Chinese Android Phones 2 - Read First Post!

eamonnq · 09-10-2017 9:15am

https://www.kimovil.com/en/opinions/xiaomi-mia1

A few reviews of the MI A1 starting to show up on Kimovil.

One says the cameras are great:
Unbeatable price / quality ratio, Android One.
A terminal with a price / quality ratio difficult to overcome, the cameras are great, the selfie camera surprised me compared to my old terminal a Samsung S5. The battery lasts a day with a normal use and with little use a day and a half. The best of all Android One, layer-free and junk programs, plus receive monthly updates from Google. I recommend it without a doubt.

but another says:
Good phone with horrible camera!
Xiaomi should be ashamed to call this a flagship camera phone! The rear Omnivision OV12A10 [telephoto] and OV13880 [wide] camera sensors are the worst combination. They take such poor photos that a Mi4i or even a Redmi 2 camera is much better than them. They're absolutely no match to the Sony IMX or even Samsung sensors. The front cam is also a huge letdown even though it's by Samsung [s5k5e8]. Another gripe is headphone output - an irritating hiss is audible when using low impedance (<32 ohms) headphones. Other than this, the phone is fast and great for calls and other uses thanks to the stock Android experience.

Will wait for more reviews I think before ordering.

Lucas Hood · 09-10-2017 9:19am

Heres Xdas review.
https://www.xda-developers.com/xiaomi-mi-a1-xda-review-android/

Might take you a while to read as it's quite detailed.

eamonnq · 09-10-2017 9:27am

Lucas Hood wrote: »

Heres Xdas review.
https://www.xda-developers.com/xiaomi-mi-a1-xda-review-android/

Might take you a while to read as it's quite detailed.

Thanks for that, will read it all at some stage but............

Camera Summary:
Wrapping up, the overall experience with the camera has been pleasant. Xiaomi claimed to compete against the likes of the iPhone 7 Plus in this department, and it really doesn’t by a good margin. But when we consider its price, the Mi A1 may easily be Xiaomi’s best camera smartphone in that price range. Other competitors like the Moto G5S Plus could have an advantage (as we cannot make a definitive statement without using the device ourselves), but the Mi A1 puts in an effort to let itself be known as a good camera smartphone in the mid-end segment. If you are limited on budget and want a smartphone that can take photographs, the Mi A1 does check that box.

AlmightyCushion · 09-10-2017 10:12am

It's a pity they didn't include NFC in the Mi A1.

sydthebeat · 09-10-2017 10:24am

my order for the ulefone Tiger has reached ireland yesterday and is with an post.
order made on 29/09 from ulefone official on aliexpress.

hopefully an post dont sit on it for ages

kevin306 · 09-10-2017 11:49am

For the people who have purchased the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. Where did you buy the device and how long before you received it. My Vodafone Ultra 6 battery is giving up on me and I need a new phone by the 10th Nov (flying to England). If I ordered today would it be here in time? It seems I need to make sure it has band 20 support. Could anyone post a link to a reliable site that has the global rom with the band twenty support?

Kenny Logins · 09-10-2017 11:53am

kevin306 wrote: »

For the people who have purchased the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. Where did you buy the device and how long before you received it. My Vodafone Ultra 6 battery is giving up on me and I need a new phone by the 10th Nov (flying to England). If I ordered today would it be here in time? It seems I need to make sure it has band 20 support. Could anyone post a link to a reliable site that has the global rom with the band twenty support?

FWIW I put a new battery in mine last week. Cost about €20 from eBay and took about 20 minutes to fit.

kevin306 · 09-10-2017 12:00pm

Kenny Logins wrote: »

FWIW I put a new battery in mine last week. Cost about €20 from eBay and took about 20 minutes to fit.

Great! This may be better option then because funds are tight at the minute. Is it difficult to replace. Could you send on link to ebay. Mine would just die all of a sudden at 80/90% if I went into certain apps.

funrunner95 · 09-10-2017 12:19pm

Ive got a Xiaomi Mi X5 (A1) if anyone has any questions, I can post some photos from the dual camera if needs be because seems to be what the interest is in

kevin306 · 09-10-2017 12:51pm

kevin306 wrote: »

Great! This may be better option then because funds are tight at the minute. Is it difficult to replace. Could you send on link to ebay. Mine would just die all of a sudden at 80/90% if I went into certain apps.

