Cheap Chinese smartphones have you bought one

AlecEiffel

I would personally steer clear while there are phones like the Moto G for a hundred quid. At least you have a support network for it in the uk.

Nebulous2

I had a huawei y300 and quite liked it. I then dropped it and cracked the screen. I replaced it with a Moto G 4g and it is a great deal better. It is faster, better screen and everything just works more smoothly.

The camera isn't great but apart from that I would say it is definitely worth the extra. £135 from Tesco on PAYG and about £2 to unlock it.

gfplux

I have been fortunate to have had various smart phones for a few years starting with the IPhone. My latest phone still going strong after two years (fingers crossed) is a Samsung Galaxy Note 2. I am now realising that newer models of Samsung and Apple are showing only small gains but still cost £500/£600 to buy outright.
Having monitored my monthly usage during the last few years I know I don't need a fancy contract with a new phone but am better of with a cheap contract and buy my phone separately.
There is so much talk about cheap Chinese unknown brand phones even available on Amazon and I am now looking at these to replace my Samsung BUT only when it dies on me.
Has anyone gone down the Chinese branded route. Is it a good idea now, will it be a good idea in the future. Frankly these are now pretty simple units to manufacture and the present prices of the top brands (+£500) is really taking the Micky with those of us that don't or no longer need the latest shiney must have.

gfplux

Like this one from Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TTsims-M6-Capacitive-Processor-Unlocked-Dark-Blue/dp/B00MNJ92K0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416340998&sr=8-1&keywords=Cheap+smartphone

System

gfplux wrote: »

Like this one from Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/TTsims-M6-Capacitive-Processor-Unlocked-Dark-Blue/dp/B00MNJ92K0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416340998&sr=8-1&keywords=Cheap+smartphone

That phone only has 1.7GB of free memory on the phone itself!

d123

I bought an iNew phone earlier this year, it decided to freeze and refuse and to work after about 4 months and the after service was abysmal.

I ended up throwing it in the bin, it just wasn't worth the money or hassle to post it back to China.

Just pay a little more and buy a Moto G.

mrcamp

Not worth it. They are very cheaply made and all the features are exaggerated. The may claim specif 3G/4G bands, and you will find out the thing does not have 3G/4G at all. Or it just has a couple of 3G bans that are not used where you live.

PenguinJim

Is "two years" a long life for a phone? The Note 2 got Kitkat this year, and has just been confirmed to get Lollipop next year. It's not missing any key features (it's 720P, has a stylus, has removable storage & battery) - it should still be going strong until 2016 when you'll be able to buy a bendy phone that rolls up and makes sandwiches! Just get a decent case for it (I went absolutely nuts and invested £10 on a decent case).

If it *does* happen to die, there are a few decent alternatives on the market already that can be found more cheaply - take a look at the LG G2 Pro, which has the same 5.5" screen size and great internal specs but in a much smaller body (although sans stylus). The Oneplus One has also proved to be popular for its relatively low cost.

But just take care of that Note 2. Unless you're using it as a batarang, you'll get years more from it.

gfplux

PenguinJym,
You are perfectly correct. However I did not want to come over as too much of a fanboy of the Samsung Galaxy Note2. Frankly I love it. Since day one it has been in a case and I hope it will continue to work for a long, long time. It is presently running Android 4.4.2 and thanks for the good news that further upgrades are on the way.
I used to have an iPhone 4 and when the 5 was launched I was so disappointed that they had not gone big screen so the note was just what I was looking for. Now Apple have got on the band wagon but it is too late for me as now I will be looking in future for the generic Android phone. It is a great shame that the current offer from Chine is of such haphazard quality. There is no good reason that a smart phone should cost +£500. There will not be when the quality from the unbranded phones from Chine improves.
I have made a note to look at the LG G2Pro and Oneplus one.

D123 do you have a link to the Moto G.

Mr Camp do you have personal experience.

Walcott I have a 32g SD card.

you_llneverwalkalone

I,ve owned a Cubot s208 since July and it,s one the best phones i,ve bought.

It,s quad core and very quick.