This is my review of the MIUI MI2s Smartphone. - Android General

This is my review of the MIUI MI2s Smartphone.
I first become a follower of MIUI back in 2012 when I was searching for a stable rom to put on an HTC Sensation XE.
I was fed up with constantly finding bugs in other development roms that I was using, so I searched online and found MIUI and the Manufacturer Xiaomi Corporation.
Once I had found a forum that was using this User Interface I started to correspond with the members who only had great things to say about MIUI etc. Soon I had MIUI v4 installed on my trusty phone and my interest grew in this relatively young company.
After following Xiaomi and MIUI since my first encounter, I have seen Xiaomi grow with remarkable success. With currently 5 phones available in the range, being the MI1, MI1S, MI2, MI2A, MI2S with new products including maybe 1 or 2 new phones and other exciting goodies being launched by Xiaomi Corporation on September 5th 2013 in China.
After reading about these current phones in action via the forums, people were raving about just how good they were, I could not restrain myself any longer, I just had to get one as a replacement to my aging sensation XE phone which had served me well with MIUI OS installed.
After a few conversations with a Chinese Wholesale Company called ibuygou.com I found myself talking each morning with a very professional team who agreed to ship the current flagship model to me to do a complete review and provide and recommendation for their company.
I jumped at the chance of this and have documented the full detailed ordering process to delivery to me.
Ibuygou are one of the only Chinese Internet wholesalers able to ship worldwide and they use DHL as one of their courier companies to deal with global shipments.
Most people do not understand the full complexities of shipping goods from China to UK for example.
My order was processed on a Tuesday and it should currently take 1 to 3 working days to ship from China to United Kingdom via DHL Express Parcel Shipping.
At every stage on the parcels journey I was fully updated by the tracking number on DHL’s Website so that I could follow its progress. I could not fault at any stage this procedure. Please see example below:
Waybill: Signed for by: SMITH Get Signature Proof of Delivery
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 10:21
Origin Service Area:HONG KONG - HONG KONG - HONG KONG
Destination Service Area:IPSWICH - SUFFOLK - UK
+
1 Pieces
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Location
Time
Pieces
18
Delivered - Signed for by : SMITH
SUFFOLK
10:21
+
1 Pieces
17
With delivery courier
IPSWICH - UK
09:42
+
1 Pieces
16
Arrived at Delivery Facility in IPSWICH - UK
IPSWICH - UK
06:34
+
1 Pieces
15
Departed Facility in EAST MIDLANDS - UK
EAST MIDLANDS - UK
03:17
+
1 Pieces
Monday, August 26, 2013
Location
Time
Pieces
14
Processed at EAST MIDLANDS - UK
EAST MIDLANDS - UK
23:11
+
1 Pieces
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Location
Time
Pieces
13
Arrived at Sort Facility EAST MIDLANDS - UK
EAST MIDLANDS - UK
21:31
+
1 Pieces
12
Clearance processing complete at EAST MIDLANDS - UK
EAST MIDLANDS - UK
21:23
11
Customs status updated
EAST MIDLANDS - UK
20:20
10
Departed Facility in LEIPZIG - GERMANY
LEIPZIG - GERMANY
20:37
+
1 Pieces
9
Transferred through LEIPZIG - GERMANY
LEIPZIG - GERMANY
20:32
+
1 Pieces
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Location
Time
Pieces
8
Departed Facility in FRANKFURT - GERMANY
FRANKFURT - GERMANY
21:16
+
1 Pieces
7
Transferred through FRANKFURT - GERMANY
FRANKFURT - GERMANY
21:15
+
1 Pieces
6
Departed Facility in HONG KONG - HONG KONG
HONG KONG - HONG KONG
02:38
+
1 Pieces
5
Processed at HONG KONG - HONG KONG
HONG KONG - HONG KONG
02:25
+
1 Pieces
Friday, August 23, 2013
Location
Time
Pieces
4
Arrived at Sort Facility HONG KONG - HONG KONG
HONG KONG - HONG KONG
04:17
+
1 Pieces
3
Departed Facility in HONG KONG - HONG KONG
HONG KONG - HONG KONG
03:27
+
