Chinese Android Phones 2 - Read First Post!

Iseedeadpixels

Would love to take a gamble on this.....GB link is just for massive shillyness :pac:

corkie

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

ok got the note 3 pro snapdragon with the latest miui 8 but android is only on 5.1.1. even with updates.do xiaomi update android or do i need to root and put custom on it thanks.rather not go do that route if its too hard to do

Stable version should be on Marshmallow now. Any chance you have a Vendor Rom?

Report what you see here: - Settings - About Phone - MIUI version.

alanhiggyno1

corkie wrote: »

Stable version should be on Marshmallow now. Any chance you have a Vendor Rom?

Report what you see here: - Settings - About Phone - MIUI version.

This is latest update from yesterday

corkie

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

This is latest update from yesterday

You could get the latest rom from here, and use the updater app to apply it.

Instructions!

No need to root or unlock the bootloader.

Should not lose data, but make backups of important stuff first.

alanhiggyno1

corkie wrote: »

You could get the latest rom from here, and use the updater app to apply it.

Instructions!

No need to root or unlock the bootloader.

Should not lose data, but make backups of important stuff first.

So I take it I'll have to upload to latest myself instead of waiting for them to upload

corkie

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

So I take it I'll have to upload to latest myself instead of waiting for them to upload

You should get the update eventually, not sure why you have not got it yet.

alanhiggyno1

corkie wrote: »

You should get the update eventually, not sure why you have not got it yet.

And can it brick my phone

corkie

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

And can it brick my phone

Using the updater app and downloaded rom, should not brick your phone. But there is a possibility it might happen, if something goes wrong in the process. Check the MD5 of your download before applying it!

That was why I suggested making backups of important stuff first.

Even it does, recovering from a brick using EDL Mode is the solution. See the reddit wiki i linked for vendor roms.

alanhiggyno1

corkie wrote: »

Using the updater app and downloaded rom, should not brick your phone. But there is a possibility it might happen, if something goes wrong in the process.

That was why I suggested making backups of important stuff first.

Even it does, recovering from a brick using EDL Mode is the solution. See the reddit wiki i linked for vendor roms.

Great thanks for the info I'll try tomorrow and see what happens

Kavrocks

corkie wrote: »

Using the updater app and downloaded rom, should not brick your phone. But there is a possibility it might happen, if something goes wrong in the process. Check the MD5 of your download before applying it!

A similar possibility to an OTA update "bricking" your phone too.

rab!dmonkey

Looking at picking up a Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime and I found it on both Honorbuy and Oppomart, with a bit of a price difference between them in Oppomart's favour, after delivery. Anyone got any advice on those two sellers?

TMJM96

rab!dmonkey wrote: »

Looking at picking up a Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime and I found it on both Honorbuy and Oppomart, with a bit of a price difference between them in Oppomarts' favour, after delivery. Anyone got any advice on those two sellers?

Unfortunately cannot talk about Honorbuy. I bought a phone from there at the end of 2016 and received it 3 days later from DHL. Was able to track ir 12 hours after placing the purchase. Just make sure you buy from the EU Warehouse!

The device I received was in perfect condition and had a genuine ROM, so they're reliable.

FMG

Im having problems with the touchscreen on an Eluphone Power I got @ 4 months ago.I though I'd get a replacement as it was 'Fulfilled by Amazon' but they need it returned. I went to the PO with the label I downloaded form Amazon but the PO wont carry it as it has a battery ( built in). I notified Amazon of this but no reply this last week.The Postmaster reckons if I remove the 'Caution Battery' label customs could destroy it. How should I go about returning it, would DHL or another courier carry it?.

NATLOR

FMG wrote: »

Im having problems with the touchscreen on an Eluphone Power I got @ 4 months ago.I though I'd get a replacement as it was 'Fulfilled by Amazon' but they need it returned. I went to the PO with the label I downloaded form Amazon but the PO wont carry it as it has a battery ( built in). I notified Amazon of this but no reply this last week.The Postmaster reckons if I remove the 'Caution Battery' label customs could destroy it. How should I go about returning it, would DHL or another courier carry it?.

Parcel Motel maybe? Just to add I used An Post to return a phone to the UK recently just said there was no battery in it,got there OK

howdoyouknow

If your near the border you can post using royal mail no problems. Had to do this a few times

horse7

TMJM96 wrote: »

Unfortunately cannot talk about Honorbuy. I bought a phone from there at the end of 2016 and received it 3 days later from DHL. Was able to track ir 12 hours after placing the purchase. Just make sure you buy from the EU Warehouse!

