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Mid-range smartphone recommendations

NanLaew

By NanLaew
in Mobile Devices and Apps

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Aforek Gold Member

Aforek

Posted
Posted
On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 1:09 PM, siam2007 said:

Also have a look at the WIKO brand which gets more and more popular here in Thailand are the leading low//midrange brand in many countries in Western Europe. It is a French company. 6-7000 Baht get you an absolute top-model.

Check what's available on lazada.

In PTY the Numchai IT chain has them, for example at their huge Sukhumvit store

Wiko  was founded in France and offices are in Marseilles, but actually it's 80 % Chinese  and phones are made in China 

as for me, I am not a great user of smartphone, but I like Asus , good products , good camera and not expensive 

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grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

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Posted
42 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Xioami has really beefed up their direct sales effort with at least seven (7) retail outlets: MBK, Seacon, The Mall Bangkapi, Mega Bang Na, Panthip, Imperial World, Seacon Bangkae. Along with dedicated shelves at a lot of the larger retailers. They have on-line 'official' stores at 11 Street, Shopee and Lazada.

 

So prices are similar online online and at retail shops ?

 

 

 

daocat555 Explorer Member

daocat555

Posted
Posted

For people who are willing to buy a mobile from an International seller such as Aliexpress, Banggood or Gearbest the Elephone A4 would seem to be a good phone and a great value at 3,362 Baht. 

 

For that you get a 5.85 inch screen in a reasonable body size of 154 x 72.8 x 80 mm, and a weight of 189 grams with a 3000 mAh battery.  An okay chipset (quad core 1.5 gHz), camera (8 mp and 5 mp), somewhat sparse memory (3 GB RAM 16GB ROM), and the lastest Android 8.1 operating system.

 

It has a notch and a side fingerprint sensor, but otherwise photos show it off as an attractive phone.  I couldn't get any information about the quality or loudness of the speaker, but the flagship Elephone U and U Pro were judged to have not very good speakers in a review I found on YouTube; so Elephone does not have a good track record for quality audio output, which would be my main concern about this phone.  Gsmarena which will list objective sound output in dB in their reviews, unfortunately, does not review models from Elephone.

 

It comes with multi language support and Google Play  installed.

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NanLaew Star Member

NanLaew

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Posted
On 6/15/2018 at 3:49 AM, grkt said:

 

So prices are similar online online and at retail shops ?

 

Pretty much. The biggest price breaks I have seen is when a major carrier like DTAC bundles a phone with a contract and/or package.

 

FWIW, haven't bought the Huawei Y9 yet but I am in Hong Kong and will check prices while I am here. Initial price checks on-line indicates that retail in Hong Kong is on par with full-retail Thailand prices give or take a couple hundred baht. I doubt there's any cheaper deals buying duty free these days either but someone with more Hong Kong shopping experience may have a more valid opinion.

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TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted

As for buying a bundled, discounted phone from DTAC, I did that just this past week (shudder!!!!). Got the phone, but almost at the cost of my sanity!

 

Perhaps my ordeal was complicated by the fact that it was a double discount, both MNP and new service plan based. But, I'd say, be prepared....

 

 

 

daocat555 Explorer Member

daocat555

Posted
Posted
For people interested in the Huawei Y9 here are some similar phones which are cheaper to buy compared on devicespecifications.
 
 
The leagoo S9 is available online from International sellers for 4,435 baht, the Infinix Hot 6 Pro is on Lazada for 4,790 baht, and the Infinix Hot S3 is 5,590 baht at the Thai online site Shopat24.
 
Here is the Vernee M6 and the Vernee X compared with the Huawei Y9.
 
 
 
The Vernee M6 is 4,313 baht at Aliexpress and the Vernee X is 5,550 baht on Ebay.
 
 
Two big battery Asus phones, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro (5,190 at Lazada), and the Asus Zenfone Max Plus (5,190 baht at Lazada), are compared to the Huawei Y9 below on gsmarena.
 
