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Xiaomi Mi5 3GB RAM 32GB 5.15" - $219.99 USD (~$297.03 AUD) + Free Shipping @ GeekBuying

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Xiaomi Mi5 3GB RAM 32GB 5.15" - $219.99 USD (~$297.03 AUD) + Free Shipping @ GeekBuyingAffiliate
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Lhakkenuh on 07/02/2017 - 17:48 geekbuying.com (1953 clicks)
Last edited 07/02/2017 - 21:02 by 2 other users
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First time posting so excuse any mistakes, currently Mi5 is lowest it's been since November last year. Lowest price I can currently find, below $300 considering that some stores are retailing for around $450+ This is also global ROM so you're saved the hassle of rooting it and flashing the ROM. Recommend going with DHL shipping for $16 extra, only 3-5 business days. Just ordered one for myself and I'm hoping for the best since it's definitely the best around it's price (considering it's a flagship), specs a lot better than competitors i.e moto g4 etc. NFC, Snap 820, solid camera, definitely a cheaper equivalent of S7. As for geek buying, all I've had is good experiences from them so I hope this is another one.

P.S someone reminded me, don't forget cashrewards (3.20% cash back).

EDIT: Seems like they don't want to be lowest price anymore, soon after deal was posted jumped from $297 AUD to $310, thanks geek buying…

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closed Comments

  • ripesashimi on 07/02/2017 - 18:04
    +2

    If you ever want to flash a different ROM on it (since some may have had bad experience with MIUI or simply prefer different ROM), you will need to unlock the bootloader and apply for Xiaomi permission from http://en.miui.com/unlock/, which can take up to 10 days to process.

    So it's a good idea to apply for the unlock now just in case your phone gets hard bricked and shit and you want to reset your phone. Be wise with your reason to apply.

    • kidcudi on 07/02/2017 - 18:09

      i just created an account on miui.com where do i apply for the unlock code ? thank you

    • shavi on 07/02/2017 - 18:19
      +1

      Mine was approved within 48 hours. The vendor installed an advertisement heavy customised ROM which was dodgy. But I unlocked and flashed the official global ROM pretty easily for a noob.

      • bishoz on 07/02/2017 - 19:21

        Is there an advantage to the unlock?

        • shavi on 07/02/2017 - 19:27
          +2

          For me not really, cos I just installed the official ROM to get rid of the adverts (and possible malware, which is reason enough). Oh, and I do get OTA updates now.
          I supposed you can install other ROMs once unlocked too.

        • [Deactivated] on 08/02/2017 - 09:11
          +2

          @shavi:
          I did exactly the same. International rom is good too me.

    • garage sale on 07/02/2017 - 19:30

      And make sure you have all the drivers and software running on Windows 10 …Unlock for my note 4 arrived today …. Not sure what the average user who just wants a phone does.

    • Vladdo on 07/02/2017 - 21:27

      "Be wise with your reason to apply."

      Why would they knock you back?

      • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 08:32

        Resellers loading bloatware and also if you report stolen phone …..

    • RubenM on 07/02/2017 - 22:49

      Mine took a couple of days.

  • jb6 on 07/02/2017 - 18:16
    +3

    Don't forget cashrewards (3.20% cashback)

  • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 18:46
    +4

    Got this phone and recommend it. The photos are a bit grainy in low light and 32GB a bit on the low side, but the rest is all good. MIUI8 is actually nice enough.
    Shipping really did take ages.

  • illumination on 07/02/2017 - 18:48

    Dual SIM is 4G + 3G?

    • kaihoc on 07/02/2017 - 19:03

      Want to know that too.

    • twister292 on 07/02/2017 - 19:12

      Yes. Mine certainly does have 4G+3G capabilities.

    • cureforanitch on 07/02/2017 - 19:57

      Can confirm its 4g + 3g

    • bb_hunter on 07/02/2017 - 21:59

      can confirm first sim slot is data/4G, second sim slot 3G

  • bhupi on 07/02/2017 - 18:56

    Does it supports Austrian 4G/LTE bands ?

