Database Info

Where to buy outside of China

Since its sold in China, how can others living in Europe, etc buy it? We can maybe use this thread and list reliable resellers here

Always choose GeekBuying to buy my Xiaomi stuff. Placed my preorder of 32GB version last week, hope it will arrive soon. Will show my feedback here.
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Xiao...-Core-1-8GHz-13-0MP-5-0MP---White-354226.html

Trusted sellers that I have had experience of include:
http://www.honorbuy.com/
https://ibuygou.com/
http://firstchinaphone.com/
http://beexz.com/
http://hotmid.com/
http://shop.gizchina.com/

Check out the following 2 sites as well:
http://www.oppomart.com/
http://merimobiles.com/
Cheers

This will not support ATT LTE or HSPA bands will it?

shaxs said:
This will not support ATT LTE or HSPA bands will it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just HSPA+, no LTE
Sent from my Xiaomi Mi4

Ulver said:
Just HSPA+, no LTE
Sent from my Xiaomi Mi4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im actually okay with that....when will the 3gb version be available?

I want to buy Xiami Mi4c. I live in INDIA.
Does anyone know if this device will be launched in INDIA or not ? Any info on this will be appreciated.
Also my colleague is travelling to China, so will it be a good idea to get the phone from China ? Will it have international warranty ?

Any support for 4g in the uk?

Anyone tried buying from the actual mi site and getting delivered to a chinese shipping address?
All those resellers have a significant mark up and/or limited color choice.
I thought I might get someone I know who speaks chinese to do it, I cant see much downside but ... you never know.
I think the phone would be the same right? Its not like theres an english version.
I

Efox is good
Also cect-shop, but i would go with efox

if I buy this phone from Oppomart (for ex) the apps will be in chinese and no google play? thats what i understood.

fancccc said:
if I buy this phone from Oppomart (for ex) the apps will be in chinese and no google play? thats what i understood.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Chinese version should be no google play included. You can get your device rooted and download a "谷歌安装器" app to install google play services. That's how chinese users install google play services.

ermacwins said:
Any support for 4g in the uk?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it supports bands 3 and 7 but not 20 (so no dice on Vodafone)

4g support
on ibuygou they state on the product page that the phone supports both 4g networks (FDD and TDD)
Does anyone know whether it's supports both lte-FDD and lte-TDD?
I know it's dual sim, but do not know whether there is only 1 version of the phone that supports both 4g standards or that there is a specific version of the phone for FDD and a specific version of the phone for TDD.

schaap23 said:
on ibuygou they state on the product page that the phone supports both 4g networks (FDD and TDD)
Does anyone know whether it's supports both lte-FDD and lte-TDD?
I know it's dual sim, but do not know whether there is only 1 version of the phone that supports both 4g standards or that there is a specific version of the phone for FDD and a specific version of the phone for TDD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it supports both FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE per the official specs page (in the Mainland China part of the site): http://www.mi.com/mi4c/specs/

wingsfortheirsmiles said:
Yes, it supports both FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE per the official specs page (in the Mainland China part of the site)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah thank you. I cannot read chinese so I couldn't figure that out from the product page.
In that case it's a really nice phone. Snapdragon 808, FDD and TDD.

Any of these companies have warehouses in Europe to save on custom charges and a better returns service if needed?

Here in Italy I know at least two well estabilished web-stores that import China devices (not only Xiaomi) and sell them with a "proprietary" warranty service.
They are TopResellerStore.it and SmartyLife.net, while both have excellent feedbacks I personally purchased from the former with good satisfaction.
Hope this helps.

Giocarro said:
Here in Italy I know at least two well estabilished web-stores that import China devices (not only Xiaomi) and sell them with a "proprietary" warranty service.
They are TopResellerStore.it and SmartyLife.net, while both have excellent feedbacks I personally purchased from the former with good satisfaction.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im looking at TopResellerStore but cant make it out if they have stock or not. Can you find out if they ship to UK and if so, the cost please?

Looking to buy mate 9 UK

I'm looking to buy mate 9 to use in the UK.
Please share your thoughts on the phone especially those within the uk.
I'm interested in knowing if it would work on all UK 4g networks.
If camera is any good ompared to iPhone 7 S7 etc.
If there were any concerns with the phone.
I've read it does have touch screen issues which is worrying.
I just need help deciding if this phone is worth getting or not.

