unbranded phones on Ebay

1356710

Comments

  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    jabbamk1

    what is your opinion on this

    has 1.4ghz dual, 2gb Rom, no idea how much ram, and resolution looks low
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170967761818?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

    Nope don't buy it. It's full of misinformation. Plus the feedback the guy has for this phone isn't great. Plus a quick google suggests it doesn't have jellybean.

    I'm a bit busy tonight but give me till tomorrow evening and i'll have another look around to see if i can find anything better.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
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    thanks. This area is a bit of a minefield really. Like i said, for this price I am not after amazing quality, just something that works. no use if the GPS does not, or the bluetooth does not etc
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
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    Got this reply from eBay seller
    yes,its rooted,and android 4.1...gps is ok,think theyve improved it with latest firmware..with gps test enabled,after 3 mins or so outside,i was connected to 8 satelittes...which certainly isnt bad at all..(all chinese phones use the same sirf 3 chipset,so unless theyve screwed up the firmware,it is quite good...not tomtom level of course,but will certainly do the job)...with it being rooted,you can reconfigure the gps config file too to get a quicker lock on..
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    sounds like the way to go. Just do bear in mind that the gps could be patchy when on the move. So you would either have to buy a bluetooth gps unit for 100%accuracy or get another phone. But the b92m is a great phone and im speaking from experience. I'd say its just as good as the s3 (ish).

    Btw tell me when you get the phone and ill tell you how to get rid of all the chinese bloat and install a English dictionary for the keyboard.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    I had a good chat with the seller last night, and he pointed me in the direction of this instead, as it is a better phone

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290839115380?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    I had a good chat with the seller last night, and he pointed me in the direction of this instead, as it is a better phone

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290839115380?_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

    Yep it's a good phone. I was going to buy this back in september but it was delayed until recently so i bought the B92m instead.

    The only thing i will say is that the Jiayu G3 does not have jellybean out of the box just yet. There is a planned update to Jellybean but that could be a month from now. You'd have to download and flash it yourself and you could risk bricking the phone. It's not that hard but there are risks involved.

    I'd say it's just as good as the Star B92m spec wise. The build quality + GPS on the Jiayu is a bit better. And the seller is correct that nearly every chinese phone use the same CPU and GPS unit.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    ok thanks. I reckon I could flash JB onto it with a guide.

    So, I am now down to 3 phones I like

    the Jiayu G3 @ £175, the B92M @ £165, or I still have a liking for the HDC Galaxy note 2 [1GB version] from FCT @ £125
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    ok thanks. I reckon I could flash JB onto it with a guide.

    So, I am now down to 3 phones I like

    the Jiayu G3 @ £175, the B92M @ £165, or I still have a liking for the HDC Galaxy note 2 [1GB version] from FCT @ £125
    (bear in mind shipping will cost an extra £20 on top, or is that already with shipping?)

    The only thing i would say about fastcardtech (speaking from friends experience) is that they lie to get a sale, they have no after sale support and they claim things that are not true. I've had this backed up by a number of people online as well.

    Then again saying that i know a member from here who has ordered two phones with no problems from them so i guess it just depends.

    That's why i recommend etotalk or AliExpress for importing. Etotalk charge a small premium but that's because they cater to the west by removing chinese apps, installing english rom etc... AliExpress are good because they withhold payment until you mark it as received and in good nick. Thus you can make a claim if you receive a wrong or damaged item etc...

    I would say maybe the Jiayu G3 is the better one to go for. And when Jellybean is released i'll link you to a guide to install it.

    But if you want jellybean now and don't want to faff around then go for the B92m which is still a great phone.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    (bear in mind shipping will cost an extra £20 on top, or is that already with shipping?)

    The only thing i would say about fastcardtech (speaking from friends experience) is that they lie to get a sale, they have no after sale support and they claim things that are not true. I've had this backed up by a number of people online as well.

    Then again saying that i know a member from here who has ordered two phones with no problems from them so i guess it just depends.

