Cheap Reliable China Phone <$200 compatible w/ major Aus Telcos?

illumination on 02/03/2016 - 22:06

Hello All,

Wondering if any of you can recommend a replacement to the tHL w8 for me that I bought from this deal. Amazingly it has lasted 2.5 years! My mum has been the primary user of this and this was her first smartphone. It is now no longer working properly (both SIM slots can't read detect SIMs), and am looking for a replacement for her.

Criteria:

  • <$200 (ideally looking at around $100-150 range)
  • Screen-size: 5-5.5" (5" probably preferred though)
  • Dual-SIM (I think most of them are)
  • Compatible with major Australian telcos (will probably be using Optus/Telstra mostly)
  • No bloatware/rubbish (or is able to be rooted + custom ROM installed to become "clean" - as long as it's not too complex)
  • Preferably comes in a white variant
  • Preferably has rounded edges (lol yes really)

I was thinking of getting her the Moto E posted earlier today, but decided I could probably get a China phone with better specs for less, although I accept it will not be a brand anywhere near as reputable as Motorola.

Appreciate any recommendations!

Mobile

Comments

  • JSQUARED on 02/03/2016 - 22:35
    +3

    Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 (White)
    Currently $196.46 at eGlobal with coupon WELCOME ($5 off)

    Could've purchased it cheaper earlier last month.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/229116 (out of stock now)
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/232679 (out of stock now)

    • <$200 (ideally looking at around $100-150 range) $196.46
    • Screen-size: 5-5.5" (5" probably preferred though) 5.5"
    • Dual-SIM (I think most of them are) Yes
    • Compatible with major Australian telcos (will probably be using Optus/Telstra mostly) Yes
    • No bloatware/rubbish (or is able to be rooted + custom ROM installed to become "clean" - as long as it's not too complex) Can easily install a custom ROM
    • Preferably comes in a white variant Yes
    • Preferably has rounded edges (lol yes really) Yes
    • illumination on 02/03/2016 - 22:41
      +1

      Ah - I actually use this phone myself and quite like it. I have thought of passing mine onto my mum. I may consider getting her another one for this, but I am kind of experiencing issues with Amaysim/Telstra reception at home. Not sure if it is due to frequency bands..

      But if it could've been bought for cheaper, I will assume it can be had for cheaper in the future so I will keep an eye out for it if I decide to get it.

  • Cheaparoo on 02/03/2016 - 23:14
    +1

    Consider 5" Oppo Find F1 for $240 at DSE: http://www.dicksmith.com.au/unlocked-smart-phones/oppo-f1-go…

    Otherwise 5" Xiaomi Redmi 3 for ~US$135: http://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-xiaomi-redmi-3

    • yummypinacolada on 02/03/2016 - 23:37
      +1

      Redmi 3 has the best battery life if that's important for you

      • illumination on 03/03/2016 - 00:54

        Redmi 3 looks good. Have read the GSMArena review on it and it seems decent. Locked bootloader though :(

        • pernunz on 03/03/2016 - 15:54

          The newer Xiaomi phones have locked bootloaders. This is because resellers were putting their own custom ROMs on phones and onselling them with malware and adware. You can get the bootloader unlocked, and it's a bit of a convoluted process, but it's done for the customers own good.

    • ESEMCE on 03/03/2016 - 08:54
      +1

      Benefit of the Oppo (apart from 2 years local warranty) is Band 28 support which you wont find in any China phone.
      Not Dual SIM though

  • frondono on 02/03/2016 - 23:45

    gizchina is a good site for chinese phones. you really have to search for the gold. xiaomi is probably the best, but I haven't had a look in ages.

    • frondono on 02/03/2016 - 23:47

      I'd recommend getting something that has been tried and tested, nothing that is the latest mediatek from a relatively unknown brand as they are the worst from personal experience.

  • hmac on 03/03/2016 - 00:10

    k3 note

    • illumination on 03/03/2016 - 00:58

      If I'm picking between this and the Redmi Note 2, I'd go for the Redmi Note 2.

  • scrimshaw on 03/03/2016 - 00:47
    +2

    My THL W8 that I bought back (yes, from the same Deal Extreme promotion) then still works too…except for the loudspeaker which has mysteriously died.

    I then bought a uHappy UP550 to replace it, turns out it was a terribad phone so then replaced it again with a Xiaomi Note 2. And… so far so good! It's cheap and gets the job done. Very powerful device.

    Xiaomi however just released the Redmi 3, which is a smaller 5" device as others pointed out, but it is a tad more expensive.

    The competitor to this is the Lenovo Lemon 3, very similar specs just with a better resolution display and a removable battery this time (but smaller capacity). This is priced cheaper than the Redmi 3.