Not sure where to purchase in the UK, but you can purchase the international version (model #MHA-L29) from several retailers online. I purchased it from Wonda Mobile and had it shipped to the US. They pay any import taxes etc. too, and warranty it for 1 year. Make sure the model number is MHA-L29, not MHA-AL00 (Chinese version without 'true' Google Services integration).

How much did you pay?

riz157 said:
I'm looking to buy mate 9 to use in the UK.
I was wondering if anyone has bought this phone in the UK especially and what they're initial thoughts were.
I'm interested in knowing if it would on all 4g networks.
If camera is any good when compared to iPhone 7 S7 etc.
If there were any concerns with the phone.
I've read it does have touch screen issues which is very concerning.
I just need help deciding if this phone is worth getting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy it from Wonda mobile, tell them Tech Zilla sent you and they will look after you

Don't they charge customs etc?

ramheer said:
Buy it from Wonda mobile, tell them Tech Zilla sent you and they will look after you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Won't I get charged customs etc?

riz157 said:
Won't I get charged customs etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah around £20 but wonda mobile will refund it

ramheer said:
Buy it from Wonda mobile, tell them Tech Zilla sent you and they will look after you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you based in the UK?
Thanks for the recommendation.

I was charged approx £ 55 duties. Seems to be hit and miss. Luck of the draw I guess as I've ordered from dubai before and not been charged.
Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

bonerp said:
I was charged approx £ 55 duties. Seems to be hit and miss. Luck of the draw I guess as I've ordered from dubai before and not been charged.
Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How you finding the phone? How bad is this screen touch issue which many have spoken of?

Not got the problem and found it an excellent device. However I did yesterday buy the Porsche design! I'm weighing up the 2 currently.
Sent from my LON-L29 using Tapatalk

riz157 said:
Are you based in the UK?
Thanks for the recommendation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i am, I have the Mate 9, working great, I did an unboxing video on my YouTube channel. I have bought 15 phone's over the last 6 months from wonda mobile and no issues. My channel name is Tech Zilla

I've owned the phone for three weeks, never heard of any touch issues, and never had any. It's working better than any phone I've owned. The EMUI 5 is now my favorite UI.

Congrats all! This is a top of the line device!

swordstool said:
Not sure where to purchase in the UK, but you can purchase the international version (model #MHA-L29) from several retailers online. I purchased it from Wonda Mobile and had it shipped to the US. They pay any import taxes etc. too, and warranty it for 1 year. Make sure the model number is MHA-L29, not MHA-AL00 (Chinese version without 'true' Google Services integration).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can u you please confirm that wonda sells mate9 c432 version, European international..?

Amjad.AbdulGhani said:
Can u you please confirm that wonda sells mate9 c432 version, European international..?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is definitely MHA-L29. Not sure where to find the CUST.

swordstool said:
It is definitely MHA-L29. Not sure where to find the CUST.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AL is for china C00 and T00
L29 is international:
C10 - Russia
C185 - Middle East & North Africa
C432 - Europe
C636 - Asia
Bxxx is version number.

gm007 said:
AL is for china C00 and T00
L29 is international:
C10 - Russia
C185 - Middle East & North Africa
C432 - Europe
C636 - Asia
Bxxx is version number.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OH! The light bulb just went off! The CUST is in the build number. Mine is MHA-L29C636B110, so my CUST is Asia apparently. Is that making a difference using it in the US? Nothing I've noticed so far...

swordstool said:
OH! The light bulb just went off! The CUST is in the build number. Mine is MHA-L29C636B110, so my CUST is Asia apparently. Is that making a difference using it in the US? Nothing I've noticed so far...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The difference is only with the pre installed applications,all the international phones use the same bands for network,maybe only chinese cust use different one more or less band.
As far as i remember that mate 9 should work in US without any problems.

bonerp said:
Not got the problem and found it an excellent device. However I did yesterday buy the Porsche design! I'm weighing up the 2 currently.
Sent from my LON-L29 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where did you find the porsche version and how much?
i was looking for one but most where charging extortionate amount of money, i just couldn't justify the buy.