    • sourdawg on 07/02/2017 - 19:02
      +30

      Ja, mein Luftkissenboot ist voller Aale

    • AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 07/02/2017 - 19:02

      Austrian and Australian. Not every 4G band though.

      Go to WillMyPhoneWork to find out which bands are supported by each Telco.

    • garage sale on 07/02/2017 - 19:32

      No band 28 …Tend to buy Xiaomi for my kid in primary school ….9 year old , hes time rich and money poor and can wait for his downloads …. Wouldn't use one for myself though ….

      • bb_hunter on 07/02/2017 - 22:01
        +2

        not quite true, I can download faster on my Mi5 using Optus 4G/3G than my Telstra ADSL2.

        • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 02:21

          gets even faster when you have band 28 ….. my TPG ADSL2 was dead for 3 weeks and we lived off sim cards ….. and it was faster downloads than via my ADSL, BUT I also live in a very built up area so not sure how much trunking TPG has from the exchange to the rest of the world.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 19:03

    I'm deciding between this Mi5 and the Xiaomi Note 4.

    • garage sale on 07/02/2017 - 19:34

      Got the note 4 64gb for my kid ….Came to $195 with cash rewards ….He wanted an iPhone …..Lol.

      • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 19:38
        +1

        That sounds like a good deal! Where did you buy it from?

        What do you think of it?

        • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 02:27
          +2

          for a $195 it's great ….got the 64GB version as he uses 2 sims. I got mine from Aliexpress (Dreami , took 3 weeks to arrive). It came with a global rom 8.0.5.0 …..which is a resller ROM, so I flashed the official global rom 8.0.4.0 …. took a bit of googling and trying drivers to get the flashing software to work on 64 bit windows 10.

          It's a great phone for the money ….next best option would be $330+.

        • [Deactivated] on 08/02/2017 - 09:30

          @garage sale: thanks!!!

        • BadGiraffe on 08/02/2017 - 17:34

          @garage sale: Is that with the Snapdragon SOC?

    • hakkenuh on 07/02/2017 - 20:05
      +1

      different price ranges, specs wise Mi5 over note 4 definitely, if you want full spec breakdown: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/xiaomi-redmi-note-4-3713-vs-xiaomi-m…

      • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 20:15

        Thanks!

      • hakkenuh on 07/02/2017 - 20:15

        however if you're on a budget the note 4 is a bargain!

    • Brianqpr on 08/02/2017 - 09:42

      Note 4 is great and really good build quality, on par with flagships for look and feel. Unfortuntately I dropped mine and cracked the screen at the weekend so I am working out whether to get another note 4 or the Mi5. Xiaomi bang for buck is very hard to beat in my experience, we have had three in our house over the last few years.

    • MrFunSocks on 08/02/2017 - 11:14
      +2

      Have you looked at the Redmi 4 Prime? It's got absolutely amazing battery life, probably the best you'll see on a phone today, a 1080p screen, 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage, dual sim, SD Card, etc. I just got mine, upgraded from a Redmi 3S Prime and couldn't be happier. Second full charge I got 11.5 hours Screen-On-Time on 41 hours off charge.

      • Tatts on 08/02/2017 - 11:41

        Where did you buy yours from?

        • MrFunSocks on 08/02/2017 - 12:18
          +1

          Aliexpress, this one is the exact one I bought, though now they are offering the Official Global OS installed (I had to flash mine from Chinese OS):

          https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-4-Snapdragon-43…

          Shipping took a while, no option to get it express - ordered on Jan 12, received it on 2 or 3 Feb.

        • Tatts on 09/02/2017 - 07:02

          @MrFunSocks: Nice. I'm looking for a new phone and this one might be it. Cheers.
          *edit: did you have to flash another Rom on it or just use it as it is?
          What network are you with? Wondering if it'll work with Telstra 4G? Doesn't look like they have the same band?