 
 
Each of the nine phones I offer here to compare to the Huawei Y9 have some nice features.  The Leagoo S9 has a great screen-to-body ratio (81,79%), is inexpensive, and is reviewed on many sites with all favorable reviews.  The Infinix Hot 6 Pro has a bigger screen than the Huawei Y9, with the same 4,000 mAh battery and a lighter weight.  The Infinix Hot S3 has a 19.66 MP selfie camera, the same 4,000 mAh battery and is lighter in weight.
 
The Vernee M6 is smaller and lighter than the Huawei Y9, although it only has a 5.7 inch screen and a 3,300 mAh battery.  The Vernee X is a tank of a body with a 6 inch screen and a 6,200 mAh battery.
 
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro has a 5.99 inch screen and a 5,000 mAh battery while the Asus Zenfone Max Plus has a more compact body, a 5.7 inch screen and a 4,130 Battery.  With a list price of 9,597 baht the Asus Zenfone Max Plus is being sold at a better discount than the Asus Zenfone Max Pro which has a list price of 6,142 baht.
 
The Huawei Y9 has the best chipset of all the above phones, the best screen resolution, a 76.91% display area, and a thinner body than most at 7.89 mm, although with a body width of 75.3 mm it will not be particularly easy to hold with one hand.
 
For people interested in the Huawei Y9 but who will spend more money (okay, quite a bit more expensive) here is the Meizu 15 Plus and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, as compared on devicespecifications.
 
 
 
 
I think the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is a poor value for 15,599 baht at Lazada.  It has an IPS screen, the smallest battery of the three phones and is the heaviest at 189 grams. 
 
I guess I should say that my current phone is a Meizu 15 which I like a lot, and that my prior phone was a Huawei Y7 which I did not like, so my current opinions are colored by my experience with the Huawei and Meizu brand.  My Huawei Y7 came with a lot of bloatware, was a big, heavy body, and I didn't need the 4,000 mAh battery which I lugged around until I replaced the phone with the pocket friendly Meizu 15.
 
Having said that I think the Meizu 15 Plus is the clear winner of all the phones I have listed, with nice stereo speakers, a gorgeous 5.95 inch Super AMOLED screen, a 184,700 Antutu score (vs 75,400 for the Huawei Y9), a 20 MP selfie camera, an adequate 3,500 mAh battery, a reasonable 177 gram weight, and although the body of the Meizu 15 Plus is wide at 78.25 mm it is thin at 7.25 mm; so it is about equally hard to hold in one hand as the Huawei Y9 or the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S.  Because it's a thin phone it has the lowest body volume of the three phones at 5.3 cubic inches (compared to 5.56 cubic inches for the Xiaomi and 5.67 cubic inches for the Huawei).
 
So, in my opinion, the best large screen, large battery phone available right now is the Meizu 15 Plus.  It's selling for 17,230 baht on Aliexpress for the Global version, a bit less for the Chinese version.  Maybe with that price it doesn't belong in a topic "midrange Smartphone recommendations"?  Well, ok, it's a high end price, but the Vernee M6 maybe should then be bumped to the "entry level smartphone recommendations" topic (which I'm probably gonna create one of these days.  
 
My purpose was to list many big screen, big battery phones in one post, list some specs, posit some opinions, and as always, welcome comments.
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NanLaew Star Member

NanLaew

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  • Author
Posted
On 6/23/2018 at 5:41 AM, daocat555 said:
For people interested in the Huawei Y9 here are some similar phones which are cheaper to buy compared on devicespecifications.
 
 
The leagoo S9 is available online from International sellers for 4,435 baht, the Infinix Hot 6 Pro is on Lazada for 4,790 baht, and the Infinix Hot S3 is 5,590 baht at the Thai online site Shopat24.
 
Here is the Vernee M6 and the Vernee X compared with the Huawei Y9.
 
 
 
The Vernee M6 is 4,313 baht at Aliexpress and the Vernee X is 5,550 baht on Ebay.
 
 
Two big battery Asus phones, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro (5,190 at Lazada), and the Asus Zenfone Max Plus (5,190 baht at Lazada), are compared to the Huawei Y9 below on gsmarena.
 