International Unlocked S8 & S8+ In the US

Where are all the people that will be using the exynos variant in the US? I have been using international unlocked (F models) sammy phones since the s6 and I plan on sticking to this model. Where you guys ordering from? I usually get it from ebay (usually never-msrp) but it seems I might have to hold on a little longer as $970 for an 8+ is a little high.

I ordered from SamsungUK.. lets see if they honor the order.

i am checking into this place.
https://www.clove.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-s8-plus

It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?

I'll wait for the Duos version a month later from start shipping, I'm using exynos galaxy/notes from the note 2 .

biship said:
It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. i've never bought intl phone.

I have written to the samsung UK web page and they told me the sim free phone is "locked" to unnlocked you muts make a 5 minut call to a number but from the place the phone was intended to sell, the UK

When you do the checkout on Clove store, you can choose this option: "Samsung’s region lock stops use of this handset within your chosen country unless activated with a European SIM. I agree for Clove Technology to break the seal on the box, activate the phone and remove the region lock by completing a 5 minute call on the handset."

biship said:
It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clove is great and I ordered a S8+ from them too. I've ordered previous phones and accessories from them. They ship DHL overnight. Yes, EU phones are equipped with region lock to prevent them from being used outside their assigned selling region. You have to make a 5 minute phone call using a SIM from the phone's home region to unlock it. That's what Clove's doing for their international customers.
There are pros to buying from authorized resellers like Clove. EU phones have a two year warranty and Clove will act as a middleman on your behalf to get warranty work done if your phone ever needs it. You send it to them and they manage it through getting repaired and sent back to you. Having a "real" BTU phone is great for those that don't want to screw around with ODIN and multi-CSC to get updates. BTU is typically one of the first EU regions to get updates. We in the U.S. are lucky to get two for the life of the phone.
Only possible downside is getting Samsung Pay working since the framework isn't pre-installed as the UK doesn't currently support Samsung Pay. I've read the forums and some have gotten some of the features of Samsung Pay working on the S7-series but it's not a guarantee. I have a pre-order with AT&T and an order with Clove. I'm still debating which to go with primarily because I'm a heavy Samsung Pay user.

biship said:
It's that site correct that the F must first be activated in the E E A?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doubt it. Every year on release there is this region lock, but when I get my phones, they're never region locked.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

BarryH_GEG said:
Clove is great and I ordered a S8+ from them too. I've ordered previous phones and accessories from them. They ship DHL overnight. Yes, EU phones are equipped with region lock to prevent them from being used outside their assigned selling region. You have to make a 5 minute phone call using a SIM from the phone's home region to unlock it. That's what Clove's doing for their international customers.
There are pros to buying from authorized resellers like Clove. EU phones have a two year warranty and Clove will act as a middleman on your behalf to get warranty work done if your phone ever needs it. You send it to them and they manage it through getting repaired and sent back to you. Having a "real" BTU phone is great for those that don't want to screw around with ODIN and multi-CSC to get updates. BTU is typically one of the first EU regions to get updates. We in the U.S. are lucky to get two for the life of the phone.
Only possible downside is getting Samsung Pay working since the framework isn't pre-installed as the UK doesn't currently support Samsung Pay. I've read the forums and some have gotten some of the features of Samsung Pay working on the S7-series but it's not a guarantee. I have a pre-order with AT&T and an order with Clove. I'm still debating which to go with primarily because I'm a heavy Samsung Pay user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh this sounds more like it. I've never had to deal with region lock..
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

osmosizzz said:
Where are all the people that will be using the exynos variant in the US? I have been using international unlocked (F models) sammy phones since the s6 and I plan on sticking to this model. Where you guys ordering from? I usually get it from ebay (usually never-msrp) but it seems I might have to hold on a little longer as $970 for an 8+ is a little high.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Question. Do you ever get samsung pay to work on those models ?. or samsung pay is something you never really use or cared for ?

