Apple has been at the top of the smartphone industry since it came out with the iPhone. Five iterations later, it still holds a pretty big share of the industry. But lately, Chinese brands are making a name for themselves, starting in their own country.

Money Morning reports that Lenovo is just one of the Chinese brands that have started to jump the smartphone wagon, as it tries to tap another channel aside from its PC niche.

At the rate the technology Chinese brands are turning out, it may only be a matter of time until Lenovo as well as other Chinese brands, try dabbling into other markets for distribution.

Lenovo

The good

Powered by Intel on the inside, a Z2580 2GHz processor, a 2GB of Ram, 16 GB of ROM, a 5.5-inch display, it is also the first smartphone that features Intel's newest Atom dual core processor for smartphones, reports ComputerWeekly.

The Lenovo K900 also boasts of a Gorilla Glass screen with Google Android 4,2 inside. On its website, Lenovo also features the K900's camera to be one of its best features, boasting a 13-megapixel camera that puts it among the top of its class.

The bad

As mentioned, it's quite the large handset, going more after Samsung's Galaxy Note rather than the Galaxy S3.

This may be bulky for those who are not looking for a phablet at this stage, but it is also helpful to note that despite the size, ComputerWeekly reports that the weight isn't a letdown at 162g. In other words, you're not looking at a paperweight for a phone.

Coolpad

The good

Coolpad has been a well-known bran din Asia, and has even claimed that its mid- to high-end range smartphone lines are able to compete against Samsung and HTC, reports PC Mag. But what makes it great as a brand is that it does not shave off on processors, as they usually buy from global leaders to provide the best in their lines.

The Coolpad 8730 has a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, a 4G ROM, and 1 GB RAM memory, pretty in line with other standards in the market. This makes for a pretty smooth run, even with the latest Android 4.1, reports DefendGun.

The 5-inch screen is responsive and has a clean overall design, even with the slightly square body,

The bad

Unlike other cameras, this only has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.3-megapixel front camera. While these are pretty standard, there is more to be desired in terms of the quality of the pictures,

Huawei

The good

Huawei has been making a name for itself as a potential rival for the iPhone, at least in China. Just last year, it released two handsets, the Ascend D1 Quad XL and he Honor 2 G600, both of which are under $500. But don't be fooled by the price, because these models do pack a surprisingly good punch.

According to GadgetGuy, the Ascend D1 Quad XL is more of a mid-range phone that is at par, based on features. The smartphone features a 1.5GHz quad-core processor built by Huawei, a 4.5-inch display, a 1GB RAM, 8GB worth of storage, a microSD slot for expansion, Google Ice Cream Sandwich, and an 8-megapixel rear camera.

The bad

For those who are used to fast speeds in terms of connection, the Ascend D1 Quad XL won't go higher than 8Mbps. GadgetGuy also reports that the on-screen keyboard can also be a challenge in terms of aesthetics and ease of use, but it can easily be solved by a changed in downloadbale keyboard through Google's stock keyboard.

Another downside is that the 1800mAh battery is not removable. At the same time, its camera may not be the best in terms of taking quality pictures, so if that's one of your major decision-making factors, Huawei's latest product may not be the best thing.

Gionee

The good

Gionee's flagship phone, Dream D1 features a 4.65-inch display with super AMOLED, a 1.2GHz Cortex A7 Processor, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB of Rom with microSD card, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 1-megapixel front camera, reports GoTechMax.

The bad

Aside from the lower-than-normal pixel count of the camera, Gionee's Dream D1 also has an HD 720p display, so you can't expect full HD. Otherwise, it gives a pretty solid run for a phone that's rumored to be sold at Rs 10,000 in India (approximately $185 USD), reports Droidify.

Xiaomi

The good

For its next generation smartphone, Xiaomi will come out with its Mi-3, one that will have a quad-core Tegra 4 with LTE, a 2.6GB RAM memory, a 4.5-inch display, and a 12-megapixel camera, reports Phones Arena.

It's also a very affordable deal for those who do not want to shell out too much for a smartphone.

The bad

As with most smartphones, the design is very reminiscent of the iPhone 5, but lacking in refinement. According to CNet, some of the predecessor Mi-2's unrefined qualities include a smaller display and a plastic-looking and -feeling body.