Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Special Edition (w/ B28 700MHz) 3GB/32GB Phone $169.99 USD (~$224.76 AU) @ Geekbuying

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Special Edition (w/ B28 700MHz) 3GB/32GB Phone $169.99 USD (~$224.76 AU) @ Geekbuying

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AssociatedClear on 27/08/2016 - 17:49 geekbuying.com (6878 clicks)
Last edited 08/09/2016 - 01:01 by 1 other user

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After countless requests I've managed to negoiate a deal with Geekbuying on the new Redmi Note 3 Special Edition featuring better 4G LTE support including B28 700MHz.

No coupon required and free shipping is included.

Package with phone, case and screen protector now available for $176.99 USD

Check it out here

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Specifications

5.5" FHD 1920x1080 Display

MIUI (Based on Android)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 Hexa-Core CPU @ 1.8GHz

Adreno 510 GPU

3GB RAM, 32GB eMMC (Supports microSD card)

Dual SIM, Dual Standby

16MP Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera

4000mAh Battery

Fingerprint Reader

2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MH

3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz

4G: FDD LTE B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28/ (2100/1900/1800/1700/850/2600/900/800/700MHz), TD-LTE B40 (2300MHZ)

802.11a/b/g/n/ac dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/Beidou

152.5 x 76 x 8.65mm

167g

Don't forget the 3.20% cashback at Cashrewards and please checkout the other deals:

Mobile Mobile Phone Xiaomi Android

11 Oct 2016

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closed Comments

- - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 11/09/2016 - 10:52
    
    Sent a message to Clear yesterday but haven't heard anything. Not sure if he's inundated with messages or only going to respond if he gets a response from GB regarding my order
    
    I requested the order to be shipped ASAP. Many were sent out yesterday and others are ready for the courier/post to collect.
    - avocadot on 11/09/2016 - 15:11
      
      Thanks Clear, much appreciated. There has been no change to my order status and I still haven't received a shipping confirmation email but as long as it is delivered and working properly that's the the main thing. Looking forward to receiving the phone, hopefully soon
    - gembel on 11/09/2016 - 19:10
      
      They promised via live chat will send my order by Sunday. Yet still not shipped. They are bunch of scammers
- nith265 on 11/09/2016 - 09:20
  
  Still "Payment Confirmed (Processing)" for me, ordered late on 2/9. Grey non B28 Standard B Bundle.
  
  Strictly speaking it's not till the 13/9 for me that the "Shipping: in 2-7 business days" that they advertise will expire.
  
  Fair enough if they need to order in bulk to keep prices low but some communication or ETA of dispatch would be nice. If I was signing up to some group buying deal it would have been nice to know going in.
  
  Is this the same for every Geekbuying order or do some items ship immeadiately?
  - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 11/09/2016 - 10:53
    
    Not the same with every GB order. If I knew this would happen I would not have posted.
- gembel on 11/09/2016 - 19:06
  
  Sunday now, they promised me will ship my order by Sunday. Still processing. GeekBuying = thieves.
brichman on 11/09/2016 - 09:36

Has anyone had any issues installing facebook/facebook messenger? Neither of them work for me. Facebook says 'Failed to Connect' and messenger says 'Unable to sign in'. Using a 3rd party FB app at the moment and its doing my head in!
- Polde on 12/09/2016 - 12:13
  
  +1
  
  Yeah I had a few problems with some apps not receiving push notifications, I realised because of app permissions not being activated for notification bar and lock screen on default.
  Go into Setting> Notification and status bar> App notification> select whatever app not working
  
  Also discovered if you use Twilight for night reading, it won't let you allow permissions when new apps ask. So just pause to allow for app permission.
  
  This MIUI OS sure gets frustrating to use sometimes :/.
  - brichman on 12/09/2016 - 14:31
    
    Yeah, I have noticed small things like that. For me it is that it wouldn't even log in or connect at all. What I did to fix it:
    
    Flash with MIUI 8 developer ROM, then install versions of FB and FB messenger from a few months ago… Everything seems to be working now. I'd highly recommend switching over to MIUI 8 dev rom as it is much better :)
gembel on 11/09/2016 - 22:58

spoke to them on live chat. this is the bs i got from them today:

"dear sir , your package has been packed well, it still not ship because it is in HK warehouse

To be honest,Geekbuying Hk warehouse were full of packages and we are hiring more staff for work as the rapid growing orders in recent days We are located in shenzhen but only the HK citizen can work in HK warehouse permanently as the immigration limitation. So we can only arrange our shenzhen labors to HK 3 times a week"
- AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 11/09/2016 - 23:11
  
  They're not lying. It is being shipped from HK while the head office and main warehouse is in Shenzhen.
  - gembel on 11/09/2016 - 23:15
    
    what i dont understand is, why can't just ship my order if it's been packed already.
    
    since last week they kept saying it's been packed.
    
    then just friggin ship it!
    - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 11/09/2016 - 23:19
      
      I could be totally wrong on this, but everyone I deal with at GB doesn't work on Sunday. Maybe the HK staff don't work on that day either?
      
