Chinese Android Phones 2 - Read First Post!

Digital Solitude

If you open the Play Store, swipe left to right and go into My Apps and Games, and then All, it'll give you a full list of all the apps you've downloaded from the Play Store. If you long press on one, you can multiselect them and do a batch install.

gerrybbadd

Digital Solitude wrote: »

If you open the Play Store, swipe left to right and go into My Apps and Games, and then All, it'll give you a full list of all the apps you've downloaded from the Play Store. If you long press on one, you can multiselect them and do a batch install.

Ah Christ!!! If i had of only known about the long press!!! I've had several Android phones down through the years and never knew this. Have done them one by one.

Many thanks D.S - that's a lifesaving life hack!

Digital Solitude

I think the Long Press was only introduced in 5.1 Lollipop, definitely hasn't been there for that long!

Senna

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Bought an Umi Plus for my son and wrote about the pro's and con's in this thread.

I believe the Umi E is a souped up version of the Plus with 6GB of RAM being one of the main attractions but I have read elsewhere that having 6GB RAM is a waste as the phone won't use it. Not sure how true that is.

I'm currently considering purchasing the new Umi Z (I also have a 2 year old 1+1) which you can compare to the Plus and E models here.

Personally I'm probably going to wait to see some real world reviews of the Z before puling the trigger.

Hope that helps.

Yes did read your post and it was very helpful, thanks. 6gb ram is a gimmick but the new processer and better GPS was why I was going for the E.
Any comment on the 4g signal, I've been meaning to research what signal 3 use in rural areas for 4g as that's what I will be on.

Edit. Though the Z was 5inch so had dismissed it, will look at the Z now

Berty

melon_collie wrote: »

Got my Oneplus 3t in the post today. Very impressed. However I am trying to get the device to sync all of the apps on my old android. Is there an easy way to do this??? In the past I have only ever used Samsungs and this process seemed to run automatically.

Got mine today. I concur, impressive speed with the 6gb.

I just had to manually go in and install about 60 apps that didn't come with the OP. To be fair I use a launcher so was happy to sit meddling with the phone anyway.

I use the settings "Button Swap" and swapped the back button and folder buttons from one side to the other. I hold the phone in my right hand so easier having the back button nearer to my hand.

jozi

There's an all apps tab in your play store where you can long press and select all apps to install at once

jozi

There's an all apps tab in your play store where you can long press and select all apps to install at once

Euphoriasean

Haven't had good experiences with Umi. Had a umi super, well actually 2. Poor GPS and the screen is very brittle. Broke 2 screens both just falling off the couch,even had a screen protector on the second one. Have seen numerous other similar reports.

Also aftr a couple of months the battery life went south and the phone became very sluggish.

Senna wrote: »

Yes did read your post and it was very helpful, thanks. 6gb ram is a gimmick but the new processer and better GPS was why I was going for the E.
Any comment on the 4g signal, I've been meaning to research what signal 3 use in rural areas for 4g as that's what I will be on.

Edit. Though the Z was 5inch so had dismissed it, will look at the Z now

54and56

Senna wrote: »

Yes did read your post and it was very helpful, thanks. 6gb ram is a gimmick but the new processer and better GPS was why I was going for the E.

Can I ask how you established that the GPS signal is better on the E? I hope it's true and in particular for the Z as that's the only reason I haven't purchased one yet.

Senna wrote: »

Any comment on the 4g signal, I've been meaning to research what signal 3 use in rural areas for 4g as that's what I will be on.

Can't comment on 4G I'm afraid as the young lad is on Lycamobile €15 a month all you can eat calls and data which only uses 3G.

Senna wrote: »

Edit. Though the Z was 5inch so had dismissed it, will look at the Z now

Yes, the Z is also 5.5".

g0g

I know this is probably a stupid question, but can someone tell me how to sync my android contacts onto Redmi 3S!? Got it yesterday and it upgrade to Miui 8. Google Play store refusing to install Google Contacts telling me not compatible. It's probably obvious but no amount of searching has given me an answer yet!

