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CN model worth it in USA? Anything I ought to know before purchase?

Looking to pick up a CN 128gb variant. Is the Mi 8 worth it for sub $400? I'm able to flash global ROM ton the CN variant right?
https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Mi-8-6-21-Inch-6GB-128GB-Smartphone-Blue-405269.html
I use T-mobile and just want to make sure I'm not missing purchasing the above. Anything I should be aware of with the Mi 8 using it outside of CN or other markets? (I've owned the Mix, Mi 5 and redmi note 4, so not my first xiaomi rodeo) .
I was initially torn between the Mix 2s and Mi 8, but remembered how I hated the FFC on the Mix and it at the bottom. Video chatting wasnt possible as I'd be upside down (duo. has this been fixed?). Mix 2s is about $450 for equivalent 128gb.

tlxxxsracer said:
Looking to pick up a CN 128gb variant. Is the Mi 8 worth it for sub $400? I'm able to flash global ROM ton the CN variant right?
https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Mi-8-6-21-Inch-6GB-128GB-Smartphone-Blue-405269.html
I use T-mobile and just want to make sure I'm not missing purchasing the above. Anything I should be aware of with the Mi 8 using it outside of CN or other markets? (I've owned the Mix, Mi 5 and redmi note 4, so not my first xiaomi rodeo) .
I was initially torn between the Mix 2s and Mi 8, but remembered how I hated the FFC on the Mix and it at the bottom. Video chatting wasnt possible as I'd be upside down (duo. has this been fixed?). Mix 2s is about $450 for equivalent 128gb.
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Using a CN version with global rom here in Canada. Only real drawback is no Google Pay. Other thing is if it comes unlocked by seller you won't be able to relock BL without bricking it. But if you plan on locking yourself, be ready for the 15-30 day wait period.

SENSEI888 said:
Using a CN version with global rom here in Canada. Only real drawback is no Google Pay. Other thing is if it comes unlocked by seller you won't be able to relock BL without bricking it. But if you plan on locking yourself, be ready for the 15-30 day wait period.
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Google pay is not working as safetynet check has failed. You can make safetynet pass by flashing Magisk which will root systemlessly and hide from safetynet. Am on the latest stable global rom with magisk 17.2 and google pay is working great

tlxxxsracer said:
Looking to pick up a CN 128gb variant. Is the Mi 8 worth it for sub $400? I'm able to flash global ROM ton the CN variant right?
https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiaomi-Mi-8-6-21-Inch-6GB-128GB-Smartphone-Blue-405269.html
I use T-mobile and just want to make sure I'm not missing purchasing the above. Anything I should be aware of with the Mi 8 using it outside of CN or other markets? (I've owned the Mix, Mi 5 and redmi note 4, so not my first xiaomi rodeo) .
I was initially torn between the Mix 2s and Mi 8, but remembered how I hated the FFC on the Mix and it at the bottom. Video chatting wasnt possible as I'd be upside down (duo. has this been fixed?). Mix 2s is about $450 for equivalent 128gb.
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Usually there are differences between bands, but as far as I have read, they both seem to support the same bands and have pretty much the same features. But as mentioned, you will have issues with Google Play, and a large majority of threads have people trying to go from the Chinese rom to the Global rom. As for your chosen vendor, I'm not a fan of any of those Chinese vendors, especially when many of them are known to install what is referred to as "vendor roms" (this is typically a modified stock MIUI Chinese ROM with Google Play installed and a damaged version number which stops MIUI from updating, thus stopping Google Play from being deleted by an update). These vendors have been known for installing malware on the phones as it has been discovered before. If you've purchased from them and are happy with them, by all means do, but there is one reputable mega store in the US that is selling these devices, but 64GB global models only, and they're not as "cheap" as the ones you're looking at. If you are curious:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/co...alSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search&Ntt=Xiaomi