The device I received was in perfect condition and had a genuine ROM, so they're reliable.

Honorbuy not well rated on Trustpliot.

GBX

Plenty of feedback within this thread on them

http://www.boards.ie/search/submit/?thread=2057438440&query=honorbuy

FlamingMoe

Are HK Goldway closed for Chinese New year?

Ordered a phone 3 days ago and no sign of dispatch and no answer to messages

fixXxer

horse7 wrote: »

Honorbuy not well rated on Trustpliot.

I've ordered five phones for various reasons over the last few years from them and had no problems at all.

Stallingrad

Anyone else having issues with data on the Xiaomi Redmi 3S?

Sometimes stuck on E unable to get to H or H+, requiring a restart. On Tesco network, didn't have these issues on previous Moto G3.

Terre

I bought a Redmi 3S prime recently. When a friend called me who is in contacts (for info he called from a non-Irish number). His name did not show up but a different number from a different country. He tried to call me two more times and again two different numbers from two different countries.

Does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Kavrocks

FlamingMoe wrote: »

Are HK Goldway closed for Chinese New year?

Ordered a phone 3 days ago and no sign of dispatch and no answer to messages

Everybody is. It also says it on their store's page.

Gile_na_gile

Just a note on the +/- of ordering from abroad. I've ordered an Mi5 after being impressed by all its reviews and wanting a smartphone that was fast and equipped with a quality Sony camera sensor, so the reviews seem to fit that. Cost around 220 on aliexpress with large dealer with high feedback and will probably incur customs charge of around €57 via An Post.

Once received, the next stage is reflashing and ensuring the product works and is absolutely genuine. If there is a fault, then paying to send it back again and so on.

So basically, although the cost is low for such a high-end product (low margins, slave labour, environmental spillage, and all that), it is still quite a bit of work for an impatient consumer like me. The other option was to get the equivalent here, so basically an S6 or a OnePlus3 (sent again from abroad), and pay a lot more but get it faster with less uncertainties. I wonder how much it would cost if it was made in Europe, €600?

GBX

Gile_na_gile wrote: »

Just a note on the +/- of ordering from abroad. I've ordered an Mi5 after being impressed by all its reviews and wanting a smartphone that was fast and equipped with a quality Sony camera sensor, so the reviews seem to fit that. Cost around 220 on aliexpress with large dealer with high feedback and will probably incur customs charge of around €57 via An Post.

Once received, the next stage is reflashing and ensuring the product works and is absolutely genuine. If there is a fault, then paying to send it back again and so on.

So basically, although the cost is low for such a high-end product (low margins, slave labour, environmental spillage, and all that), it is still quite a bit of work for an impatient consumer like me. The other option was to get the equivalent here, so basically an S6 or a OnePlus3 (sent again from abroad), and pay a lot more but get it faster with less uncertainties. I wonder how much it would cost if it was made in Europe, €600?

It would be naïve to think that Samsung/OP/A.Nother brand are not made with all the risks you have mentioned.

Not every phone needs to be reflashed out of the box in order to work. Vendors give you this option before you on some devices.


In buying from Asia you are giving yourself many options that generally wouldn't be available here - If go into CPW and look at the phone options available you generally wont get the same spec for the same money buying online. Its only when you pay top money do you get decent spec.

Kavrocks

Gile_na_gile wrote: »

Just a note on the +/- of ordering from abroad. I've ordered an Mi5 after being impressed by all its reviews and wanting a smartphone that was fast and equipped with a quality Sony camera sensor, so the reviews seem to fit that. Cost around 220 on aliexpress with large dealer with high feedback and will probably incur customs charge of around €57 via An Post.

Once received, the next stage is reflashing and ensuring the product works and is absolutely genuine. If there is a fault, then paying to send it back again and so on.

So basically, although the cost is low for such a high-end product (low margins, slave labour, environmental spillage, and all that), it is still quite a bit of work for an impatient consumer like me. The other option was to get the equivalent here, so basically an S6 or a OnePlus3 (sent again from abroad), and pay a lot more but get it faster with less uncertainties. I wonder how much it would cost if it was made in Europe, €600?

You could have got the Mi5 from MiShop.ie and had it in 1 - 3 days or EGlobalCentral in 6 - 8 days. They work out at similar prices if you do indeed incur customs charges.

Regardless of what phone or electronics product you buy you should ensure it works and is genuine. That applies to phones you would buy from an Irish network too. The downside from importing a phone though is you don't have Irish or EU consumer law to fall back on if there is an issue.