Senna

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Can I ask how you established that the GPS signal is better on the E? I hope it's true and in particular for the Z as that's the only reason I haven't purchased one yet.

A number of reviews said the E didn't have the same GPS issues as the normal plus.

eoinpower02

My mi5's battery has been acting up and seems to have swelled up so the back no longer fits on. What should I do?

Digital Solitude

Replace it, possibility of it exploding

eoinpower02

Digital Solitude wrote:

Replace it, possibility of it exploding

Would I be able to do that myself or is there anywhere in Ireland that will do it?

eoinpower02

eoinpower02 wrote:

Would I be able to do that myself or is there anywhere in Ireland that will do it?

Also where would I get one from

Digital Solitude

eoinpower02 wrote: »

Also where would I get one from

AliExpress.

You'd have to ask around, I don't know anyone who might do it

CantGetNoSleep

eoinpower02 wrote: »

My mi5's battery has been acting up and seems to have swelled up so the back no longer fits on. What should I do?

I'd stop using that immediately

Kavrocks

g0g wrote: »

I know this is probably a stupid question, but can someone tell me how to sync my android contacts onto Redmi 3S!? Got it yesterday and it upgrade to Miui 8. Google Play store refusing to install Google Contacts telling me not compatible. It's probably obvious but no amount of searching has given me an answer yet!

If your contacts are synced to your Google account they should have synced to your phone as soon as you added your Google account. The issue is that most phones default to saving contacts somewhere other than Google and this is how people always lose them.

You can check if contact sync is turned on for your account by going to Settings -> Other accounts -> Google -> Choose your email. If there is a tick beside Contacts sync is turned on and the issue is most likely your contacts aren't stored in your Google account. You can check this by logging into Gmail on a computer, clicking the drop down arrow beside Gmail and choosing contacts.

g0g

Kavrocks wrote: »

If your contacts are synced to your Google account they should have synced to your phone as soon as you added your Google account. The issue is that most phones default to saving contacts somewhere other than Google and this is how people always lose them.

You can check if contact sync is turned on for your account by going to Settings -> Other accounts -> Google -> Choose your email. If there is a tick beside Contacts sync is turned on and the issue is most likely your contacts aren't stored in your Google account. You can check this by logging into Gmail on a computer, clicking the drop down arrow beside Gmail and choosing contacts.

nice one thanks! Ok turns out I didn't have my Nexus 5X saving everything to Google. I came from Windows Phone so my contacts are all on my live.com account. I have that added too but it doesn't appear to be pulling them in. Does it not automatically pull the likes of Facebook / LinkedIn contacts too?

Kavrocks

g0g wrote: »

nice one thanks! Ok turns out I didn't have my Nexus 5X saving everything to Google. I came from Windows Phone so my contacts are all on my live.com account. I have that added too but it doesn't appear to be pulling them in. Does it not automatically pull the likes of Facebook / LinkedIn contacts too?

I don't use either apps but they can be set up to sync them once you've downloaded the apps and added the accounts to your phone.

Rhino101

After debating weather to go with the new redmi note 4 I've decided the older but proven redmi note 3 is the way to go and so bought Xiaomi redmi note 3 special edition (International) from HonorBuy I wanted to share my impression and thoughts with my 1st chinese phone once I had it for few days so here goes...I upgraded from windows phone which I liked but I wasn't too impressed with how long the battery lasted how slow it could be at times, not to mention the browser would occasionally crash on some websites that I like to frequent


I bought from their EU warehouse in Italy and received tracking in few hours. The phone was at the door two days later with DHL. The delivery was about 30 quid on top of 170 for the phone but still far less for what I'd have to spend on bigger brands out there. Honorbuy flashed the ROM for me and it came with Google Play and android 6.0.1 - MIUI 8 Global 7.1.19. I have no experience in flashing ROM's whatsoever though so I am glad I won't have to bother with it.


