Xiaomi Mi 8 or Huawai P20 or Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus?

I am confused.
After spending a lot of time going through the inclusions of each of these, I came to the conclusion that the best deal phone is the Xiaomi mi 8. Especially because it is so much cheaper compared to the other phones currently in the Australian market with the same or sometimes better performance on paper.

I currently have Samsung Galaxy S6 and the battery is horrific!! Especially because it is non-replaceable. After being a loyal Samsung customer (not only for phones) and finding the terrible customer service and quality-drop after initial warranty period, I want to try something different and hopefully I am pleasantly surprised.

I would like to confirm:

  • if I purchased the Xiaomi mi 8 online, and "international warranty" is mentioned - what does this mean?

  • does anyone have this phone to verify they are pleased with it's performance?

  • Do I need to check anything in particular to ensure it will operate in Australia without any issues (including charger voltage etc to suit AU requirements). I currently use Optus for mobile network provider and live in city.

  • What can be said about the Huawai P20? Does anyone have this phone to comment on how it stands out from others?

  • best place to purchase?

Appreciate your comments :-)

Comments

  • +1

    S9 Plus.

  • +2

    1) Depending on where you purchase the phone warranty will mean different things. If you buy it through a xiaomi reseller (not official) in Australia (there's a few popping up around Sydney) they'll be subject to providing standard warranty under ACL. If you purchase through a grey stock importer such as GearBest then you're subject to their warranty policy - which, if you do get a defective unit takes a while to send it back and for them to issue a refund or to send you another phone.

    2) I don't have the mi8 but have been using Xiaomi Mi series phones the last 3 years - I think they're good value and definitely look good on paper. MIUI is not for everybody - some people like the apple-like feel to it, others much prefer stock android. Personally I prefer stock android. I have a friend that recently bought the P20 pro, he's been very happy with his purchase and praises the camera in low-light situations - but other than that haven't heard much else. Samsung Galaxy S9 plus - it's basically the perfect Samsung, if you're used to Samsung and you like it then this phone is pretty much the best of all the features that you'll like. There's nothing to really complain about them.

    3) The phones will work in Australia, not all phones have Band 28 connectivity (which means that you will have parts where the service isn't as good as it could be if they towers are using those bands) but personally I haven't had any problems with service (on Optus).

    Personally if you're considering these phones I would also consider the One Plus 6 or if you wait a little longer, the One Plus 6T (coming out in the next couple months). It will be more expensive than the Xiaomi phones but I think the camera quality is better as well as the Oxygen OS.

  • My thoughts
    * Since MI8 will be overseas stock, so take warranty out of purchase. If you find Australian warranty for Samsung is terrible, then you know what to expect from overseas sellers.
    * I have used other Xiaomi phones in past - Note 3, Mi 4. My feedback about Xiaomi is - good on paper and ordinary in practice. very poor cameras.
    * Band 28 connectivity as mentioned by Pixel. My Mi Note 3 has coverage and poor call connection issues, may be due to missing bands.
    * I have good experience with Huawei phones. They were low end phones but exceeded my expectations in performance, battery life and rough handling. They were poor in Camera though (which is expected). P20 has very good reviews and quite successful also worldwide.
    * If you are not worried of warranty then any ozbargain deal is ok to purchase Mi 8. Bit of luck is must.
    If money is not an issue then my preference will be Samsung S9 plus > Huawei P20 > Xiaomi Mi 8

  • Camera wise, they come out pretty even
    https://www.dxomark.com/category/mobile-reviews/

  • Thanks all.
    Appreciate your comments/thoughts. I will use your comments and continue to look into this before I make a purchase (it would help if there was a massive deal on at the moment with one of these from an Australian provider).

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