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Lenovo IdeaPad 730S review: Thinner, lighter MacBook Air alternative
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S review: Thinner, lighter MacBook Air alternative
At 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg) and 11.9 mm thick (0.5 inch), the 13.3-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 730S is lighter and thinner than the current MacBook Air. Its quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, faster 2,400MHz memory and speedy Samsung PCIe solid-state drive give it better performance than the Air, too. Plus, it's less expensive, starting at $825, although the configuration reviewed here is just $770 at the moment.
I know what you're thinking, though: There's no alternative to a MacBook Air (or any Apple computer for that matter) because the others don't run MacOS. That is certainly true, so if you're looking for an apples-to-apples alternative -- no pun intended -- this won't do the trick. Nor will any other Windows laptop, really.
However, if you're not tied to MacOS for one reason or another, the IdeaPad 730S with Windows 10 ($144 at Amazon) is one of the best alternatives to a MacBook Air you'll find.
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S (81JB0004US)
Price as reviewed
$999
Display size/resolution
13.3-inch 1,920x1,080-pixel display
CPU
1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8265U
PC memory
8GB DDR3 SDRAM 2,400MHz
Graphics
128MB Intel UHD Graphics 620
Storage
256GB PCIe SSD
Networking
802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless; Bluetooth 4.1
Operating system
Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
Clean and simple
The IdeaPad 730S started life back at IFA 2018 as the Yoga S730 as part of Lenovo switching its Yoga brand from strictly convertibles to being its premium line and adding an S and C to the names for "slim" clamshells and "convertible" two-in-ones. In fact, in the UK it's still the Yoga S730 and starts at £899. It's not currently available under either name in Australia.
That's the long way of saying the 730S has a more premium look and feel than Lenovo's entry-level IdeaPads. The iron-gray aluminum body is understated, as is the Lenovo branding, which is reduced to nothing more than a small tag on the lid's edge and a barely visible stamp at the bottom left of the bright and colorful full-HD display.
The keyboard is comfortable with a nice pop to the keys (and I doubt a little dust will shut it down). The silky-smooth touchpad is responsive as well without sending your cursor skittering across the screen from an errant palm. Even the speakers sound more full than you'll find on competing ultraportables due in part to the Dolby Atmos audio tuning. And despite the thin bezels around the display's top and sides, the webcam is above the display.
The 730S keyboard has two levels of backlighting.
Sarah Tew/CNET
It's all dongles these days
Like a lot of superslim laptops, the 730S only has a combo headphone jack and USB-C ports: two USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (one with always-on charging) and one USB-C 3.1 Gen 1. Unfortunately that means you'll need to buy dongles or a dock if you need a USB-A port, a memory card reader, an external display or whatever else.
On the upside, you can charge the laptop through any of the USB-C ports. You can also enable Lenovo's Rapid Charge feature to get your battery up to 80 percent in an hour, which works and it's great. Battery life is overall good, too, coming in at 8 hours and 8 minutes in our streaming video test. This is where the Air comes out ahead, running for 10 hours and 46 minutes in the same test. But that comes at the cost of a less powerful processor.
Video playback battery drain test (streaming minutes)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2018)
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Highly portable productivity
Sarah Tew/CNET
The IdeaPad 730S isn't built for extreme performance and doesn't necessarily have the speed to handle everything. For everyday use for work and school, though, it doesn't disappoint for the price.
The 730S works fine for day-to-day tasks like web browsing, word processing and streaming video. Basic photo and video editing? Sure, no problem, but anything more demanding and you'll want discrete graphics, a faster processor and something with a more efficient cooling system.
To get this laptop so thin, Lenovo designed the cooling fan to pull air in through the keyboard. Under continued heavy load it struggled to stay cool even with the fan going full blast. But again, for basic use that's not really an issue and overall the design choice pays off.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 730S proves you don't need to spend more than $1,000 to get some of the benefits of an upscale ultraportable. Especially one that's light enough and small enough that you'll forget it's even in your bag.
Geekbench 4 (multicore)
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2018)
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
Cinebench R15 CPU (multicore)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2018)
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
System configurations
Lenovo IdeaPad 730S
Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8265U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 2,400MHz; 128MB dedicated Intel UHD Graphics 620; 256GB SSD
Evil Dead: The Game Perfectly Captures the Cult Film's Chaos
Evil Dead: The Game Perfectly Captures the Cult Film's Chaos
The Evil Dead films have a different flavor compared to similarly venerable horror franchises like Halloween or Friday the 13th. What the Evil Dead does differently, and does so well, is blend outlandish slapstick action-comedy with some truly ghoulish monsters and horror violence. It's no surprise that its popularity has endured since its 1981 debut, but it still seems like its potential is largely untapped within the gaming world.