 
 
Each of the nine phones I offer here to compare to the Huawei Y9 have some nice features.  The Leagoo S9 has a great screen-to-body ratio (81,79%), is inexpensive, and is reviewed on many sites with all favorable reviews.  The Infinix Hot 6 Pro has a bigger screen than the Huawei Y9, with the same 4,000 mAh battery and a lighter weight.  The Infinix Hot S3 has a 19.66 MP selfie camera, the same 4,000 mAh battery and is lighter in weight.
 
The Vernee M6 is smaller and lighter than the Huawei Y9, although it only has a 5.7 inch screen and a 3,300 mAh battery.  The Vernee X is a tank of a body with a 6 inch screen and a 6,200 mAh battery.
 
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro has a 5.99 inch screen and a 5,000 mAh battery while the Asus Zenfone Max Plus has a more compact body, a 5.7 inch screen and a 4,130 Battery.  With a list price of 9,597 baht the Asus Zenfone Max Plus is being sold at a better discount than the Asus Zenfone Max Pro which has a list price of 6,142 baht.
 
The Huawei Y9 has the best chipset of all the above phones, the best screen resolution, a 76.91% display area, and a thinner body than most at 7.89 mm, although with a body width of 75.3 mm it will not be particularly easy to hold with one hand.
 
For people interested in the Huawei Y9 but who will spend more money (okay, quite a bit more expensive) here is the Meizu 15 Plus and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, as compared on devicespecifications.
 
 
 
 
I think the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is a poor value for 15,599 baht at Lazada.  It has an IPS screen, the smallest battery of the three phones and is the heaviest at 189 grams. 
 
I guess I should say that my current phone is a Meizu 15 which I like a lot, and that my prior phone was a Huawei Y7 which I did not like, so my current opinions are colored by my experience with the Huawei and Meizu brand.  My Huawei Y7 came with a lot of bloatware, was a big, heavy body, and I didn't need the 4,000 mAh battery which I lugged around until I replaced the phone with the pocket friendly Meizu 15.
 
Having said that I think the Meizu 15 Plus is the clear winner of all the phones I have listed, with nice stereo speakers, a gorgeous 5.95 inch Super AMOLED screen, a 184,700 Antutu score (vs 75,400 for the Huawei Y9), a 20 MP selfie camera, an adequate 3,500 mAh battery, a reasonable 177 gram weight, and although the body of the Meizu 15 Plus is wide at 78.25 mm it is thin at 7.25 mm; so it is about equally hard to hold in one hand as the Huawei Y9 or the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S.  Because it's a thin phone it has the lowest body volume of the three phones at 5.3 cubic inches (compared to 5.56 cubic inches for the Xiaomi and 5.67 cubic inches for the Huawei).
 
So, in my opinion, the best large screen, large battery phone available right now is the Meizu 15 Plus.  It's selling for 17,230 baht on Aliexpress for the Global version, a bit less for the Chinese version.  Maybe with that price it doesn't belong in a topic "midrange Smartphone recommendations"?  Well, ok, it's a high end price, but the Vernee M6 maybe should then be bumped to the "entry level smartphone recommendations" topic (which I'm probably gonna create one of these days.  
 
My purpose was to list many big screen, big battery phones in one post, list some specs, posit some opinions, and as always, welcome comments.

Superb contribution to the thread.

 

Thanks!

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grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

Posted
Posted
On 6/23/2018 at 5:41 AM, daocat555 said:
For people interested in the Huawei Y9 here are some similar phones which are cheaper to buy compared on devicespecifications.
 
 
The leagoo S9 is available online from International sellers for 4,435 baht, the Infinix Hot 6 Pro is on Lazada for 4,790 baht, and the Infinix Hot S3 is 5,590 baht at the Thai online site Shopat24.
 
Here is the Vernee M6 and the Vernee X compared with the Huawei Y9.
 
 
 
The Vernee M6 is 4,313 baht at Aliexpress and the Vernee X is 5,550 baht on Ebay.
 
 
Two big battery Asus phones, the Asus Zenfone Max Pro (5,190 at Lazada), and the Asus Zenfone Max Plus (5,190 baht at Lazada), are compared to the Huawei Y9 below on gsmarena.
 