      Since it's packed they'd be waiting on DHL or whichever courier to come and collect it along with the other orders.
    - gembel on 11/09/2016 - 23:26
      
      @Clear: Since mid of last week they told me it will be shipped by Sunday today, and said they have staff working on Sunday. They assured me that. Well that didn't happen.
      
      Now they said in live chat an hour ago they will "do their best" to ship it early this week and gave their reasons as quoted above.
      
      Well if they don't ship my order this coming week there's no more point in waiting anymore, I'll just cancel the order and get a refund. Just unacceptable. If orders are packed they should be shipping them out already "by order date". Not shipping them in any order as they like. Really poor poor management and service by GeekBuying.
nith265 on 12/09/2016 - 11:30

OK got a notification from Geekbuying this morning that my order from 2/9 has shipped. DHL says "Shipment information received" so am guessing it still hasnt actually left the building but at least we're underway. Will try to remember to update with actual delivery time also.

Thanks to @clear if you helped the process along at all. In the absence of any communication from Geekbuying your presence here was appreciated.
- AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 12/09/2016 - 11:50
  
  DHL says "Shipment information received" so am guessing it still hasnt actually left the building but at least we're underway. Will try to remember to update with actual delivery time also.
  
  That usually means that the package has been picked up and is waiting to be processed at DHL's sorting facility.
  
  Thanks to @clear if you helped the process along at all. In the absence of any communication from Geekbuying your presence here was appreciated.
  
  No problem. This has been a nightmare and I think GB have got sick of my angry messages.
xyzed on 12/09/2016 - 21:00

Sadly still waiting for mine to ship. Still only Order Status: Payment Confirmed (Processing). Very annoying given my iPhone died late August so been phoneless ever since :(
- xyzed on 19/09/2016 - 13:03
  
  It's Arrived -Woot!
Bon Marche on 13/09/2016 - 11:54

Ordered mine on Sunday 4 September with DHL shipping. Arrived this morning so I can't complain that it wasn't within their delivery estimate. I am happy with the phone and the price. :)
he88388 on 13/09/2016 - 12:36

I ordered the Gold one from previous deal on the 02 Sep.
It was picked up by DHL on Sunday (11/09/2016) and it is out for delivery in Perth today (Tuesday 13/09/2016).
Very quick delivery when Geekbuying have the stock.
imnotarobot on 13/09/2016 - 19:49

So has anyone got a case and screen protector that fits? Links to buy?
- Polde on 13/09/2016 - 20:39
  
  +1
  
  Or better yet, can Clear offer a case and screen protector only combo that is usually bundled with the packaged deals?
  - madreece on 15/09/2016 - 07:49
    
    +1
    
    This is what I ordered. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/182236576869
    The tempered glass is just a little short, no biggy. The case fits fine.
    - Polde on 15/09/2016 - 12:36
      
      Thanks so much for this :)
- nith265 on 14/09/2016 - 10:19
  
  Looked extensively and as far as I can tell they dont exist.
  
  I thought there must be something in Taiwan where this model was released. I tried searching Taiwan eBay and other .tw sites but found nothing or couldnt get them to work with google translate.
  
  In earlier deals its been reported than you can squash this "special edition" model into a the standard sized flexible Gel case. The tempered glass apparently works fine if you can live with 1mm extra space top and bottom.
  
  Some other guy on miui.com forum reported using a Note 2 case that is also 152mm high but needing "modifications"
  
  I gave up and changed my order to the standard sized non special edition because of this size issue (plus there's also the uncertainty of ROMs supporting this model)
avocadot on 14/09/2016 - 16:49

Phone just arrived! Hurrah for DHL which was obviously faster than Geekbuying's processing time.

Is the global ROM installed on the international model? My box is sealed and it seems that some sellers on Aliexpress and other sites seem to open the box first and install everything so Google play works. I know I can flash it but I'd just rather use it straight out of the box. There seems to be alot of instructions about how to flash. Not sure which would be the best ones - any recommendations?

