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    Chinese smartphones 2018

    Discussion in 'Smartphones and Tablets' started by hmscott, Mar 14, 2018.

  1. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Last edited: Jun 26, 2018
    hmscott, Mar 14, 2018
    #1
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  2. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    serpentza turned this into a 3 part series with a giveaway, here's part 2:

    The DANGERS of buying a Chinese Smartphone

    Published on Mar 13, 2018
    Sure, they're cheap and the quality is great, but there are a few things you need to know when buying a Chinese smart phone.
     
    hmscott, Mar 14, 2018
    #2
  3. Kurgo

    Kurgo Notebook Enthusiast

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    As with all things, there's "Chinese smartphones" and "Chinese smartphones". Huawei high end models for instance aren't cheap in the slightest (they used to be, but they've been pumping so much money in marketing - and R&D to a lesser degree - that prices had to inevitably go up) while Xiaomi makes devices that are quite cheap for their hardware in China but lose a fair share of that cheapness after getting taxed in the EU, for instance. Not to mention oneplus which has their highest specced phone selling at something like 600€ which is anything but cheap.

    As to the problems...oneplus has had definitely security problems but so long as you don't buy junk for pennies (like all the 100€ phones of an earlier thread that had a banking trojan, of all things, within) you're usually as safe as with Japan or Korean-made phones. I found the whole "omg Huawei spying for the chinese government" thing to be ludicrously blown out of proportion especially in the US, of all places, where the NSA can turn on whatever microphone and camera on your devices if they feel bored enough or thereabout, and where several politicians were lobbying for Apple to lower its encryption because the FBI couldn't do it themselves.

    I can't relate to what this guy is saying because he's talking about phones imported directly from China and not sold by the manifacturer in another country. I live in Italy and you wouldn't be able to recognise a Chinese phone from an LG or Samsung so far as the integrated google apps go (and most Chinese phones will actually have less bloatware than either LG or Samsung, funnily enough) although it's definitely true that most Chinese brands (except for oneplus) have a clearly more iOs-ish UI that isn't as clean or snappy as stock android. Still, I think most Americans would enjoy brands like Huawei and Xiaomi quite a lot (especially Xiaomi and Huawei's Honor brand, both of which offer incredibly good value), Vivo and Oppo less as they're far more iOs-like than the other brands (then again, there are people who genuinely like that).

    But buying completely untouched Chinese phones straight from China...nope, as said, there's a lot of useless bloatware and at least to me, the warranty is far too important to overlook because if something goes wrong, you're essentially boned.
     
    Kurgo, Mar 14, 2018
    #3
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  4. saturnotaku

    saturnotaku Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    That's why I wouldn't buy a high-end Chinese phone, but some of the $100-$150 ones have decent specs. I wouldn't rely on one as a daily driver, but as a backup or even just something with which to take a deep dive into Android, it might be worth it.

    I do have to disagree a bit with serpentza about the quality of US cellular networks. My primary carrier is Verizon, and when we visit family who live in the middle of nowhere, we still get rock-solid LTE coverage. It might not be as fast as what he has in China, but I've never had issues with connectivity.
     
    saturnotaku, Mar 14, 2018
    #4
  5. Starlight5

    Starlight5 Yes, I'm a cat. What else is there to say, really?

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    I prefer Xiaomi myself because their phones are very well supported by LineageOS. A lot of friends & relatives use Xiaomi smartphones too, but mostly because they are amazing value for the price, compared to other brands.
     
    Starlight5, Mar 16, 2018
    #5
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  6. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    WEIRD Chinese Phone HUNT and Unboxing!

    Published on Mar 16, 2018
    Time to scour the gadget markets for something unique and interesting! I need to get a second place prize for my giveaway and we need to do an unboxing!
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2018
    hmscott, Mar 16, 2018
    #6
  7. RicardoTeixeira

    RicardoTeixeira Notebook Enthusiast

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    Xiaomi for sure!
     
    RicardoTeixeira, Apr 30, 2018
    #7
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  8. CharlessA

    CharlessA Newbie

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    At present, Huawei P20 Pro is China's best smartphone.
     
    CharlessA, May 14, 2018
    #8
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  9. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    I am so close to getting the p20 pro. I have an upgrade channel at my provider now, so I am still deciding what to do.
     
    kojack, Jun 13, 2018
    #9
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  10. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    TOP 5 Best Huawei Flagship Smartphones to Buy !
    Tech-ET
    Published on Jun 25, 2018
    Here is The TOP 5 HUAWEI best FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE 2018.

    Top 5 Latest Chinese Smartphones Launched in 2018 !
    Tech-ET
    Published on Jun 24, 2018
    Top 5 Beautiful Chinese Smartphones Launch this week 2018!

    Top 5 Most Beautiful Chinese Smartphones in July 2018
    Technical Desk
    Published on Jun 24, 2018
    Top 5 Most Beautiful Chinese Smartphones in July 2018
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2018
    hmscott, Jun 26, 2018
    #10
  11. hmscott

    hmscott Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Oppo Find X: Motorized Madness!
    Marques Brownlee
    Published on Jun 22, 2018
    A smartphone with a motorized top. Notchless. Bezelless. Smartphone design is getting fun again!


    Chinese Phone with HIDDEN CAMERAS
    Linus Tech Tips
    Published on Jun 20, 2018
    The Find X from Oppo is the SECOND notch-less, bezel-less phone.. This time with an AMAZING sliding camera assembly and a Face ID competitor!
     
    hmscott, Jun 26, 2018
    #11
  12. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    Best Chinese phone hands down is the p20 Pro.
     
    kojack, Jun 27, 2018
    #12
  13. highlandsun

    highlandsun Notebook Evangelist

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    Huawei P20 no longer has a microSD slot, so it's off the table. I have a P10 and it's great, but won't consider the P20 now.
     
    highlandsun, Jul 16, 2018
    #13
  14. kojack

    kojack Notebook Prophet

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    Sd is old tech now, cloud and big storage included with phones now make sad cards a slow way to access data
     
    kojack, Jul 17, 2018
    #14