 
 
Each of the nine phones I offer here to compare to the Huawei Y9 have some nice features.  The Leagoo S9 has a great screen-to-body ratio (81,79%), is inexpensive, and is reviewed on many sites with all favorable reviews.  The Infinix Hot 6 Pro has a bigger screen than the Huawei Y9, with the same 4,000 mAh battery and a lighter weight.  The Infinix Hot S3 has a 19.66 MP selfie camera, the same 4,000 mAh battery and is lighter in weight.
 
The Vernee M6 is smaller and lighter than the Huawei Y9, although it only has a 5.7 inch screen and a 3,300 mAh battery.  The Vernee X is a tank of a body with a 6 inch screen and a 6,200 mAh battery.
 
The Asus Zenfone Max Pro has a 5.99 inch screen and a 5,000 mAh battery while the Asus Zenfone Max Plus has a more compact body, a 5.7 inch screen and a 4,130 Battery.  With a list price of 9,597 baht the Asus Zenfone Max Plus is being sold at a better discount than the Asus Zenfone Max Pro which has a list price of 6,142 baht.
 
The Huawei Y9 has the best chipset of all the above phones, the best screen resolution, a 76.91% display area, and a thinner body than most at 7.89 mm, although with a body width of 75.3 mm it will not be particularly easy to hold with one hand.
 
For people interested in the Huawei Y9 but who will spend more money (okay, quite a bit more expensive) here is the Meizu 15 Plus and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, as compared on devicespecifications.
 
 
 
 
I think the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is a poor value for 15,599 baht at Lazada.  It has an IPS screen, the smallest battery of the three phones and is the heaviest at 189 grams. 
 
I guess I should say that my current phone is a Meizu 15 which I like a lot, and that my prior phone was a Huawei Y7 which I did not like, so my current opinions are colored by my experience with the Huawei and Meizu brand.  My Huawei Y7 came with a lot of bloatware, was a big, heavy body, and I didn't need the 4,000 mAh battery which I lugged around until I replaced the phone with the pocket friendly Meizu 15.
 
Having said that I think the Meizu 15 Plus is the clear winner of all the phones I have listed, with nice stereo speakers, a gorgeous 5.95 inch Super AMOLED screen, a 184,700 Antutu score (vs 75,400 for the Huawei Y9), a 20 MP selfie camera, an adequate 3,500 mAh battery, a reasonable 177 gram weight, and although the body of the Meizu 15 Plus is wide at 78.25 mm it is thin at 7.25 mm; so it is about equally hard to hold in one hand as the Huawei Y9 or the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S.  Because it's a thin phone it has the lowest body volume of the three phones at 5.3 cubic inches (compared to 5.56 cubic inches for the Xiaomi and 5.67 cubic inches for the Huawei).
 
So, in my opinion, the best large screen, large battery phone available right now is the Meizu 15 Plus.  It's selling for 17,230 baht on Aliexpress for the Global version, a bit less for the Chinese version.  Maybe with that price it doesn't belong in a topic "midrange Smartphone recommendations"?  Well, ok, it's a high end price, but the Vernee M6 maybe should then be bumped to the "entry level smartphone recommendations" topic (which I'm probably gonna create one of these days.  
 
My purpose was to list many big screen, big battery phones in one post, list some specs, posit some opinions, and as always, welcome comments.

 

 

It's already folkloric to Buy in Thailand Xiaomi which is very reliable and one of the biggest mobile phone companies, so why looking for more ridiculous and weird options that, for some, are not even available in Thailand.

 

And I think that paying a mobile the price of a computer, for what most of people do with it, is totally dumb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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guzzi850m2 Platinum Member

guzzi850m2

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, grkt said:

 

 

It's already folkloric to Buy in Thailand Xiaomi which is very reliable and one of the biggest mobile phone companies, so why looking for more ridiculous and weird options that, for some, are not even available in Thailand.

 

And I think that paying a mobile the price of a computer, for what most of people do with it, is totally dumb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really? I think Samsung is overpriced for what you get so a no name Chinese phone will for many represent excellent value.

I really liked my 7k baht UMI Super and I got 2 years use out of it before I "killed" it.

A phone will in many cases be very expensive to repair and is not worth it.

I agree that spending over 500 $ on a phone is over the top and refuse to do it myself.