        • MrFunSocks on 09/02/2017 - 07:19
          +1

          @Tatts: I had to flash another ROM as it came with the choice of a possibly compromised vendor ROM or the official China ROM with no Google play services, but it now comes with the official global ROM so no need to flash.

          I'm with Optus and I get 4G, and I got 4G with TPG before I switched to Optus. On my 3S Prime before the 4 Prime my brother tried his Telstra sim and I'm 99% sure he got 4G as well.

        • Tatts on 09/02/2017 - 07:46

          @MrFunSocks: Brilliant. Thanks again :)

  • murkywater on 07/02/2017 - 19:15
    -1

    b-b-b-b-b-but band 28 :(

    • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 02:32

      yeah ….. no band 28 …. but hey …. 9 year old kids are time rich so he can wait a bit longer for his screen updates when we are in crowded places or indoors with poor coverage (at home he uses the wifi)….. heck it's not like the phone earns him money.

    • Brianqpr on 08/02/2017 - 09:43
      +4

      The importance of this is very overblown. Simply won't matter to the vast majority.

      • MrFunSocks on 08/02/2017 - 11:15

        Yeah it really doesn't matter. I get 4G with fast download speeds on my Redmi 4 Prime with Optus even though no band 28.

      • crc32 on 08/02/2017 - 16:33

        I had wondered if it mattered to me and did a few tests and found that my phone connects to band 28 a lot of the time. (Regional Queensland on Optus).

      • BadGiraffe on 08/02/2017 - 17:37

        I can vouch for that. 3G works just fine for the casual user. It's not like I watch lots of Netflix on the train.

        But if 3G were to be scrapped, like how 2G has, then yes, no band 28 would be a problem.

  • takutox on 07/02/2017 - 19:16
    +5

    Don't go geekbuying imo, shipping takes years and terrible company. You pay way more than Ali.

    Go dreami or Goldway for the prime 64Gb version with clocked up processor. 7% cash rewards and Ali express coupon makes it same price as this or only few more dollars. I think the 32gb gets even cheaper. These two are super reputable.

    This is actually not even a deal. None of these companies are. The cheapest is almost always Ali. You should never buy from any of these website companies except vickmall on sale.

    That being said you shouldn't even get a mi5 if you don't mind the cheaper phones with better battery and don't mind a bigger screen size. Slightly faster specs on paper mean nothing and people only use cameras for whatsapp and facebook I.e. average camera to an average camera is the same thing.

    Build qual also doesn't matter when you are putting cases on or when you can buy two phones for the price of one.

    • shavi on 07/02/2017 - 19:28
      +1

      Goldway put dodgy software on mine (constant adverts popping up, and possible malware). As per above, I unlocked and flashed with the official ROM without issue. But I'd buy from someone else next time.

      • garage sale on 07/02/2017 - 19:38

        Most do dodgey global mine came with 8.0.5…..Not official so spent 5 hours to get it down to 8.0.4 official …..Enjoy Google and forums …..It will help you get ready for the jobs of the future with what you learn.

        • mikkim4eva on 08/02/2017 - 16:15

          is all 8.0.5 dodgey? just checked my redmi note 4 and it's on 8.0.5 stable…

        • mikkim4eva on 08/02/2017 - 16:34

          @mikkim4eva:

          quick google says it's a modified rom… time to flash it back to official global rom….

      • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 14:09

        yeah they will do that - its pretty dodgy. they could put anything on it with a hacked rom.

        its a good learning experience though to get it back to official :)

    • cheepo on 07/02/2017 - 19:38

      Hey Takuto - do you have links from the places you mentioned?

      OP mentioned that DHL postage takes 3-5 business days with Geekbuying.

      • 02LyW on 07/02/2017 - 20:45

        I bought this one a month ago. I didn't use express shipping. It took about 10 days from memory. I have bought from the same seller 6 months prior and used DHL. That order was placed Friday 4pm, and arrived that Monday at 10am.

        https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Latest-Xiaomi-Mi5-In-stock-x…

      • takutox on 07/02/2017 - 21:14
        +3

        The only place with official rom I've seen is Dreami.