1 Pieces
2
Processed at HONG KONG - HONG KONG
HONG KONG - HONG KONG
03:27
+
1 Pieces
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Location
Time
Pieces
1
Shipment picked up
HONG KONG - HONG KONG
22:29
+
1 Pieces
I buygou.com are the most professional and customer service focused company I have ever had dealings with. Ibuygou cannot do enough for the customers, they treat them like a family making sure the customer’s requirements are fully followed and suggestions are given if the customer is unsure of anything. Email correspondence is swift and precise.
Well on the phone which is what this review is about. The phone arrived with me by DHL fully sealed and documented.
On opening the parcel I found the most perfect wrapped box in nice wrapping paper waiting inside the DHL plastic shipment bag along with invoice etc.
I opened the wrapping paper and found a very substantial box with Xiaomi and Ibuygou information on it, the internal box was made from sturdy cardboard and the contents arrived in pristine condition.
Opening the box I found a brand new MI2s Phone sitting securely in its own compartment, after proceeding to remove the phone, underneath was a sealed battery and USB to micro SD wire along with a continental 2 pin charger plug that would need to go in a 3 pin convertor for UK use which unfortunately doesn’t come as standard or shipped with the phone.
Also sealed in its own cardboard sleeve was the instruction manual and guarantee etc. which unfortunately is only written in Chinese and not European Languages.
However the way the phone and accessories were packaged together was in my mind nothing short of perfection, everything was packaged neatly etc., Xiaomi have put a lot of thought into its products and their attention to detail is the finest I have seen anywhere.
Display 4.3 inches - 720 x 1280 pixels - 342 dpi - IPS LCDHardware Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 - Quad core 1700 MHz - Krait 300 - Adreno 320 - 2048 MB RAM - 16/32 GB StorageCamera 8/13 megapixels - 2 megapixels front camera
Rom Operating System: JB 4.1.1 MIUI V5.
My first impression of the new Xiaomi Mi2s is its build quality which is superb, after you remove the back cover (Xiaomi need to make the body with a release catch which this phone unfortunately doesn’t have and it’s quite tricky to remove the back cover). I found the easiest way was to use the area where the usb charging connection is located to lever off the back cover.
MIUI have been inventive to make a range of customised replacement backs to fit directly onto the main body of the phone without having to buy additional extra customised covers like other phones have. (A major plus for MIUI).
They also have a range of batteries in different colours for the individual to have for example a yellow back cover and yellow battery etc. etc.
Also MIUI offers a wide range of other customized products which range from earphone jack socket protectors to T shirts and many other gismo’s.
MIUI have really taken the one shop phone customisation to a new level and continue to amaze us with new ideas and product releases.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend MIUI and Xiaomi and Ibuygou for the purchase of one of the best looking and technically advanced phones currently on the market today.
It currently performs better than the Samsung Galaxy S4 in ANTUTU benchmark scores and again performs better than IPHONE 5 in my opinion.
Overall I cannot fault anything (apart from the small quirks that I have mentioned above) about this phone and the Company and Wholesaler who do a fantastic job in marketing and selling the product. I only hope that in the near future we can have an International Link for these unique products and services.
Thank you for taking the time to read my unbiased review on this Product.
If you would like to know about this phone and others in the range then please either pm me or email me directly on.
[email protected]
Yours Faithfully
Richard King