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TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted (edited)

Samsung overpriced?  I just bought a Samsung J7 Core (list price around 5900 baht) from DTAC on promotion for 2000b, plus a one year service commitment at 450b per month, and it strikes me as a very good mid-range phone with typical Samsung characteristics. Why would I look to buy an off brand Chinese model when I can get that kind of deal on a Samsung?

 

Edited by TallGuyJohninBKK
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TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 6/23/2018 at 5:41 AM, daocat555 said:

The leagoo S9 is available

the Infinix Hot 6 Pro is on Lazada
the Infinix Hot S3

the Vernee M6 and the Vernee X
Meizu 15 Plus

 

 

Just curious, if someone were to buy any of those phones here and/or have them shipped to Thailand, what's going to happen if you need some spare parts for replacement?  And who's going to service them if something arises during the warranty period, or even after the warranty period?

 

At least with Samsung and ASUS, among others, there are established Thailand-based retailer and service center networks from which you can obtain warranty repairs, spare and replacement parts, and post purchase service.  I'm guessing that's not the same for all the phones on your list.

 

Edited by TallGuyJohninBKK
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daocat555 Explorer Member

daocat555

Posted
Posted

Just curious, if someone were to buy any of those phones here and/or have them shipped to Thailand, what's going to happen if you need some spare parts for replacement?  And who's going to service them if something arises during the warranty period, or even after the warranty period?

 

Well, Mr John, and grkt, and InMyShadow (in the Affordable Smartphone Recommendations topic), would you like me to say that if that happens that I'll be sht out of luck?  Okay, I am very willing to say that.  When I bought my Meizu 15 from Aliexpress I did so because I wanted that particular phone and I did not want to wait until it came to Pattaya, and it may never come to Pattaya.
 
I have the Aliexpress guarantee and the store on Aliexpress that I bought it from (Meizu Global Store guarantee) that the phone will work on arrival and then for such and such a period.  Phones, like laptops, tend to either work fine on arrival or not; and if they work fine on arrival they seldom then go on to malfunction.  I ordered the phone on May 5'th and recieved it on May 18'th.  
 
I respect the opinion that it is better to buy locally (hey, support your neighborhood) with respect to resolving issues if something arises during the warranty period.  I am not arguing against that opinion.  What I am saying is that at times it also make sense to buy online.  When I lived in the downward spiraling small town of Auburn, NY, I used to feel bad about buying shoes or clothes at Amazon while the downtown Mom and Pop stores were regularly closing down, and new Mom and Pop stores were not replacing them.  Just like Walmart was a blow to the Mom and Pop stores of small USA towns; Amazon surely was another blow to them.  I didn't buy from Amazon because they were cheaper than the Mom and Pop stores as much as I bought from Amazon because I had a so much wider selection of products.
 
Eight years ago I used to love to walk around the small shops at MBK and Pantip Plaza in Bangkok.  The last time I was at MBK I think there were fewer thriving small shops than there were 8 years ago.  For sure the IT mall Tukcom in Pattaya has more vacant stores now than they did eight years ago.
 
As guzzi850m2 pointed out, after the warranty period is over it is seldom cost effective to have a phone repaired.  If I did want to get my Meizu worked on at a Tukcom Shop in Pattaya I don't think they would refuse to repair it because I didn't purchase the phone from them.
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grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Samsung overpriced?  I just bought a Samsung J7 Core (list price around 5900 baht) from DTAC on promotion for 2000b, plus a one year service commitment at 450b per month, and it strikes me as a very good mid-range phone with typical Samsung characteristics. Why would I look to buy an off brand Chinese model when I can get that kind of deal on a Samsung?

 

 

Xiaomi is the biggest mobile manufacturer in the world.

Samsung J7 is a piece of $hit compared to cheaper Xiaomi A1 that is sold with pure android without any added stupid interface and bloatwares (Samsung are all infected with crap softwares that you cannot remove).

 

 

 

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grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Just curious, if someone were to buy any of those phones here and/or have them shipped to Thailand, what's going to happen if you need some spare parts for replacement?  And who's going to service them if something arises during the warranty period, or even after the warranty period?

