Chinese Android Phones

Iseedeadpixels

RossieMan wrote: »

Same myself i think. Might wait for the 805 to become more mainstream, should see prices of the 800 and 801 drop a little further.

Aslong as 4G isn't that important, they're some great bargains to be got. Can get A Mi3 for just over €240 delivered with guaranteed no customs from mixeshop. Can compete with most phones on performance, design is not for everyone though.

Be the end of the year when I do so no rush.

podgey1992

Hey guys, I've been considering getting my first ever smartphone, upgrading from a nokia torch phone that cost 15 euro about three years ago.

Unfortunately the torch phone is on its last legs.

My budget is around 100 euro including delivery etc.

I'm looking for a phone that can comfortably run all the usual apps (facebook, twitter, snapchat, google chrome) at relatively fast speeds. I'd like it to be quick and responsive, ideally with relatively good battery life. Camera quality isn't too big of a deal.

I've been looking at recommended phones and it seems that the thing to look for is 2gb of RAM, all the phones in my price range appear to have 1gb of RAM however, I can't seem to find a better one.

Does the Android OS it operates on have a big influence? I'm seeing lots of phones with KitKat, should I look for this?

Here's an example of the type of phone I've been looking at (I can't send links as i'm a new user) but it's called "Elephone P10C Ultra-thin 5.8mm Android 4.4 Kit Kat Quad Core Dual Sim 5 inch 8mp Smartphone" and it's 93 dollars. OR on the pandawill site there's a phone called

"X1 Smartphone MTK6589 Android 4.2 5.0 Inch HD Screen 13.0MP Camera 3G - Black" which has similar specs but a better camera and screen resolution, and free delivery. Seems too good to be true.

Would you guys recommend these brands/phones? Or if anyone has any better suggestions that'd be great.

(also, the etotalk website has a 'pre-install service' where they will install an ETOTalk ROM for an extra charge, or a 'multiple language OS' or the phone can be 'unlocked and rooted' for another three dollars, should I take any of these options or are they a bit scammy?)

henke

Could anyone recommend a usable €50 or less smartphone to use as a backup? Just to call and text as a short term solution? eg decent brands, site to order off, are they sim free and have English language?

Cheers.

Discodog

RossieMan wrote: »

Same myself i think. Might wait for the 805 to become more mainstream, should see prices of the 800 and 801 drop a little further.

Aslong as 4G isn't that important, they're some great offers bargains to be got. Can get A Mi3 for just over €240 delivered with guaranteed no customs from mixeshop. Can compete with most phones on performance, design is not for everyone though.

I think that it's the Lenovo 910 for me unless the upcoming Boardsie reviews convince me to get the Xiaomi Note.

How's it going you two :-) ?

brimal

podgey1992 wrote: »

Hey guys, I've been considering getting my first ever smartphone, upgrading from a nokia torch phone that cost 15 euro about three years ago.

Unfortunately the torch phone is on its last legs.

My budget is around 100 euro including delivery etc.

I'm looking for a phone that can comfortably run all the usual apps (facebook, twitter, snapchat, google chrome) at relatively fast speeds. I'd like it to be quick and responsive, ideally with relatively good battery life. Camera quality isn't too big of a deal.

I've been looking at recommended phones and it seems that the thing to look for is 2gb of RAM, all the phones in my price range appear to have 1gb of RAM however, I can't seem to find a better one.

Does the Android OS it operates on have a big influence? I'm seeing lots of phones with KitKat, should I look for this?

Here's an example of the type of phone I've been looking at (I can't send links as i'm a new user) but it's called "Elephone P10C Ultra-thin 5.8mm Android 4.4 Kit Kat Quad Core Dual Sim 5 inch 8mp Smartphone" and it's 93 dollars. OR on the pandawill site there's a phone called

"X1 Smartphone MTK6589 Android 4.2 5.0 Inch HD Screen 13.0MP Camera 3G - Black" which has similar specs but a better camera and screen resolution, and free delivery. Seems too good to be true.

Would you guys recommend these brands/phones? Or if anyone has any better suggestions that'd be great.

(also, the etotalk website has a 'pre-install service' where they will install an ETOTalk ROM for an extra charge, or a 'multiple language OS' or the phone can be 'unlocked and rooted' for another three dollars, should I take any of these options or are they a bit scammy?)