:good::good::good:

:good: like

Thanks for share ! I really loved the way you open your postal gift :good: :highfive:

thanks for the review

Total agree
Just got an MI 2S and I had the same nice experience you had.
I agree about the tricky back cover.
Really satisfied and great customer service ever !

Related

Official WOOT GTab Shipment/Status/Recieved thread

I thought it would be a good idea to be able to keep track of when our GTABs ship and arrive...
So please post:
1) Order date (time)
2) Shipment update status?
3) Shipped from (if known)
4) Shipped to
5) Any updates along the way
6) Arrival date
I know im not the only one wondering the status of this, as i've never ordered from WOOT yet. So if anyone has an update please post!
1) 3/23 : 4pm Pacific
2) 3/28 12:33 pm : Tracking # Received - eta 3/31
3) Irving tx
4) Westlake village, ca
5) Mar 30, 2011 3:52 PM : Arrived at FedEx location : CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA
Mar 31, 2011 2:04 AM : Departed FedEx location :CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA
6) today?
Mar 29 2:27 AM - Left Irving TX.
Yahoo Maps Distance: 1472.29 mi Time: 20 hrs 56 mins
Assuming the truck driver know how much I want my GT.
Est. Arrival Time: 3/29 11:30 PM (allowing for 2or 3 biobreaks on the side of the road)
Update : looks like the driver actually stopped to take piss....Oh well...I hope I can get it today.
Can I stand outside the FedEx Gates?
Anyone ever order anything from WOOT? What is the average time like?
Woot generally will send you a shipment notification roughly 2 days after your order with a fedex tracking number. That being said this thread almost sounds like you are worried you will not be getting a tablet
newbsauce said:
Woot generally will send you a shipment notification roughly 2 days after your order with a fedex tracking number. That being said this thread almost sounds like you are worried you will not be getting a tablet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah, nahhhh. I'm just pumped to play with it =D
Should include firmware revision in that as well, (though I suspect they're all the same) as there's some concern about them being version 3991.
DroidHam said:
Hah, nahhhh. I'm just pumped to play with it =D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too - I had been on the fence after reading multiple gtab root articles, but this price point pushed me over the edge.
1) 3/23 11:13 PM EST
2) Shipping Estimate
3) Shipped from (if known)
4) Shipped to
5) Any updates along the way
6) Arrival date
Whats the significance of Revision 3991? Is this revision a good or bad thing?
DroidHam said:
Whats the significance of Revision 3991? Is this revision a good or bad thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like we should be reading this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1006571
1) Order date 3/23 6:03pm est
2) In transit shipped 3/29 delivery expected 4/1
3) Shipped from Irving, TX
4) Shipped to Johnstown, PA
5) Any updates along the way
6) Arrival date
1) Order date 3/23 7:47 AM MST
2) Shipment pending
3) Shipped from (if known)
4) Shipped to
5) Any updates along the way
6) Arrival date
1) 3/23 1220 AM CST
2) Shipment update status?
3) Shipped from (if known)
4) Shipped to
5) Any updates along the way
6) Arrival date
With the way Woot works and prior purchases it take 2-3 days for products to ship out and they send it either fedex ground or like fedex smart post. I would imagine this will be coming ground so 3-5 business days and add 3 business days for processing. On top of all that I would add 2 extra days since they have to process 10,000 of these suckers and so I would say if it takes 2 weeks do not be surprised but most people should get them by Wednesday next week if all goes smoothly.
I ordered 3/23 at 8pm CST and expect the g-tab to ship out Friday and sit over the weekend in the Fedex warehouse and get it to Illinois in 3 days. I am guessing these are shipping out of there TX warehouse or Missouri warehouse. That should help with processing orders quicker and reduce shipping time.
couldn't pass up on this deal. Pondered it for 3 or 4 hours and said hell with it. was going to buy 2 (one for me and one for mom), but didn't have enough cash. get paid friday. After reading and hearing all about android tablets for soooo long, was thinking about the galaxy tab, but the 10 in and tegra 2 and possible honeycomb upgrade.....I wooted.....oops.........lol. I've been playing with computers forever. 1986 I built my own in germany from scratch. Even my loved Dell X50V. I have sooo many now thats its a passion. The open environment of android is incredible and the way to go IMO. Thanks roebeet, I appreciate all you have done for the community here and it is sincerely appreciated as well as others who have contributed. I just wished they offered OVERNIGHT EXPRESS.....COME ON BABY....CAN'T WAIT...DAN
Weyerru GTab
1) Order date 3/23 8:48am edt
2) Shipped Friday 3/25/201 (not really) shown to actually be picked up on 3/28/11
3) Shipped from Irving, TX
4) Shipped to Florence, SC
5) Any updates along the way
6) Est. Delivery 3/31/11
Woot Tracking Email reads:
Your order for 1 ViewSonic gTablet 10.1" Multi-touch Tablet on 03/23/2011 has been recently shipped via FEDEX.
Your tracking number is: ------------------.
* Please note that it may take up to 24 to 48 hours for tracking information to be available from the shipping company.
Your order may contain multiple packages that arrive on different days. If you don't receive your entire order at the same time, please wait a couple of days after you receive your first package before contacting us at [email protected].
Everytime I've ordered from Woot, it has taken about 5-8 days to receive my order and I'm in Michigan.
1) Order date 3/23 9:49am est
2) Estimated Arrival: Order is in, no shipment info given
3) Shipped from:
4) Shipped to: Smithfield PA
5) Updates: None Yet
6) Actual Arrival:
P.S. Happy to join what seems to be a great community
newbsauce said:
Me too - I had been on the fence after reading multiple gtab root articles, but this price point pushed me over the edge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This forum is the reason I bought a gtab. The mods make this a great tablet. There are some amazing people in this forum. I applied my mod 10 mins after I got it home. It was easy to execute and well explained. Will be very happy when you get it. Peace
I hadn't visited woot in a while and since I saw it was past 1:00am, I decided to take a look and saw the gTablet at an improbable $279 price. I played with some of Viewsonic's tablets at a trade show last December in Taiwan (different models, ViewPad 7 and 10) and generally liked what I saw, even though I decided against purchasing one - the vpad 7 was tempting, but I didn't feel it was worth the $450 they wanted for it at the show.
After reading as many reviews and reading multiple threads on this site, I simply couldn't resists this deal.
1) Order date 3/23 2:10am EDT
2) Shipped on 3/25
3) Shipped from IRVING, TX
4) Shipped to New York, NY
5) Latest update: 3/26 Departed FedEx location HUTCHINS, TX
6) Estimated Arrival: 3/30

