Xiaomi Mi 4s

Under the hood, the Mi 4s runs on a Snapdragon 808 chipset paired with an Adreno 418 GPU and 3GB of RAM, enough for everyday multitasking without much fuss. Storage sits at 64GB, and there's a microSD slot for another 128GB if you need it, though it shares space with the second SIM slot. The 5.0-inch IPS LCD screen packs a full HD resolution at 441 ppi, sharp for its size, and MIUI 7.0 runs on top of Android.

The rear camera is a 13MP unit with phase detection autofocus and dual-LED flash, backed by a 5MP front camera for selfies and video calls. A 3260 mAh battery keeps things running, and the phone charges through USB Type-C, still fairly uncommon at this price point back then. Xiaomi Mi 4s price in Malaysia starts from RM1009.

It's a compact phone too, just 7.8mm thick and 133g, available in Black, White, Gold or Pink. Dual SIM support and a fingerprint sensor round out a spec sheet that's practical rather than flashy.