Crossvxm said:
Usually there are differences between bands, but as far as I have read, they both seem to support the same bands and have pretty much the same features. But as mentioned, you will have issues with Google Play, and a large majority of threads have people trying to go from the Chinese rom to the Global rom. As for your chosen vendor, I'm not a fan of any of those Chinese vendors, especially when many of them are known to install what is referred to as "vendor roms" (this is typically a modified stock MIUI Chinese ROM with Google Play installed and a damaged version number which stops MIUI from updating, thus stopping Google Play from being deleted by an update). These vendors have been known for installing malware on the phones as it has been discovered before. If you've purchased from them and are happy with them, by all means do, but there is one reputable mega store in the US that is selling these devices, but 64GB global models only, and they're not as "cheap" as the ones you're looking at. If you are curious:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/co...alSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search&Ntt=Xiaomi
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So if said device comes with a vendor ROM, would it still be possible to flash CN ROM onto it or unlock the bootloader and flash global ROM? Or does the vendor ROM cause issues with all that?
I dont have an issue with flashing magisk, I usually do on all devices I unlock, nor do i worry about TWRP. May even flash an AOSP Pie rom.
My main concern is getting off the vendor rom if it comes with it. I know in the past you could (I think)
I appreciate everyone's input and feedback. Does anyone have a recommended aliexpress vendor to buy from? I see popular, high rated ones with lots of sales but they too are CN model with global ROM flashed..

tlxxxsracer said:
So if said device comes with a vendor ROM, would it still be possible to flash CN ROM onto it or unlock the bootloader and flash global ROM? Or does the vendor ROM cause issues with all that?
I dont have an issue with flashing magisk, I usually do on all devices I unlock, nor do i worry about TWRP. May even flash an AOSP Pie rom.
My main concern is getting off the vendor rom if it comes with it. I know in the past you could (I think)
I appreciate everyone's input and feedback. Does anyone have a recommended aliexpress vendor to buy from? I see popular, high rated ones with lots of sales but they too are CN model with global ROM flashed..
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Actually now that you mention it, one of the main reasons Xiaomi made it so hard to unlock the bootloader was to eliminate third party reseller issues, specifically the vendor rom issue. Now that anti-rollback has also been implemented, I believe that vendor rom issues are no more.
I don't know much about AliExpress, but I do know that it is more trusted than say GearBest and AliBaba. I skimmed through their site, perhaps it is best to buy from the ones with highest orders and good reviews? Ironically, I came across their site for the first time in a quite a while today when I Googled "Mi 8 camera glass protector". They actually have tempered glass for the camera, so I'll probably have no choice but to give them a try.
Anyhow, if you're going to install a custom rom, vendor rom doesn't matter since you'll be unlocking the bootloader anyways.
Getting back to your original question, $400 doesn't seem like a major deal, seeing that AliExpress has the global 8GB+256GB model for $40 more.
The Mi 8 isn't without it's share of camera issues. The video recording on the Mi Mix 2S looks and sounds much better than on the Mi 8. But they both have their share of pros and cons, with the Mi 8 still being the winner of both (depending on your preference). The Mi 8 has a much better looking display (Samsung's Super AMOLED vs JDI's IPS LCD) although as you may know OLED wears off if if not properly taken care of. The Mi 8 has a much higher max brightness too, and the battery life is said to be much better (mine averages at over 6 hours with the brightness at half with heavy web browsing of 3+ hours), but the notchless design of the Mi Mix 2S looks MUCH better. The notch isn't an issue for the most part.
Lastly, I haven't MetroPCS (excuse me, Metro by T-Mobile now ), basically the same thing as T-Mobile. You'll be happy to know that this phone fully supports LTE, 4G (HSPA+) and so on, even VoLTE (make sure you set your region to Hong Kong or India for that to work)!

Galaxy S10 or Mi9

currently, I have Samsung S7 edge as my daily driver. I'm looking for a new phone and can't choose between S10 (Exynos version) or xiaomi mi9.
In my country there's no Snapdragon version of S10 which a way better than the Exynos..
Is S10 camera and display better than the mi 9 to pay additional 300$ ?