Availability at Amazon.de

So I ordered a 16GB Black Nexus 5 over at Amazon.de. It's now 399 € when sold by Amazon, still a good deal for Belgium (considering Amazon's service as a bonus).
However, it is not available for now. Any word on when it will ? Before Christmas ?Maybe German members know better...
Thanks !
PS : I asked Amazon of course but got the standard "If it's not in stock then we don't have it yet" answer.
Even the German Playstore is lagging a bit with the black 16GB -- leaves warehouse in 10 days.
Have you checked Amazon.co.uk?
Not sure if they ship to Belgium, but Saturn.de gets the N5 on the 13th, for 399 as well.
Other than that, try checking idealo.de for other etailers.
Good luck.
Thank you for you answer and suggestions. It made me check for Amazon UK but the device is 20 to 30 € more expensive there. Amazon Spain is a bit cheaper but the device won't be available until December 19. If nothing has moved by then from Amazon.de, I might order there.
But in general, I prefer Amazon.de for its free shipping policy for returns.
What's the general word about availability in Germany ? In Belgium, it seems there should some stocks this week but nothing certain.

mi4c EU buyers - webshop, price, shipping and customs?

As a new potentional EU buyer of mi4c 32gb/3bg RAM im now in a search of best/cheapest and verified website option for purchase one.
So..point of this is to help new buyers (including me right now) where is the cheapest option of purchase mi4c including shipping and optional customs fee.
1. www.honorbuy.com 299.99$phone + 39.99$shipping, no customs fee coz its eu warehouse
2. http://www.giztop.com 299.99$phone, no shipping cost, * No Customs Tax and VAT for these countries: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries in European Union.
* For upon counties, we promise that will afford customs fees if your order is stuck on shipping process.
they promise?? what that means..can someone confirm this work ?
i ordered at antelife.com and paid 237 Euro for Phone + 19 Euro customs and tax insurance + 17 Euro DHL shipping. took a week after order to arrive here in germany. i paid 30 Euro VAT which i get back from antelife.
http://www.grossoshop.net/index.php?route=product/search&search=Mi4cc
They say no customs but obviously more expensive than importing
I always buy my xiaomi/chinese goods from eitherHonorbuy or ibuygou because I know they're legit.
Ordered a Mi4C on Ibuygou and 4 days later it was already in Germany (due to no problems with customs)
Ibuygou is cheaper if you're lucky enough and don't have to pay custom duty otherwise Honorbuy is the better choice
I wouldnt count on "promises" of a few websites
Do you pay the duty insurance with ibuygou? My phone shipped yesterday so hopefully delivery by Saturday
I didnt pay the insurrance since my country is not supported,
it was wrapped as gift and with a obviously not so correct bill though.
Yup shipping is quite fast 3~4 days in most cases.
Good luck. it's a nice phone
Giztop - 2 weeks to Romania, no VAT!
Ibuygou customer here.
Ordered 2 MI2/S 2 years ago, little delayed due to Christmas, Chinese new year etc.
ordered 3 mi4c's got them withing 10 working days.
No extra vat/duty or other charges.
249,00 euro + 29,00 shipping ( incl shipping insurance )
they are celebrating their 4th anniversary, maybe get lucky with a promotional deal.
I ordered at Ibuygou as well, the 32gb Mi4C+tempered glass protector+shipping(DHL)+shipping insurance+VAT insurance cost me just $310.38, because if you register at IBG you get some coupons you can use. I think It was a great deal, the phone was shipped on Tuesday morning(about 30 hours after making the order) so I'm hoping I'll get my hands on it till the end of the week. :fingers-crossed:
I only found out after buying that if I registered I could have got some vouchers and saved uptp $15-$20 :/
I ordered Tuesday morning 1am I think, so they posted on the same day. Checked today via dhl and it says
Status
PROCESSED AT HONG KONG - HONG KONG
Thursday, October 22, 2015 at 22:30
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it hasn't left the country?
I ordered the 'advanced' MI4c (comes with 32gb + 3gb) at efox-shop.com for 263 € and about 60 € customs fee (Germany).
However it took just 5 working days, the phone came with malware:
1) Android.Troj.Fakesyspy.gf (Search application)
2) Android.Troj.ya_ExpenPush.ac (Processor application)
3) Android.Troj.ya_BrowDownload.gf (KK Browser application)
You cannot delete the apps, just deactivate them. By flashing you can get rid of the malware.
Nope, that would be the next step
"Departed Facility in HONG KONG - HONG KONG"
So most likely I'll get it next week?
It usually takes 3 days(DHL express) from departed to delivered, since they also work sundays there's hope that you get it monday-tuesday
i just ordered mine from honorbuy and boy they are fast! shipped on thursday(yesterday) from italy, and i got it today
so far the phone is very good looking, already got the miui update from yesterday running
Im hoping I get it tomorrow. Although they gave me the tracking number Tuesday and said its posted, looks like it happened on Thursday?
Sunday, October 25, 2015 Location Time Pieces
12 Clearance processing complete at EAST MIDLANDS - UK EAST MIDLANDS - UK 19:49
11 Arrived at Sort Facility EAST MIDLANDS - UK EAST MIDLANDS - UK 18:21
10 Customs status updated EAST MIDLANDS - UK 17:33
9 Departed Facility in LEIPZIG - GERMANY LEIPZIG - GERMANY 16:23
8 Transferred through LEIPZIG - GERMANY LEIPZIG - GERMANY 16:20
7 Departed Facility in HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 17:10
6 Processed at HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 17:10
Friday, October 23, 2015 Location Time Pieces
5 Processed at HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 12:40
4 Arrived at Sort Facility HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 12:24
3 Departed Facility in HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 03:18
1 Pieces
Thursday, October 22, 2015 Location Time Pieces
2 Processed at HONG KONG - HONG KONG HONG KONG - HONG KONG 22:30
1 Pieces
1 Shipment picked up HONG KONG - HONG KONG 22:08
1 Pieces
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@dan0063
Hey I will have the exactly same order as yours with DHL and the tempered glass and the coupon. Did you get the phone yet? If so did you pay customs duty and how much? And where did it ship to?
Ordered from Geekbuying.com, 3GB/32GB version in white $294 including duty insurance and shipping with TNT. Ordered 24th October, Shipped 26th, Received 29th. No duty paid.
Did u track the shipping, from where did they sent it?? Coz it was rly fast