Due May 13, Evil Dead: The Game wants to change that. I recently got to play about an hour of the game with staff at developer Saber Interactive, which also made the World War Z game. Not only is it faithful to the goofy horror of the original films, I was also surprised by how much fun I had getting scared.
Firstly, Evil Dead: The Game is a massive tribute to the beloved horror series. Serving as something of a greatest hits for the original trilogy and the three-season TV series -- all starring cult film actor Bruce Campbell -- the game channels the Deadite slaying and horror comedy into the structure of a multiplayer game. (Deadites are a species of parasitic demons and primary antagonists of the Evil Dead franchise.)
Four players fight to stay alive as the survivors; another player uses a variety of demonic magic to stop them. Structurally it's quite similar to the popular Dead By Daylight -- a great fit for Evil Dead.
Paying homage to the main location of the first two films, series protagonist Ash Williams and other survivors face off against the forces of darkness in a massive forest filled with supernatural horrors. You'll be able to squad up in a team of four as the survivors, each of which play as different classes -- leader, support, warrior and ranged. The playable characters are made up of mostly familiar faces from the original films and the TV series, which includes fan favorites Pablo and Kelly.
Fans of the Ash vs Evil Dead TV series will be able to revisit that incarnation of Ash in this game.
Saber Interactive
But of course, Ash Williams -- portrayed by the returning Bruce Campbell -- makes his comeback. This character is such an icon, and I couldn't resist playing as him, even though the other playable characters are interesting too. In a clever twist, there's not just one version of Ash, but four different incarnations based on his many appearances throughout the series. So if you prefer Ash from Army of Darkness, then you play as that one, with different skills to his counterparts.
In my interview with Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits, he said the approach to making the crew of survivors was to satisfy long-time fans and give variety for players when they jump into a game.
"The Evil Dead universe is just so great. Bruce Campbell is a legend, and the amount of stories and lore in the universe is so rich," says Willits. "The thing about [Evil Dead: The Game], which is an asymmetrical horror game, is that the hero Ash Williams and the other survivors can kick ass and win."
The big difference between this game and other horror games of its ilk -- like Dead By Daylight or Friday The 13th: The Game -- is that Evil Dead: The Game gives its "survivors" the means to defend themselves against the forces of darkness. When I got to play as the survivors, it felt like I stepped into a genuine action-horror game like The Evil Within or Resident Evil.
Squad up with several returning characters from the Evil Dead series, including some favorites from Army of Darkness and even the original film.
Saber Interactive
By scrounging up supplies, I could pull together a rifle and a chainsaw to take down some roaming Deadites. It was thrilling getting to tear into them with finishing moves from Ash's chainsaw, and taking them down allowed me and my squad to clear the way for our set of objectives. One thing that players on the survivor team have to watch out for, however, is your character's level of Fear, which will make them susceptible to the more vicious attacks and even possession from the big baddie of each game. That's when the game's spookier side begins to show itself.
The roaming Deadites are just one obstacle. The true threat is another player pulling all the strings. Along with playing as survivors, you can also play as the architect of the Deadite invasion. When playing as the demonic force, shown from the first-person perspective like in the films, you can freely move around the map to set traps, power up the roaming Deadites and assume direct control of powerful demons or even the survivors themselves.
Playing as the survivors is enjoyable, but Evil Dead: The Game really shines when you're the one shaking up the game's events. One of my favorite moments came from playing as the antagonist. After laying traps and stalking the survivors from the shadows, I saw that the crew of four were quickly trying to head to a nearby vehicle. I activated a fear-based skill that triggered a jump scare effect that hit the survivors. As they were distracted, I immediately used my demonic powers to possess the car and rammed it into the group as more Deadites surrounded them. It was so satisfying watching the chaos unfold.
The forest is a big place, and your squad will need some wheels to get around.
Saber Interactive
I appreciated that there's a lot of variety and depth for both the good and evil sides of online matches. The survivor mode gameplay feels like a game of co-op survival horror. In contrast, the antagonist gameplay is a more dynamic tower defense-style mode, and that's a really cool combination.