This years version of the Exynos just seems way slower than other years. So for that, the MI 9 seems a better way to go, unless you want a water proof rating and storage card option.
mohamedsaber00 said:
currently, I have Samsung S7 edge as my daily driver. I'm looking for a new phone and can't choose between S10 (Exynos version) or xiaomi mi9.
In my country there's no Snapdragon version of S10 which a way better than the Exynos..
Is S10 camera and display better than the mi 9 to pay additional 300$ ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

If you have no problem with money, by all means go with the S10. Otherwise, the S10 is not worth the difference in price with the Mi 9

SurfaceCube said:
If you have no problem with money, by all means go with the S10. Otherwise, the S10 is not worth the difference in price with the Mi 9
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I have the money and wouldn't buy the S10. It's absolutely not worth!

Also depends if you can swallow oneui. It looks like an old people OS to me. Don't expect much AOSP development or fully working GSI. (i'm coming from s9+ and bought a mi 9). If you really value a headphone jack and sd card slot it might be a better option for you. But for price/quality ratio mi 9 all the way.

Why not go for the S10e Snapdragon version instead? That's what I've done and waiting for delivery.

benparker said:
Why not go for the S10e Snapdragon version instead? That's what I've done and waiting for delivery.
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I've read that you cannot unlock the bootloader on the S10e Snapdragon version. This was also the case for previous Sx Snapdragon phones. Link

benparker said:
Why not go for the S10e Snapdragon version instead? That's what I've done and waiting for delivery.
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There's no S10e here in Egypt .. There's only two options S10+ and s10 and both of them are exynos
I can order it from amazon but it will cost more than the regular s10

I am a Samsung S7 edge user as well, running the Snapdragon version with the eng bootloader, which has really crippled the phones performance. I been mega excited to order the Mi9 and been waiting on the Transparent Edition to pop up a little cheaper. So I am thinking you should take a look at the Vivo IQOO and Vivo IQOO Monster as they have some features the Mi9 doesn't. You lose some things with the Vivo IQOO like wireless charging, but you get speaker jack, internal memory card, 4000 mAh battery and a far superior charger.
mohamedsaber00 said:
currently, I have Samsung S7 edge as my daily driver. I'm looking for a new phone and can't choose between S10 (Exynos version) or xiaomi mi9.
In my country there's no Snapdragon version of S10 which a way better than the Exynos..
Is S10 camera and display better than the mi 9 to pay additional 300$ ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

CrazyBeaver2377 said:
Also depends if you can swallow oneui. It looks like an old people OS to me. Don't expect much AOSP development or fully working GSI. (i'm coming from s9+ and bought a mi 9). If you really value a headphone jack and sd card slot it might be a better option for you. But for price/quality ratio mi 9 all the way.
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I'm a fan of headphone jack and have 128gb Sdcard which I don't want to lose but performance of Mi9 is much better than S10.
So I have to choose a side

airwebber said:
I am a Samsung S7 edge user as well, running the Snapdragon version with the eng bootloader, which has really crippled the phones performance. I been mega excited to order the Mi9 and been waiting on the Transparent Edition to pop up a little cheaper. So I am thinking you should take a look at the Vivo IQOO and Vivo IQOO Monster as they have some features the Mi9 doesn't. You lose some things with the Vivo IQOO like wireless charging, but you get speaker jack, internal memory card, 4000 mAh battery and a far superior charger.
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Click to collapse
No one is selling Vivo phone here so I have to order it online which mean additional tax.
But for the headphone jack it worth to think about this phone.. Do you now anything about software support? ot custom roms.. xiaomi is so good in software update.. and there are alot of developers that support their phone

I am not sure what kind of support it will get being its so new. That is the only thing holding me back with it.
mohamedsaber00 said:
No one is selling Vivo phone here so I have to order it online which mean additional tax.
But for the headphone jack it worth to think about this phone.. Do you now anything about software support? ot custom roms.. xiaomi is so good in software update.. and there are alot of developers that support their phone
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Click to collapse

mohamedsaber00 said:
There's no S10e here in Egypt .. There's only two options S10+ and s10 and both of them are exynos
I can order it from amazon but it will cost more than the regular s10
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I ordered mine from eGlobal Central Hong Kong model and it should allow to unlock the bootloader.