Thinking about selling my brand new (unopened) honor note 10 6gb / 128 gb (Canada)

Hi, I am thinking about selling my brand new unopened honor note 10. My brother in law already purchased this for me from Hong Kong, waiting for it's arrival in Canada. As keen as I was , I don't think I want a phone that doesn't support band 4 in Canada. The phone is brand new and will be unopened. It will probably arrive in a week or two as he is currently overseas but the phone has already been purchased.
I will be willing to part with it for 750 CAD. On top of that, I ordered a case for it (cost me almost 20 dollars) which I can sell for 15 CAD.
Let me know if you are interested and we can get the conversation going. I am in the Toronto, Mississauga area.
I got one from China for 580 all in to Toronto Canada. If you still have it I can off
bil20 said:
Hi, I am thinking about selling my brand new unopened honor note 10. My brother in law already purchased this for me from Hong Kong, waiting for it's arrival in Canada. As keen as I was , I don't think I want a phone that doesn't support band 4 in Canada. The phone is brand new and will be unopened. It will probably arrive in a week or two as he is currently overseas but the phone has already been purchased.
I will be willing to part with it for 750 CAD. On top of that, I ordered a case for it (cost me almost 20 dollars) which I can sell for 15 CAD.
Let me know if you are interested and we can get the conversation going. I am in the Toronto, Mississauga area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got one from China for 580 all in (Shipping and customs)to Toronto Canada. If you still have it I can offEr 550 if you decide not to keep it and it’s still unopened. My brother in law wants the same phone since I showed him mine. It’s a great device bit BIG
In Geekbuying is 6/128GB version in super discount price 459usd!!! Must be used coupon HPTAGPCP... ???