Evil Dead: The Game is very much multiplayer first, but there is also a bonus mission mode for solo players that recreates some scenes from the films, such as the cabin invasion from the original flick. It's a nice addition to the game, and the devs already have plans to add more characters and content with a season pass. While the game so far will mostly encompass the original trilogy and the TV series, the devs of the game did have some appreciation for the 2013 Evil Dead remake.
"There's so many more characters, demons and weapons that we can add to the game, and we've teased some content on the season pass already," Willits says. "But not to give too much away, we do have ways to tweak the game itself in the future, so maybe we'll see some interesting stuff come up ... we know Jane Levy, who played Mia [in the Evil Dead remake] pretty well. That's all I'm going to say."
When playing as the antagonist, you can choose to take on the role of the Necromancer, aka Evil Ash from Army of Darkness.
Saber Interactive
I'll admit, I initially had some apprehension about a new Evil Dead game. While there have been some in the past, particularly on the original PlayStation and PS2, they felt more like exercises in retreading ground from the iconic Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn. This new game so far branches out into some ambitious territory, and I was impressed with how it came together to form a multiplayer experience that pays tribute to the goofy nature of Evil Dead, but also offers some genuine scares.
It can be a tough thing to balance, but I felt that Evil Dead: The Game is so far looking to be an interesting take on horror-comedy in a game, which is quite rare. This latest adaptation of the Evil Dead just might be the game that long-time fans have been waiting for.
Evil Dead: The Game will be released on May 13 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch.
Stay cool with a DIY refrigerator that traps Han Solo in carbonite
Stay cool with a DIY refrigerator that traps Han Solo in carbonite
Star Wars fans everywhere know what happens when you cross paths with Darth Vader on Bespin. When poor Han Solo was dipped in carbonite for safe transport to Jabba the Hutt in "The Empire Strikes Back," we all waited with bated breath for "Return of the Jedi" hoping our favorite space smuggler survived. (He did!)
While you can always buy a Han Solo in Carbonite mini-fridge from ThinkGeek for $150 (within the US and Canada), it's arguably much more fun to craft your own.
This walk-through of the build process shows the work of master movie prop maker Frank Ippolito, who found accurate parts from the Star Wars replica prop community. He also added extra features like glowing lights and blinking side panels, just like in "The Empire Strikes Back."
In the video, posted to Adam Savage's YouTube Tested channel Wednesday, Ippolito shows host Norman Chan the step-by-step process he used to transform a boring refrigerator into a geektastic movie prop by using a silicone mold of Han Solo, LED lights, gray paint and panels.
Unlike a heavy and more permanent window air conditioner, portable AC units are designed to be easily moved between rooms. With the added mobility, you can stay cool as you move between different spaces throughout the day. Most portable air conditioners come equipped with wheels, which makes them easy to move from room to room, and while all units will help you beat the heat, there are a few different options depending on the size of the room and the specific features you may need.
We tested six portable AC units, ranging in price from $349 to $699, to see which ones stood out the most and what array of options they offer so you get a good value for your money.
Read more: Window Air Conditioners vs. Portable Air Conditioners: Find Out Which One Is Best for You
GE Appliances
If you're searching for a portable air conditioner to cover small to medium spaces, look no further than the GE APCD08JALW. Designed to cool up to a 350-square-foot room, the APCD08JALW is an excellent choice for anyone looking for an AC unit that can handle smaller bedrooms, offices and other living spaces with ease.
It performed admirably in our testing, maintaining its lowest temperature nearly 70% of the time. The other small units we tested -- the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 and the Whirlpool WHAP131BWC -- weren't able to keep up with the GE unit in this test. It also did well in the second test, where we see how consistently the unit maintains a set temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Again the GE APCD08JALW took first place. We discuss our test procedures in depth later in this article if you want to learn more about the process.
GE's APCD08JALW has a cooling capacity of 8,500 British thermal units and costs $479. Check out the chart in the section below for a more in-depth look at how its features and specs compare with those of the other units we tested.
Overall, this GE portable AC unit is a great option if you're looking for a smaller air conditioner at a reasonable price. Bonus: At 62 pounds, this AC unit is one of the lightest and therefore one of the most easily portable units of the bunch. That makes it a solid choice if you plan to regularly move it between rooms. Plus, its slightly smaller dimensions would suit apartment living or work well for anyone otherwise limited in space.
Midea
Not only did the Midea MAP14HS1TBL excel in performance compared with the other larger portable air conditioners we tested, it also has a lot of features and speciality options. At $699, this unit isn't cheap, but it's a well-rounded luxury AC unit with everything you need -- and then some.
