Should I buy a smartphone in China?

April 22, 2018 7:02 AM

I need a new Android phone. I live in the UK and I will be visiting China soon. Will I be able to get a better deal on a phone in China that will work in the UK?

I would be looking to get a phone with mid-to-high range performance but that is also not too big (around 5" display). Dual SIM would be nice, but not a must. Any tips on what to look out for in general and specific models to consider would be great.

posted by Jakey to Technology (4 answers total)

Best answer: I have a Huawei (the P9) bought in the UK (second-hand), which is excellent. But this article explains a major pitfall in buying a phone in China - as it's likely to be hard-wired to prevent the use of Google, which will seriously hamper the viability of the phone.
posted by essexjan at 9:06 AM on April 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: as it's likely to be hard-wired to prevent the use of Google, which will seriously hamper the viability of the phone.

To be clear, this applies to all Android phones, not just Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi or Huawei. I bought a Samsung while I was living in Shanghai a few years ago, and it wasn't possible to install Google Play. I tried installing it from outside China, but it was completely blocked. (Of course, there weren't any Google apps preinstalled either.)
posted by scorbet at 9:42 AM on April 22, 2018

Best answer: When I visited Hong Kong and the mainland, my hosts explained that my US sourced phone would be able to make use of a vpn to defeat the firewall (as would their HK phones), but mainland sourced phones would not.

No idea how accurate this is; the vpn was fine on the cell network, but blocked when connected via hotel WiFi.
posted by notyou at 10:16 AM on April 22, 2018

Best answer: Better deal on a strictly financial basis? Probably. Will you get a phone that will actually do what you want it to do? Questionable, for all the reasons already mentioned. It's not worth it, just buy your phone in the UK.
posted by ryanbryan at 8:35 PM on April 22, 2018