[Repair experience] Pixel 4 XL - Display cracked

Good morning everyone,
since it happened to me for the first time in my life that I have a self-inflicted defect on my smartphone, I thought that at this point I would post a thread on how the repair experiences with the Pixel 4 XL are - especially so shortly after the release of the device.
Field report
Origin of damage
I have caused the display to crack on December 17th, 2019, because the Pixel 4 XL - which as been in the corresponding Google Fabric Case - fell on a stone. The fall height was quite low at about 50 cm, but the angle of impact was so unfortunate that it hit with the exposed display edge, above the lower speaker. The lower 15% of the display surface is completely torn and the display has suffered a small hole in the display glass at the point of impact. The good thing is that the functions are not impaired. However, small shards of glass crumble around the hole, and I notice that the display is very sharp-edged at this corner.
Damage report
So I contacted the Google support directly from my pixel. After a short phone call they sent me a link to the website Pixel reparieren lassen, where I opened the repair order. After entering the IMEI and selecting my pixel model and the damage, I immediately received a fixed price for the repair of the display as such. The repair, which is expensive, but with a price of € 229.00 net, or € 281.67 gross, is within the usual range of a diplay repair for high-end devices, I could order there directly at the mentioned price. I created the order with the option that Google sends me a box for secure shipping free of charge. This way damages that occur during transport to the repair partner are insured by Google. The said box should have reached me by December 19th.
The whole order was - incl. phone call - done within a few minutes. Also the naming of a fixed price, without hidden costs, which could develop, if the production of the cost estimate were left to the repair service provider, is very good. I also welcome the fact that I have concluded my order, and thus the contract for the repair, directly with Google DE, and do not have to do this individually with the repair partner. This means that Google DE assumes responsibility for ensuring that the selected partner carries out the repair according to their terms and conditions. The repair duration was given to me with 10 - 12 days, starting from arrival of the device at the repair service provider. The sending in takes place via UPS Express. Google has already sent me a corresponding shipping label by mail, as well as the invoice for the repair.
The concerns
Unfortunately there is a further grain of salt ... The official repair partner of Google DE is the company CTDI from Poland, which has a bad reputation in the industry. With the Smartphone of my wife, I had big problems here in the past. I had to send in her HTC three times until the repair was completed professionally. I hope that everything will go smoothly and that I will get the Pixel 4 XL back in working order.
I will keep you up to date with all the latest news here, so that as many people as possible can benefit from my experience, and to make any problems that occur transparent.
Further repair procedure
Update 1: December 18th, 2019 - Packaging for the return shipment has been sent to me. Arrived at my place: December 20th, 2019 one day late.
Update 2: December 21st, 2019 - RMA package delivered to UPS Access Point. Arrived in Poland: December 24th, 2019.
Update 3: December 27th, 2019 - Device has been checked. Additional defects were identified. Google refuses partial repair. New repair costs € 279.00 plus VAT.
Update 4: January 3rd, 2020 - Device has been repaired and dispatched by Google. Arrival at Germany: January 6th, 2020.
Update 5: January 6th, 2020 - All in all I give it a good grade. The result is only diminished by the unavailable partial repair and the somewhat long runtime during the holidays around Christmas and New Year.
Quality of repairs
The Pixel 4 XL was delivered yesterday and I picked it up at my UPS Access Point to set it up and test it thoroughly in the evening. Carry it with me again today and I must say that the result is extremely positive. No differences in the gap dimensions can be detected on the device and everything works smoothly.
Summary
Pros
Google gives the net repair time very precisely. The 10 - 12 days, minus the holidays due to the unfortunate time of the defect, were fully adhered to.
Google proactively informs about the status at regular intervals, such as the delays due to the Christmas and New Year holidays. The online repair status informs about all steps of the process almost in real time.
The repair process can be initiated very quickly and self-explanatory by me as a customer. A phone call lasting about 60 seconds and the subsequent repair request via a sent website link was extremely uncomplicated.
Cons
Google refuses partial repairs on its devices. The consequence is that I - besides the cracked display - had to pay extra for the frame (contained a small scratch) and therefore also for the, actually intact, USB-C port.
XDA:Thread Information
[Repair experience] Pixel 4 XL - Display cracked
Created: 2019-10-29
Last Updated: 2020-01-06
Update 1 - Waiting for the repair set
The corresponding packaging material was sent out yesterday, December 18th, 2019. It should arrive today or tomorrow. Since I have not received a tracking for the packaging, I am unfortunately unable to tell you where it is currently located.
OK contrary to Google's statement that the packaging should be with me within 48 hours, it arrived on September 20th, late afternoon, making it 72 hours. I had ordered it on December 18th, at about 09.30 am. I suspect that this is due to the parcels arriving before Christmas, because they arrived by DHL - who are always overworked before Christmas..
Update 2 - sending in the pixel 4XL