Normally I would recommend a Chinese brand to you, but if this is your first ever smartphone, and if you could stretch the budget to €150, I would recommend buying the Motorola Moto G from any Meteor store.

The phone comes unlocked (locks to the network of the first sim you put in)

It has good specs and build quality for the price, comes with latest stock Android, Motorola/Meteor warranty, etc.

As with most Chinese phones there is some rooting/flashing to be done, their ROMs can have a higher learning curve than stock Android and support can be lacking.

RossieMan

Podgey, those phones are grand, but are nothing to shout home about. Both would function well, but both have very little ported ROM's available. May not be a problem for you, but finding solutions to problems that may occur might be tricky.

Personally, i'd try to spend a little extra and get something like this. http://www.mixeshop.com/jiayu-jyg4s-g4s-basic-mtk6592-octa-core-47-inch-ips-ltps-hd-gorilla-glass-screen-android-42-1gb4gb-13mp-camera-3000mah-battery-gyroscope-otg-smartphone_p4269.html

Comes to around 115 with standard post.

If you upped your budget even 50 euro you'd be well able to get 2GB of RAM, would make a massive difference to your everyday use.

This version of the phone has 2GB of RAM and can be got for €136 or so. Great device for the price. http://www.etotalk.com/jiayu-g4s-octa-core_p4739.html

Sam Mac

Discodog wrote: »

I think that it's the Lenovo 910 for me unless the upcoming Boardsie reviews convince me to get the Xiaomi Note.

How's it going you two :-) ?

Mine is great, if only the bottom end of the screen wasn't ever so slightly darker than the rest of the screen! Deciding whether or not to return it...

RossieMan

Have you tried a different ROM sam?

Lucas Hood

brimal wrote: »

Normally I would recommend a Chinese brand to you, but if this is your first ever smartphone, and if you could stretch the budget to €150, I would recommend buying the Motorola Moto G from any Meteor store.

The phone comes unlocked (locks to the network of the first sim you put in)

It has good specs and build quality for the price, comes with latest stock Android, Motorola/Meteor warranty, etc.

As with most Chinese phones there is some rooting/flashing to be done, their ROMs can have a higher learning curve than stock Android and support can be lacking.

I'd agree with this. He could even buy it off tesco direct for cheaper. Girlfriend got one the other day and it's a quality phone for so cheap.

Sam Mac

RossieMan wrote: »

Have you tried a different ROM sam?

Would that make any difference do you think? where can I get the ROMs?

Discodog

Sam Mac wrote: »

Would that make any difference do you think? where can I get the ROMs?

Do you mean darker as in a section of the screen not be so well back lit? If so then surely that's a manufacturing fault.

Just a thought but I wonder if sellers might be tempted to ship out the dodgy one to a far flung destination :-)?

Sam Mac

Discodog wrote: »

Do you mean darker as in a section of the screen not be so well back lit? If so then surely that's a manufacturing fault.

Just a thought but I wonder if sellers might be tempted to ship out the dodgy one to a far flung destination :-)?

Yes, but it only happens in some apps, usually the ones pre-installed on the phone.

where can I get some ROMs?

podgey1992

brimal wrote: »

Normally I would recommend a Chinese brand to you, but if this is your first ever smartphone, and if you could stretch the budget to €150, I would recommend buying the Motorola Moto G from any Meteor store.

The phone comes unlocked (locks to the network of the first sim you put in)

It has good specs and build quality for the price, comes with latest stock Android, Motorola/Meteor warranty, etc.

As with most Chinese phones there is some rooting/flashing to be done, their ROMs can have a higher learning curve than stock Android and support can be lacking.

I'll look into the Motorola, but I think I'm fairly technically literate and should be able to handle the learning curve. There is a custom EtoTalk ROM which can be installed on their phones, should I get this?

Also, looking at that motorola on Amazon, there's a 16gb version for around 150 euro. Seems like a good deal and is definitely unlocked to any network, I'm a bit worried about buying it in a meteor shop.

LFC Murphy

Sam Mac wrote: »

Mine is great, if only the bottom end of the screen wasn't ever so slightly darker than the rest of the screen! Deciding whether or not to return it...

Ya love it to.... the ROM is growing on me also. A lot of little quirky things that make it standout from stock android.

podgey1992

RossieMan wrote: »

Podgey, those phones are grand, but are nothing to shout home about. Both would function well, but both have very little ported ROM's available. May not be a problem for you, but finding solutions to problems that may occur might be tricky.

