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Do I have to buy the Xiaomi Mi 8 in China?

Hey everyone !
First, sorry for my english.
I would like to have the Xiaomi Mi 8 for my trip to Japan. Currently, I have the Galaxy S8 which is excellent but this Xiaomi interests me greatly.
First, do you think the Mi 8> S8 in photography?
Secondly, if I am going to buy it directly in China, how do I know that the store in question has it in stock on arrival? And could I put it in French you think? (or english at least)
Third, a release date for the international (France here)?
I leave for Japan in early July and it is possible that I do a tour in China just before, so I can wait for the international version but I need it before my departure and especially at the indicated price (360 €) or 400 € maximum; something that in my opinion it will not be the case.
You think that buying it directly in China is a good idea? Thank you!

I have the phone with China Rom and I am currently live in India. Yes there are little annoyances but overall nothing to complain even with China Rom

Looking on dxomark, in which you can compare to the note 8, the mi8 camera is definitely better for photos, I think even better than s9, the video quality should be similar to s8.
Sent from my MI 5s using Tapatalk

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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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)!

256+8 lavender model a scam? also NFC question

hello everyone!
so its new phone time again and I've been eyeing the MI 9 for a hot minute; and since its not on amazon im looking to order it off ali.
now my questions are: on the xiaomi website it only specifies an 128+8 version of the lavender, no mention of 256+8; am i getting ripped off?
and also it seems to be the Chinese version with a global ROM, will that be an issue and i should keep looking for a global version or installing xiaomi.eu would make the issues go away(i.e NFC working?)
TIA!

I'm not sure about mi 9, but I saw mi 9 5G with 8gb 256gb.
And yes, with EU rom most things works normally (at least NFC works).
Sent from my MI 9 using Tapatalk

ted presley said:
I'm not sure about mi 9, but I saw mi 9 5G with 8gb 256gb.
And yes, with EU rom most things works normally (at least NFC works).
Sent from my MI 9 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
is the back cover piece the same on the 9 and 9 5g? the main reason i wanna go with the one from ali is the color; since the 5g version doesnt come in the glorious lavender i was thinking maybe replacing it with it would be a viable option?
edit: NVM scratch that the frame will still be white D:

LilyFox said:
hello everyone!
so its new phone time again and I've been eyeing the MI 9 for a hot minute; and since its not on amazon im looking to order it off ali.
now my questions are: on the xiaomi website it only specifies an 128+8 version of the lavender, no mention of 256+8; am i getting ripped off?
and also it seems to be the Chinese version with a global ROM, will that be an issue and i should keep looking for a global version or installing xiaomi.eu would make the issues go away(i.e NFC working?)
TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see the battery capacity of the deal you are seeing, if they mention 3300mah, then its a Mi9, but if they show 8GB/128GB is probably a fake, since the only version with 8GB RAM is Mi 9 Transparent Edition, and they came only with 256GB of storage, not 128.
If the product page show 4000 mah of battery, then is a Mi 9 Pro...and the variants there change, see in gsmarena the specs list and see the difference between the deal you are looking and the real specs of the phone.

sun_is_shinning said:
see the battery capacity of the deal you are seeing, if they mention 3300mah, then its a Mi9, but if they show 8GB/128GB is probably a fake, since the only version with 8GB RAM is Mi 9 Transparent Edition, and they came only with 256GB of storage, not 128.
If the product page show 4000 mah of battery, then is a Mi 9 Pro...and the variants there change, see in gsmarena the specs list and see the difference between the deal you are looking and the real specs of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have mi 9, 3300mah, 8gb/128gb, it's not fake [emoji18]. Just available in china version, not global version, but you can change rom easily.
Sent from my MI 9 using Tapatalk

Question Second thoughts...

Ok, so I really have serious thoughts of throwing in the towel, buy a s21 Ultra, and say goodbye (forever) to Xiaomi.
I gave Xiaomi a second chance with the Mi 11 Ultra (Global), having previously tried the Mi 10. Camera aside (which on Global still hasn't got the DXO updates), I really find the absence of SW updates highly disappointing (no update for two months, May Security release - in August), accompanied with minor SW annoyances proper testing would squash.
Have anyone had same throughts?

Idk where you live but latest eea is 12.5.6.0

MRaximus said:
Ok, so I really have serious thoughts of throwing in the towel, buy a s21 Ultra, and say goodbye (forever) to Xiaomi.
I gave Xiaomi a second chance with the Mi 11 Ultra (Global), having previously tried the Mi 10. Camera aside (which on Global still hasn't got the DXO updates), I really find the absence of SW updates highly disappointing (no update for two months, May Security release - in August), accompanied with minor SW annoyances proper testing would squash.
Have anyone had same throughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think exactly the same as you. Big disappointment for me and definitely the last time for me.

marcel112 said:
Idk where you live but latest eea is 12.5.6.0
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Click to collapse
On Global/RKAMIXM? In Sweden, but it shouldn't matter.

MRaximus said:
Ok, so I really have serious thoughts of throwing in the towel, buy a s21 Ultra, and say goodbye (forever) to Xiaomi.
I gave Xiaomi a second chance with the Mi 11 Ultra (Global), having previously tried the Mi 10. Camera aside (which on Global still hasn't got the DXO updates), I really find the absence of SW updates highly disappointing (no update for two months, May Security release - in August), accompanied with minor SW annoyances proper testing would squash.
Have anyone had same throughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not impressed by the phone either and it's the first and probably last time I'll buy from them
The hardware sounds good on paper
The software is junk and I've tried all the ROMs
The camera isn't as good as it should be
The rear screen functionality is a joke
The USB 2.0 file transfer takes forever
The gorilla glass "victus" even picked up a scratch in the first month and I was getting relatively careful with the phone (by my standards)
The Samsung is a better all-round device but I don't want 25w charging in 2021 so I decided the Xiaomi will have to do
Seems like the best sd 888 flagship now is probably the honor magic 3 or the if you can find one or maybe the p50 pro + if you want the best camera....