Found this link on vodafone ultra 6 thread https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cameron-Sino-3000mAh-Replacement-Vodafone/dp/B01J3PBZ06

I'll go ahead and buy this and replace my battery. I'll hold off until after xmas for the redmi note 4. Thanks again for suggesting this, I thought the battery was non-removable.

sydthebeat · 09-10-2017 12:58pm

funrunner95 wrote: »

Ive got a Xiaomi Mi X5 (A1) if anyone has any questions, I can post some photos from the dual camera if needs be because seems to be what the interest is in

have you checked to make sure the dual camera isnt fake?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZOtwRoyDBI

Kenny Logins · 09-10-2017 12:59pm

kevin306 wrote: »

Found this link on vodafone ultra 6 thread https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cameron-Sino-3000mAh-Replacement-Vodafone/dp/B01J3PBZ06

I'll go ahead and buy this and replace my battery. I'll hold off until after xmas for the redmi note 4. Thanks again for suggesting this, I thought the battery was non-removable.

Technically, it's not removable, but can be removed. :pac: PM'd

funrunner95 · 09-10-2017 1:12pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

have you checked to make sure the dual camera isnt fake?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZOtwRoyDBI

Yeah it's definitely not fake, I'm struggling to see the big advantage of it buts it's real for sure.

09-10-2017 3:10pm

sydthebeat wrote: »

have you checked to make sure the dual camera isnt fake?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZOtwRoyDBI

I don't think Xiaomi would do something naff like put in a sh1t fake camera. from the reviews that I've seen the A1 camera is decent but not good in low light.
There is no budget phone that is going to give you great results in low light unfortunately. The better sensors cost more money (as of today's date in any case) and therefore are found on the more expensive phones. Also the higher end companies put a lot of money into the software side for getting the best out of the sensor.
you have to go upper mid-range pricing to get something that will be decent in low light. e.g. honor 8/9.
even then you're not going to get results as good as apple's top phones (they really are the best for photos and I don't like apple products).

Lucas Hood · 09-10-2017 3:23pm

I'd expect Google to make their camera app compatible with dual cameras soon enough seen as it's getting popular now so the A1s camera might improve over time.

09-10-2017 3:39pm

Lucas Hood wrote: »

I'd expect Google to make their camera app compatible with dual cameras soon enough seen as it's getting popular now so the A1s camera might improve over time.

dual cameras in their own right don't necessarily mean better pictures. the main difference is the ability to do bokeh effects. (e.g. background blur in potraits).
two cheap camera sensors still mean not great photos.

Bahanaman · 09-10-2017 4:44pm

The Note 4 is getting hard to come by from a European warehouse. Does anyone know where there are any in stock?

Lucas Hood · 09-10-2017 5:11pm

glasso wrote: »

dual cameras in their own right don't necessarily mean better pictures. the main difference is the ability to do bokeh effects. (e.g. background blur in potraits).
two cheap camera sensors still mean not great photos.

I'd still expect a Google camera app to out peform a mi camera app.

cranefly · 09-10-2017 6:22pm

Bahanaman wrote: »

The Note 4 is getting hard to come by from a European warehouse. Does anyone know where there are any in stock?

tinydeals european warehouse have a few left i think, just give it a check for the model you want.

Ardennes1944 · 09-10-2017 7:52pm

Im guessing the lack of note 4s is due to the rumours of the note 5 coming in the coming weeks

Autochange · 09-10-2017 7:57pm

kevin306 wrote: »

For the people who have purchased the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. Where did you buy the device and how long before you received it. My Vodafone Ultra 6 battery is giving up on me and I need a new phone by the 10th Nov (flying to England). If I ordered today would it be here in time? It seems I need to make sure it has band 20 support. Could anyone post a link to a reliable site that has the global rom with the band twenty support?

I bought from Honourbuy and received the phone in 3 days. Eu warehouse, global version with 4 ram and 64gb
200 euro delivered

X6.430macman · 09-10-2017 10:39pm

Ardennes1944 wrote:

Im guessing the lack of note 4s is due to the rumours of the note 5 coming in the coming weeks

Is that not coming until January I though?

funrunner95 · 10-10-2017 3:02am

glasso wrote: »

dual cameras in their own right don't necessarily mean better pictures. the main difference is the ability to do bokeh effects. (e.g. background blur in potraits).
two cheap camera sensors still mean not great photos.

Nail on the head. Was comparing this with my mates new Samsung model that has the dual camera (one of the notes I think) and they're in a different league. Still very good mind. I've the model for the Chinese market also that comes with miui so maybe it'll be different with android software?

Ardennes1944 · 10-10-2017 7:32am

X6.430macman wrote: »

Is that not coming until January I though?

From looking at the usual sites yesterday and it today it appears to be coming in the next month or so

Digital Solitude · 10-10-2017 9:08am

funrunner95 wrote: »

Nail on the head. Was comparing this with my mates new Samsung model that has the dual camera (one of the notes I think) and they're in a different league. Still very good mind. I've the model for the Chinese market also that comes with miui so maybe it'll be different with android software?

MiUi is android, in the same way Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC Sense is android. They're all just heavily modified versions of the same thing. Install GNL or Nova and you wouldn't know the difference.

