Sure, there are a few corporations at the top of the pack when it comes to handset production. However, more and more are fast on their heels in terms of quality and value. One such company is Chinese manufacturer Gionee, who is making a name for itself, churning out attractive devices at great prices. As the company announced a brand new handset, Gionee S6, it begs to be asked: is this the one that will push Gionee to the mainstream market outside China?

It just might be. According to a report from Phone Arena, the new Gionee S6 is slated to debut with impressive features. Ultra-slim at 6.99 millimeters, the smartphone ups its aesthetic with an almost full aluminum body that weighs only 147 grams. Sporting a 5.5-inch, 720p AMOLED screen, the Gionee device has a MediaTek's 64-bit, octa-core MT6753 processors at 1.3GHz and an ARM Mali-T720 GPU. It's powered by the Android 5.1 Lollipop topped with Gionee's custom UI to distinguish it from the pack.

Media features include a 13-megapixel rear camera with an ultra-wide f/2.0 lens and quick autofocus capabilities plus a five-megapixel front camera for taking selfies and engaging in video calls. This new phone is designed to deliver a good audio experience with an upgraded sound chamber.

Memory capacity is also respectable with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage plus expandable space with a second SIM card slot that also functions well for microSD cards. Other specs revealed are a 3,150 mAh battery and a reversible USB Type-C port.

The Gionee S6 is already available for pre-orders in China priced at the equivalent of around $266. There's no word yet if and when it will land in the U.S. Gionee's previous handset Elife E8 was able to debut in the U.S. as it was adopted by Miami-based BLU. It was rebranded as BLU Pure XL and tagged with an attractive $350 price tag.

The Pure XL was launched in the country earlier this year, according to a report from Android Central. The affordable handset is bigger, thicker and a touch more "high-end" than the new S6 with a six-inch Super AMOLED screen and a 2560 x 1440 resolution. Under the hood, the aluminum phone is fitted with an octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor at 2GHz and a 3,500 mAh battery.

Other details of the BLU Pure XL include 3GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, 24-megapixel rear camera, eight-megapixel front camera and a fingerprint sensor.