 

At least with Samsung and ASUS, among others, there are established Thailand-based retailer and service center networks from which you can obtain warranty repairs, spare and replacement parts, and post purchase service.  I'm guessing that's not the same for all the phones on your list.

 

 

But it's the case with Xiaomi. Not the other Chinese crap.

 

 

TallGuyJohninBKK Star Member

TallGuyJohninBKK

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, daocat555 said:
Well, Mr John, and grkt, and InMyShadow (in the Affordable Smartphone Recommendations topic), would you like me to say that if that happens that I'll be sht out of luck?  Okay, I am very willing to say that. 

 

FYI, I wasn't criticizing you or the phones you listed above. Just pointing out, people should be aware that after sales service is going to be a different situation with a lot of those models vs the more established brands here in Thailand.

 

Just as an example, my wife has a 2015 Samsung J7 with a replaceable battery. The original battery is getting a bit long in the tooth these days since she's a heavy user, so I stopped by the Samsung service shop the other day, and sure enough, they had OEM replacement batteries for her 3-year-old model in stock for 700 baht.

 

Likewise, in the past year or so, I've had the battery on a several year old ASUS mobile phone start to wear out. The ASUS service center here in BKK had a OEM replacement in stock for 400b. And, I also had an ASUS 8 in tablet with a non-replaceable battery where the battery really swelled up suddenly after several years of use. Nonetheless, the ASUS service center was able to get an OEM replacement and installed it for a few hundred baht. In both cases, like new phone and like new tablet now.

 

Episodes like those are why a] I prefer to buy brands that have an established service presence here in Thailand, and b] mobile phones that have either replaceable batteries or at least ones that can be replaced, even if not the pop-in, pop-out kind.

 

 

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grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

Posted
Posted (edited)
19 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

FYI, I wasn't criticizing you or the phones you listed above. Just pointing out, people should be aware that after sales service is going to be a different situation with a lot of those models vs the more established brands here in Thailand.

 

Just as an example, my wife has a 2015 Samsung J7 with a replaceable battery. The original battery is getting a bit long in the tooth these days since she's a heavy user, so I stopped by the Samsung service shop the other day, and sure enough, they had OEM replacement batteries for her 3-year-old model in stock for 700 baht.

 

Likewise, in the past year or so, I've had the battery on a several year old ASUS mobile phone start to wear out. The ASUS service center here in BKK had a OEM replacement in stock for 400b. And, I also had an ASUS 8 in tablet with a non-replaceable battery where the battery really swelled up suddenly after several years of use. Nonetheless, the ASUS service center was able to get an OEM replacement and installed it for a few hundred baht. In both cases, like new phone and like new tablet now.

 

Episodes like those are why a] I prefer to buy brands that have an established service presence here in Thailand, and b] mobile phones that have either replaceable batteries or at least ones that can be replaced, even if not the pop-in, pop-out kind.

 

 

 

This is why Xiaomi is the only good Chinese brand to buy.

 

https://www.mi.com/th/service/wheretobuy/

 

 

 

 

Edited by grkt
daocat555 Explorer Member

daocat555

Posted
Posted
Hey, I'm a proud, flag waving member of the Xiaomi bandwagon.  I will refer you good people to the affordable topic were I have been singing the praises of Xiaomi (and while you're there please make a post, it kind of bothers me that the esoteric topic "Easiest Androids to root," which was started at the same time has more posts; like only maybe 99% of people have a mobile and maybe 0.09% of people actually root their own mobile, sigh).
 
I did want to mention here that the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is now available for pre-sale.  Here it is compared to the Xiaomi Mi8 SE.
 
 
 
 
To me the Mi 8 SE is the best Mid-range smartphone right now.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  But for some people, say, looking for a bigger battery, the 6 Pro might be preferable.
grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, daocat555 said:
Hey, I'm a proud, flag waving member of the Xiaomi bandwagon.  I will refer you good people to the affordable topic were I have been singing the praises of Xiaomi (and while you're there please make a post, it kind of bothers me that the esoteric topic "Easiest Androids to root," which was started at the same time has more posts; like only maybe 99% of people have a mobile and maybe 0.09% of people actually root their own mobile, sigh).
 