To start, the MAP14HS1TBL has the highest cooling capacity of any other model we tested. Those 12,000 Btu come in handy for cooling larger spaces up to 550 square feet and it showed in the performance. The Midea model beat out the two other larger AC units in this list, the Haier QPWA14YZMW and the LG LP1419IVSM, in both of our performance tests.
This model also comes with a standard remote control and has sleep mode, timer and dehumidifier functions, as well as an app and support for Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.
Overall, the Midea MAP14HS1TBL has all the premium features and options you'd expect for $699. Throw in its stellar performance and this unit is our top pick to cool larger spaces. Keep in mind that this air conditioner was also the heaviest unit we tested at 77 pounds, but, like the rest, it comes with wheels for easy maneuvering.
Haier
The Haier QPWA14YZMW is an excellent midpoint between the GE and Midea AC units. At around $590, its price sits in the middle of the best small and best high-end air conditioners, yet it offers similar specs and performance to the Midea model, just without some of the advanced features.
Specifically, this Haier AC unit has a 9,700-Btu cooling capacity and can cool up to a 550-square-foot room. While its cooling capacity is lower than the 12,000-Btu Midea air conditioner, the Haier unit held its own during testing. It managed to maintain a 68-degree set temperature over 75% of its running time (compared with the Midea's 85%). It also maintained its lowest temperature 70.9% of its running time, after the Midea's 80.1% and the Whirlpool's 73.5%.
As far as features go, this unit has a remote control and timer and dehumidifier functions. It also has an app, but you won't have support for voice assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant.
Overall this Haier portable air conditioner performed well, but costs less and has fewer features than the Midea AC unit. If you don't want all the extras of the Midea, the Haier QPWA14YZMW is a solid alternative at a great value. If you don't need a portable air conditioner that can cool up to 550 square feet, look instead to our favorite smaller unit, the GE APCD08JALW.
The contenders
We tested six portable air conditioners for this best list: the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1, the GE APCD08JALW, the Haier QPWA14YZMW, the LG LP1419IVSM, the Midea MAP14HS1TBL and the Whirlpool WHAP131BWC. In the chart below, you can get an overview of each unit and how they compare in terms of pricing, specs and features.
Remote control, timer, app, supports Alexa and Google Assistant, dehumidifier function, sleep mode
Remote control, timer, sleep mode
At a glance, you can see we tested some units with similar specs, while also covering a wide range of options. Not only do the prices vary from $349 to $699, but half of the units are designed to cool smaller 350-square-foot rooms, while the rest can handle larger spaces up to 500 or 550 square feet. They also vary in terms of Btu, which range in the units we tested from 5,500 to 12,000 Btu.
It's worth noting here that there are currently two different standards for determining Btu capacity: the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' Btu rating and the Department of Energy's Seasonally Adjusted Cooling Capacity Btu rating. For that reason, many manufacturer sites list both the ASHRAE and the SACC ratings in their specs.
For example, the Frigidaire FHPC082AC1 we tested has an ASHRAE capacity of 8,000 Btu, while the DOE's SACC rating for the same unit is 5,500 Btu. The SACC standard was developed more recently and is being broadly adopted across manufacturers, so we use the SACC Btu capacity as the default standard anywhere we reference Btu capacity in this list. Still have questions about this? Learn more about the SACC standard here. (PDF)
How we test
To test portable air conditioners, we heat a climate-controlled room to 92 degrees. After the room reaches 92 degrees, we turn off the heat and turn on the portable AC unit to cool mode, with a medium fan speed and a set temperature of 68 degrees. We run the unit for 2 hours and 30 minutes and repeat the same test twice per AC unit. We then use the data collected during the tests to measure two things:
How consistently the portable air conditioner kept the room within 5% of 68 degrees
How consistently it kept the room within 5% of the AC unit's individual lowest temperature
Once we have this information, we compare the results across the units to see which ones maintained the set temperature for the longest period of time. We also look at which units maintained their individual lowest temperature for the longest time. We did this so that if a unit didn't reach 68 degrees in the allotted time, we were still able to track how consistently it maintained the lowest temperature it did achieve. The higher the percentage, the better the unit performed.
When looking at performance, it's important to note that the units we tested don't have identical specs, so direct performance comparisons are not the only thing we consider when arriving at our list of best portable air conditioners. We also look at a unit's features and other options in reference to its price and specifications to determine its overall value.