    • illumination on 03/03/2016 - 01:03

      Ohh so no more ring at all?
      The timeline of death for my one goes the second SIM slot stopped working 18 months ago, and then the first SIM slot stopped working just a few weeks ago. Loudspeaker is fine. Home button is a little dodgy. Can't access Wi-Fi in settings anymore (causes force close) but I think that is more of a software issue.

      Yea Redmi 3 as I mentioned above.. locked bootloader. Now that I think about it, I do want something that can be rooted + custom ROM'd.

      This Lenovo Lemon 3 though - never heard of it! And I actually think it looks quite good. I am tempted by this.
      Just did a search on Ozbargain for it and there is absolutely nothing about it. Not even a mention.
      Google search doesn't give me much more info too.

      I guess I now have 3 contenders:

      • Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
      • Xiaomi Redmi 3
      • Lenovo Lemon 3

      Lets see how this fluctuates with further comments!

      • scrimshaw on 03/03/2016 - 01:12

        Just FYI regarding dual SIM, Optus is killing off 2G in 2017 April and Telstra is doing the same in December.

        So the phones you've shortlisted, will no longer function as 'dual sim' phones once 2G is shut down.

        Anyway, here is a list of budget-minded phones between 5 and 5.5 inches that might interest you. It does not include 'white-box' brands like THL, only major brands

        http://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2014&nPriceMax…

        • illumination on 03/03/2016 - 01:15

          Hm so….. how do we get dual SIM functionality after that…? LOL
          But yes I saw the discussion between you + some other people about that in another topic somewhere.

          Initially, I was under the impression 2G referred to "E" (2G internet) but I understand this is the voice frequency 2G? And the explanation is that Dual SIM phones can only have one SIM active on 3G/4G at a time.

          What's a "white-box" brand?

          Thanks for the link! Appreciate the filtering you've setup for me!

        • scrimshaw on 03/03/2016 - 01:22

          @illumination:

          White Box
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_box_%28computer_hardware…

          used to refer to PC's without a well known brand name. But I guess it's easier to describe THL as 'ChinaDroid', then again so is Xiaomi (they are both Chinadroids) but THL is a much, much lower down the ladder in terms of pricing, software support and build quality.

          Chinese phone brands vary highly in quality, if you put Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and OnePlus in the first tier, Lenovo, ZTE and Meizu would probably belong in the second tier and finally in the dogturd tier you have all the other smaller manufacturers like THL, uHappy, Cubot, Doogee who specialise in ultra-low cost devices which will break after 2 years of use.

          I tend to refer to these low-cost devices whitebox because they're just cobbled together without any previous product research and development, and they mostly just copy other designs. The THL W8 as you already know, is a rip-off of the Samsung Galaxy S3 series.

        • Forfiet on 03/03/2016 - 04:55

          @scrimshaw: except as you said those "dogturd" tier phones can last longer than 2 years, you just have to do you research first(my THL W8 is still kicking like yours).

        • illumination on 03/03/2016 - 10:43

          @scrimshaw: Break after 2 years of use? That doesn't sound that bad! I feel like the big brands generally will die after 2-4 years (seems to vary greatly) depending on the individual.

          Ah.. so white = s%t.. i.e. s%t box hahaha

          uClearlyNotHappy with the uHappy you bought ;)

          My only slight concern with the dogturd/whitebox/s*%tbox tier is that there is hardly any community support if something goes wrong, but I guess that's the gamble you have to be willing to take if you are going to buy a ~$100 phone..

        • illumination on 24/03/2016 - 11:01

          @scrimshaw: Just wanted to come back and say that the SIM slot is working again! LOL.

    • shroomish on 03/03/2016 - 10:09
      +1

      I cant believe they seriously called a phone a lemon. there must have been one dude at Lenovo that knew the implication.

      • Clear on 03/03/2016 - 16:19

        They even called one a Pepsi. How crazy is that?

  • woodwa on 03/03/2016 - 13:48
    +1

    I have a Xiaomi Redmi Note 2. it was $200 with delivery and a screen protector. My mate with the current nexus was upset because I paid so little for the same features… its a fabulous phone fast and Strong(mine visited the floor more than 10 times)

    Just be sure to use the popular Cyanogenmod ROM from XDA (lokjianming's CM 12.1) and not the MIUI forums.. This is pretty easy for someone who is willing to try.. (
    Basic process to get CM12.1
    -find bootloader and instructions from the net for the phone and install
    -download the most recent stable CM12.1 from XDA(lokjianming's CM 12.1 for the Note 2)
    -download Google apps for arm64
    -download appropriate SuperSU root

    -install the 3 above downloads in that order using the bootloader from step one.. and your away with a very nice fast feature rich phone that looks and feels like a $800 phone.

    • Findmebargain on 25/03/2016 - 15:37

      Thanks for the tips. I am looking to get this phone for my mother as her first smartphone. Did you get the one with 16GB or 32GB ROM? Not sure if they make much difference. Also, would you recommend the place you bought from?

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