Thanks Clear for organising a good deal too. Appreciate all the responses and updates.
- Bon Marche on 14/09/2016 - 17:40
  
  +1
  
  If you bought the international model from Geekbuying it will have the global rom. There is no need to flash anything. You will be able to download an over the air (OTA) update. Unless you enjoy tinkering, rooting, unbricking and installing a custom rom (and you have had experience) I wouldn't suggest you go down that path. Even experienced users have hesitated because of the small number of people using this model (Kate) should they run into trouble. If you are still keen then you may want to watch this thread at Whirlpool: https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2566258
nith265 on 14/09/2016 - 22:27

Mine arrived this afternoon also. Yep pretty impressive from DHL - picked up in Hong Kong on Monday 1pm, delivered to Melbourne 3pm Wednesday.

13 days total delivery time from placing order with Geekbuying.

Only played with it briefly but it seems very impressive and responsive. Metal casing feels great in the hand.
caleb2003 on 15/09/2016 - 10:28

Finally got it, DHL were quick.
ingster on 15/09/2016 - 12:00

Anyone received theirs yet with regular shipping? Mine is currently sitting at the status "arrived in destination country" and has been so for 3-4 days. Was a bit gung ho and forgot to select DHL shipping!
- ABA on 16/09/2016 - 10:00
  
  Mine is same.
- movemove on 20/09/2016 - 11:00
  
  +1
  
  Same here. Have you received your phone?
  - ingster on 20/09/2016 - 12:02
    
    No not yet, still sitting at the same status since monday last week. Ive tried punching the tracking number into Ausposts system but it says it is not trackable. I assume that this is the last status update we will receive then before actually getting the package, which will be god knows when. Im heading away for a few days tomorrow for work and was really hoping to get it by today! Fingers crossed it rocks up this arvo.
    - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 20/09/2016 - 15:10
      
      The tracking won't work on Auspost website as they don't update it.
    - ingster on 20/09/2016 - 16:19
      
      @Clear:
      
      That means that no further updates will occur on tracking until delivery (even on 17track website)?
    - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 20/09/2016 - 16:37
      
      @ingster: Correct. Once the airmail arrives in Australia and reaches customs the tracking there will stop.
  - ABA on 21/09/2016 - 09:16
    
    I have but the wrong one though.
Senthen on 15/09/2016 - 12:45

The screen protector and cover don't seem to be for the correct product?
- Senthen on 15/09/2016 - 12:53
  
  +1
  
  Wait a second I received the Redmi 3S? This is a different phone. It's even the grey version of the phone they didn't even get the colour right?
  - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 15/09/2016 - 17:45
    
    What does the order say in your account? Xiaomi Redmi Note 3?
    - Senthen on 15/09/2016 - 20:29
      
      +1
      
      http://i.imgur.com/pt6tOga.jpg
      
      Didn't notice it was the wrong phone until I opened it and noticed the camera position was different from what I remembered (in top left instead of centre)
    - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 16/09/2016 - 10:05
      
      @Senthen: I'll talk to them on Monday after the mid-autumn national holiday is over.
BluebirdV on 15/09/2016 - 17:58

Can anyone highlight the main differences in an upgrade from Samsung Galaxy S5 to this phone besides the bigger screen and longer battery life?
missspeckles on 15/09/2016 - 19:00

I placed my order on 2nd Sept. I got my shipment email on Monday 12th Sept, and from the DHL tracking it arrived in Brisbane last night. All day today it has been delayed in customs. (That was the last update from today - delayed). Anyone else have this happen? And how long did it take to get through?
Polde on 15/09/2016 - 20:51

Interesting read here regarding Xiaomi MIUI OS

I'm following this thread in regards to 'kate' devices, seems CM is said to be working fine.
Whydig on 15/09/2016 - 22:41

Anyone been scammed yet? Quite hesitant to buy this, as I've read some reviews on geekbuying. And they've been known for their fake goods and bad customer service.
- AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 15/09/2016 - 22:48
  
  People are far more likely to write bad reviews than good ones. Most issues are on shipping times as free shipping can take up to 30 business days. Unfortunately stock from suppliers can be delayed on more popular products (e.g. new release Xiaomi) too.
  