BarryH_GEG said:
Clove is great and I ordered a S8+ from them too. I've ordered previous phones and accessories from them. They ship DHL overnight. Yes, EU phones are equipped with region lock to prevent them from being used outside their assigned selling region. You have to make a 5 minute phone call using a SIM from the phone's home region to unlock it. That's what Clove's doing for their international customers.
There are pros to buying from authorized resellers like Clove. EU phones have a two year warranty and Clove will act as a middleman on your behalf to get warranty work done if your phone ever needs it. You send it to them and they manage it through getting repaired and sent back to you. Having a "real" BTU phone is great for those that don't want to screw around with ODIN and multi-CSC to get updates. BTU is typically one of the first EU regions to get updates. We in the U.S. are lucky to get two for the life of the phone.
Only possible downside is getting Samsung Pay working since the framework isn't pre-installed as the UK doesn't currently support Samsung Pay. I've read the forums and some have gotten some of the features of Samsung Pay working on the S7-series but it's not a guarantee. I have a pre-order with AT&T and an order with Clove. I'm still debating which to go with primarily because I'm a heavy Samsung Pay user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a samsung watch and use samsung pay through it with a Nexus 6P. Think I would be able to do the same with the S8? I use android pay also, so not being able to use samsung pay would not be a deal breaker.
The thing has has me confused about clove is that the device seems to be good bit less expensive than anywhere else. Cost for the S8+ with shipping is only 665 GBP ($829) as opposed to 779 GBP ($971) from Samsung UK site. Is that correct?

luch4galaxy said:
Question. Do you ever get samsung pay to work on those models ?. or samsung pay is something you never really use or cared for ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I never got Samsung pay to work on the international model. But recently I think they got it to work on the s7 edge somehow.
luch4galaxy said:
Question. Do you ever get samsung pay to work on those models ?. or samsung pay is something you never really use or cared for ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

PuffinNugz said:
I've got a samsung watch and use samsung pay through it with a Nexus 6P. Think I would be able to do the same with the S8? I use android pay also, so not being able to use samsung pay would not be a deal breaker.
The thing has has me confused about clove is that the device seems to be good bit less expensive than anywhere else. Cost for the S8+ with shipping is only 665 GBP ($829) as opposed to 779 GBP ($971) from Samsung UK site. Is that correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked clover and the price they showed me was 970 usd once I converted it (771 British pounds). That includes vat and shipping.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

osmosizzz said:
I just checked clover and the price they showed me was 970 usd once I converted it (771 British pounds). That includes vat and shipping.
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I selected US for shipping, it automatically deleted the VAT option and lowered to 665 pounds. What exactly is VAT and why would I want it?
Nevermind, I see it's a tax, but it removed itself when I selected the US.

PuffinNugz said:
When I selected US for shipping, it automatically deleted the VAT option and lowered to 665 pounds. What exactly is VAT and why would I want it?
Nevermind, I see it's a tax, but it removed itself when I selected the US.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just did it on my Computer and you're right..its cheaper than anywhere else. I may just pick it up now
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

Just a Newbee question here in regards to using the international models in the US. I am guessing that these international phone can only support GSM here in the US - no LTE on any US carrier.
I get that the international boot loader might be unlocked, and the international phones seem to come carrier unlocked. But if you don't travel international all the time and just live in the US - don't you guy miss the LTE speeds? Or is there any international models that support say ATT LTE bands?
The phone says it supports: LTE Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 17(700), 20(800), 28(700)
And ATT Uses 2, 4, 5, 17 1900, 1700 abcde, 700 bc
So would the internation phone support ATT LTE?

Flame Red said:
Just a Newbee question here in regards to using the international models in the US. I am guessing that these international phone can only support GSM here in the US - no LTE on any US carrier.
I get that the international boot loader might be unlocked, and the international phones seem to come carrier unlocked. But if you don't travel international all the time and just live in the US - don't you guy miss the LTE speeds? Or is there any international models that support say ATT LTE bands?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE works.

PuffinNugz said:
LTE works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the education! I usually buy TMOB as in the past they have unlocked bootloaders and LTE works on ATT. But if I read the tea leaves correctly, TMOB might be changing that for the S8. I guess no one knows for sure yet for the S8, but generally speaking, have the boot loaders on past Sammy international models usually unlocked?

Purchase for Verizon

Hello,
If I wanted to get this phone for Verizon were would I get is and will it work with current bands?
Also were would someone purchase one here in the US? Can it be shipped over seas?
Thanks,

It does not support CDMA, so no Verizon or Sprint.

Were can we buy this phone. Switching to at&t.
Also I notice there is no Otter box for this phone? What would you all recommend for a case?