Should I change my smartphone?

I currently own a Xiaomi mi 8, I love my cell phone but I think it's time to give way to a flagship. My options are the Mi 9T Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S10 +. Which smartphone do you recommend?

Well, if you're happy with xiaomi I guess mi9T pro is a great phone, but if you want something else I whould recommend oneplus 7T or Samsung galaxy S10E if you want a Samsung phone.
But if you're looking for the best bang for your buck I think realme X2 pro is the best option along side OP 7T

crhistiandavidbonilla47 said:
I currently own a Xiaomi mi 8, I love my cell phone but I think it's time to give way to a flagship. My options are the Mi 9T Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S10 +. Which smartphone do you recommend?
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I would strongly suggest that you wait until March..at least. This way you can buy one of the many new phones that will feature an Snapdragon 865 processor. Such as the Xiaomi Mi10, Mix 4, One Plus 8, 8T etc.
Moving one generation higher isn't really enough of a difference to justify moving. Plus many of the phones with the very latest processors will also be compatible with 5G., and once these new phones are released the price of current flagships will definitely drop, so it's financially wiser to be patient.
If you search you will see quite a few posts here on XDA , where people discuss how they bought a Mi9T or a Samsung and they wanted to share that they regretted buying a new phone because they were expecting the new phone to have dramatic differences.
By the way, I had also considered selling my mi8 and moving on. But I will definitely wait.

navzahed said:
Well, if you're happy with xiaomi I guess mi9T pro is a great phone, but if you want something else I whould recommend oneplus 7T or Samsung galaxy S10E if you want a Samsung phone.
But if you're looking for the best bang for your buck I think realme X2 pro is the best option along side OP 7T
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Click to collapse
Realme x2 pro It is a good option but I cannot get it in my country in an official way

tsongming said:
I would strongly suggest that you wait until March..at least. This way you can buy one of the many new phones that will feature an Snapdragon 865 processor. Such as the Xiaomi Mi10, Mix 4, One Plus 8, 8T etc.
Moving one generation higher isn't really enough of a difference to justify moving. Plus many of the phones with the very latest processors will also be compatible with 5G., and once these new phones are released the price of current flagships will definitely drop, so it's financially wiser to be patient.
If you search you will see quite a few posts here on XDA , where people discuss how they bought a Mi9T or a Samsung and they wanted to share that they regretted buying a new phone because they were expecting the new phone to have dramatic differences.
By the way, I had also considered selling my mi8 and moving on. But I will definitely wait.
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You are absolutely right, it is better to wait a couple of months and get a flagship, and this year all top-of-the-range smartphone will have the screen with a minimum refresh rate of 90Hz

Question Vivo X70 Pro+ questions.

Hello all,
I would like to ask some of the owners in here some things since it's very difficult to find answers elsewhere.
First of all i would like to say that i'm between Vivo and Mi 11 Ultra.
1. Are you happy with battery life? Review sites say that battery life is mediocre, even worse than Mi 11 ultra. I'm a heavy user so i would hate if i have to charge the phone mid-day. Your impressions?
2. If i buy the phone from Tradingshenzen does it come with Chinese Rom? Is there such a thing like Global Rom which you can use to flash the phone?
In general how is the general idea of the phone?