We also don't draw direct performance comparisons when looking at units of vastly different sizes and capabilities, say, the 12,000-Btu Midea MAP14HS1TBL versus the 5,500-Btu Frigidaire FHPC082AC1. For this reason, we compared performance results in two groups based on coverage area. Specifically, we compared the Frigidaire, Whirlpool and GE models (which all have coverage areas of up to 350 square feet) against one another and the Haier, LG and Midea models (which have 500-to-550-square-foot coverage areas) against one another.
Performance
Delving a little more into performance, you can see how long all six portable air conditioners maintained a temperature set point of 68 degrees. Again, because we aren't comparing the larger units (the Midea, LG and Haier models) directly with the smaller ones (the GE, Whirlpool and Frigidaire), we've displayed the larger units at the top of the chart and the smaller units at the bottom, and used different colors to help you differentiate between them more easily.
CNET
The Midea air conditioner performed the best, maintaining the 68-degree set point for 85.4% of its runtime. The Haier model came in second with 75.5% and the LG model in third with 74.2%. For the smaller units, the GE air conditioner came in first at 39.7%, followed by the Whirlpool model at 25.2% and the Frigidaire unit at 15.2%.
For the second test, we looked at how consistently the unit maintained its lowest temperature. Again, we divided the results in the chart below, with the larger units in green on the top and the smaller units in yellow on the bottom.
CNET
The Midea air conditioner once again outperformed the other large units by maintaining its lowest temperature for 80.1% of its runtime. The LG model came in second at 73.5% and the Haier model in a close third with 70.9%. For the smaller units, the GE model performed extremely well, only closely trailing the larger Haier air conditioner at 68.9%. The Frigidaire model came next at 57% and the Whirlpool model came in third at 49%.
Overall the powerful Midea model knocked out the other larger units by coming in first in both tests. The smaller Whirlpool model outperformed its competition by maintaining the 68-degree set point longer in the first test, but the smaller GE unit dominated in the second test, maintaining its lowest temperature for longer than either Whirlpool or Frigidaire.
In addition, we made charts to track the temperature changes of each unit over time. The chart below focuses only on the larger units we tested. The Midea unit's temperature dropped more quickly than the others and maintained the lower temperature for most of its run, whereas the LG and Haier units performed similarly throughout.
CNET
We also tracked the temperature changes for the smaller units throughout testing. The GE unit's temperature dropped more quickly than the others, followed by Whirlpool, then Frigidaire, but they all ended up reaching and maintaining a similar temperature in the second half of their runs.
CNET
Portable air conditioner FAQs
Do portable ACs have to vent through the windows?
Yes. In order to have optimal performance for a portable air conditioner, you need to set up the included hose or hoses to vent outside. Without this step, the hot air and condensation won't have anywhere to go and could hurt the unit's ability to cool a room effectively.
How do portable AC units work?
We go into more detail in our portable air conditioner buying guide, but they pull in air from your house, cool it and recirculate it back into the room or space of your choosing. Portable AC units plug into a wall outlet and feature one or two hoses. One-hose units vent exhaust out of the house. Two-hose units use one hose to vent the exhaust and the other to bring air in from outside.
What portable AC brand is best?
That depends. First consider your needs: What size room (or rooms) do you plan to cool? What is your budget? Are there any special features that you particularly want, like a remote control or a dehumidifier function?
Based on how you answer the above questions, you'll be able to narrow down your options a bit more. What might be the best portable AC unit or brand for one person might not be the same for someone else. For this reason, we provide more than one portable air conditioner recommendation above.
Huawei oneplus and beyond china s biggest smartphone ever made huawei oneplus and beyond china s biggest smartphone makers huawei oneplus and beyond china s biggest port huawei oneplus and beyond china sea huawei and us government huawei oneplus and oppo huawei oneplus india
Huawei, OnePlus and beyond: China's biggest smartphone brands you should know about
Huawei, OnePlus and beyond: China's biggest smartphone brands you should know about
This story is part of Generation China, CNET's series exploring the nation's technological ambition.
Apple, Samsung and Huawei have long been mainstays on the global smartphone leaderboard, but in recent years there's been a string of new players. Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo might sound unfamiliar to most Americans, outside a tech-savvy bubble, but they're right up there with the world's top brands.