Depends where you are. Honor sells it on their hihonor site and I'm sure Amazon will have it.
In my experience, Huawei/Honor cases are few and far between. I've ordered three off Amazon for preparation but none are heavy duty like an Ottercase. They're slim TPU cases.

vIgGeN7 said:
Were can we buy this phone. Switching to at&t.
Also I notice there is no Otter box for this phone? What would you all recommend for a case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need the North American version; the international and Chinese versions don't have 4G LTE FDD bands supported by AT&T and T Mobile; if you bought one of those you'd end up with a crippled,low-speed phone unabe to connect to LTE. Huawei has not released an ETA on the North American version of the View 10. My guess is that it might not arrive before Q2. It's going to be released in Mexico in the spring, I believe. Mexico uses some of the same FDD bands as AT&T, as do Rodgers and Bell in Canada.

WONDERFUL! Thanks for your insight.
I imagine there is no model # yet then for NA version?
Thanks,

It should arrive before the 2nd quarter of the year. I'm guessing no later than mid February. The US store for the Honor View 10 opened about two days ago with the View 10 listed as Out Of Stock, so they're preparing.

vIgGeN7 said:
WONDERFUL! Thanks for your insight.
I imagine there is no model # yet then for NA version?
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that I've been able to find. Huawei hasn't released pricing for this region, either. If units don't start shipping to the US by May, look to see if you find it available in Mexico. If so, that may be a sign that they won't ship the Honor View 10 directly to the US, in hopes of unloading the more expensive Huawei Mate 10 Pro inventory that they have in stock now the deal with AT&T deal fell through.

Sammae7 said:
It should arrive before the 2nd quarter of the year. I'm guessing no later than mid February. The US store for the Honor View 10 opened about two days ago with the View 10 listed as Out Of Stock, so they're preparing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to see that they restored the View 10 pages for North America. They had them up,then took them down before the 8 Januäry 2018 launch, which was supposed to have included us. Questions asked about what was happening went unanswered by Huawei. Now if they'll just give us a shipping date and price for View BKL-L04.

mke1973 said:
Glad to see that they restored the View 10 pages for North America. They had them up,then took them down before the 8 Januäry 2018 launch, which was supposed to have included us. Questions asked about what was happening went unanswered by Huawei. Now if they'll just give us a shipping date and price for View BKL-L04.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anybody know what the difference is between the "Honor View 10" and the one named just "Honor 10"?
(are these the same phone, or actually different models?)

mke1973 said:
You need the North American version; the international and Chinese versions don't have 4G LTE FDD bands supported by AT&T and T Mobile; if you bought one of those you'd end up with a crippled,low-speed phone unabe to connect to LTE. Huawei has not released an ETA on the North American version of the View 10. My guess is that it might not arrive before Q2. It's going to be released in Mexico in the spring, I believe. Mexico uses some of the same FDD bands as AT&T, as do Rodgers and Bell in Canada.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the l09 and it gets lte

Question HK import in the UK

Hi guys,
I want to get the HK version of this phone (because general consensus seems to be the Snapdragon is better than Samsung's processor that comes in all the EU models) and I want to have a solid idea of what potential ramifications there are from doing this.
From what I gather, the HK model is SM-S9080.
I'm pretty clear on the ramifications from the actual importing of the device, such as loss of Samsung's warranty and things like that. What I'm struggling with is the technical aspects of it.
I've done some Google-fu to the best of my ability, but I must admit I'm a little overwhelmed by all the technical jargon, numbers, codes, etc that seem to be involved. Hopefully you can help me understand better...
I know that both Samsung Pay and Samsung Member Benefits will not work in the UK, however this does not bother me as I have no intentions of using those anyway.
The network provider I use in the UK is EE and, from what I can tell, the HK model supports all the necessary bands including 5G (source here: https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/GB/samsung-galaxy-s22-ultra ). However, I have heard that 5G could be arbitrarily deactivated in the UK by the software or hardware in the phone or something like that due to the model differences. Is this true?
Will there be any weird branding issues that can't be easily removed? By this I mean is it going to have weird chinese branding that can't be removed without flashing/rooting/etc (I'd personally prefer not to do any of that stuff). Could I just change the language to English and have it be visually indistinguishable from a 'native' UK model?
Will Google Play be affected? I don't know if there are any china-related politics that would impact my ability to use Google's services. Sorry if that is a stupid question.
What is a CsC and will it matter regarding the function of the phone? I've seen this term being used a lot while googling but I have no idea what it means or how exactly it affects the use of the phone.
How would updates work? Would there be any issues on that front?
Is there anything else I need to consider from a technical point of view that I have missed?
Hopefully these aren't stupid questions. Thank you in advance.