I don't know much about cameras so I don't know if you need a ROM change for big changes in the sensor or an app change can do it.

fixXxer · 10-10-2017 9:16am

Digital Solitude wrote:

I don't know much about cameras so I don't know if you need a ROM change for big changes in the sensor or an app change can do it.

If you're shooting in jpeg then the camera app makes certain decisions about how the image data is converted from raw which is why different apps can have different image outcomes.

ImARebel · 10-10-2017 9:54am

hey guys - for anyone that has tried to contact tomtop - what email addresses did you use? I've tried both support and wholesale. Getting nothing back. I've tried live chat but it's not working it just says invalid mobile, no matter what I fill in for mobile.

10 working days tomorrow and still no sign of my phone, raging because other places have had it in an EU warehouse while I'm waiting on this crew. I can't find a way to even cancel the order

eamonnq · 10-10-2017 10:07am

ImARebel wrote: »

hey guys - for anyone that has tried to contact tomtop - what email addresses did you use? I've tried both support and wholesale. Getting nothing back. I've tried live chat but it's not working it just says invalid mobile, no matter what I fill in for mobile.

10 working days tomorrow and still no sign of my phone, raging because other places have had it in an EU warehouse while I'm waiting on this crew. I can't find a way to even cancel the order

Was there a Chinese holiday period last week? May have something to do with it.

sydthebeat · 10-10-2017 10:12am

eamonnq wrote: »

Was there a Chinese holiday period last week? May have something to do with it.

Yes, there was a 7 day holiday....

sgarvan · 10-10-2017 10:20am

Anyone looked at or picked up one of these? Looks decent and are available from Amazon

https://www.cubot.net/smartphones/x18

johnytwentyten · 10-10-2017 10:21am

Have the Redmi note 3 pro for the last year, in the last week it has started heating up badly whenever I use it, even browsing on chrome, I've uninstalled a load off apps, stopped others running in the background, installed an app with a cpu cooler function but nothing seems to help, is the battery just banjaxed or am I missing something?

fixXxer · 10-10-2017 10:23am

johnytwentyten wrote: »

Have the Redmi note 3 pro for the last year, in the last week it has started heating up badly whenever I use it, even browsing on chrome, I've uninstalled a load off apps, stopped others running in the background, installed an app with a cpu cooler function but nothing seems to help, is the battery just banjaxed or am I missing something?

Did you update the ROM? I read recently there was a bug in one of the MIUI updates that lead to heavy battery drain and a fix was on the way.

johnytwentyten · 10-10-2017 10:30am

fixxxer wrote: »

Did you update the ROM? I read recently there was a bug in one of the MIUI updates that lead to heavy battery drain and a fix was on the way.

My phone isn't unlocked, wouldn't know where to start, my last update was a few months back, this is very sudden, if I leave my phone alone the battery normally lasts well enough, even with this heating problem, but went to bed last night, phone was at 50%, woke up and it was at 25

funkey_monkey · 10-10-2017 11:10am

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

Im guessing the lack of note 4s is due to the rumours of the note 5 coming in the coming weeks

Was looking for a release date, but couldn't find one. Will there be a further wait for Global spec devices hitting the shelves?

ImARebel · 10-10-2017 11:43am

sydthebeat wrote: »

Yes, there was a 7 day holiday....

I thought I'd got my order will in before it (27th) took 2 days to process and was marked as dispatched on the 29th. But nothing since. No tracking other than to say order processed ready for UPS

fixXxer · 10-10-2017 11:45am

johnytwentyten wrote: »

My phone isn't unlocked, wouldn't know where to start, my last update was a few months back, this is very sudden, if I leave my phone alone the battery normally lasts well enough, even with this heating problem, but went to bed last night, phone was at 50%, woke up and it was at 25

Open the Updater app and see if any MIUI updates have been released. Otherwise you can have a look at the battery settings and check if there's a specific app that's using battery more than most.

strawdog · 10-10-2017 11:59am

ImARebel wrote: »

I thought I'd got my order will in before it (27th) took 2 days to process and was marked as dispatched on the 29th. But nothing since. No tracking other than to say order processed ready for UPS

Waiting on Note 4, ordered on the 4th Oct so can't really complain yet. Went with Aliexpress and paid for DHL tho. According to the trackin it actually made it from HK to London within a day but has been sitting in Gatwick warehouse since the 5th :rolleyes:

on the upside the Aliexpress supplier did send me this message which gave me a smile:
Hi Friend ,
Good day!
The route should be China -UK-your country, so no custom duty. It is one of our advantages.
The tracking number from China-UK is xxxxxxxxx
The tracking number from UK-your country is xxxxxxxxxxx
You can check it here:http://www.dhl.com/en.html
The parcel from UK to your country normally will reach you very soon.Don't worry, my friend
Best Regards
Tiffany

johnytwentyten · 10-10-2017 12:08pm

fixxxer wrote: »

Open the Updater app and see if any MIUI updates have been released. Otherwise you can have a look at the battery settings and check if there's a specific app that's using battery more than most.

