I've been having a look at the generally cheaper Chinese manufacturers as I think they will be my best bet for a decent phone at my price point.
Does anyone know anything at all about the following phones…. or a phone that beats them all —> definitely also considering non-Chinese options….
Doesn't have to be super special - I just don't want a phone that is buggy and slow/resetting all the time etc.
Cheers fellas
Chesty
Related, but does anyone know of a sub $AU20 android phone with a 3PM+ camera available online at all.
A second hand one? It'll probably be a Huawei, as they tend to be the cheapest phones available locally.
Redmi Note 2
Lenovo K3 note
Edit, sorry, its less than $250
Redmi Note 2,
or
Mi4i
My only concern with XIAOmi Redmi note 2 is that I'm on Telstra and according to the forum it doesn't cover all the bandwidth
And why does the fact that it doesn't cover all bandwidth concern you?
Reception/4g?
The fact that is doesn't cover all frequencies shouldn't really concern you. Or more accurately, shouldn't concern you that much.
Firstly, the Redmi Note 2 covers all of Telstra's 3G Frequencies (but that's not your concern).
Secondly, Redmi Note 2 runs on LTE Band 3 (1800MHz) and LTE Band 7 (2600Mhz).
Upsides & Downsides:
1) If your phone connects to 4G, it will probably connect to LTE Band 3 (1800Mhz) as it is the most common.
2) The Redmi Note 2 does not connect to Telstra's 700MHz and 900MHz (4G) frequencies. Now should this concern you? No! Because… (a) the 700MHz and 900MHz are way less common than the 1800MHz frequency, and (b) almost anywhere that has a 700 or 900MHz network will also have a 1800MHz network. Therefore, if you want 4G, your phone just needs to able t connect to LTE Band 3 (1800MHz).
3) All that being said, the 700/900MHz network is FAR BETTER than the 1800MHz network, but…
4) LTE Band 7 (2600Mhz) is wayyyyyy better than the all the frequencies above, and is something to look out for since it is Telstra's "coming soon" Next-Generation network. Redmi Note 2 runs on LTE Band 7 (2600Mhz).
Conclusion: The Redmi Note 2 will run on Telstra 4G. And, unless you are some super technology geek that wants the latest model of everything, the fact that it does not work on 700/900MHz should not concern you at all. (Also, FYI, running your phone on 4G will make your battery run out of juice faster.)
@bsmksg: wow dude I was looking this sort of detailed answer for ages! Thank you! I'm gonna be on BYO plan soon since I'm not impressed with the new 6s! I will get XiaoMi instead.
Just to confirm I will need to get the Prime version (32gb) for it to run in Aus right
@sauce2k: Correct! Just make sure that it runs on both "FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE" and not just "TDD-LTE". (Australia uses FDD-LTE).
Aside: I strongly encourage you to get a second opinion on whether this phone suits you.
@bsmksg: bought one for my mum but she's in China. Played around with it for like a day it's alright. I just want to try something new that's all haha
Love the UI tho
Why eat Chips when you can have Steak ? Get a Samsung S3 or S4, it suits your budget :)
Because an S3 and S4 are far inferior phones
I currently use a Xiaomi Mi4 and its so much faster and better than my old iphone.The newer Mi4i goes for around US$270 on trusted sites like ibuygou.
Something with the MediaTek X10 Helio chipset.
I's suggest the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2.
Only downer on that phone is lack of fingerprint reader. If you need that then there's other options.
Meizu MX5 Pro looks like it's going to be a beast (Exynos 7420, FHD screen, etc etc).
While it's going to go over your budget and it is not released yet (getting released today), I think it'd be far better than Galaxy S6 (if it actually is Exynos 7420) in terms of performance. Thought it might pique some people's interest.
Redmi Note2?