Chinese Android Phones 2 - Read First Post!

Iseedeadpixels

Stallingrad wrote: »

That Umidigi is the classic Chinese phone, seemingly brilliant specs, slickly presented, cheap as chips. But I've been burned with Xiacao, Zoppo and Doogee, all looked great but rubbish so not falling for it again.

Xiaomi are the only ones I trust now, where they are actually as good as they appear.

Oukitel are solid too.

X6.430macman

ImARebel wrote:

If I'm paying 300 for a chinese phone I'd probably stump up an extra 100 for a more well known branded phone

I get where you'd be coming from but even in that side of things your still getting a lot of bang for your buck. I was with a friend with an iPhone 6 and I believe my snapchat camera is way ahead of his one

bootser

jfk247 wrote:

Got sorted in the end, had to wipe both user and cache data. then boot without sim and skip most of the automatic setup. Have all accounts added now and apps downloaded. Nubia UI is going to take some getting used to...might leave it a while before flashing it!!!

Hi Jfk, got the phone in hand. Lovely to look at but similar prob on setup its not seeing any wifi networks! What did u do?

jfk247

press and hold power and volume up button, keep holding volume up button when screen comes on.

should get you into 'boot mode', from there I was able to wipe user data and wipe cache. once that was done, I skipped passed most of the setup as you can add your google/other account manually later on. should be able to do the time/date/region settings during the setup.

Once in, I added my google account, connected to the wifi, inserted sim card and made sure all the data/mms settings pulled down correctly.

eamonnq

Missymoohaa wrote: »

http://www.umidigi.com/page-umidigi_s2lite_overview.html

Just got an email about this phone. It doesn't seem to be on kimovil yet but there is an Umidigi S2 there - release date last August.

What do you guys think?

I'm very interested but must have dual sim and band 20 like it's predecessor or I'm out. It says the price being released at is $169.99. I really like the look of it but know nothing about Umidigi, anybody any experience of these phones?

TIA

That is interesting alright, I had been considering the S2 PRO at one stage, but that looks like a lot pf phone for the money, but I would also be inclined to hold off until it is released and see what the real reviews are like first.

bootser

jfk247 wrote:

should get you into 'boot mode', from there I was able to wipe user data and wipe cache. once that was done, I skipped passed most of the setup as you can add your google/other account manually later on. should be able to do the time/date/region settings during the setup.

jfk247 wrote:

Once in, I added my google account, connected to the wifi, inserted sim card and made sure all the data/mms settings pulled down correctly.

jfk247 wrote:

press and hold power and volume up button, keep holding volume up button when screen comes on.

Thanks, working fine now!

eoferrall

question in case anyone knows the answer, looking at this phone. is there a difference between the "Global Version" and the "Global ROM"? difference is non-xistant it appears. I have compared the specs and other than the display (which I believe to be an error) they are identical? is it purely the software, and which is better to go for?

also does anyone know if Geekbuying HK warehouse ships via the UK?

Global ROM: https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Mi-Mix-2-5-99-Inch-6GB-64GB-Smartphone-Black-385786.html

Global version: https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Official-Global-Version-Xiaomi-Mix-2-6GB-64GB-Smartphone-Black-388935.html

Thanks!

corkie

eoferrall wrote: »

question in case anyone knows the answer, looking at this phone. is there a difference between the "Global Version" and the "Global ROM"? difference is non-xistant it appears. I have compared the specs and other than the display (which I believe to be an error) they are identical? is it purely the software, and which is better to go for?

also does anyone know if Geekbuying HK warehouse ships via the UK?

Global ROM: https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Mi-Mix-2-5-99-Inch-6GB-64GB-Smartphone-Black-385786.html

Global version: https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Official-Global-Version-Xiaomi-Mix-2-6GB-64GB-Smartphone-Black-388935.html

Your first link was broken, fixed it in the quotes above.

They look like the same device.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Xiaomi/wiki/specs/mimix2

You should be looking to purchase from Italy/Spain/Denmark to avoid paying VAT!

eoferrall

corkie wrote: »

Your first link was broken, fixed it in the quotes above.

They look like the same device.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Xiaomi/wiki/specs/mimix2

You should be looking to purchase from Italy/Spain/Denmark to avoid paying VAT!

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yeah the spain, Italian and German warehouses are about 440e but also have the two versions. which is about the same as HK with customs added on. Was looking into if they went via UK to reduce the cost, or else go with the european warehouse for guaranteed price and quick delivery etc.

baldshin

Anyone have the Redmi 5 yet? Thinking of going for it.

jfk247

Anyone had any experience with a phone rebooting during the day?? Happened twice today and couple times during the week. Not a huge issue but obviously not ideal.
Nubia Z17 lite bought from geek buying IT warehouse 2 weeks ago. Still running stock OS on it havent rooted it or anything. Could this be a hardware or software/nubia android version???

The_Bullman

jfk247 wrote: »

Anyone had any experience with a phone rebooting during the day?? Happened twice today and couple times during the week. Not a huge issue but obviously not ideal.
Nubia Z17 lite bought from geek buying IT warehouse 2 weeks ago. Still running stock OS on it havent rooted it or anything. Could this be a hardware or software/nubia android version???

