Looking at buying the Xiaomi Mi8 Explorer edition. Don't know much about the Xiaomi mobile brand so got some questions for those who have bought the Xiaomi mi brand before.
- Is it worth waiting for the international version (I don't know Chinese)?
- Is it hard to get google play services such as google assistant on the MIMU Chinese version?
- Do they drop in price quickly after release? Noticed that the Mi8 Explorer is pre-order at the moment (around $900AUD).
- Where would you get it from? Googling comes up with geekbuying or oppomart
- Any regrets in buying the Xiaomi brand?
- Any concerns regarding privacy?
I'm coming from a Samsung s7 edge with a cracked screen for the past 6 months.
Is it worth waiting for the international version (I don't know Chinese)?
Yes. Get the International version. The software is fine. It's more so the antenna that supports other bands. Bad enough that most Chinese phones don't support Band 28.
Is it hard to get google play services such as google assistant on the MIMU Chinese version?
As above, get the international version. They come out quite quick after the Chinese one gets released. When it comes to Xiaomi though, it's really easy to install MIUI roms. There's a built-in app that lets you flash official roms. Really easy to upgrade if OTA upgrades don't hit your phone soon enough.
Do they drop in price quickly after release? Noticed that the Mi8 Explorer is pre-order at the moment (around $900AUD).
They do drop, but not after a few months.
Where would you get it from? Googling comes up with geekbuying or oppomart
I've only ever bought phones from Expansys and eglobaldigitalcameras. The latter doesn't sell to Australia anymore, but their parent company, DWI, still does. As for Expansys, they don't seem to carry a lot of Xiaomi devices. Your best bet is some Chinese online store. Just be careful with that GST.
Any regrets in buying the Xiaomi brand?
Nope. My whole family (and a lot of extended family) has them. I wish they had lower levels of radiation though. Chinese phone makers don't seem to really care all that much about SAR values.
Any concerns regarding privacy?
For any mobile device, there's always concerns, especially with Android. If you're worried about the Chinese government, you can just turn off all your syncing with Xioami. I've done that. I don't need to sync my contacts or whatever with them. I get enough value syncing my stuff with Google.