    That's why i recommend etotalk or AliExpress for importing. Etotalk charge a small premium but that's because they cater to the west by removing chinese apps, installing english rom etc... AliExpress are good because they withhold payment until you mark it as received and in good nick. Thus you can make a claim if you receive a wrong or damaged item etc...

    I would say maybe the Jiayu G3 is the better one to go for. And when Jellybean is released i'll link you to a guide to install it.

    But if you want jellybean now and don't want to faff around then go for the B92m which is still a great phone.

    it is £125 free delivery. I looked at ETOTALK but they only have the 512mb version, not the 1GB one
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    it is £125 free delivery. I looked at ETOTALK but they only have the 512mb version, not the 1GB one

    hmmm

    I'm not going to lie to you but i have an ultimate bias against fastcardtech after they messed my friend around. :o

    If you do plan on importing, I would always recommend paying a bit extra for shipping from say DHL and a tracking number. That way you can track your delivery and it will only take a few days. Compared to China Airmail it can take weeks in peak periods + it can get lost or arrive damaged etc...

    Any reason you don't want to go with a cheap contract. You can get a Xperia T for £15.50pm with 200 mins/unl texts/500mb data on O2 via tesco. Thats £392 over two years and would save you the hassle of getting a Chinese phone. Might work out cheaper as well
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    where I live, the only place to offer 3G is THREE, so I am stuck with them. They want £36pm for the one plan with a phone. I currently have an Iphone with a sim only plan, for £16pm. I wanted to keep that plan, and get a new phone.
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    where I live, the only place to offer 3G is THREE, so I am stuck with them. They want £36pm for the one plan with a phone. I currently have an Iphone with a sim only plan, for £16pm. I wanted to keep that plan, and get a new phone.

    Ok, i mean it's up to you which phone you want to go for. Just be aware of the risks i mentioned. I really would recommend paying for shipping just in case.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    i agree, I would prefer a UK seller, and that limits me to the G3 only, as the B92 GPS does not work. No UK seller has the 1GB Note 2
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    i agree, I would prefer a UK seller, and that limits me to the G3 only, as the B92 GPS does not work. No UK seller has the 1GB Note 2

    Yeh G3 seems the best bet.

    Don't forget to consider that you can buy phones like the Galaxy Ace 2 and Lumia 800 etc... at around £150 if you want a peace of mind when it comes to warranty + build quality. But obviously the Chinese makes are much better spec + performance + price wise.
  • henrywilliams58henrywilliams58 Posts: 4,963
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    Sorry my mistake,just checked my bank online and the full amount i paid was £119

    Have you had the customs bill yet? A friend of mine has.
  • henrywilliams58henrywilliams58 Posts: 4,963
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »

    If you do plan on importing, I would always recommend paying a bit extra for shipping from say DHL and a tracking number. That way you can track your delivery and it will only take a few days. Compared to China Airmail it can take weeks in peak periods + it can get lost or arrive damaged etc...

    ...

    More likely to get a duty and tax bill via DHL
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 166
    Forum Member
    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    Getting a bit ahead of yourself haha. No phone has that processor yet. There is a good article here with a list of phones that will have the processor first next year/after tomorrow!

    http://www.gizchina.com/2012/12/31/the-top-10-most-anticipated-quad-core-chinese-phones-of-2013/

    Really? Check out Fasrcardtech ... 6588 quad core S3 clone is about £180
  • scruffpotscruffpot Posts: 4,570
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    I buy a few OEMs or non branded clones from ebay, they have served rather well in their days.
    I haven't spent anything more then £100 and due to the fact I break phones I have gone through a few. My opinion is its a luck of the draw, sometimes you'll get a really good one and sometimes your get a lemon. I've had 10 cheap Chinese phones and 2 of them had to be returned and replaced.

    However what i really really really really really want again is a Gigabyte T600 I killed my old one, I loved havinga freeview Tv tuner built into the unit
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    b1ackb1rd wrote: »
    Really? Check out Fasrcardtech ... 6588 quad core S3 clone is about £180

    haha, read my previous posts mate. Fastcardtech lie to get a sale. I know you've had a good experience but the way they answer questions for customers, put listings up of phones with wrong spec and everything is just wrong.

