China manufactures the Apple iPhone and many other popular smartphones, but there are lots of other options made in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and India.

China manufactures the Apple iPhone and many other popular smartphones, but there are lots of other options made in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and India. If you don't want to buy a phone from China, check out some of these other options.

Most of these phones are available directly from wireless carrier shops or directly from Samsung, LG, Motorola, ASUS, or Sony. Many can be found on Amazon and solid second-hand deals are present at places like Swappa. All of the phones are powered by the Android operating system. We listed the phones alphabetically -- since prices vary and functionality and capability are so similar it is tough to rank order the phones.

ASUS ROG Phone II (Taiwan) Image: ASUS ASUS released its latest powerhouse smartphone in late 2019. The ROG Phone II is advertised as a gaming phone and has the specs to back it up. The 6.59-inch display sports a 120Hz refresh rate (months before the current phones with this technology) and is powered by a Snapdragon 855 Plus with 12GB of RAM and a leading 1TB internal storage capacity. It has a couple of rear cameras and a 24MP front-facing camera. Dual front-facing stereo speakers power the audio to your face while gaming with trigger controls along one side of the phone. A massive 6,000mAh battery keeps you gaming for hours on end too. The phone also supports vibration during gameplay with side-charging design to optimize the landscape orientation. To complete the gaming experience, the rear ROG logo lights up in an assortment of colors while gaming accessories are available for enhancing game modes. View Now at B&H

LG G8X ThinQ (South Korea) Image: LG Must read: LG G8X ThinQ review CNET

LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen review ZDNet While Samsung is pushing innovation with the Galaxy Fold, it is very expensive at $2,000, and despite the large 7.3-inch display, the dual app experience is definitely compromised by screen size. We tested the LG G8X ThinQ with its LG Dual Screen cover, and it clearly offers a platform that is much better for productivity at a price that is even less than flagships from Apple, Samsung, and others. The phone was released in 2019 and is available now for a fair price with solid specs. It still has a focus on a high-end audio experience with dual stereo speakers, a 32-bit quad DAC and 3.5mm headphone jack. MIL-STD 810G drop/shock certification is included, along with a microSD card for inexpensive storage expansion. A dedicated Google Assistant button helps you get things done quickly too. View Now at B&H

LG Stylo 5 (South Korea) Image: LG While many phones on this list are flagships, there are also solid mid-range phones available to consider from countries other than China. The LG Stylo 5 is one of the few phones we have to choose from that come with an integrated stylus. The Stylo 5 is available on multiple carriers in the US, including many pre-paid carriers. It sports a 6.2-inch display with 3,500mAh battery, 13MP rear camera, and 5MP front camera. The focus of this phone is the stylus. You can handwrite notes, draw objects, sketch, and color. Animated text messages, GIF creation tools, and more are supported by the stylus. View Now at Best Buy

LG V60 ThinQ (South Korea) Image: LG Must read: LG V60 ThinQ 5G review

Hands-on LG V60 ThinQ CNET The LG V60 ThinQ 5G recently launched on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. It's only available in the US from one of these wireless carriers, but it may appear as an unlocked model on Amazon in the future. This latest LG V series device continues to focus on video creation with a triple rear camera system, 8K video recording, four microphones, ASMR and Voice Bokeh audio technology, and advanced camera software. It's also powered by a massive 5,000 mAh battery with a 1080p display so it is sure to help you capture hours of video content. The LG V60 ThinQ 5G is composed of two pieces of Gorilla Glass 5 with a metal frame and is certified for shock resistance to MIL-STD 810G. LG's new phone has a 6.8-inch OLED panel, Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage with a microSD card, and 5G. A Dual Screen cover is included for the $900 price and gives you a large platform for serious productivity. Along with 5G and a focus on video capture, the LG V60 continues LG's tradition of audio excellence with a 3.5mm audio port with quad DAC support and stereo speakers. It sounds great through the speakers, but the wired headphone experience is even better. It's one of the last phones remaining with a 3.5mm audio port so audiophiles are sure to be pleased. View Now at AT&T

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (South Korea) Must read: Galaxy Z Flip review CNET

Galaxy Z Flip hands-on While I spent more than $2,000 to try out the Samsung Galaxy Fold, I didn't make that same leap to test out the Galaxy Z Flip because it didn't offer that same mini-tablet form factor. The Galaxy Z Flip provides a more pocketable phone experience but doesn't bring much more than that to buyers. The Galaxy Z Flip improves upon the Fold technology with the use of glass in the panels. Unfolding the Z Flip reveals a 6.7-inch gorgeous AMOLED display. It's an expensive phone at nearly $1,400 but serves as another technology demo of things to come in the future. There is a small one-inch display on the outside, primarily used for notifications. It has solid camera performance, a Snapdragon 855, 256GB of internal storage, and Samsung's latest One UI 2. It doesn't have 5G and the utility of this folding orientation is debatable. View Now at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S20 series (South Korea) Must read: Galaxy S20 Ultra review CNET

Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G review Samsung announced the Galaxy S20 series a few months ago and phones are now available for consumers. After spending a couple of weeks with the S20 Ultra 5G, it is clear the phone is built for business and captures the crown for the best 5G device available today. The focus on the S20 line this year is universal 5G and improved camera experiences. There are some focus issues Samsung is currently dealing with on the S20 Ultra and while you may not want to pay $1,400+ for that phone right now, the S20 Plus may be more appropriate. Samsung's S20 series devices are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, AMOLED 120Hz refresh rate displays ranging from 6.2 to 6.9 inches, 12GB RAM (with 16GB option), 128GB to 512GB storage options with a microSD for even more capacity, three rear cameras (the Ultra has unique camera specifications), IP68 rating, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5. Battery capacity ranges from 4,000mAh to 5,000mAh. The S20 does not support high band (mmWave) faster 5G networks so make sure you pick the device that will fit your network needs. An argument can be made that the S20 series isn't the best smartphone available today, but in terms of 5G and the latest technology, they are tough to beat. The price makes them a bit tougher to justify, but when you realize how this tool is used constantly the price for the value is easier to comprehend. View Now at Samsung