Happened to me too.. Same phone.

jfk247

The_Bullman wrote: »

Happened to me too.. Same phone.

Did you do anything or did you just leave it?

The_Bullman

I just left it. It only seemed to happen when I wasn't using it.

I'd be constantly listening to podcasts during the day and I don't think it happened then.

I would like to get back to stock android though. Not a fan of the nubia launcher. Even with nova launcher I'm not liking it.

Suckit

This is worth a read.
https://www.wired.com/story/android-users-to-avoid-malware-ditch-googles-app-store/

Android Users: To Avoid Malware, Try the F-Droid App Store

F-Droid is the best replacement for Google Play, because it only offers FOSS apps without tracking, has a strict auditing process, and may be installed on most Android devices without any hassles or restrictions. F-Droid doesn't offer the millions of apps available in Google Play, so some people will not want to use it exclusively. It’s true that Google does screen apps submitted to the Play store to filter out malware, but the process is still mostly automated and very quick— too quick to detect Android malware before it's published, as we've seen.
Installing F-Droid isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s the first step in protecting yourself from malware. With this small change, you’ll even have bragging rights with your friends with iPhones, who are limited to Apple’s App Store unless they jailbreak their phones.

DANNY2014

Purchased redmi note 4 global version 4gb 64gb off geekbuying Friday europe warehouse delivered today... Just wondering about the ce mark on the box... It just basically says CE whereas any reviews videos has a number after the ce (e.g ce1315)... Should this be of concern???

ImARebel

X6.430macman wrote: »

I get where you'd be coming from but even in that side of things your still getting a lot of bang for your buck. I was with a friend with an iPhone 6 and I believe my snapchat camera is way ahead of his one

And which phone have you got. Maybe it's a case that the Maze Alpha is just particularly bad

That said I just can't make myself give it up. I love every single other thing about it. So I've now just got no pics of the kids for the grand parents (it's not going down well!)

pickarooney

Deleted User wrote: »

Guys looking to get a good budget phone for my non techie brother. I have my sights set on a Xiaomi Redmi 4X (not the note version) which is a 5" phone and the size he prefers.

I plan on unlocking it and sticking LineageOS on it like I did with my Mi5. I'm waiting for it to go on discount again before paying for the DHL service which attracts no duty.

Anyway just before I pull the trigger are there any better deals/phones out there for the same kind of money?

I bought two, one for me, one for someone else, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It looks and feels great, the battery lasts ages and it takes nice photos.

Missymoohaa

Missymoohaa wrote: »

http://www.umidigi.com/page-umidigi_s2lite_overview.html

Just got an email about this phone. It doesn't seem to be on kimovil yet but there is an Umidigi S2 there - release date last August.

What do you guys think?

I'm very interested but must have dual sim and band 20 like it's predecessor or I'm out. It says the price being released at is $169.99. I really like the look of it but know nothing about Umidigi, anybody any experience of these phones?

TIA

I was having a bad day yesterday and feeling sorry for myself I went ahead and ordered this phone :eek:

It ended up being €124 and an extra 4.33 to have it delivered in 4 to 8 days.

I'll let you know what it's like when I get it and bear in mind I'm coming from a Vodafone Smart Ultra 7, which is a work phone. I wanted a phone with dual sim that i could turn of the work sim when i'm not in work so I'm looking forward to that and the fact I'll have more than 1GB data to play with every month with a pre pay plan. :P

GBX

Where did you buy from Missy?

Missymoohaa

GBX wrote: »

Where did you buy from Missy?

I nearly dread to say it GBX, but I bought it from Gearbest, they were having a promo with €20 or something off.

NATLOR

Missymoohaa wrote: »

I nearly dread to say it GBX, but I bought it from Gearbest, they were having a promo with €20 or something off.

If you took the expedited shipping option (DHL) be prepared for VAT and DHL handling charges of around €40

Missymoohaa

NATLOR wrote: »

If you took the expedited shipping option (DHL) be prepared for VAT and DHL handling charges of around €40

I am thank you!

Bumski

I haven't posted here in a while. I got an Umi Rome in Jan 2016 and it worked well for a budget phone and I held on to it for a few months until June 2016 when my GF broke her phone and I gave the Rome to her and got myself an Umi Super for €216 from Coolicool in Spain. The Umi Rome survived a further year and worked fine until my GF dropped it.

I was impressed with the Super and the service I had from Coolicool so I ordered an Umi E Plus from Spain for her. Unfortunately, after only a couple of months the battery started to overheat and bulge. Coolicool Spain and Umi didn't help at all. There was no customer service whatsoever. Even though it was bought from Spain, Coolicool insisted that it be returned to China. Instead, I ordered a replacement battery on aliexpress (Coolicool said they couldn't send one). When I fitted it the phone worked connected to a computer, data was retrieved and the phone could be flashed etc. BUT the screen stayed black no matter what I did. As a stopgap, she's currently using an older Jiayu G4 which is still working perfectly.