arstulex said:
Hi guys,
I want to get the HK version of this phone (because general consensus seems to be the Snapdragon is better than Samsung's processor that comes in all the EU models) and I want to have a solid idea of what potential ramifications there are from doing this.
From what I gather, the HK model is SM-S9080.
I'm pretty clear on the ramifications from the actual importing of the device, such as loss of Samsung's warranty and things like that. What I'm struggling with is the technical aspects of it.
I've done some Google-fu to the best of my ability, but I must admit I'm a little overwhelmed by all the technical jargon, numbers, codes, etc that seem to be involved. Hopefully you can help me understand better...
I know that both Samsung Pay and Samsung Member Benefits will not work in the UK, however this does not bother me as I have no intentions of using those anyway.
The network provider I use in the UK is EE and, from what I can tell, the HK model supports all the necessary bands including 5G (source here: https://www.kimovil.com/en/frequency-checker/GB/samsung-galaxy-s22-ultra ). However, I have heard that 5G could be arbitrarily deactivated in the UK by the software or hardware in the phone or something like that due to the model differences. Is this true?
Will there be any weird branding issues that can't be easily removed? By this I mean is it going to have weird chinese branding that can't be removed without flashing/rooting/etc (I'd personally prefer not to do any of that stuff). Could I just change the language to English and have it be visually indistinguishable from a 'native' UK model?
Will Google Play be affected? I don't know if there are any china-related politics that would impact my ability to use Google's services. Sorry if that is a stupid question.
What is a CsC and will it matter regarding the function of the phone? I've seen this term being used a lot while googling but I have no idea what it means or how exactly it affects the use of the phone.
How would updates work? Would there be any issues on that front?
Is there anything else I need to consider from a technical point of view that I have missed?
Hopefully these aren't stupid questions. Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the csc is the carrier aspect of the phone , ie what bands of each type of network connections are used,and country specific bloatware , the csc is also what carrires the software restrictions based on the laws of the country it is coded for. you would get hongkong specific updates with a csc from that region as far as i can sumise, you may even need to use a hongkong routed vpn to receive them, but again thats a guess

Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask

p.dixon0 said:
Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks mate.
Funnily enough that's the website I was looking at getting mine from too. I did email them to ask where they source their models from because I've read elsewhere that TGY is ideal for UK use but they haven't got back to me yet (weekend of course). Glad to hear they are selling TGY.
Only question I have would be about techinthebasket themselves. Roughly how long did it take to arrive and did it arrive sealed?

Hi mate, yeah I've used techinthebasket a few times now (I've bought a Note8 and a Surface Pro 4 from them previously) and it does take a little while for the items to arrive, even paying for expedited it still took 5 working days. All items were factory sealed too.
If it helps, I traded the Note8 for the Note9 directly to Samsung when the Note9 came out and I got the full £400 at the time. The SP4 developed the prolific screen shake fault after about a year and Microsoft replaced it free of charge.

p.dixon0 said:
All items were factory sealed too.
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Is this possible? I thought Samsung region-locks their phones until a call is made with a SIM from the 'home' region.
Don't these importers have to open up the box to do this so that you can actually use a UK SIM in it when it gets to you?

p.dixon0 said:
Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask
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You're my savior. Thank you a lot!
Buying it today

arstulex said:
Is this possible? I thought Samsung region-locks their phones until a call is made with a SIM from the 'home' region.
Don't these importers have to open up the box to do this so that you can actually use a UK SIM in it when it gets to you?
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I'm not sure to be totally honest. Both my Note8 and S22U came sealed with what looked like the same seals my Note9 came with directly from Samsung. Maybe techinthebasket open and reseal? Whatever they do or don't do the phone works as expected and didn't show any signs of being opened.
When I first started both phones (without a SIM) they were both in Chinese. When I put my UK SIM in they behave as expected.
The good thing with techinthebasket is that you can only pay with PayPal - as such, if you have any issues you're covered.