While Samsung wears the crown as the world's largest smartphone company and Apple still pulls in the most profit, Chinese phone-makers have ascended rapidly worldwide and are displaying resilience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world's second largest seller of smartphones last year, achieving this coveted milestone without selling any phones in the US, and briefly eclipsed Samsung in April. A Shenzhen-based phone company, Transsion, meanwhile, has overtaken Samsung as the No. 1 phone supplier in Africa since its launch there in 2018.
"Chinese smartphone-makers have captured around 40% of the global market share, showing that Chinese firms are increasingly capable of building consumer products with global appeal," said Dan Wang, technology analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, a research firm.
In addition to enticing shoppers around the world to buy their handsets, Chinese vendors have worked hard to shed the reputation that they're merely cheap copycats -- they're starting to drive innovations such as foldable designs or pop-up cameras, which offer a window into the future of smartphone technology. Royole, a Shenzhen-based company, unveiled the world's first flexible smartphone, beating Samsung to the punch, although the South Korean electronics giant is often mistakenly credited for it. Nevermind that it was a spectacular failure. Xiaomi, meanwhile, unveiled the first trifold foldable phone that much of the world had ever laid eyes on. Vivo and Meizu both made waves when they released phones without a single physical button and almost no ports.
Generation China is a CNET series that looks at the areas of technology where the country is looking to take a leadership position.
Along with these innovative designs, Chinese phone brands are increasingly churning out high-end phones and pushing price boundaries, aiming to transcend their budget phone image and compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple after focusing on the budget or entry level market for years. Critics say they still have a long way to go.
"These competitive pressures drive changes in pricing, innovation and marketing, but I'm not convinced that Chinese vendors, aside from Huawei previously, pose a significant threat to Apple's brand," said Tuong Huy Nguyen, senior principal analyst at Gartner. "Apple is a high-end brand and an ecosystem-driven experience."
To be fair, China's smartphone industry has witnessed its fair share of failures along with the meteoric rise of companies like Huawei and Xiaomi as the smartphone market consolidates. Gionee, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer that was among the first Chinese firms to break into the lucrative Indian market, went bust last year. There was also Vsun, a Chinese contract manufacturer that laid off all its employees on the same day it filed for bankruptcy in May last year. Small players have been squeezed even tighter amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in Chinese phone-makers refocusing their efforts back to their home market, according to industry analysts.
But the rapid emergence of China's phone-makers on the global stage underscores the country's rising technological prowess. It comes as Beijing seeks to catch up and eventually overtake the US as the global technological leader across 10 high-tech sectors including robotics, semiconductors and even electric vehicles, as part of Chinese President Xi Jin Ping's ambitious master plan known as Made in China 2025. It's this very plan that fueled the costly trade war between Washington and Beijing. In May, Beijing unveiled a follow-up plan that details China's involvement in setting the standards for key tech like 5G.
Still, some Chinese phone-makers are poised to gain market share from Apple and Samsung in the second quarter despite the coronavirus pandemic, which has ravaged the global economy and disrupted supply chains, according to a TrendForce report published in April.
But who are the key players? The following is a breakdown of all of the Chinese phone-makers you should know, according to how recognizable they are in the US.
Huawei
US chipmakers continue to sell product to Huawei, despite a Trump administration ban on the sale of US technology to the Chinese telecom giant.
SOPA Images
Of all the Chinese phone manufacturers on this list, Huawei is probably the name that needs no introduction. It's the world's second largest smartphone company, and it's at the center of an international battle for technological dominance between Beijing and Washington.
Once virtually unknown to most Americans, the telecommunications giant was splashed across newspapers when top executive (and daughter of the company's founder) Meng Wangzhou was arrested in Canada for an alleged violation of US sanctions with Iran. Since then, the Chinese telecom has regularly made international headlines, especially since the US Commerce Department banned American companies from doing business with Huawei without first obtaining a license.
For Huawei, that meant it could lose access to crucial technological parts including semiconductors, which are key components used in its base stations and phones. It also meant Huawei's handsets were cut off from the full power of Google's Android operating system, along with several popular apps including the Google Play store, Gmail, Google Maps and apps that rely on Google like Uber and eBay.
At its launch in September, the Mate 30 was Huawei's first major phone to launch without Google's proprietary apps. Despite US efforts to constrain Huawei, the company reported first-half earnings this month showing revenue grew more than 13% from a year ago to around $65 billion.
But in May, Washington tightened its entity list measures in a move that blocked Huawei's global chip supply from key supplier's like Taiwan's TSMC, which could put Huawei's future in genuine jeopardy. "It might cripple Huawei, which I consider China's most important technology company," Wang said.