  Geekbuying doesn't sell any fake items either. There hasn't been any fake products advertised on Ozbargain either.
Fixmyi on 16/09/2016 - 01:39

ordered on 10th september .no response untill i emailed them and got the sad news

We are regret to inform you that the delivery date of it was postponed to next week ,.would you mind waiting for a while ?
there are several orders in front of yours have not be shipped yet .
We would appreciate if you can wait it patiently .once it is shipped ,you will receive an email with the tracking number .
if you have any question ,please feel free to contact us .
have a nice day
best regards
- ingster on 16/09/2016 - 15:24
  
  Sounds like I should be thankful mine got shipped at all!
- awesomeo on 16/09/2016 - 16:27
  
  They told me something similar, ordered on the 9th of Sep.
qkee on 16/09/2016 - 21:21

+1

I've received my phone today (Perth). If someone could help that would be great as I've tried emailing support but they are on holiday for moon festival.
After switching the phone on, there was something that asked if I wanted to do an OTA update. After pressing yes, the phone is now on a constantly restarting for the last half hour with no way to stop it from restarting. What do I do??!
Also, a comment on the case with the package - mine does not fit the phone as it's too small and blocks out the audio jack/charger (depending on which way you put it on).
- adrianhughes1998 on 17/09/2016 - 13:20
  
  mine arrived in Perth too yesterday. Not sure how to get out of reboot loop, if you Google it i'm sure it'd come up.
  
  I too had the same issue with the clear rubber case, bit silly but now I slide from the top down so it fits ok. hopefully with a few days it loosens up a bit.
  - qkee on 18/09/2016 - 20:47
    
    Thanks, unfortunately google didn't help because the thing that it suggests to do (power and volume buttons) don't bring about the required menu :(
    - adrianhughes1998 on 18/09/2016 - 21:59
      
      did u try this guide, its not as simple but may work: http://en.miui.com/thread-261019-1-1.html
      
      Bit silly the way they locked the bootloader. Even though u can request to unlock the bootloader, it still doesn't let you wipe partition cache cos then u need custom recovery.
      
      That's what i liked from my old phone,the ASUS Zenfone 2, in that it had all those options from the get-go, that's one thing they did right.
    - qkee on 27/09/2016 - 21:19
      
      @adrianhughes1998:
      I got a reply from their support team. They said to flash miui6. But I have no idea what that involves as I don't know how to flash. I expected it to just work out of the box as I have no idea what any of this stuff means. locked bootloader etc.
      Thanks for the guide, I'll have a look and see if I can make sense of it :S
- morningsun on 19/09/2016 - 12:50
  
  I am a bit confused here:
  
  In only case, if you want to root your phone and consequently want to flash the Custom ROM, you will need to unlock the stock bootloader.
  
  The international version have the installed version of Global MIUI 7.0 OS ROM, and should work perfectly out of the box in Australia (see a post by ‘Bon Marche’ above).
  
  Has everyone experienced this or only ‘qkee’?
  
  Also, people who received the phone very recently, could you please check whether it is updated Global MIUI 8.0 (in Aliexpress, some are selling unopened box international version with Global MIUI 8.0 which is a much better and stable OS).
  - qkee on 27/09/2016 - 21:21
    
    I'm confused as well. Maybe I'm just unlucky :(
High on 18/09/2016 - 22:15

Hi Clear, is there any similar or same deal planned in near future? I have this phone but want to get one for my family.
edit: I found gold version with B bundle in stock. I've found some comment that the bundled screen protector doesn't fit the "Kate" version, could you check if this issue is solved? And soft case too.
Also I would like to know if geekbuying has any flip cases for this phone.
- gembel on 19/09/2016 - 00:33
  
  +2
  
  i got my bundle. the screen protector sort of fits, just the bottom part below the buttons not fully covered. the soft case tightly fits.
  - aous on 19/09/2016 - 10:29
    
    Thanks for sharing.
    
    The phone on offer here is the "Special Edition Redmi Note 3" which is taller by 2mm than Redmi Note 3 and Redmi Note 3 Pro (the latter is the closest to our one).
    
    I suspect the case and the screen protector are design for the standard (not special) phone. This explains your observation. Still waiting for my case and screen protector (ordered separately), and I suspect I will be in the same boat.
    
    Please correct me if I am wrong.
ABA on 19/09/2016 - 17:52

Terrible service, wish I could neg it now.
Ordered this and they sent me a 3S.
- AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 19/09/2016 - 17:56
  
  Please PM me your order number.
  - ABA on 19/09/2016 - 20:06
    
    Done.
    - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 19/09/2016 - 20:07
      
      Ta. I sent a message to customer service.
    - ABA on 21/09/2016 - 09:18
      
      @Clear: Any update on this?
    - AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 21/09/2016 - 09:20
      
      @san_narula: They will contact you directly.
awesomeo on 20/09/2016 - 17:05

Hi Clear, I bought mine on the 9th, still haven't heard anything. Could you please find out what's going on and if possible what date it will be posted?
Whydig on 20/09/2016 - 18:35

Would buying the xiaomi redmi note 3 pro off ebay with the 15% discount, been cheaper and more legitimate then geekbuying?
- AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 20/09/2016 - 18:40
  