I don't understand where people get the idea that any phone they see in shops are made in Europe. Nearly every phone is made in Asia these days and especially every phone you'll see in a store in Ireland, that includes the S6 and One Plus 3. Europe and the US don't have the manufacturing capabilities or expertise to make phones nowadays despite what Trump will tell you. Most of these companies are Asian anyway; OnePlus are Chinese (the same as Xiaomi) and Samsung and LG are Korean. Nokia who for years manufactured phones in Scandinavia now only license their brand to a Chinese manufacturer. Motorola who were the last to part manufacture phones in the US are owned by Lenovo who are Chinese and every product Apple ship is manufactured in China, only the design and research is done in America.

Even if you can find a European manufacturer (WileyFox are one but I don't think their phones are manufactured in England anymore) the majority of the components in their devices will be manufactured in Asia anyway. Europe and US gave up the ability to manufacture devices a long time ago.

Gile_na_gile

Yes, for sure, there is no way around the usual offshore manufacturing issues, and we already had the S7 exploding battery news. The most popular brand in the world and you cannot bring it on board a plane!

I also agree that new Chinese brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus are pretty much on a par with the Korean and American firms who also build in China or Taiwan.

Mishop are out of stock on Mi5 32GB but only an extra €20 in cost when including customs charge and VAT.

Nick_oliveri

Placed an order with eglobal for a Xiaomi Mi5 32GB on the 17th of January.

The order status didn't change all week so I emailed them asking wtf.
They then informed me that a case I ordered along with the phone wasn't in stock and wouldn't be in till the following Monday.

When they did eventually pack the item and give me a tracking number on Tuesday the 23rd of January, I assumed the tracking information would update on the DPD site.

Today, Friday the 27th of January, I sent off a support email to DPD asking why the tracking hasn't updated.

"The reason you have not yet received this parcel is because we (DPD) have not yet received the parcel from the sending company."

Seriously pissed at the level of service here. Cowboys Ted.

Gile_na_gile

Basically, it is the wild east once you are purchasing outside of the EU and large, well-established stores. You are basing your transactions on reputation, rather than the capacity of the regulator and QC to ensure that fake / modified goods do not enter the marketplace. In Hong Kong, brick and mortar retailers tend to be small and ephemeral as well.

Eglobal in Europe seems to be a shopfront for covering customs fees, but it is not so different from buying direct from aliexpress with DHL instead of snailmail. Won't be long before these big Chinese brands open partnerships with European retailers, though, following the well-beaten path.

Lastly, I note some pages on Reddit and the like eventually get colonised by the e-retailers themselves.

fixXxer

Nick_oliveri wrote: »

Placed an order with eglobal for a Xiaomi Mi5 32GB on the 17th of January.

The order status didn't change all week so I emailed them asking wtf.
They then informed me that a case I ordered along with the phone wasn't in stock and wouldn't be in till the following Monday.

When they did eventually pack the item and give me a tracking number on Tuesday the 23rd of January, I assumed the tracking information would update on the DPD site.

Today, Friday the 27th of January, I sent off a support email to DPD asking why the tracking hasn't updated.

"The reason you have not yet received this parcel is because we (DPD) have not yet received the parcel from the sending company."

Seriously pissed at the level of service here. Cowboys Ted.

I've bought a phone and a camera lens from eglobal. The phone arrived quickly and as described. The lens went missing for 6 months in the post. Eglobal were terrible to deal with never answering questions, just saying "please be patient" and then closing the support ticket. Doubt I'll ever buy from them again tbh.

alanhiggyno1

Nick_oliveri wrote: »

Placed an order with eglobal for a Xiaomi Mi5 32GB on the 17th of January.

The order status didn't change all week so I emailed them asking wtf.
They then informed me that a case I ordered along with the phone wasn't in stock and wouldn't be in till the following Monday.

When they did eventually pack the item and give me a tracking number on Tuesday the 23rd of January, I assumed the tracking information would update on the DPD site.

Today, Friday the 27th of January, I sent off a support email to DPD asking why the tracking hasn't updated.

"The reason you have not yet received this parcel is because we (DPD) have not yet received the parcel from the sending company."

Seriously pissed at the level of service here. Cowboys Ted.

I just went through the same thing with DHL with the seller not handing over the phone officially to DHL but created the label on the site hence giving u a tracking number.i had to wait 14 days to wait for a update and had the phone 2 days later so don't panic just yet.