ZTE
ZTE launched the Axon 10 series in the US last year, which marked its comeback into the United States after being swept up in a trade fight with the Trump administration.
Angela Lang/CNET
You may remember ZTE from when it got embroiled in a trade fight with the US government. Once the fourth largest phone vendor by market share in the US, ZTE saw its operations come to a grinding halt after the Commerce Department in 2018 barred the state-owned Chinese telecom from buying components from American companies over sanctions violations.
Although the ban was lifted several months later as the result of Trump's surprise intervention, ZTE paid the US $1.4 billion in penalties, the Chinese telecom took a reputational hit and suffered a $1 billion loss in 2018.
The 35-year-old company had spent years building its brand in the US, where it sold low-cost smartphones through wireless carriers including AT&T and Verizon, selling 19 million phones in 2017, according to Canalys. It had achieved what none of its homegrown competitors had been able to in the US. Much of that evaporated with the controversy.
Last year, ZTE quietly reentered the US market with its "comeback phone," the Axon 10 Pro, its first major phone launch since it was banned. Still, industry analysts say they have doubts over whether ZTE can shake off the impact of the US ban even after installing company veteran Ni Fei at the helm of its consumer electronics business.
"ZTE is expected to face challenges from both its Chinese competitors and the US-China tensions," said Will Wong, research manager at IDC Asia Pacific. "Since ZTE has been banned by the US in the past, the current tensions between the US and China are expected to make its channel players more cautious while working with them."
Lenovo
Angela Lang/CNET
Lenovo is a giant in the PC industry. It can even lay claim to the world's first 5G laptop. But it's also the owner of one of the most iconic American phone companies: Motorola, which it bought from Google for a cool $2.9 in 2015. Still, it's been a long road back to the black for Lenovo's phone business. After years of bruising losses and layoffs, Lenovo's mobile unit turned a small profit last year, its first since it acquired Motorola, thanks to a "clear focus on selected markets, a competitive product portfolio and expense control." This year, the company released a string of phones across the price spectrum under its Motorola label like the revamped Razr, and it's gearing up to release its Legion-branded gaming phone as the company seeks to grow those gains in its phone business.
OnePlus
Launched this month, the Nord is OnePlus' inaugural midrange phone from a brand-new line by the same name.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Unlike most of its Chinese competitors, OnePlus has emerged as an unlikely success story in the US, breaking into the brutally competitive American smartphone market within the seven years of starting out. The young company, which has roots in tech metropolis Shenzhen, started off there as an online-only supplier of high-end yet affordable phones.
But it truly broke into mainstream America in 2018 when it launched the 6T flagship series with the support of a key US ally: T-Mobile. It was the first time OnePlus had the backing of a major US carrier, which marked an important milestone for OnePlus since most Americans still buy their phones from carriers. It also meant that the phones would be available in T-Mobile's vast network of retail stores around the country.
Jump ahead to 2020, and OnePlus is one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in the US after its phone sales more than tripled in 2019, according to Counterpoint Research. Although its market share remains minuscule compared to those of Apple and Samsung, it has managed to snatch a small slice of the pie from both juggernauts, as well as curry favor with some of the most discerning gadget enthusiasts out there.
In April, it launched its OnePlus 8 flagship series amid the coronavirus pandemic with the backing of Verizon, and is set to launch the more wallet-friendly Nord this month via an augmented reality launch.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi's flagship for this year is known as the Mi 10 series.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi is one of China's earlier homegrown success stories. Founded in 2010, Xiaomi, which was once widely ridiculed for blatantly copying Apple, has matured into one of China's domestic champions, shipping more than 124 million phones in 2019 in more than 90 countries worldwide.
For many years, Xiaomi's not-so-secret weapon has been selling quality phones at near cost. It has even released a $100 phone. This low-margin strategy has helped Xiaomi cultivate a loyal fan base, especially in price-sensitive countries in Asia like India, where its slick Android phones often sell out within hours of release.
Xiaomi generates most of its revenue from selling phones, but recurring revenue from the sale of software and services that ride on its phone allow the Beijing-based company to sell its handsets for cheap. It also sells a portfolio of its own smart products to help boost its brand.
In addition to phones, Xiaomi relies on a portfolio of smart products including bedside lamps and air purifiers to help build its Mi brand internationally. An upgraded electric scooter (pictured above) was launched in July.