  If you can find the special edition with b28 then it'll be no problem. The stock issues with this phone have now been resolved @ GB
d2joy on 21/09/2016 - 22:49

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/266735?page=1#comment-4025…
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/266962?page=1#comment
$4 off from aliexpress -> https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/265775
$2 off from the seller (or $4 off with the MI5)
7% or 7.5% cashback

price match please
d2joy on 21/09/2016 - 23:43

can simultaneously operate both SIMs on 3G or higher? e.g. Dual Sim 4G & 3G?
http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/dual_sim_4g3g_phones
Ciccillo on 23/09/2016 - 13:54

I bought this one:https://www.android-enjoyed.com/xiaomi-redmi-note-3-pro-dual-32gb-4g-lte-gold-unlocked.html,from Android Enjoyed with one year warrenty.Is it different?
Polde on 24/09/2016 - 22:32

If anyone is sick of MIUI, someone has managed to create a helpful guide to flash CM13 onto the 'kate' phone. There are a few snags though such as not unlocking properly but it's worth it in the end though- it runs flawlessly.

http://whrl.pl/ReIzfb
ingster on 26/09/2016 - 14:36

+1

Still waiting on mine.. its been in the country for over two weeks now. Annoying that AusPost doesn't track it once it hits our shores!
Polde on 27/09/2016 - 16:35

For anyone on the hunt for cases and screen protectors, I've created a thread for people to share of any sellers for this device.

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/265657
- Lucky Ivan on 28/09/2016 - 16:39
  
  +2
  
  Just a quick thanks to Clear for deal.
  
  Time taken wasn't bad for me. Ordered on the 6sept. Arrived 27sept. Phone is good. Can use straight out of box. Will install CM later.
  
  Only thing that disappointed me was that I ordered the package and the case and screen protector isn't a right fit.
  
  Thanks Polde for new thread.
  - ingster on 29/09/2016 - 10:53
    
    did you use regular post or DHL?
    - Lucky Ivan on 29/09/2016 - 23:52
      
      Regular post. Used the free delivery option.
    - ingster on 30/09/2016 - 11:57
      
      @OBNewbie:
      
      Damn, I ordered mine on the 31st August, got posted on the 5th and apparently arrived in Aus on 12th but I still haven't received it yet.. Have sent off an email to GeekBuying to see if they can track it down.
suudo on 29/09/2016 - 16:43

Non stop bootloops out of the box, now to go through the slow process of support and emails.
- awesomeo on 30/09/2016 - 08:49
  
  did you update? I saw someone mention this issue after they updated.
  - suudo on 30/09/2016 - 14:08
    
    Nah no update at all, I haven't even got to setup my google account on the phone or even put a sim in it.
- qkee on 01/10/2016 - 15:53
  
  I had the issue after updating. Support emails ended with them sending me this link http://www.wikihow.com/Flash-a-Phone and saying there's nothing that can be done. I'm disappointed as I have no idea what I'm doing.
  - suudo on 01/10/2016 - 21:39
    
    Support told me to pull the battery out, when the battery isn't removable in this phone. So I wouldn't trust support. Regarding the flashing process there should be other guide on the net for it. If not pm me
tetrahedron on 30/09/2016 - 09:59

Ordered on the 2nd, dispatched on the 15th, and received on the 29th.
As others previously mentioned, soft case not 100% fit, glass protection is good.
Comes with MIUI Global 7.3 (Android 6.0.1), work straight out of the box (thumbsup)
superuserrr on 02/10/2016 - 16:06

My order has been 'Shipment information received' with DHL for 10 days! What is going on??
- AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 02/10/2016 - 16:09
  
  It means that it's in DHL's processing centre. They might not be working due to China's National Day holiday that goes from Oct 1 to Oct 7.
  - superuserrr on 02/10/2016 - 16:13
    
    Okay cheers.
ingster on 06/10/2016 - 16:20

Finally arrived today, quite happy with the phone! Screen looks nice, I like the size pretty snappy to use. MUI isnt too bad. I have installed google launcher and messenger though. Camera is no worse than my S5 I don't think. So far so good.

Still deciding whether I can be bothered putting CM on it.
superadmin on 11/10/2016 - 21:00

I bought a phone from them which is dead on arrival. I received one email. However the product is still defective and I have not received a refund yet.

Any advice?
full0085 on 14/10/2016 - 09:49

Mine still hasn't shipped, what is going on!

This was posted 8 years 2 months 26 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Special Edition (w/ B28 700MHz) 3GB/32GB Phone $169.99 USD (~$224.76 AU) @ Geekbuying

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