I will be in China soon and wondering any phones some one would recommend buying that would work in NZ as it quite bit cheaper than what you get from pbtech. I am looking for phone range from 300-500 NZD plus if it supports esim
Any Phones Recommendations Buying from China
Lmrnoob on 15/12/2024 - 16:10
Comments
As above, most Chinese phones are missing band 28 which can cause issues unless you are in a main city.
Secondly, almost all Chinese models have eSim functionality removed/disabled. I am unsure if firmware can change this or not.
Unless you have a connection to China in some way, I would not buy a Chinese model unless you can accept the differences in functionality and software.
Generally Google Play services can be installed fairly easily on most phones. For Xiaomi you might be able to download Xiaomi EU firmware which will improve the experience.
Can't unlock bootloader on Xiaomi HyperOS phones now
Chinese phones now start to have band 28. Because China Mobile and China Broadnet have started to deploy band 28. The only brand I would recommend to buy from China is OnePlus because you can simply flash to international firmware without unlocking. But if you need eSIM then Chinese phones don't have them. There are physical eSIMs though. It is a physical SIM that you can put eSIM on.
Thanks for all the reply. Seem like more hassle than saving. I probably get this one off duty free then.
https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/MPHMIX01113200/Xiaomi-Redmi…Not from china. But noel leeming had the samsung m54 for $499 last week.
6.7 screen 8gb ram 256 gb memory and 108 mpx camera, 6000 ma battery.
Duel sim and esim supported.
Might still be that price?
Be mindful of the Play Store being absent on many of those devices some can be converted to international models but check before.
You will also want to make sure the device supports Band 28 700Mhz 4G else you will find your coverage very limited in many areas.