Screenshot by Sareena Dayaram/CNET
In recent years, however, Xiaomi -- like many of its rivals -- has prioritized selling more high-priced phones as the global smartphone industry and its margins shrink. This strategy seems to have paid off, with the company reporting nearly 14% revenue growth in the first quarter despite the business challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. It stands in contrast to Samsung and Apple, which have both warned of a challenging year ahead.
Oppo and Vivo
Vivo has broken ground for a 32-story highrise, which will house its headquarters, in the southern Chinese tech metropolis of Shenzhen. It's scheduled to be completed by 2025.
NBBJ
If you're not familiar with the name Vivo, there's still a good chance you have seen some of its phones, which appeared in Marvel's blockbuster Captain America: Civil War. As with its older and larger sibling Oppo, the Chinese phone-maker's trademark marketing style involves using high-profile product placement and sponsorships to win over European shoppers. Although Oppo and Vivo aren't household names in the West, both have vaulted up the global rankings to place within the top six smartphone manufacturers in a comparatively short period of time, due partially to the popularity of their affordable phones among young consumers.
Oppo and Vivo (along with Xiaomi) are expected to have gained even more market share in the April-to-June quarter despite the pandemic, according to IDC. That's mainly because both companies enjoy a strong foothold in Asia, including the world's two largest smartphone markets, China and India, where most of their regional sales are generated, according to Wong. Even though Oppo and Vivo stress that they're competitors, both companies were spun out of the same parent company. BBK Electronics is a privately held, media-shy Chinese conglomerate believed to be the world's third largest manufacturer of smartphones. Along with Vivo and Oppo, it counts OnePlus and RealMe as part of its stable of brands.
RealMe
Ian Knighton/CNET
RealMe is the baby of the bunch, a 2-year-old company founded by a former Oppo executive. RealMe phones found success quickly because they were cheap but juiced up with cutting-edge technology.
Last year, the company, which is also owned by BBK Electronics, said it shipped 25 millions phones -- a figure it hopes to double by the end of 2020.
"Their connection with Oppo allowed them to form a partnership with channel players in a more efficient way, which might be difficult for new smartphone-makers as channel players may not be familiar with a new brand," said IDC's Wong.
The brand originally piggybacked on Oppo's success, and was known back in 2010 as Oppo Real before it spun off into an independent division. It also rapidly entered new international markets, finding success in India and parts of Europe in recent years. Earlier this year, the company unveiled its first 5G phones as part of a push toward the premium end of the market.
TCL
TCL is the new kid on the smartphone block -- after a fashion. The Shenzhen-listed company has had a long history of designing, manufacturing and marketing phones under brands that are not its own: TCL has produced handsets carrying the Alcatel name, the once-popular Blackberry brand and even has the tiny Palm handset.
In April, the company, better known for making televisions, launched the moderately spec'd TCL 10 series, the debut line using its own brand that included a 5G phone, internationally.
But the Chinese company is also vying to become the next big name in foldable phones, teasing radical designs including a trifold phone and a rollable phone.
Founded in 1981, the Chinese consumer electronics company built its reputation selling value-for-money TVs that mostly kept up with competitors in terms of specs.TCL will continue selling these TVs along with the bevy of consumer electronics under its portfolio, but it's aiming to boost its brand through the more personal smartphone, echoing a strategy employed by industry giants Samsung and LG.
Meizu
The Meizu Pro 6 (center) looks a lot like an iPhone.
Dave Cheng/CNET
Formerly a maker of MP3 players, Meizu was one of the earlier Chinese firms to make a foray into the hypercompetitive world of smartphones. The Zhuhai-based company rolled out its first phones in 2009, quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with domestically, and eventually entering overseas markets like India and parts of Europe.
At its height, it was China's sixth largest domestic manufacturer, shipping approximately 20 million smartphones in 2015, which was a 350% jump from the year before. Huawei sold about 100 million in 2015. In a sign of confidence in its business that same year, Meizu garnered a near $600 million investment from Alibaba, as part of the e-commerce behemoth's push of its own mobile operating system into Meizu's popular handsets.
But Meizu has failed so far to break into the upper strata to join the ranks of China's smartphone elite. Today, the once high-flying company is struggling to stay afloat amid the consequences of misguided business decisions that included the over-release of smartphones and intensifying competition from its homegrown rivals. As players with more financial firepower refocus on the Chinese market, "there is little room left for smaller vendors," said Canalys research analyst Hattie He in a 2018 report.