The phone feels really well made and the back cover is aluminum. I've recieved free screen protector (very easy to put on) and a EU plug. The Special edition comes with B20 band enabled for fast 4G and the phone is flying it, (I am on Vodafone) even if 3G is occasionally creeps in. The battery is a life saver and can last up to 3 to 4 days on light use. The camera is decent for my needs and a definite improvement over my lumia 640 although in low light it will lose the sharpness and adds noise. I went with the 3Gb ram version to future proof myself a bit and found that to be more then plenty for my needs although I don't game or anything I might add. The display to me looks quite stunning really, sharp and crispy with nice colors. It is full HD and I can't see myself needing any higher resolution than that, even though I can certainly appreciate 4k on my monitor.


As a long time windows phone user I have found android fairly easy to use and same goes for MIUI, which I actually quite like. I mention this as when I did my research some people were not as impressed with the MIUI and installed launchers like Nova but as I mentioned I quite like it.

If I've forgotten to mention something or if you have any questions feel free to let me know

jozi

How are you finding notifications? Miui is nice and all, feature rich but I couldn't live with notifications and I like my app drawer.

I'm literally in the process of setting up a Redmi 4 Prime for my girlfriend and have been told to make sure the alarm works (it didn't reliably for me when I had the phone). She's coming from ios and I think she will like the ui more than someone used to vanilla android.

Definitely think the Redmi 4 (and probably Redmi 3) are nice phones that are worth every penny. I've changed to a Mi5 with lineage and so far so good (a week in but only 1 day with a sim in the phone).

emg74

Rhino101 wrote: »

After debating weather to go with the new redmi note 4 I've decided the older but proven redmi note 3 is the way to go and so bought Xiaomi redmi note 3 special edition (International) from HonorBuy I wanted to share my impression and thoughts with my 1st chinese phone once I had it for few days so here goes...I upgraded from windows phone which I liked but I wasn't too impressed with how long the battery lasted how slow it could be at times, not to mention the browser would occasionally crash on some websites that I like to frequent


I bought from their EU warehouse in Italy and received tracking in few hours. The phone was at the door two days later with DHL. The delivery was about 30 quid on top of 170 for the phone but still far less for what I'd have to spend on bigger brands out there. Honorbuy flashed the ROM for me and it came with Google Play and android 6.0.1 - MIUI 8 Global 7.1.19. I have no experience in flashing ROM's whatsoever though so I am glad I won't have to bother with it.


The phone feels really well made and the back cover is aluminum. I've recieved free screen protector (very easy to put on) and a EU plug. The Special edition comes with B20 band enabled for fast 4G and the phone is flying it, (I am on Vodafone) even if 3G is occasionally creeps in. The battery is a life saver and can last up to 3 to 4 days on light use. The camera is decent for my needs and a definite improvement over my lumia 640 although in low light it will lose the sharpness and adds noise. I went with the 3Gb ram version to future proof myself a bit and found that to be more then plenty for my needs although I don't game or anything I might add. The display to me looks quite stunning really, sharp and crispy with nice colors. It is full HD and I can't see myself needing any higher resolution than that, even though I can certainly appreciate 4k on my monitor.


As a long time windows phone user I have found android fairly easy to use and same goes for MIUI, which I actually quite like. I mention this as when I did my research some people were not as impressed with the MIUI and installed launchers like Nova but as I mentioned I quite like it.

If I've forgotten to mention something or if you have any questions feel free to let me know

Can I just ask what made you go for the Note 3 rather than the Note 4 - I have a Mi4c and was thinking of going to the Mi5 but am now thinking of the RedMi Note 4 as the battery is bigger. I'm a bit conufsed as there are so many different versions and now from reading your post, I'm wondering if I should look at the Note 3 instead.

My current Mi4c is working grand so really it is itchy feet that has me looking at an upgrade rather than necessity.

