phones that offer a similar bezel-less look of the iPhone X.

(I ommited the Xiaomi's Mi Mix 2 off this list because the firstly, the device, while much more affordable than the iPhone X, isn't cheap enough to be considered a budget device; second: the Mi Mix 2 is a true flagship phone with top notch design of its own that belongs on the stage against the Apples and Samsungs of the world, not on a list of budget alternatives)

Elephone S8

Ben Sin

Of all the budget bezel-less devices I've tested out of China in recent weeks, the Elephone S8 is the most technically impressive. That's because every other bezel-less phone on the market right now (including Xiaomi's flagship Mi Mix 2) has 1080p resolution or lower, the Elephone S8's 6-inch display has a 2160 X 1440 Quad HD resolution. Now I have written on many occasions that I don't believe that most people cannot see the difference between 1080p and Quad HD on a small mobile screen, and that still holds true here. But still, if you care about the spec sheet, the Elephone S8 has the highest PPI (pixel-per-inch) of any bezel-less phone on the market right now until the iPhone X is actually on the streets.

All the devices on this list run on MediaTek chipsets (almost all budget Chinese phones do), but the Elephone S8's Helio X25 dec-core processor is the best of the bunch. The X series is MediaTek's premium line, as opposed to the mid-tier P series chipset found on all other devices on this list.

The S8 runs Android 7.0 and the software is surprisingly clean. The app tray has that awkward "slide horizontally instead of vertically" set-up, but otherwise everything else feels stock. It packs 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage. There is, however, no micro SD card support so storage limitations might be an issue.

Performance on this device has been mostly good. The camera, unfortunately, is very, very slow to focus. Often when I turn the camera toward a subject it will take almost two full seconds for the lens to focus. But when you do get it to focus the photos, the camera impresses.

Ben Sin

Ben Sin

The above samples were both obviously taken at night, and both turned out very well for a budget device.

The shiny reflective back is not my cup of tea, but everyone has different tastes. The camera hump is objectively large though.

Ben Sin

The Elephone S8 sells for $279.

Leagoo KIICAA Mix 

Ben Sin

Even when compared to other budget Chinese devices, the price of the KIICAA Mix is hard to believe. The weakest variant of this device (2GB RAM and 16GB storage) sells for $90. Those specs are pretty weak though, so readers who do more than basic web browsing would want to jump to the 3GB/32 variant for $140.

The KIICAA Mix definitely feels more budget than all the other devices on this list. The back is made of plastic (which I actually prefer over the shiny glossy back of the Elephone device) and the volume rocker buttons aren't as sturdy or stiff as I'd like. But still, you're getting an almost bezel-less design at a price that's almost 1/10 of the price of the iPhone X or 1/8 of the price of the Essential Phone.

Because the KIICAA Mix has no bezels at the top or left/right sides, this is a 5.5-inch screen device that's significantly smaller and easier to handle than, say, the iPhone 6/7/8 Plus. Seriously, how is it that a no name Chinese company can trim bezels for a smaller footprint than the biggest company in the world?

The display is a 1080p LCD panel from Sharp and it's respectable at this price range. The max brightness isn't that high, so using this out in the sun may cause issues, but indoors, it's hard to nitpick.

Ben Sin

Leagoo's software isn't as clean as the Elephone S8 though, as Leagoo has installed its custom Android skin. I'm never a fan of Android skins (thank goodness for Nova Launcher), and let's just say this one doesn't change my mind. The 13-megapixel camera here is sufficient if you only intend for the photos to be viewed on Instagram through a mobile screen. Once the shots are blown up on a monitor on Facebook or Flickr, expect to see a lack of clarity and very soft edges. But again, this phone is not even 90 bucks.

Doogee Mix

Ben Sin

I've already reviewed the Doogee Mix two months ago, but Doogee has released a new shiny silver variant that's been getting a lot of love online and it has released a new software update that improves the device's performance.

The display here is only 720p, which is still "HD" but it's noticeably not as crisp as a 1080p panel, let alone the 2K display on the Elephone S8. At least Doogee compensates for the lower pixel count by going with an AMOLED panel, so expect true blacks and punchier reds than LCD displays.

The Mix also has a 5.5-inch screen, making it also easy to hold. But it's a tad larger than the KIICAA Mix due to slightly larger bezels.

Ben Sin

The software upgrade brings slightly better performance, especially in terms of the bokeh effect portrait shots. I found the phone to be less buggy than during the first test unit. For more information on the phone, please read my review and comparison against the Xiaomi Mi Mix.

Doogee is selling its special silver edition for $199 right now.

Maze Alpha

Ben Sin

The Maze Alpha is probably the best all-rounder on this list. The Elephone S8 has a better display and more powerful processor, but it cost almost $100 more (the Alpha sells for $170 right now). Leagoo's offering is cheaper, but the Maze has a better camera. I like the software here the best, because it's virtually untouched stock Android with a couple of gesture tricks up its sleeves (this is similar to OnePlus's approach, and I love the OnePlus OxygenOS).

I also reviewed the Alpha already, so please check that piece for more detailed information.

Before I wrap the piece I want to make a few more things clear: consider these devices if you want the bezel-less experience and the immersive screen first and foremost. That's the biggest selling point of the iPhone X, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 and also these phones here. None off these devices are going to blow you away with processing power, nor will take capture great low light photography. If you love taking photos at bars with friends on the weekends, you might want to invest in a phone with a better camera set-up like the OnePlus 5 or the LG G6 instead.

If you're in the U.S., you may also want to check for band compatibility, because the U.S. still uses the increasingly outdated CDMA tech. If you're in Asia or Europe, where most networks use GSM, you're fine.

In a vacuum, without taking money into consideration, these phones are not better than the Samsung/Apple devices getting all the media attention. But if you factor in the value proposition, these phones have the big two beat.

 

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