p.dixon0 said:
I'm not sure to be totally honest. Both my Note8 and S22U came sealed with what looked like the same seals my Note9 came with directly from Samsung. Maybe techinthebasket open and reseal? Whatever they do or don't do the phone works as expected and didn't show any signs of being opened.
When I first started both phones (without a SIM) they were both in Chinese. When I put my UK SIM in they behave as expected.
The good thing with techinthebasket is that you can only pay with PayPal - as such, if you have any issues you're covered.
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They gotta do what they gotta do, and if that means I get a Snapdragon phone for significantly less than a local Exynos then who am I to complain? Lol.
I just didn't know if they had found some way to circumvent region-locking without opening the box.

Exactly, as I say it's over £300 less for what is technically a better device

p.dixon0 said:
Exactly, as I say it's over £300 less for what is technically a better device
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Too bad that they deliver only in France,UK, Germany and not the rest of Europe...I would instantly sell my S22 Ultra if I have the occasion to buy a Snap S22 Ultra. Also, a big minus: you can't use eSIM which it's a really nice feature.

robi101012981 said:
Too bad that they deliver only in France,UK, Germany and not the rest of Europe...I would instantly sell my S22 Ultra if I have the occasion to buy a Snap S22 Ultra. Also, a big minus: you can't use eSIM which it's a really nice feature.
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There are plenty of websites out there that deal in grey imports. Unless I'm missing something there are probably sites that do deliver to your country.
I don't know if I'd call lack of eSIM a big minus though. Once I put my SIM card in a phone I pretty much just forget it exists until I buy a new phone. Do people really swap out their SIMs that often that an eSIM really matters?

arstulex said:
There are plenty of websites out there that deal in grey imports. Unless I'm missing something there are probably sites that do deliver to your country.
I don't know if I'd call lack of eSIM a big minus though. Once I put my SIM card in a phone I pretty much just forget it exists until I buy a new phone. Do people really swap out their SIMs that often that an eSIM really matters?
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If you're travelling in a country that doesn't support Roaming, then yeah, it's a good feature

The S9080 is dual SIM so you can still use a local SIM as well if you're traveling...

p.dixon0 said:
The S9080 is dual SIM so you can still use a local SIM as well if you're traveling...
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It's easy to say this, but I do prefer esims since I can purchase them online and I don't need to lose time in stores to purchase it.

I'm sure a saving of over £300 would offset the minor inconvenience. Personally, I have a tariff that gives me free roaming in Europe and the USA amongst others so it's a non-issue for me

p.dixon0 said:
Hi, I've got a 12GB/512GB S9080 on the TGY CSC here in the UK. I'm on O2UK but my 5G works fine. I have no weird carrier branding and I don't get any Chinese characters anywhere. I use Google Pay just fine (never used Samsung Pay on any of my devices)
No issues on updates, in fact I got the latest May update on the 28th of April.
I got this phone through techinthebasket and paid over £300 less than the equivalent Exynos version direct from Samsung.
If you have any questions regarding the device just ask
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Click to collapse
First time reading 5G working on the SM-9080 outside of Hong Kong. What speeds are you registering?

p.dixon0 said:
I'm sure a saving of over £300 would offset the minor inconvenience. Personally, I have a tariff that gives me free roaming in Europe and the USA amongst others so it's a non-issue for me
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Yeah, I would save, but I would also throw money since no warranty it's provided to me
Also Widevine L3, so yeah, a big trade-in for some of us...I'll wait for the Honor Magic 4 Pro and get that device since it's superior.

About the same download speed as 4G+ for me, the upload speed is double though.
As a side note. This it's on O2UK in the North East of England in my house, where O2UK say there is poor 5G coverage.

robi101012981 said:
Yeah, I would save, but I would also throw money since no warranty it's provided to me
Also Widevine L3, so yeah, a big trade-in for some of us...I'll wait for the Honor Magic 4 Pro and get that device since it's superior.
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There's a year warranty provided by techinthebasket.
All my streaming services work as expected so not bothered about Widevine.
I'll continue to enjoy my phone while you think of another put down and wait for your superior device.