    That phone is not out yet. No doubt they'll say they made a mistake and try to lug you with a cheap piece of crap for the same price.

    I wouldn't buy anything from them ever.

    Oh and Henry i haven't been hit with a customs bill yet on the two phones + numerous other things i've imported.
  • henrywilliams58henrywilliams58 Posts: 4,963
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    OK can you guys please suggest a £110 max incl postage phone and supplier

    Dual Core
    Dual Sim
    Android 4.0 or better
    4.3" min pref 5.0"

    Does delivery with DHL always generate a tax charge?

    Benchamarking on
    ZTE V970 Grand X 3G WCDMA Android4.0 Dual Core 1.0GHz Dual Sim 4.3"

    http://goo.gl/pshJE
    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    ..

    Oh and Henry i haven't been hit with a customs bill yet on the two phones + numerous other things i've imported.

    I haven't been hit yet on things from China. A friend was hit on a phone via DHL. Have you been sent a phone via DHL and not been taxed?
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
    Forum Member
    scruffpot wrote: »
    I buy a few OEMs or non branded clones from ebay, they have served rather well in their days.
    I haven't spent anything more then £100 and due to the fact I break phones I have gone through a few. My opinion is its a luck of the draw, sometimes you'll get a really good one and sometimes your get a lemon. I've had 10 cheap Chinese phones and 2 of them had to be returned and replaced.

    However what i really really really really really want again is a Gigabyte T600 I killed my old one, I loved havinga freeview Tv tuner built into the unit

    I agree and disagree. As long as you research the phone you want to buy and as long as it has a user/dev following then it should be fine. Main reason i went for the phone i did was because there were people already working on custom roms and fixes and support etc...

    Oh and most Chinese phones now run Android 4.0/4.1 so you can just get the tv catchup app which works a bit better.

    @Henry, yes both my phones shipped via DHL were not taxed. However that does not mean that you, or my next one will be tax free. You should always add in tax to your costs when you import, even if you don't pay it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 148
    Forum Member
    I agree. I have used this thread, and mainly jabbamk1 to base my decision. Yes, there are risks, but use these people to help you make the right decision

    I have decided FCT are a no go based on comments here, but ETO seem better, and you have have the parcel listed as a GIFT hoping to avoid import tax

    Now if it was not for the dodgy GPS i would have already purchased the same phone as jabbamk1
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    Haha, there is a hardware fix for the GPS on my phone but it literally involves making your own antenna.
    http://forum.frandroid.com/topic/131508-fix-antenne-gps-b92m/

    Thanks to the french forum. ^

    I haven't tried it (becasue my french is terrible) but everyone over on the english forum says it's working for them.

    @Henry, in that case you want to make sure the base price of the phone is under £90inc shipping to allow for tax.
  • scruffpotscruffpot Posts: 4,570
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    jabbamk1 wrote: »
    I agree and disagree. As long as you research the phone you want to buy and as long as it has a user/dev following then it should be fine. Main reason i went for the phone i did was because there were people already working on custom roms and fixes and support etc...

    Oh and most Chinese phones now run Android 4.0/4.1 so you can just get the tv catchup app which works a bit better.

    @Henry, yes both my phones shipped via DHL were not taxed. However that does not mean that you, or my next one will be tax free. You should always add in tax to your costs when you import, even if you don't pay it.

    actually i suppose getting the lemon can be from any company be it a cheap Chinese one or a expensive one no matter how much research you have done.

    I know about tv catch up app.. but when you have a built in dvb-t tuner into a phone you do not need wifi or a data allowance.. however it isn't very good though when on the move
  • jabbamk1jabbamk1 Posts: 8,942
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    scruffpot wrote: »
    actually i suppose getting the lemon can be from any company be it a cheap Chinese one or a expensive one no matter how much research you have done.

    I know about tv catch up app.. but when you have a built in dvb-t tuner into a phone you do not need wifi or a data allowance.. however it isn't very good though when on the move

    Sorry, when you said lemon i thought you were talking about the phone in general. Not the fact that it was just delivered DOA.
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