The corresponding packaging material was delivered on 20 December. I must say that I am not very enthusiastic about it, as it was just a very thin white box padded with some felt. I had imagined something better underneath...
But now to the further course of the return to the repair service provider:
Friday, December 20th: Pixel 4 XL packed in a repair kit.
Saturday, December 21st: at 10:53 a.m. the packed Pixel 4 XL was delivered by me to the nearest UPS Access Point in my town.
Monday, December 23rd: at 11:27 p.m. the package processed at the transfer point in my region, and is now ready for transport.
Tuesday, December 24th:
at 04:30 a.m. the package leaves my region
at 07:08 a.m. the package reaches Warsaw (PL), where it has received the import scan
at 11:32 a.m. arrival at the repair service provider (CTDI).
Duration thus far:
Net: 4 days (as the 10-12 days count from delivery at the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 7 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set)
Update 3 - Device test of the Pixel 4XL
The Pixel 4 XL was checked by the service provider on December 27th. The following additional defects were allegedly found:
a slight defect (scratch) on the frame, and
a defect of the USB-C port.
Even if the scratch on the frame - it was caused by the fall - exists, it is only visible on closer inspection and should therefore not be repaired. I also have used the USB port for a whole week (i.e. until the pixel was sent in) after the fall to charge my pixel without being able to detect a defect. Therefore I cannot believe this second additional diagnosis in any way.
A telephone call with Google Support revealed: As a matter of principle, they would not carry out any partial repairs, even if this is what I as a customer would like. I would therefore have the possibility:
to extend the contract accordingly, or
to get my device back unrepaired
The new repair costs now amount to € 273.00 net, or € 335.79 gross.
In the end, after a long, discussion-packed phone call with the service consultant on the Google Support Hotline, I confirmed the order extension yesterday noon at 12:21 pm. I just want to get my 4 XL back.
What gets me upset is the following: Why the hell does Google imagine they can simply decide on the extent of the repair! This is outrageous. I will report this - after successful completion of the repair - in any case also to the German consumer protection, since such conduct is prohibited in this country. And now, the Google repair tracking, on top of everything else, it's informing me about a "delay in the repair", without explaining the reason for this. Just telling that they'll keep me posted ....
Duration thus far:
Net: 6 days (as the 10-12 days count from delivery to the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 10 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set, and the Christmas holidays in Germany)
Update 4 - Pixel 4XL repair time and return
The Pixel 4 XL was finished today and sent back to me on the return journey. At 13:50 it would be announced UPS.
But now to the further process of returning it to the repair service provider:
Friday, January 3rd:
1:50 pm the device would be packed and the shipping label would be generated
4:20 pm the package has received the UPS pickup scan.
5:27 pm the package has received the origin and export scan
9:01 pm the package has left Warsaw (PL).
Saturday, January 4th: 4:34 am the package received the arrival scan in my region.
Monday, January 6th:
10:24 am the package was delivered to the UPS Access Point at my residence.
6:00 pm pick up by me.
The delivery to me is done by UPS Express Saver, which, compared to UPS Express (to save costs/supplements for Saturday delivery), delivers only on working days. As the delivery is scheduled for Monday (until the end of the working day) according to the tracking system, I had the package redirected to a UPS Access Point in my town to be able to pick it up after work.
Duration until Monday 06.01.2020:
Net: 16 days (as the 10-12 days count from the time of delivery to the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 20 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set, and the Christmas holidays)
Duration until Monday 06.01.2020 - less public holidays:
Net: 12 days (as the 10-12 days count from the time of delivery to the UPS Access Point)
Gross: 16 days (plus 3 days shipping time for the repair set, and the Christmas holidays)
Excluding the Christmas holidays and New Year, and taking into account that Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are only half working days, the 12 days promised by Google are indeed coming true.
I will give a last update as soon as I have inspected the device in peace at the beginning of next week, and have a picture of the quality of the work. Always in the hope that there will be no reason for complaints.
Update 5 - Pixel 4XL quality of repairs
The Pixel 4 XL was delivered yesterday and I picked it up at my UPS Access Point to set it up and test it thoroughly in the evening. Carry it with me again today and I must say that the result is extremely positive. No differences in the gap dimensions can be detected on the device and everything works smoothly.
As a little treat, the device came back in a nice package including a new SIM eject tool and display cleaning cloth. That's certainly a very nice service, in order to clean the glass surfaces once the applied protective foils have been created.
All in all I give it a good grade. The result is only diminished by the unavailable partial repair and the somewhat long runtime during the holidays around Christmas and New Year.
When you buy phones in your country, are you able to buy insurance for it? I bought mine here in the states from b&h photo and purchased insurance from square trade. I think it cost me $90 for 24 months and has a $75 deductible. But you can take it to local places and have them make the repairs, or mail it in for repair.
