Bored of Apple and Samsung? These 5 flagship Chinese phones are coming soon – and their specs are a glimpse of the future

The biggest names in smartphones have largely launched their phones for the year, with the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, the iPhone 17 line, and the Google Pixel 10 range all having been out for a while. But some of the most exciting phones are still to come, as there’s set to be an imminent influx of Chinese handsets.

These phones – from brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Oppo – might not be as big in the west as their Apple and Samsung rivals, but they arguably deserve to be, as when it comes to high-end specs and innovative features, some of these Chinese handsets are going well beyond what you’ll find on the most popular phones.

So, below, we’ve detailed five Chinese phones that could get a release outside China, and that could be well worth considering if they launch where you are.

1. OnePlus 15

The OnePlus 15 is probably the biggest name on this list, as OnePlus has found quite a lot of success in the likes of the US and the UK. As such, we fully expect the OnePlus 15 to launch in those markets – though it probably won’t be sold in Australia.

This phone hasn’t been announced yet, but OnePlus has already revealed a lot about it, including that it will have a ridiculous 7,300mAh battery with 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

That's a far higher-capacity battery than most phones have, with current cells tending to hover around 5,000mAh, and the OnePlus 15 will have much more charging power too.

The phone is also set to have a 165Hz refresh rate, which is higher than the 120Hz flagship standard, and it will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which should make it more powerful than most of 2025’s best phones.

With a rumored 50MP triple-lens camera and a large vapor chamber too, the OnePlus 15 looks set to impress across the board.

It’s being unveiled on October 27, so we’ll know everything else about it soon, but that initial launch is just for China, with a global launch expected to follow in the coming months.

2. Oppo Find X9 Pro

The Oppo Find X9 series is getting its global launch on October 28, so you should soon be able to buy these phones, and the Oppo Find X9 Pro, in particular, could be worth considering.

This phone has already launched in China, so we know exactly what to expect, and the highlights include a 7,500mAh battery with 80W wired charging and 55W wireless, and a 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with a 1272 x 2772 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Its cameras are perhaps the most interesting element, though, as the Oppo Find X9 Pro has a 50MP wide snapper, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a seriously high-spec 200MP telephoto (offering 3x optical zoom). That camera can also be paired with a detachable zoom lens, letting you take photos at up to 920mm magnification, which is far more than most phones are capable of.

Other specs in the Oppo Find X9 Pro include a high-end MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset and up to 16GB of RAM, so this phone shouldn’t be lacking for power either.

3. Xiaomi 17 Pro

The Xiaomi 17 series is out now in China, but it probably won’t launch globally until early next year, and it’s unclear whether every model in the line will be available globally. But we certainly hope the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Xiaomi 17 Pro Max will be, as these look to be exceptional phones.

The obvious highlight is a small second screen on the back, which can be used to frame selfies, display notifications and widgets, or just show photos. This isn’t a totally new idea – in fact, it’s something Xiaomi previously tried a few years earlier – but it’s the sort of interesting design that you rarely see the biggest smartphone names experiment with.

Beyond that, the Xiaomi 17 Pro phones have a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM, 120Hz AMOLED screens, and a trio of 50MP cameras (plus another 50MP snapper on the front).

Their main differences are simply their screen sizes – the Pro has a 6.3-inch main display and a 2.7-inch secondary, while the Pro Max has 6.9-inch and 2.9-inch screens respectively – and their battery capacities, with the Pro having a huge 6,300mAh one and the Pro Max having an even more massive 7,500mAh one.

4. ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra

The ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra is another phone that recently launched in China, and its global launch is set for November 6.

This is a phone that will stand out before you even use it, with a camera block design that looks a little bit like the company has strapped a point-and-shoot camera to the back of the handset.

That probably makes the ZTE Nubia Z80 Ultra sound chunkier than it is at 8.6mm, and we mean that description as a compliment, as it’s a design that's unlike most phones. And if you want to stand out even more, you can pick up the device in a wild finish inspired by the famous "Starry Night" painting.

That camera block houses a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 64MP telephoto, offering an 85mm focal length. You can also improve the camera experience by adding an optional camera kit (sold separately), which includes a camera grip and the ability to mount a larger lens.

Other highlights of this phone include an under-display selfie camera, meaning its 6.85-inch AMOLED screen is uninterrupted, and that display also has a high 144Hz refresh rate.

There’s also a huge 7,200mAh battery with 90W wired and 80W wireless charging, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and up to 16GB of RAM.

5. Vivo X300 Pro

The Vivo X300 Pro might not be as widely available as most of the devices above, but it is at least coming to Europe on October 30, with the exact countries it will land in still to be confirmed.

This phone has, again, already been announced in China, so we know that it has a 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, both IP68 and IP69 ratings (meaning it can be submerged in water and withstand water jets), and it has a high-end MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset and up to 16GB of RAM.

For cameras, you get a 50MP wide-angle, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 200MP telephoto offering 3.5x optical zoom – plus there’s another 50MP camera on the front.

The battery is 6,510mAh (though some regions will get a lower capacity 5,440mAh one), and it supports 90W wired charging and 40W wireless.

This is perhaps a slightly less exciting phone than the options above, but it still matches or beats most big-name handsets in most of its specs, and similar to some other phones on this list it also supports a ‘Photographer Kit’, letting you attach a grip case with an integrated battery and a Zeiss telephoto lens.

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