Xiaomi.eu rom (frequent updates) + gcam for camera and I think it's great.
Do agree with the USB 2.0 though..

Honestly it's a Chinese phone so chinese market gets treated much better with frequent updates, ao for the global market unless you speak Chinese the only alternative is going with Xiaomi EU ROM

Samsung can make excellent flagship phones but the S21U is a dog.
You want a SD card slot... and an spen.
This year is dead as Zed as far as Samsung is concerned.
Either wait to see what Samsung releases next year (there should be a Note released) or get a Note 10+ or Note 20U.
Personally my pick is still the 10+ running on Pie.
Android 10 and especially 11 are a mess with lame Apple like scope storage that eats CPU cycles for nothing but trouble.
Yeah Android dropped the ball worse than Samsung.
It's been a ball dropping year...

MRaximus said:
Ok, so I really have serious thoughts of throwing in the towel, buy a s21 Ultra, and say goodbye (forever) to Xiaomi.
I gave Xiaomi a second chance with the Mi 11 Ultra (Global), having previously tried the Mi 10. Camera aside (which on Global still hasn't got the DXO updates), I really find the absence of SW updates highly disappointing (no update for two months, May Security release - in August), accompanied with minor SW annoyances proper testing would squash.
Have anyone had same throughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All updates in the China roms (stable and nightly beta's) are in the Xiaomi.eu roms (stable and weekly). What those developers do is take the China rom, strip out all Chinese bloat and script and add Google services, as well as, other custimization features. Before You throw in the towel, try this rom.

Snusious said:
Xiaomi.eu rom (frequent updates) + gcam for camera and I think it's great.
Do agree with the USB 2.0 though..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, as a matter of principle I don't want to shed 1300€ on a phone and the re-flash it with a custom ROM just to get regular updates. It's not what I paid for.

MRaximus said:
Well, as a matter of principle I don't want to shed 1300€ on a phone and the re-flash it with a custom ROM just to get regular updates. It's not what I paid for.
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Yikes no I can get that. I would get it for 800€ from China though XD.

Samsung makes better flagship phones... when they want to.
I'm holding one. Rock solid stable, fast and running/looking like it was new nearing the two year mark. One replacement battery so far on this heavily used device. Current OS load is over a year old, still fast and glitch free with very little maintenance.

blackhawk said:
Samsung makes better flagship phones... when they want to.
I'm holding one. Rock solid stable, fast and running/looking like it was new nearing the two year mark. One replacement battery so far on this heavily used device. Current OS load is over a year old, still fast and glitch free with very little maintenance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was supersatisfied with my Note 9 and I'm buying the s21 Ultra 512 since I'm getting it at a super-good price, and it's camera seems to be better than the Note 20 Ultra, based on what I've seen. So yes, I agree that Sammy is making better flagships.

Samsung + Exynos = A joke for 1000€.
Soft ist upgradeable but when hardware is a joke then the phone stays the same joke forever.

MRaximus said:
Well, as a matter of principle I don't want to shed 1300€ on a phone and the re-flash it with a custom ROM just to get regular updates. It's not what I paid for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can buy the Chinese variant, which is exactly the same, right now on Giztop for $899 or €770.26. Wait a week to unlock it and flash the Global (EEA) rom or pay €600 more. It's your choice.

MRaximus said:
Well, as a matter of principle I don't want to shed 1300€ on a phone and the re-flash it with a custom ROM just to get regular updates. It's not what I paid for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the 12/512 for $1200 from China
The western price simply isn't worth it

speedtripler said:
I got the 12/512 for $1200 from China
The western price simply isn't worth it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snap... you could have got a Note 20 U for less. With its 1tb SD card capacity, 128gb internal memory is fine. Lol, I'm using 64 of my 512gb internal memory.

This is my first Xiaomi phone in over 10 years and I'm still willing to give them more chances as it didn't break my bank and we have an amazing EU custom rom dev who works tirelessly for our Western community fanbase to fine tune it for our audience, which isn't always easy. I initially was very dissatisfied with the CN stable but now all my Google apps are working as they should on the EU Weekly - I would recommend trying it as I was skeptical at first.

blackhawk said:
Snap... you could have got a Note 20 U for less. With its 1tb SD card capacity, 128gb internal memory is fine. Lol, I'm using 64 of my 512gb internal memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Mi 11 Ultra is only $899 from Giztop for the China varaint for 8/256GB and $1089 for 12/512 for a brand new phone with a SD888, a 5000mah battery, with a 67w wired and wireless charging.

jim262 said:
You can buy the Chinese variant, which is exactly the same, right now on Giztop for $899 or €770.26. Wait a week to unlock it and flash the Global (EEA) rom or pay €600 more. It's your choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's my choice. But then again, I don't want to go down that path; I can even flash EEA on my Global too. Why, I explained before.
I simply experience too many issues with it to give it another shot:
* When I play YT videos, the sound seems to dance between the left and right speaker,
* The notification shade from time-to-time doesn't follow the theme,
* I find the cell reception to be worse than other phones I've used,
* The proximity sensor is behaving erroneously (been covered in this forum),
* Lack of SW updates,
* It's a Global device and the official MI service cannot, per agreement, serve the phone,
* I find the build quality not to be premium (my old OP 8 Pro, even Note 9, has a better grip in the hand)
I need not continue...
The SW needs way more polishing, in my eyes, to be worth the money.

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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