Go back, if you want, to ten years ago. Lady Gaga topped the charts, an unpronounceable volcano in Iceland ruined thousands of travel plans, and anyone pulling out a 5-inch phablet in a pub was ridiculed for carrying a brick in their pocket. Oh how times have changed. Ten years later (and a global pandemic aside), thin, giant pocket glass plates have become the norm. Quad cameras, blazing-fast charging, powerful processors, and more abound in the spread of any smartphone vendor's stall. Still, there are some things that remain elusive. China and other Far Eastern markets, for example, still have a few proprietary phones that the rest of us in the US, UK and Australia can only covet from afar (or ship around the world at extra cost, before stop by the office of a curious customs officer). We've looked at a variety of these phones and here are five of the best smartphones you can't buy right now.
Xiaomi mi 10 ultra
![]()
(Image credit: Xiaomi) Simply put, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra seems to be one of the best phones ever made and possibly the most powerful and well-rounded phone in the world right now. Forged to celebrate the company's 10th anniversary, the Mi 120 Ultra is the ultimate spec fiend's dream, sporting a 6.67-inch 865Hz display, incredibly well-reviewed quad-camera setup, beastly Snapdragon processor. 4500 from Qualcomm, a 120 mAh battery reinforced with graphene. battery (with offensively fast 50W fast charging and an even crazier 10W wireless fast charging feature). That's all not to mention the sexy see-through back that thrills racetrack fans with a cheeky peek into the internals. Having enjoyed its launch only in China, the rest of the world is understandably quite upset, and there's already a petition signed by over a thousand thirsty devices looking for a Mi XNUMX Ultra of their own. Will Xiaomi answer your prayers? The cynical side of us who believe that a bigger release has always been planned with some hard-to-get game strategy says yes.
ZTE Axon 20 5G
![]()
(Image credit: ZTE) ZTE may be in the same US-sanctioned predicament as its Chinese sibling Huawei, but that hasn't stopped the company from going ahead with announcing the world's first phone with a selfie camera. under the screen. . The ZTE Axon 20 5G, to give it its full moniker, has the potential to be a real boon for selfie freaks who hate notches, hole-punches, cut-outs, and pop-up cameras. Thanks to Smart Display technology, the lens is completely hidden, resting stealthily below the screen, resulting in a sharp, uninterrupted appearance. Oppo and Xiaomi have already shown off their prototype versions of a similar secondary display setup, but the Axon 20 5G was the first retail version of the chic tech, when it launched in China. As for those of us who yearn for a more minimalist smartphone facade? We'll have to wait and see, but we'd bet big money on similar stealthy selfie camera technology becoming standard on all flagships over the next year.
Oppo's portless smartphone
![]()
(Image credit: Future) Oppo's mysterious nameless prototype shows no signs of going on sale (yet), but it only makes it on this list because of its extreme phobia of holes, ports, and gaps in general. That's right, this is a smartphone that has no charging port, no buttons, no visible speakers, no notches, cutouts, or any other unsightly features. line. Designed for purists, an under-display selfie camera and capacitive sensors for the volume buttons are just some of the innovations used to keep things tidy. Wireless charging supports, well, charging, and this particular model can handle 30W for quick battery rejuvenation. There's still a visible cutout for the main cameras on the back, but it's flush to help maintain the sleek pebbled aesthetic. Throw in your e-SIM for good measure and we can confidently say that this is the smoothest phone we've ever held our hands on. Expect to see some or all of these innovations carry over to the next generation of phones.
Realme X7
![]()
(Image credit: Realme) The Realme X7 series might not pack the cutting-edge specs of powerful flagships like the Mi 10 Ultra, but this China-exclusive device made the list just because of its crazy good looks. Launched in a two-tone colorway that we've dubbed 'Gen Z Floss', it's definitely a head-turner, and we quite like the look of the blue/hot pink gradient. While it's always hard to get an idea of a phone's finish from photos alone, its vibrant color scheme would be welcome in the miserable gray drizzle of another British winter. Where it might fall a bit flat for some, however, is the fact that it bears Realme's 'DARE TO LEAP' tagline as a giant, garish logo supreme. Still, style is subjective and we're sure there are plenty of people in the West who would like to stand out with such a bold design choice. Unfortunately, they'll have to resort to a homemade paint job for now.
Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra
![]()
(Image credit: Redmi) Xiaomi has made this list twice, and for good reason. While the Mi 10 Ultra has won us over with its crazy data sheet, the Redmi K30 Ultra stands out from the crowd with its innovative cooling system. Yes, a cooling system. On a phone. Welcome to 2020. Take your back off, if you're brave enough, and you'll be treated to a gigantic copper vapor chamber cooling system, designed to drain heat from the Mediatek Dimensity 1000+ processor. Elsewhere, things are still pretty bare bones (for a flagship), with a 4500mAh battery, quad-core camera, 120Hz display, and 33W charging. While this isn't the first device which features vapor cooling technology (Razer, Samsung and LG have all been battling the heat), it's the latter and would be an ideal choice for gamers on the go. looking to boost your CoD kill/death ratio without losing precious visuals. Sort by Recommended Price (ascending) Price (descending) Product Name (A to Z) Product Name (Z to A) Retailer Name (A to Z) Retailer Name (from Z to A)
1 Global Version Xiaomi Mi Note ... 2 Samsung Galaxy S10, 128 GB, ... 3 Samsung Galaxy S20 + More ... 4 Factory Samsung Galaxy S20 5G ... 5 Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, ... 6 OnePlus 8 Interstellar Glow, ... 7 OnePlus 8 Pro (5G) Dual SIM ... 8 Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G ... 9 Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra ... ten Xperia 1 II smartphone with ... Load more offers