IsleOfMan

I would get the 8gb Moto G 2014 (which has an SD card slot as well as a 5" screen) for $180 before I spent the same for the 16gb 2013 model. I personally would also pick the 2014 model over the 2013 LTE version, but screen-size vs LTE is a personal decision (I spend a lot of time on WiFi at home and don't stream video much when off WiFi).

shonamac

I will be in Peking next week and was wondering if anyone knows whether it is a good or bad idea to buy an unlocked Chinese android phone over there (perhaps some known brand like Lenovo)? What are the chances that I will end up with an imitation (knock-off) machine, rather like the Louis Vuitton bags sold on the streets of Bangkok? Are the prices in Peking good or bad?

Oh - BTW, I speak not a word of Chinese

Error 601

The main problem one encounters with these devices is that the vendors are fast and loose about IMEI's. Some IMEI's are duplicated, some are gibberish and some are just zeros.

Depending on the policies on a given network this may or may not be a problem. I have a device with no IMEI that works just fine on Telus, but doesn't register at all on AT&T for instance. If you have a device with widely duplicated IMEI and it's blacklisted they're all blacklisted.

I don't think they're worth the trouble when there are inexpensive Windows and Android devices to be had on any network that aren't too bad.

Jimmie76

My IMEI was for a bog standard phone (not even a feature phone) of some ancient Nokia design so I guess the chances anyone was still using it (and therefore losing it to blacklist it) was remote. If you do feel like getting one in China check the IMEI on the device and not the box* is for the device listed on the web and not something else, that isn't a guarantee that it will be genuine though. There were things I liked about mine that I wished the mini S3 had and some things I like on the mini that were missing on the W007.

*the IMEI on the box did not match the one phone inside, but the phone wasn't very expensive so not unexpected.

glob99

I thought Android phones in China were unable to access Google Play store.

IsleOfMan

There's usually a hack work-around to add Play Store to non Google-certified devices... I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese phone makers were doing it themselves proactively these days.

SRQ Guy

Its not difficult to side-load it.

mrcamp

I agree. Not worth it with those Chinese phones. There are lots of good android phones in the $100 - $130 price range. One thing is certain - Most of the specs on those Chinese phones are seriously inflated. Some may claim they have 3G/4G, while they actually don't. You can't go wrong with the Moto G/E. I have the Moto G myself.

sonofzeus

1) Get an iphone 6 and sell it in China for $5000 before it's officially released.

2) Buy whatever you want in the USA (fully warranted) for your personal needs and keep the huge net profit.

Error 601

The potential problem isn't that you're sharing an IMEI with that ancient Nokia, it is that a whole lot of the same device might be sharing an IMEI with that ancient Nokia.

TheGrandAdmiral

At $125 you can get a lower-tier phone from a reputable brand with a year warranty to boot. I wouldn't mess with knock-off Chinese brands, personally.

lhgreengrd1

If you're in the U.S., I went with a used (off of ebay) HTC One V for Virgin Mobile that cost me about $45 in pristine condition with a clean MEID.

Activated it to Virgin's $35 unlimited text and data plan (2.5 GB/month of data before it gets throttled).

Similar unlimited plans can be gotten using T-mobile or AT&T or unlocked GSM smart phones via Net-10 or Straight Talk. Decent no-contract smart phones for those networks can also be bought clean used for well under $100.

IsleOfMan

Net-10 phones are definitely NOT unlocked and are usually very difficult to unlock. Straight Talk phones are USUALLY CDMA on either the Sprint or Verizon network, with very few phones they sell being GSM and also not unlocked. They do offer BYOD GSM SIM cards, but the VAST majority of the phones they sell are CDMA.

lhgreengrd1

I never said to get an unlocked phone from Net-10 nor from Straight Talk. Sorry if what I meant was not clear from my prior post. What I meant was to get a 2nd hand unlocked phone from ebay OR a 2nd hand AT&T or T-Mobile phone from ebay, and then port it to Net-10 or Straight Talk using their non-contract plans, under their BYO Device program. Both Net-10 and Straight Talk are the same company (actually different branding of the same TracPhone service). Both Net-10 and Straight Talk support the T-Mobile and AT&T GSM networks, which will work with unlocked GSM phones, as well as either AT&T or T-Mobile GSM phones.

But you are correct, you can't buy unlocked phones FROM Net-10 nor Straight Talk. But you CAN USE unlocked phones on Net-10 and Straight Talk through their Bring Your Own Device programs, where they sell you a SIM card and an intialization package. You can also use AT&T and T-Mobile phones on Net-10 and Straight Talk. And very inexpensive used GSM phones - either unlocked, or locked to T-Mobile or AT&T's networks - can be bought on ebay, and then used on the inexpensive Net-10 and/or Straight Talk services. Sorry for the confusion, and I hope that clarifies it.

For reference purposes, I did this for my mom, who's house is located in a bit of a canyon that only gets good coverage from AT&T. I bought her an AT&T-locked HTC Vivid 4G LTE smartphone 2nd hand on ebay for $88, and connected her to the Net-10 $40/month unlimited talk, text and data no-contract service (throttled after 3 GB of data monthly). It's actually a $45 per month service, but it drops to $40 if you use a credit-card for auto-billing. The same service, using the same towers, costs $75/month if bought through AT&T directly. Going through Net-10 saves her $400 a year.

IsleOfMan

I read "unlocked GSM smart phones via Net-10 or Straight Talk" to mean the phones were obtained from Net-10 or Straight Talk, in which case they would be neither unlocked or GSM.

I don't think it's a big secret at this point that BYOD sims are available from these and many other MVNOs. The OP is also not from the USA and also was discussing the acquisition of a phone, not service.