I did want to mention here that the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is now available for pre-sale.  Here it is compared to the Xiaomi Mi8 SE.
 
 
 
 
To me the Mi 8 SE is the best Mid-range smartphone right now.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  But for some people, say, looking for a bigger battery, the 6 Pro might be preferable.

 

 

Only the Mi A1 is android one stock android and many people buy it because of this. I hate all these stypid useless interfaced that 99% Chinese phones (but not only) have.

 

I am waiting for the next Xiaomi android one.

 

 

 

 

 

daocat555 Explorer Member

daocat555

Posted
Posted
pilou: So, you are waiting for the Xiaomi Mi Max 3.  Banggood has it listed now, with 312 people already on alert for it's arrival, and it's price is 17,639 baht, for the 4 GB 64 GB version, in black color only.
 
 
Can I dissuade you from it? I'll try.  Here it is compared to three alternatives.
 
 
 
The alternatives all have a 6 inch screen compared to the Mi Max 3 7 inch screen, so maybe my argument is dead in the water already.  After I post this I'll look to see if I can find some alternatives with a 7 inch screen, a type of phone I am not familiar with, but I'll try.
 
If you are willing to consider a 6 inch screen, then consider this.  The Ulefone Power 3S has a bigger battery, a better camera and Antutu score, and is available now on Aliexpress for 5,164 baht (less than a third of the price of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3).
 
 
 
The Vernee X has a bigger battery, a better camera and Antutu score, and is available in blue color, from Aliexpress, 5,283 baht.
 
 
 
 
Verne and Ulefone are off brands compared to Xiaomi, and don't have the Xiaomi reputation for quality.  But they sure pack in a lot of nice features.  So my third alternative phone is a Xiaomi; the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S.  If someone were to offer me my pick out of these four phones as a gift; then I would go for the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S.  Why?  Because when I talk on a phone I like to hold it with one hand!  Consider the width of these four phones: 74.9 mm for the Xiaomi MIX 2S; 75.9 mm for the Ulefone Power 3S; 76 mm for the Vernee X; and 87.4 mm for the Xiaomi MI Max 3.
 
The Xiaomi MIX 2S has an Antutu score four times better than the MI Max 3, a far better camera, supports wireless charging, and has a favorable review from gsmarena.
 
 
The Xiaomi MIX 2S is cheaper at Lazada than Aliexpress, selling for 15,199 baht.
 
 
And the gorgeous gloss piano white is actually cheaper at Lazada than the black model.  Oh, the usable display area of the MIX 2S, as listed on devicespecifications, is 82.21 compared to 80.06 for the Max 3.   The battery of the MIX 2S is 3400 mAh compared to 5400 mAh for the Max 3, the price you pay for a weight of 189 grams vs 221 grams, gsmarena predicts over 16 hours of talk time or 10 hours of web browsing on a single charge, so for me, the battery of the MIX 2S is good enough.
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grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

Posted
Posted

By the way, Xiaoni official shops, even on Lazada, are a lot more expensive than other sellers that sell the same products.

 

A bad start for Xiaomi in my opinion.

 

 

 

  • Like 1
userabcd Gold Member

userabcd

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, grkt said:

I will go for the A1 android one that is half price of any samsung and of course better.

 

 

Good choice, I'm happy with my Mi A1 just for phone calls and browsing which is all most use these phones for.

 

Take a look at Nasa MBK (also Shopee Nasaphone) or AOB for the lowest prices.

  • Like 1
grkt Apprentice Member

grkt

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, userabcd said:

Good choice, I'm happy with my Mi A1 just for phone calls and browsing which is all most use these phones for.

 

Take a look at Nasa MBK (also Shopee Nasaphone) or AOB for the lowest prices.

 

 

Wrong, the best prices are on Lazada.

 

 

userabcd Gold Member

userabcd

Posted
Posted (edited)
22 hours ago, grkt said:

 

 

Wrong, the best prices are on Lazada.

 

 

Nope unless I miss something, NASA in MBK for the Mi a1 64/4GB at 5950 baht, can't see this on Lazada.