What did you see as the big difference between the Note 3 & Note 4 ?

mcgiggles

Got a Redmi Note 4 in October -ish, my niece feckin dropped it the other day! Typical that I had just taken the cover off it as the back wasn't staying on it. Now the sound when I call people is really crackly, it sounds like they are on bad loudspeaker. I asked a shop in town could they fix it and they said no that because its Chinese the parts can only be gotten in China.. Does anyone know/ could anyone recommend any place in Ireland that could fix it? Have a years warranty but really don't want to have to send it back to geekbuying to see if they can fix it, god knows how long it would be gone!

mcgiggles

Also looking to buy a phone for my fiance for around the 150mark, was thinking the note 3 or 4 but I've heard people mention the mi5? whats that like?

Gile_na_gile

I got my Mi5 last week after a month of waiting, and it cost around 280 after customs and VAT from Aliexpress. It came with the Chinese ROM as I wanted it sealed without any fake vendor ROMs installed that are a pain to get off. I haven't really been able to use it until yesterday as it took 4 days to get permission to unlock the bootloader (you don't have to wait for the device to do so and i did it late) and then I installed Lineage OS on it yesterday.

It is a beautiful piece of hardware and very reponsive. The camera (optic sensor is IMX298, same as OnePlus 3) is excellent for a smartphone and more than enough for my fieldwork and outdoor shots, nearly on par with a Galaxy S6 only underperforming in lowlight.

I would recommend the Mi5 if your fiancé is looking for a reasonably good camera and a very fast processor. The processing power is more than I need, and the Redmi Note 3 is plenty fast for most functions, but does not have a similar optic sensor, but it is fine. Check examples online. For your budget, the RN3 sounds more appropriate.

Regarding the software, MIUI is alright but I don't want my contacts synced with google or xiaomi and feel more secure with a minimalist custom rom install. It was my first time installing a custom rom so quite a bit of learning involved.

mcgiggles

mcgiggles wrote: »

Got a Redmi Note 4 in October -ish, my niece feckin dropped it the other day! Typical that I had just taken the cover off it as the back wasn't staying on it. Now the sound when I call people is really crackly, it sounds like they are on bad loudspeaker. I asked a shop in town could they fix it and they said no that because its Chinese the parts can only be gotten in China.. Does anyone know/ could anyone recommend any place in Ireland that could fix it? Have a years warranty but really don't want to have to send it back to geekbuying to see if they can fix it, god knows how long it would be gone!

Update to my post above, emailed them and explained the situation to see what they say and they asked for order number, photos or video.. lol kinda hard to take a photo of a call, and when I make a call and record it on the phone itself it sounds fine, I wonder if I make a call and take a video with someone elses phone would it pick it up? Cos when I switch to loudspeaker its fine (different speaker so thats obvious)

eamonnq

mcgiggles wrote: »

Got a Redmi Note 4 in October -ish, my niece feckin dropped it the other day! Typical that I had just taken the cover off it as the back wasn't staying on it. Now the sound when I call people is really crackly, it sounds like they are on bad loudspeaker. I asked a shop in town could they fix it and they said no that because its Chinese the parts can only be gotten in China.. Does anyone know/ could anyone recommend any place in Ireland that could fix it? Have a years warranty but really don't want to have to send it back to geekbuying to see if they can fix it, god knows how long it would be gone!

Don't think it will be covered under warranty if it was dropped.

mcgiggles

eamonnq wrote: »

Don't think it will be covered under warranty if it was dropped.

I also figured that would be the case hence asking if anyone knew anywhere that would fix it!

ellobee

there are definitely loads of places that will fix it, the problem is, if it needs a part and it cant be sourced locally you are looking at 4 to 6 weeks for it to come from china, there's a couple of chinese phone shops in Capel street also there is a shop in Lucan shopping centre called tech help, Ive had some stuff repaired there and find them pretty good.