Either way, it's terrible the run-around they are giving you. But even still, don't you have local places that repair phones?
Yeah sure you can.
And most insurance companies that repair a display damage without excess cost € 13.99 gross per month and run for two years. So the question arises whether you want to pay € 355.76 gross over two years, or once (if it happens at all) € 335.79 gross in case of an accident.
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
Okay, things are getting a little weird now. TODAY (at 12:30 pm) I get a mail from Google stating that the repair is delayed. So they send me a mail which is only a confirmation/copy of the information from 4 days ago. This is absolutely wrong, especially since the mail does not give any reason for the delay.
So I chatted with the Google Support. Unfortunately they couldn't find a cause in the system. So let's hope that the device - despite the holidays - can be repaired by Friday and that it is only due to the holidays. If it should be due to supply shortages of spare parts, this would be more than unfortunate.
Just wanted to chime in that I've been following this thread with interest. In my case, I'm awaiting an advance replacement for my device but it's taking Google over 10 days just to deliver it to me (this despite the fact that they were able to overnight the device to me when I ordered a new one). I don't have much experience with Google's support so all of this is good learning. I also contemplated buying their Preferred Care but the service fees of $199 CAD combined with $199 CAD fee for the plan is absolutely nuts. Anyway, I'll keep watching this. Hopefully things work out well for you.
dhorgas said:
Just wanted to chime in that I've been following this thread with interest. In my case, I'm awaiting an advance replacement for my device but it's taking Google over 10 days just to deliver it to me (this despite the fact that they were able to overnight the device to me when I ordered a new one). I don't have much experience with Google's support so all of this is good learning. I also contemplated buying their Preferred Care but the service fees of $199 CAD combined with $199 CAD fee for the plan is absolutely nuts. Anyway, I'll keep watching this. Hopefully things work out well for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hola
A few questions and comments if you don't mind:
1. Whereabouts in Canada are you?
2. Why did you have to go through an advanced replacement order? Broken phone?
3. It is typical for these OEMs, to not have too many devices for advanced replacements after the first few months simply due to them waiting on undamaged returns to fill their RMA inventory.
Please continue to let us know how your return is handled. Thanks.
Good to have a few more users chimin' in on this one. Updated post number #5 with further details on repair time and return of the device to me.
QAM said:
Hola
A few questions and comments if you don't mind:
1. Whereabouts in Canada are you?
2. Why did you have to go through an advanced replacement order? Broken phone?
3. It is typical for these OEMs, to not have too many devices for advanced replacements after the first few months simply due to them waiting on undamaged returns to fill their RMA inventory.
Please continue to let us know how your return is handled. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. West coast.
2. Issues with the screen mainly. In addition to the green tint (which is standard on the Pixel 4 XL, and perhaps the smaller Pixel 4 as well), my device display has large blotches of red on it.
3. Advance replacements for new devices that are within the refund period, are not filled out of RMA inventory. They're replaced with retail devices. (Google provides a special link to purchase a new device out of sequence with the rest of the orders.)
So far, the update is that the replacement device arrived however UPS failed to deliver it (it did not even attempt). This resulted in additional wait, so now I am likely to either get the replacement in-hand on Monday evening or Tuesday sometime. I will have to start a refund process for my original device however because if I do not, the refund window will lapse and I would be stuck with the device even if I am not satisfied with the replacement. This is all due to extremely slow shipping of the replacement device (in shipment since Dec. 26th). Overall, my impression so far is pretty poor. The process is very disorganized and creates anxiety for the customer.
dhorgas said:
I will have to start a refund process for my original device however because if I do not, the refund window will lapse and I would be stuck with the device even if I am not satisfied with the replacement. This is all due to extremely slow shipping of the replacement device (in shipment since Dec. 26th). Overall, my impression so far is pretty poor. The process is very disorganized and creates anxiety for the customer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with advanced replacement is that this process - like the RMA process - is not performed by the sales team. Such processes are always subject to after sales, in which - no matter which manufacturer - only a fraction of the costs are invested, which are spent on the sales area. Aftersales does not bring any money to a company and will only incur costs, which is why material and personnel costs are kept as close to zero as possible. Few costs mean few personnel, few personnel means long runtimes and usually also poorly optimized processes.
In most cases even the complete after-sales processes are subject to outsourcing, only to appear as material costs in the balance sheet. Subcontractors find it much more difficult to integrate themselves into the customer's supply chain in order to be able to accelerate the processes on their own.
Sent from my HTC U12+ using XDA Labs
Updated post #6 with the overall quality of repairs.

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