        Mi 5 = $226 USD DHL after cashrewards and store coupon. Shipped, bonus screen protector and TPU case. Much faster shipping vs geek buying.

        https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32634972794.html#autostay

        Mi 5 prime (64Gg and faster clocked processor), free screen protector and tpu case = $239 USD after coupon and cashrewards

        https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/32632847013.html?trace=store…

        DHL might take 3-5 business but them shipping your order is a different story. They've been known to take ages to actually ship the item out.

        These roms are confirmed official

        The mi5 prime is cheaper than geekbuyings normal mi5. Shipping is also 5000 times faster and comes with extras. Geekbuying is even known for sending a completely different model phone in a past incident.

        • Dbuiz on 08/02/2017 - 09:06

          Can I ask what coupon you are referring to? Looking to get the Mi 5 Prime. Thanks

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 13:35
          +1

          @Dbuiz:

          Sorry - my bad. The coupon is no longer available to apply as the current one ended two days ago but it was basically an aliexpress $2 store coupon for their store that you could instantly claim, so prices will be $2 USD more atm. They do bring it back sporadically however.

    • hakkenuh on 07/02/2017 - 20:10
      -4

      yeah may as well get a nokia brick thanks for the breakdown, flagships are useless anyways cause no one uses the camera, speed is useless, screen is small plus battery sucks ay, bloody useless comment if you ask me, you just suggested other chinese sites, especially ali express which are a lot worse trust me.

      • takutox on 07/02/2017 - 21:27
        +7

        99.99% use the camera for happy snaps on whatsapp, instagram and facebook or to show mum. People who use for business have professional cameras with expensive lens. Other 0.001% stick their pinky out and bring their phone to high school or uni to showoff.

        Btw, for 99.999% a Snapdragon 650 or helio X20 isn't going to make a god damned difference even when gaming. Build quality is also great on Chinese phones, all moving to metal. In fact all the budget mid end Chinese phones are now sporting 820/821/652 better than flagships.

        BTW, Most budget Chinese phones actually have significantly more battery than flagships (4000 mah) as well as better processor and gpu and bigger screen. They also have enough support to have stable stockish roms like CM. Need band 28 support? (Mostly religious bs). Get a redmi note 3.

        Need a good cam for business? Buy one with the $500 you saved.

        Geekbuying is basically a Chinese site, which is actually worse than aliexpress with a terrible rep.

        Or you can buy a $600-800+ flagship where the battery barely lasts 6 hrs after a couple years and the cam still sucks in low light. I'm sure you will enjoy an identically specced phone with very slightly better cam for your business ventures. You really need that snapdragon 821 to show your friends your phone is so powerful you can run asphalt 12 at 350 fps (too bad it has the same CPU/gpu as a budget phone).

        We are ozb - find best deals for best value. Buying a non Chinese phone atm is a dumb move unless salary package.

        They're milking all the suckers now who are okay to spend that much money for a device that is guaranteed to die in 2 years. The golden day of good and well priced flagships ended at htc m8 for $450 with SD801.

        Would you buy a phone with awesome camera whose battery is guaranteed to be a dud? Then wtf would you buy a phone for its camera for business purposes. You don't.

        BTW, mi5 IS a flagship. The point is that the performance differences between 2014 flagships are negligible in real life (not to mention non flagship Chinese budget phones have better processors than some mainstream flagships. Don't be a fool and fall for the latest and greatest and marketing with the latest pathetic models of whom have added nothing but gimmick features. They don't make the battery that small to make the phone thinner and lighter and shinier, it's so you drop another 700 in 2 years time.

        • Buff on 07/02/2017 - 22:15

          Words of wisdom..couldn't agree more!

        • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 02:44

          yeah, I've got a DSLR for real photos.
          Yeah processor doesn't make much difference if you can't get the data.
          So I wouldn't upgrade because it has better camera or faster processor but I would for faster data data downloads or better antenna for reception

          My Moto X has a 21 megapixel camera, but doesn't take as good a picture as my DSLR, band 28 and 1440P screen, bought it at Voda on the last deal they had for $330….. 2 years ago these chinese phones (Redmi note 2) had a captive market for Australian customer wanting sub $300 phone with 1080p screens as most for sale in Australia were $600+, now there are several available locally for the $350 mark so the appeal has faded … and as models trickle down we will see more deals …

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 03:57
          +5

          @garage sale:

          Band 28 barely makes a difference for most people, and is also available on certain china droids. Certain China droids also get better antenna reception than local stock even without band 28. Almost no-one will need band 28 for a very long time to come. It's broscience that people parrot like how muscle will turn into fat. It's a fun to have that is by no means necessary whatsoever, and won't be for a long time.

          If you are at work in a remote area that only happens to get reception in that band you have wifi to connect to. Pretending that the 4g data reception of your phone matters in this case is pointless. If you're the nomadic exception that absolutely requires using data 24/7 in every single area, well you're the exception so it doesn't matter. No point arguing here.

          And several sub $350 available locally? Where? Why would you buy a local Moto G4 plus priced at $350 on sale with plasticky design, similar cam, terrible heating SD 617, bad gpu, lower battery at a $150-200 price difference? All of these components DO matter. However in this generation they don't matter when you are paying $400 difference for marginal increase, unless you are an enthusiast chasing numbers. This is probably the generation where it makes most sense to go for a china droid with the competition heating up and heavy developer support with efficient custom roms.

          We no longer have amazing phones worth buying locally at a lower price but overpriced pieces of crap with mid range specs, cameras still failing and dumb 2K screens that you can't notice and drain your battery faster. Since we have developer support for xiaomi phones now the gap in software is now negligible. Design has caught up with every new model going a cooler looking aluminium closed body. The sad thing is in 2 years time the battery on your $500-900 phone WILL be unusable unless you lug around and charge a power bank all day ruining the point of the phone being slim or having a decent processor in the first place (hello 24/7 power saver mode)

          $150 price difference and worse specs might not mean much to you, but it does to most of us.

          also if you wanna talk warranty (thats one of the only reasons anyone would care about local), whens the last time anyone has claimed warranty? what are you going to claim it on? bad battery or broken screen? just cos the phone is not mainstream doesn't mean its going to break more easily. for the 1/5000 people who claim warranty, 4999 can just buy two or three china droids with fresh new components without waiting (and still have money left over).

          also sorry to break it to you, all of the main flagships are made by asian companies. moreover, why does it even matter who/where it is made if the device is good? does something being made by a korean or american company automatically make it better than a china droid? why is a local motorola (made by american company anyway) better than another device. the specs aren't better nor is the antenna lol. even 2 years ago band 28 was even more useless and unneccessary. we aren't ozpride.com, we are ozbargain

        • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 15:39

          Band 28 is where Telstra and Optus are putting all their upgrades and roll-outs and they purchased larger spectrum and lower frequency also means better indoors. Telstra paid $650m for their share hence it's where their rollout and upgrade efforts go. It's also not in the country where the benefits are ….Cbd was first.
          There are also other perks like band aggregation etc.

          It's not is a China droid built better, it's the features they include are for the Chinese market not Australian …..

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 16:44
          +2

          @garage sale:

          Yes, the much coveted Band 28 which has absolutely no effect on real life usage (at the moment, but will in the long term future).

          And all band aggregation (initial phase) allows you to do is download 'slightly' faster in SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE CBD - i.e. you are going to have wifi to connect to at work anyway (which are only minority of the population), and most people do not live in the CBD. Too bad your god damned data caps at 5-10gb on your internet provider and there is absolutely no point of downloading that fast anyway.