I haven't had the phone for enough time and i don’t have a sim in it yet to comment on battery life. But regarding your question 2, if you are an English speaker in a country outside of China, my opinion is ONLY buy the Global version made and primarily sold in India. I had a Chinese version of the x60 Pro+ and only had problems using it here in the USA. Many notifications only in the Chinese language, lack of complete Google services, poor notifications (mail, sms, ring video camera, ESPN - not reliable.) I attempted to solve some of the problems by tweaking some of the code through adb and enabling some developer options in settings. But eventually I gave up and sold it. Now I have the x70 Pro+ from India and I love it. System software is solid with all Google services, screen is terrific, I like the size and the rounded edges. Notifications come through solidly. Everything in English. No need to tweak.

There is no option to flash and change the rom to global at the moment. The only option is to buy the global vesrion which is much more expensive and very close to S21 ultra and S22 ultra (https://www.ebay.it/itm/255221595456?hash=item3b6c647d40:g:A40AAOSwOZlhXqsW). With mi11 ultra is much easier but I have the same thoughts and I would buy vivo, but I could have xiaomi for around 675 £ from wonda.

Thank you very much for your replies.
I am from Europe, do you know any website which sells the Global version and ships to Europe?

I am from Poland and I did good research. I have sent it above,you can buy it only on Ebay. All other shops sell the CN version which is significatnly cheeper. I hope vivo will uclock the bootloader and it will be possible to flash the rom. In the other hand the S22 ultra will be cheeper than Vivo x70 pro plus (global ebay) and in my opinion is better to wait for X80 and hope they will sell global vesrion. I still wait for the price for OP 10 pro for EU.

Mariuszuzd said:
I am from Poland and I did good research. I have sent it above,you can buy it only on Ebay. All other shops sell the CN version which is significatnly cheeper. I hope vivo will uclock the bootloader and it will be possible to flash the rom. In the other hand the S22 ultra will be cheeper than Vivo x70 pro plus (global ebay) and in my opinion is better to wait for X80 and hope they will sell global vesrion. I still wait for the price for OP 10 pro for EU.
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Thank your for your reply. It's a pity we can unlock the bootloader. Any news about the X80 release?
I really like their camera and i want to use the phone mostly for photos and videos.

Unfortunately, people were working on that wihout success. Regarding the release, I have found some information that this will happen or on 17th of February or in the summer of 2022. But the most important question is if there is a global version or if they sell the device in EU. I have pixel 4a and I'm looking for a new phone. FOr me the same, the most important are photos and maybe in 5% recording of the movies and working Android auto.

I think i will just make my friend send me the Pixel 6 Pro.
It's taking too long to wait.
Also i only want to buy the 512GB version of these phones

I would buy pixel but in Poland there is no google store, therefore 5g, volte and vowifi is not working. Mobile operators do not cooperate with google

Question Planning on buying the Mi 11

Hi all,
I'm planning on buying this one after my galaxy S20+ is exhausting (now low display intensity, low battery, Knox, etc).
However, I read here on another thread, that the Mi 11 is not as good as I expected, which is why I want to ask:
do you still recommend the Mi 11 or do you have another recommendation with good camera, flash- and rootable (without something like knox), 6.2-6.8 inches, etc for a similar price?
Thanks in advance

I was a Samsung user up until the Note 4, then I went to Huawei, and now Xiaomi. I love my Mi11 and will eventually upgrade in the Xiaomi family.
My stock camera, IMO, was comparable to a relative's Pixel 6, I haven't played too much with GCam or other options.
The Mi11 is rootable, and I recommend going with the xiaomi.eu images.

It's a good phone, but u need to unlock boot loader and do some stuff for be able to use it like it should be, otherwise won't be a good experience.

Hi senkrad and Limagplay,
thank you very much for your replies.
So, it seems that the Mi 11 is still a good phone for a competitive price

What price are you getting it at?

i think, about 250 €

New? Where from? It's okay for that price actually
elchico92 said:
i think, about 250 €
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no, not new. I always buy used ones usually, they are ok

Bought a brand new s22 ultra. Lasted a day before going back to my mi11 running pixel experience a12.. sold the s22.