14 DAY TRIAL // It's been almost one year since Samsung launched the Galaxy S7 edge and the smartphone remains the only flagship the South Korean company has for sale after the Galaxy Note 7's quick demise.
Well, one year after its market release, the Galaxy S7 edge is still an expensive smartphone. Samsung hasn't lowered the phone's price since it doesn't have a newer flagship, which is why you'll find it up for sale for around $750-$800.
Obviously, many can get it much cheaper if they agree to commit to multi-year contracts with carriers, but those who can't afford a Galaxy S7 edge and don't want to be tied to a long-time contract have no options.
We've put together a list of five smartphones that include high-end specs, sometimes even higher than the Galaxy S7 edge, but are much cheaper.
There are some compromises you'll need to make in some cases if you choose one of the Chinese flagships we've listed, such as giving up warranty and having unnecessary software installed on your device.
LeEco Le Pro3 - $400
Chinese company LeEco wants to go international, so its products are available in many countries through official partners and even via its online stores. The LeEco Le Pro3, its current flagship, was initially launched in China, but it's now available in the United States as well for just $400.
However, LeEco only sells the 4GB RAM/64GB ROM variant in the US, so for the 6GB RAM/128GB ROM model, you'll have to look at one of the Chinese retailers that ship internationally.
Aside from the high amount of memory, the LePro3 is equipped with Qualcomm's latest chipset commercially available, the Snapdragon 821. It also sports a large 5.5-inch display with full HD (1080p) resolution, and a decent 16-megapixel rear camera with PDAF (phase detection autofocus), LED flash and 4K video recording.
It doesn't ship with Android 7.0 Nougat, but it packs a large 4,070 mAh battery that features Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology. It' doesn't come with microSD card slot, but the Chinese version has dual-SIM support.
OnePlus 3T - $439
The 3T is an incremental upgrade of the last year OnePlus 3 flagship. It's got a more powerful CPU, better rear and front cameras and a larger battery. It's incredible that OnePlus can sell the 3T for such a low price considering what's under the hood.
For the full price, you get a flagship that packs 6GB RAM and 64GB internal memory (no microSD), as well as a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. The 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display supports full HD (1080p) resolution and features Corning Gorilla Glass 4 coating.
On the back, the OnePlus 3T boasts an impressive 16-megapixel camera with PDAF, OIS (optical image stabilization) and LED flash, while in the front there's a similar 16-megapixel camera for state-of-the-art selfies.
The OnePlus 3T is powered by a 3,400 mAh battery that features the company's proprietary Dash charge technology for faster charging. It won't ship with Android 7.0 Nougat on board, but OnePlus has already released the update, so you can download it right away.
Lenovo ZUK Edge - $370
The ZUK Edge is the newest flagship coming from Lenovo's wholly-owned ZUK company. It's a decent flagship phone that sells at a very good price. Not to mention it's one of the few that comes with Android 7.0 Nougat right out of the box.
The smartphone sports a 5.5-inch full HD (1080p) display with Corning Gorilla Glass coating. ZUK's flagship is powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor, coupled with either 4 or 6GB of RAM, as well as 64GB of internal memory (no microSD card).
There's also a 13-megapixel camera on the back, which features PDAF, LED flash and 4K video recording, while in the front there's a secondary 8-megapixel camera for selfies.
It's got fingerprint sensor on the front side, USB Type-C port, and a non-removable 3,100 battery that features Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology. Dual-SIM support and LTE Cat11 (600/50Mbps) are included too.
Coolpad Cool S1 - $465
The Cool S1 is the newest flagship in the list, but that doesn't mean that it packs the newest stuff as well. For instance, Coolpad's high-end device ships with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (EUI 5.8) on board.
It's true though that the smartphone packs a Snapdragon 821 CPU that goes alongside either 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM, or 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM.
Just like some of the flagships listed, the Cool S1 boasts a large 5.5-inch full HD (1080p) display. It also includes a 16-megapixel rear camera with PDAF, dual-LED flash and 4K video recording, as well as a secondary 8-megapixel selfie camera.
Unusual for a Chinese smartphone, Coolpad Cool S1 comes with Harman Kardon sound enhancement. There's also a fingerprint sensor one the back and a generous 4,070 mAh battery under the hood, which supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology.
Xiaomi Mi Mix - $550
When Xiaomi introduced the Mi Mix to the world, we've been mind-blown by the phone's screen-to-body ratio, which was said to be above 90%. Even though it turned out to be a little above 80%, the Mi Mix is still an amazing device.
The only problem is to actually find one for sale, since Xiaomi has announced the Mi Mix will be released in limited quantities. Furthermore, you'll probably need to buy the phone a special case to make it less vulnerable to scratches and drops.
Just like the other two devices we've listed above, the Mi Mix is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 821 processor. The phone comes in two versions based on the amount of memory: 4GB RAM/128GB ROM and 6GB RAM/256GB ROM.
But the device's main selling point is the 6.4-inch display that supports Quad HD (2040 x 1080 pixels) resolution. The Mi Mix features a bezel-less design and its body is made of ceramic, hence the need for a protective case.
Other highlights of the phone include 16-megapixel main camera with EIS, PDAF, dual-LED flash and 4K video recording, 5-megapixel front camera, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and 4,400 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.
It's also worth mentioning that, while the phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Xiaomi promised the Mi Mix would be upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat in the coming months.