Edited by userabcd
daocat555 Explorer Member

daocat555

Posted
Posted
So I checked out Aliexpress for the Mi A1; 6,559 baht.  Then I went to Lazada; cheaper than Aliexpress at a number of sellers.  Unicorn Internet Shop at Lazada (97% positive seller ratings) had it for 5,810 baht (27% discount), and then I clipped their 200 baht voucher onto the tab in checkout, which brought the total price to 5,610 baht (gold color only 4/64 memory).
 
 
I think once the price is that similar, then other considerations come into play, such as supporting a small shop you like, or after purchase accountability.
 
Now I'll probably get both userabcd and grkt mad at me, but I can't resist.  The phone is so 2017-y.  75.8 mm wide, 70.5% or so screen-to-body ratio, and it only has 5V/2A charging.  It scored an excellent audio score on gsmarena at 74 db voice and 90 dB ring, which is nice.  Not my cup of tea as a phone model though.
userabcd Gold Member

userabcd

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, daocat555 said:
So I checked out Aliexpress for the Mi A1; 6,559 baht.  Then I went to Lazada; cheaper than Aliexpress at a number of sellers.  Unicorn Internet Shop at Lazada (97% positive seller ratings) had it for 5,810 baht (27% discount), and then I clipped their 200 baht voucher onto the tab in checkout, which brought the total price to 5,610 baht (gold color only 4/64 memory).
 
 
I think once the price is that similar, then other considerations come into play, such as supporting a small shop you like, or after purchase accountability.
 
Now I'll probably get both userabcd and grkt mad at me, but I can't resist.  The phone is so 2017-y.  75.8 mm wide, 70.5% or so screen-to-body ratio, and it only has 5V/2A charging.  It scored an excellent audio score on gsmarena at 74 db voice and 90 dB ring, which is nice.  Not my cup of tea as a phone model though.

Thanks for that, not mad though, proved your point.

 

Use the phone only for browsing, occasional photos, mostly calls and that's it. What mostly interested me was the regular security updates on Android one which my prior Samsung mid range phones hardly received. As for looks I am quite satisfied with the 5.5 inch screen and not ashamed to be seen in public with it ?

  • Like 1
daocat555 Explorer Member

daocat555

Posted
Posted (edited)
There are two upcoming Meizu phones.  The Meizu 16 is expected to be launched on August 26'th, and also expected, perhaps shortly thereafter, is the Meizu  X8.  With the Meizu 16 replacing the Meizu 15, prices on the Meizu 15 are falling on the international sites.  At this time the Meizu 15 is available in the Global version for 12,538 baht, while the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE  is 11,410 baht in the Chinese version with no Global version available. For weeks I have picked the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE as my best Mid-range smartphone recommendation, which I'll retract today, and offer the opinion that the Meizu 15 is currently the best Mid-range smartphone.  That may change when the Meizu X8 is announced, which will have my favorite CPU, the Snapdragon 710, and perhaps a display larger than the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE.  Here are comparisons between the Meizu 15 and the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE.
 
 
 
 
The Meizu 15 is shorter, narrower, thinner, and lighter than the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE.  It has better cameras, and stereo speakers as opposed to the single down firing speaker on the Xiaomi.  In the places where the Xiaomi wins in terms of specs I think the Meizu 15 is "good enough", for example the battery of the Xiaomi is 3120 mAh vs 3000 mAh for the Meizu.  The Antutu score of the Xiaomi is 174,333 vs 134,170 for the Meizu.  The screen size of the Xiaomi is 5.88 in while the Meizu is 5.46 in.  But the aspect ratio of the Xiaomi is 2.078:1 while the Meizu is 16:9, and the width of the Xiaomi's screen is 64.77 mm vs 67.99 mm for the Meizu.  It's the width of the screen that is most useful!  Regretfully the Meizu 16 will have the 18:9 aspect ratio which has replaced the old 16:9 aspect ratio as the defacto standard; so the Meizu 15 may be the last really nice phone with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
 
Edited by daocat555
grammer correction
Elkski Platinum Member

Elkski

Posted
Posted

Had guy on top floor of terminal 21 try to sell me the huawei y7 6500.  Of course there is the p20 for 20,000 baht.   Why do I find choosing a phone such a difficult thing?

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