Personally, i'd try to spend a little extra and get something like this.

Comes to around 115 with standard post.

If you upped your budget even 50 euro you'd be well able to get 2GB of RAM, would make a massive difference to your everyday use.

This version of the phone has 2GB of RAM and can be got for €136 or so. Great device for the price.

Cheers for the help! The etotalk site appears to have a custom ROM which I can add to the package for a little extra money, should I buy this as part of the package? Or are there better ROMs available to download and install myself?

Iseedeadpixels

Can we ban the Moto G talk from the Chinese Android phone thread

pleasant Co.

Iseedeadpixels wrote: »

Can we ban the Moto G talk from the Chinese Android phone thread

But it is a Chinese android phone, with Lenovo owning Moto and it being made in China it is entirely Chinese :pac:

Iseedeadpixels

pleasant Co. wrote: »

But it is a Chinese android phone, with Lenovo owning Moto and it being made in China it is entirely Chinese :pac:

Oh snap!:D

RossieMan

http://www.needrom.com/phone-roms/xiaomi/redmi-note/
http://www.needrom.com/phone-roms/xiaomi/hongmi/

i don't understant the Xiaomi ROM's at all. Not up to date with the different names. Think one of these is your phone.

A quick google of your exact phone will probably give you more ROM's. Might be worth trying before sending it back.

RossieMan

podgey1992 wrote: »

Cheers for the help! The etotalk site appears to have a custom ROM which I can add to the package for a little extra money, should I buy this as part of the package? Or are there better ROMs available to download and install myself?

If you're not into flashing ROM's yourself you could go for it. Have no experience with the Etotalk ROM however.

Sam Mac

RossieMan wrote: »

http://www.needrom.com/phone-roms/xiaomi/redmi-note/
http://www.needrom.com/phone-roms/xiaomi/hongmi/

i don't understant the Xiaomi ROM's at all. Not up to date with the different names. Think one of these is your phone.

A quick google of your exact phone will probably give you more ROM's. Might be worth trying before sending it back.

Yep cheers, the Hongmi and Redmi Note are the same phone, just different names for different areas. I will let you know how I get on.

RossieMan

Sam Mac wrote: »

Yep cheers, the Hongmi and Redmi Note are the same phone, just different names for different areas. I will let you know how I get on.

I thought that, but when i seen the 2 sections it had me wondering.

Its very simple to do, plenty of guides on how to do it.

Sam Mac

RossieMan wrote: »

I thought that, but when i seen the 2 sections it had me wondering.

Its very simple to do, plenty of guides on how to do it.

Will do it right now and let you know.

johnybean

Sam Mac wrote: »

Yep cheers, the Hongmi and Redmi Note are the same phone, just different names for different areas. I will let you know how I get on.

I think they are two different phones Sam. I googled Hongmi vs Redmi Note and this is one of the results linky
This comparison would seem to indicate that they are two different phones. I would start off flashing the Note specified ROM's and see how you get on with those.

Sam Mac

johnybean wrote: »

I think they are two different phones Sam. I googled Hongmi vs Redmi Note and this is one of the results linky
This comparison would seem to indicate that they are two different phones. I would start off flashing the Note specified ROM's and see how you get on with those.

You are right, there is a Hongmi Note and a Redmi Note, my bad.

brimal

The Hongmi/Redmi names are more or less the same, one name is used for China market and the other is used for Malaysian/Western market I think.

There is three phones in this series: the 1S, the Note, and the original Hogmi/Redmi

Sam Mac

brimal wrote: »

The Hongmi/Redmi names are more or less the same, one name is used for China market and the other is used for Malaysian/Western market I think.

There is three phones in this series: the 1S, the Note, and the original Hogmi/Redmi

Spot on. Cheers

Sam Mac

does installing the rom format the phones data? the sim contacts?

wiz569

Sam Mac wrote: »

does installing the rom format the phones data? the sim contacts?

It will format the internal storage but not the sim card data,it also shouldnt format the SD card but be careful as some do

Thargor

It wont touch the sim, all other contacts (including those on the sim) should have been synced to your Gmail account the first time you signed in unless you specifically told it not to sync. Text messages on the phone will be gone though but there are 100s of apps that will do it in one click if you really want to save them.