No update available, no app seems to be using a lot of battery, when I'm browsing the phones red hot but I could watch Netflix or youtube all day and it wouldn't even get warm

eamonnq · 10-10-2017 12:31pm

strawdog wrote: »

Waiting on Note 4, ordered on the 4th Oct so can't really complain yet. Went with Aliexpress and paid for DHL tho. According to the trackin it actually made it from HK to London within a day but has been sitting in Gatwick warehouse since the 5th :rolleyes:

on the upside the Aliexpress supplier did send me this message which gave me a smile:
Hi Friend ,
Good day!
The route should be China -UK-your country, so no custom duty. It is one of our advantages.
The tracking number from China-UK is xxxxxxxxx
The tracking number from UK-your country is xxxxxxxxxxx
You can check it here:http://www.dhl.com/en.html
The parcel from UK to your country normally will reach you very soon.Don't worry, my friend
Best Regards
Tiffany

I would think there is something gone wrong there, have you tracked using both tracking numbers provided to you ?

fixXxer · 10-10-2017 1:06pm

Looking at the comparisons between the MiA1 and the Redmi Note 4, I'm not sure its worth the €50odd extra its going for to be honest. A smaller battery and the camera not light years ahead

strawdog · 10-10-2017 1:08pm

eamonnq wrote: »

I would think there is something gone wrong there, have you tracked using both tracking numbers provided to you ?

Ah Yes you're right, the other tracking no gives a more detailed timeline with it only reaching gatwick early this morning which makes more sense. Looks like they hit the other London airports first before getting to Gatwick which delayed it a little tho not much.

10-10-2017 1:11pm

fixxxer wrote: »

Looking at the comparisons between the MiA1 and the Redmi Note 4, I'm not sure its worth the €50odd extra its going for to be honest. A smaller battery and the camera not light years ahead

The A1's biggest attraction for most people would be stock android with regular updates.

Ardennes1944 · 10-10-2017 2:09pm

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Was looking for a release date, but couldn't find one. Will there be a further wait for Global spec devices hitting the shelves?

I would guess so yes, although Xiaomi are slowly introducing Band 20 on their phones so maybe they will have just one model

fixXxer · 10-10-2017 2:14pm

johnytwentyten wrote: »

No update available, no app seems to be using a lot of battery, when I'm browsing the phones red hot but I could watch Netflix or youtube all day and it wouldn't even get warm

When you check MIUI, what version does it say you are on?

johnytwentyten · 10-10-2017 3:29pm

fixxxer wrote: »

When you check MIUI, what version does it say you are on?

It says MIUI-V8.5.6.0.MHOMIED

I got this update a good while back, I've deleted any apps I have downloaded in the last two weeks, as I mentioned earlier I've disabled others, seems to get hot in my pocket as well, I never leave apps open when I'm not using them, I don't know what else to check

fixXxer · 10-10-2017 3:44pm

johnytwentyten wrote: »

It says MIUI-V8.5.6.0.MHOMIED

I got this update a good while back, I've deleted any apps I have downloaded in the last two weeks, as I mentioned earlier I've disabled others, seems to get hot in my pocket as well, I never leave apps open when I'm not using them, I don't know what else to check

The next thing to do would be to hard reset the device and test it without any apps on it, then if its ok add apps back in batches from the play store and test.

Not an easy answer sadly.

ImARebel · 10-10-2017 3:50pm

is there a way to boot it up in safe mode? If there is - try that first, and if it's still running hot then you've a problem (that's what happened my Samsung Note 4).

vasch_ro · 10-10-2017 6:33pm

baldshin wrote: »

Bought Ciderman's Maze Alpha, and I'm loving it. Seems a big upgrade from my Redmi 3 pro/prime!

Any updates on the Maze Alpha , thinking of taking the plunge

eamonnq · 11-10-2017 9:08am

funrunner95 wrote: »

Ive got a Xiaomi Mi X5 (A1) if anyone has any questions, I can post some photos from the dual camera if needs be because seems to be what the interest is in

What do you think of the camera ? A few samples would be appreciated (if it is not too much trouble). Think I will be ordering one in any case though.

johnytwentyten · 11-10-2017 9:11am

fixxxer wrote: »

The next thing to do would be to hard reset the device and test it without any apps on it, then if its ok add apps back in batches from the play store and test.

Not an easy answer sadly.

Hi, installed Samsung smart view last week, was in a folder and forgot about it, uninstalled it last night, seems a lot better now, thanks for your help!

Chinese Android Phones 2 - Read First Post!

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