The battery life of my Umi Super is beginning to reduce from charge to charge. The experience with the Umi Plus put me off Umi - a pity as I was looking at the S2. So instead I ordered a Maze Alpha from Gearbest (EU) before Christmas. After a fortnight, it still hadn't shipped and I cancelled the order. The refund was quick.

The Maze Alpha X was available after Christmas and I ordered it from Gearbest China. It was still slow to ship but I held on and it arrived last week with Belgian Post and no customs :-) So far I'm pleased with it. It's almost the same size as the Umi Super but a bigger screen. Battery life is excellent and I'm getting two days. It did an OTA when I switched it on. The screen is excellent and the phone came with a tempered glass protetor. GPS quick.

The only quibble I have, to date, is that the glass back is really slippy. Place it on a sofa and it'll slide away. So far there are very limited options for a case.

GBX

I'm in 2 minds about the UMI S2 - its for my girlfriend. She has a Huawei POS with minimal storage and broken screen. She likes the look of the S2, size suits and has decent spec for the price. I see some posts about malware on UMI phones and with it being a new model, I cant see there being many options for wiping and putting a fresh clean rom on it.

Scotty #

DANNY2014 wrote: »

Purchased redmi note 4 global version 4gb 64gb off geekbuying Friday europe warehouse delivered today... Just wondering about the ce mark on the box... It just basically says CE whereas any reviews videos has a number after the ce (e.g ce1315)... Should this be of concern???

No.

CE just means that the manufacturer is declaring it passes any applicable standards. There is no registration required or available for the CE mark so there is no corresponding CE number or id. Whatever number you saw starting with ce has no relevance to the CE mark. As it's 'self-certifying' with no independent testing, the CE mark is actually pretty meaningless.

I've had one of these phones a few months and have bought for others. Great phone!

Scotty #

Anyone thinking of buying a Xiaomi phone, I highly recommend www.honorbuy.com. I've bought 4 or 5 from them at this stage and I have to say, they're after sales service is excellent.

I bought a phone from them for a work colleague's daughter before Christmas after she wrecked her previous phone and it wasn't long until she wrecked her Redmi Note 4 either. I sent it back to them last week with the screen smashed to pieces. I've asked several times for the repair cost to which they replied "we'll let you know". Got the following this morning...

We are glad to tell you that your phone now is repaired well.
The technician help you replace the touch screen for free (although the bottom of the phone had ever touch water, it did not influence the vice-board)
We want to return it to you,
But you need to pay freight to us,it need 20 usd.
This is our paypal account:wonderfone@gmail.com
If we receive your payment, EU warehouse will send it to you via DHL asap.
Best regards!

spix

Scotty # wrote: »

Anyone thinking of buying a Xiaomi phone, I highly recommend www.honorbuy.com. I've bought 4 or 5 from them at this stage and I have to say, they're after sales service is excellent.

I bought a phone from them for a work colleague's daughter before Christmas after she wrecked her previous phone and it wasn't long until she wrecked her Redmi Note 4 either. I sent it back to them last week with the screen smashed to pieces. I've asked several times for the repair cost to which they replied "we'll let you know". Got the following this morning...

We are glad to tell you that your phone now is repaired well.
The technician help you replace the touch screen for free (although the bottom of the phone had ever touch water, it did not influence the vice-board)
We want to return it to you,
But you need to pay freight to us,it need 20 usd.
This is our paypal account:wonderfone@gmail.com
If we receive your payment, EU warehouse will send it to you via DHL asap.
Best regards!

They are more expensive to buy it from in the first place though and replacement screens cost under 20usd. Its nice of them not to charge the fee to change it but its only a few minutes work. And did the shipping really cost them 20usd? :P

Scotty #

spix wrote: »

They are more expensive to buy it from in the first place though and replacement screens cost under 20usd. Its nice of them not to charge the fee to change it but its only a few minutes work. And did the shipping really cost them 20usd? :P

The shipping is DHL express. It'll be dispatched this afternoon from Italy and in my hand before lunch tomorrow.

They are a few euro more expensive granted but you have your phone in a day or two as opposed to a week or two from others. That, coupled with the after sales service, is worth it for me.

spix

Scotty # wrote: »

The shipping is DHL express. It'll be dispatched this afternoon from Italy and in my hand before lunch tomorrow.

They are a few euro more expensive granted but you have your phone in a day or two as opposed to a week or two from others. That, coupled with the after sales service, is worth it for me.

Ignoring the much cheaper stores on aliexpress that offer eu tax free shipping (first china->uk then uk->you) approx 5-8 days, they are still more expensive than other stores which have a dedicated EU warehouse such as ibuygou

ibuygou mi6 in eu warehouse = $399 + $18 shipping, 2 year warranty with warranty repairs also carried out in europe
honorbuy mi6 in eu warehouse = $410 + $34 shipping, 1 year warranty


ibuygou mia1 = $223 + $18
honorbuy mia1 = $240 + $34



Now if they had that kind of service with more competitive pricing then I'd be impressed but when they're already making more money on the phone... meh. Funny how it cost $34 shipping to buy the phone but only $20 to return it to you after repair.