          What kind of crazy situation do you need those speeds to download? (which only works in certain areas in Syd and Mel CBD). What are you doing on your phone? YT videos or streams don't require anywhere near as fast as the speeds carrier aggregation is providing atm. Until data limits on phone providers catch up this is a useless feature.

          These are all set up for the future and should not have any effect on the decisions you make currently. They are all in initial gimmick phases. Maybe in 2-5 years these features will become important.

          These are basically the only two (useless AF) features. Most high priced flagships aren't even waterproof or dust proof.

          band 28 is also included on chinese market international version phones which negates your point, which only leaves carrier aggregation. Which noone should give a crap about unless you're one of those users with 100GB allowance on your phone always in the CBD and streaming bluray adult material all day with no workplace or home internet.

        • AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 08/02/2017 - 19:45

          @takutox: Those poor Tasmanians. They'd have very limited 4G coverage just outside the CBDs and no coverage in the various towns and suburbs without B28. Not everyone here lives in Melb/Syd.

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 20:06
          +1

          @Clear:

          That actually supports my point my dude. Carrier aggregation through mobile data is only effective in Melb/Syd CBD. It does not affect coverage, only download speeds from fast -> faster, and only in CBD, in places that already have wifi.

          Yeah, poor poor Tasmanians, however will they cope with 4g only from the other bands. Must have been a third world country with poverty and famine for them 2 years ago on their poor non ultrasonic building penetrating technology 4g and 3g :D

          No bluray adult material is going to be so sad, and too bad there's no such thing as home internet :(

          Also its also great that Tasmania has a population of 22.5 million while all the other states only add up to 500k. Since they're the majority we should all buy Band 28 phones to support their lost cause.

          After all, B28 is going to matter in 2020 so we should future proof our phones now. I hear Telstra/Optus is going to remove their 3G networks any day now, probably next week.

        • AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 08/02/2017 - 20:16

          @takutox: I was using them as an example as many of their Telstra 4G towers have B28 only. B28 is not essential, but it definitely helps a lot.

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 20:30

          @Clear:

          Yes, and your example is a logical fallacy of extremes (if its useful for x, its useful for the whole country), which only applies to a very, very tiny subset of the country's population, with an even more limiting caveat being that they are on a Telstra network for their data and that they are located in sparsely populated areas with overlap in the 1800mhz band and with 3G coverage and home internet. This does not go against anything I have said whatsoever.

          You can not extrapolate the fact that because Band 28 is semi useful in Tasmania on Telstra therefore Band 28 is useful for the majority. This falls under the minority exception.

        • AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 08/02/2017 - 20:31

          @takutox: Not trying to say it's useful for the majority. Too many people go out and say B28 is useless and no good.

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 20:34

          @Clear:

          I never said it was useless and no good.

          I just said that it only affects a very, very tiny minority at the moment.

          So I don't know why you brought the Tasmania example up in order to make a point of some sort.

          To reiterate, "Band 28 barely makes a difference for MOST people"

          for the 0.1% that really really need that 4g data on the move on Telstra in a random suburb in Tasmania that are actually areas with business that have wifi already, great.

        • AssociatedClear @ Geekbuying on 08/02/2017 - 20:37

          @takutox: It was coming across as being useless as that's what the majority of people who talk about it say. Tasmania is an example as it's probably the most populous area that relies on B28. Everywhere else would be less populous.

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 20:46

          @Clear:

          It is useless - at the moment, for 99.9% of people.

          Your example falls under the 0.1% category. Out of those 0.1% an even smaller subset will actually need B28 with it not being a 'nice to have'.

          The majority of people actually support the importance (or detract from phones with the lack of) Band 28 support, which is why its become an Australian religious belief on forums and phone discussion.

          The point you are trying to make is kind of unnecessary as I never stated it was useless for all, but useless for the majority, which is true.

        • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 20:48

          band 28 isn't usually on Chinese international phones …. the Redmi note 4's for india, snapdragon instead of MTK, different bands to chinese. I think the Xioami 3 ?? came as a "Taiwan version" with band 28, but it was for Taiwan, not global.

          Crazy download speeds, it's not just in the open. I take the train to work, and at the stations there is little coverage for data (trench tracks), so fast data gets me what I need between stations, also cells are limited in how many connections, so 1000 people hitting a cell dies things if all you have is 1800 mhz.

          I don't use the wifi at work as we log all useage …. not just what you access but also how much time you spend working and surfing ….we don't make much of a point of it but do look at the top 100 users to see what they look at "so we can give them a better user experience based on their habits". I's not snooping, but we also need to make sure people don't download porn and we make it on the news.

          I had to feed a household with broadband for 3 weeks when TPG died so attached the USB dongle to the router which ash 4G back-up support so got to try just 1800mhs (old dongle), band 28 (new dongle) and cat 6 newest dongle and the band 28 was great and cat 6 was "wow" ….. if the internet sucks my son says "its' faster at mums house".

          These are gimmicks for people that don't have them, but once you've had them they are the base line.

          Band 28 used to be used by the analog TV system, was refarmed as it works better in a lot of situtations and offer better mobile data to users …. Europe has now also reserved band 28.
          data caps, yes I have 10GB BUT when I use it I want it fast, not drip feed due to congestion.

          Check the optus and Telstra roll-outs and new services, it's not futures, it's current and some other options are legacy …. it's all relative to what you've had and what your baseline is and what you use your phone for.

        • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 21:56

          @garage sale:

          Doesn't matter what region it was branded as, B28 is B28. If you want B28 you can still purchase a RN3 Special, which is what a lot of Australians did/are doing.

          Yes, you didn't have broadband for 3 weeks and needed that extra data. And you still chose to use a dongle instead of a smartphone. So you didn't need the smartphone with the B28 after all. Furthermore, the only real usage of the slightly faster data you have noted is so your spoilt kid doesn't complain about the internet being faster at grandmas house.

          The rollout is not complete - so not all areas will get B28. Of the areas that have B28, they already have very, very well functioning 3G + 4G networks on other bands. And of the places that only get B28 coverage like Redfern train, they're still low signal/black spots anyway.

          You aren't going to get much of a (real life affecting) signal difference at the same location whether B28 or not. Slightly better? Yes. Depends on location. Got a location where you can utilise that band, great. But it's quite negligible for the tasks most people perform. We aren't even talking drip data vs fast speed, we are talking very fast vs very very fast.

          Of course these are gimmicks for the people who don't have it yet, that's the entire point. These other bands and features will slowly become the baseline. That is exactly how it works. You don't buy the expensive new technology gimmick when it is not necessary, you buy when it becomes baseline for the best value. That is what I'm saying.

          You might be happy to pay for the Band 28 tax on Australian released phones, but you lose features and specs on your phone in 10 other areas. Not to mention, RN3 SE has B28

          This band is not necessary whatsoever at the moment, unless you like to jizz over benchmarks and speedtest.net. In that case, be my guest, and make your spoilt kid happy. Motorola would love to sell you that $350 phone with cheap 2014 specs. You could buy an entire years worth of data with a portable 4GX modem with the money you save lol.

    • auna on 08/02/2017 - 11:54
      -2

      "people only use cameras for whatsapp and facebook"

      The most asinine thing I have read on OzBargain, ever.

      • takutox on 08/02/2017 - 17:40

        Do you always take the liberty to paraphrase a completely different point (in quotation marks nonetheless) just to boost your ego?

    • neonlight on 08/02/2017 - 12:27

      Can vouch for Dreami they are awesome Xiaomi seller.

      • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 20:50

        my sons phone came from dreami … great but I did reflash, but 3 weeks delivery FREE, phone was new, and it came with a global ROM. I would use them again.

  • bishoz on 07/02/2017 - 19:20

    I love my Xaomi except….. while I can get music via Bluetooth in my car, it refuses point blank to acknowledge the HFP (Hands-free Protocol) and so, for the first tome in years, I can't answer the phone while driving. Minor - but annoying.

    • jmoore626 on 07/02/2017 - 19:25

      sounds like a firmware issue … mine is seamless.

      • bishoz on 08/02/2017 - 10:31

        Yeah, I agree. I'll try a rootkit and see if that fixes it. Thanks for the comment.

    • loropy9 on 07/02/2017 - 20:04

      My Nexus 4 wouldn't connect to talk on my car audio, this was about 3 years ago. I found an app that fixed the issue. The name of the app was Soundabout.

      • bishoz on 08/02/2017 - 10:30

        Music works - just no hands-free. An app is not going to fix the lack of HFP - but thanks anyway.

  • sharky_k on 07/02/2017 - 19:50
    +1

    It's been this price for some time. It was actually $215usd at banggood last week, but they've increased it to 229 now.
    I think you are correct that this is the cheapest price right now, but you can get the prime model with faster clocked CPU and 64gb for about $240 on Aliexpress which may be a better option for some

  • JimmyF on 07/02/2017 - 19:53
    -8

    No band 28…. pass

  • neu11 on 07/02/2017 - 19:58

    got the 4gb on ebay with the $20 discount for 320 not a month ago.

    great phone. perfect size coming from a 5.5" user. has great custom rom support as well.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 20:22

    Just a heads up, anyone going custom room good luck.

    These phones are an absolute headache and it starts from installing twrp

    • kidcudi on 07/02/2017 - 20:39
      +1

      fml i just bought one i hope the custom rom is ok

      • TheOneWhoKnocks on 07/02/2017 - 21:09

        I'm sure if you keep making your own wave you'll be fine.

      • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 21:20

        good luck dude, i had so many issues just getting the twrp installed. my mate had same issues and he flashes phones all the time. On top of that most of the roms i put on the phone i had issues with, ive gone through about 8 roms myself till i found one that wasn't rebooting on me, put this phone for sale im sick of these s### phones.

        looking at getting the zte axon 7

        Make sure you backup your nand first thing

        • Moventura on 07/02/2017 - 21:56

          Nothing wrong with miui. Just install a different loader over the top.

        • mckennal on 08/02/2017 - 00:32

          @Moventura:

          Did you mean "launcher"?

        • [Deactivated] on 08/02/2017 - 01:10

          @Moventura: Nothing right with miui to me, I had many issues that's the reason I went custom ROM

  • xlamik on 07/02/2017 - 20:28

    It is 229.0 now. Update title or expire deal.

  • goober on 07/02/2017 - 20:41

    This or Lenovo Zuk Z2 with more LTE bands support for $186 USD?
    http://m.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_364276.html?wid=21

    • [Deactivated] on 07/02/2017 - 21:22

      go the Zuk z2

    • HomeAlone on 07/02/2017 - 21:53

      Zuk Z2 is faster.

      The 32GB models of the Mi5 use the lower-binned "lite" 820 chips.

      CPU ~16% slower
      GPU ~18% slower
      RAM ~29% slower

      • garage sale on 08/02/2017 - 02:58

        nice phone has cat6 support, but without band 28 you won't get the band aggregation and 100+mbit speeds.

        Also says android 7 support, one of our phones, a moto G4 plus got android 7 OTA last week.

        Lenovo own Motorola now

        • HomeAlone on 08/02/2017 - 05:38

          Wouldn't it only be an issue on Telstra?

          Optus supports carrier aggregation on B40 (2x TDD).

          Vodafone by combining B3 with B5 (FDD).

  • mskeggs on 07/02/2017 - 20:57

    Anybody using the ceramic version? Is it nice? Is it too slippery?

  • GateheaD on 07/02/2017 - 21:03

    I have this phone and its a very nice phone.
    I use it on Jenee and get 4G around Wollongong just fine

    I use it for podcasts for about an hour a day, syncing with my fitbit and occasional twitter on the can and i'm at 75+ % when I get home from work.

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