Seems like a crazy price when you compare how much they are charging from their other warehouses. Seems like it's only the White version available at this price (the black version is £152!!)
Please be aware limited 4G compatibility so check carefully before ordering.
Please also be aware that you may be subject to import charges.
Main Features:
5.0 inch XIAOMI MI4I Android 5.0 4G Smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 64bit Octa Core 1.7GHz 2GB RAM 16GB ROM FHD IPS OGS Screen 5.0MP + 13.0MP Cameras
Display: 5.0 inch, 1920x1080 Pixel
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 64bit Octa Core 1.7GHz
GPU: Adreno405
System: Android 5.0
RAM + ROM: 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM
Camera: 5.0MP with 80 degree wide-angle, 5 element lens, f/1.8 aperture front camera + 13.0MP 5 element lens, f/2.0 aperture back camera
Sensor: Light sensor, G-sensor, Proximity sensor, Hall Sensor
Feature: Gyroscope, Electronic Compass
Bluetooth: 4.1
GPS: Yes
SIM Card: Dual SIM dual standby, Dual Micro SIM
Network:
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2600MHz
Top comments
bellboys
12 Jan 1615#14
johan posts the same old crap on every Chinese phone thread. Best ignored.
beanhead4669 to johankirchner
12 Jan 168#17
moron
bellboys
12 Jan 166#7
But you originally said 'all these Chinese phones' and that's a generalisation. :disappointed: Name me a mainstream UK brand Android phone for £97 that comes with any sort of decent camera.
senukas to johankirchner
12 Jan 164#13
Did you have Xiaomi before? Probably not...
Dropped mine few times on concrete floor, in the street - did not break, works just fine; and OS is better than sammy's I had before.
Latest comments (74)
murabi
24 Jan 16#74
is this the best Chinese to buy ATM. My p8000 is super, looking to buy one imminently for my dad!!!
there is a doogee or Umi Rome, only looking to spend similar to £110
I would go for p8000, but it is almost 6 months old!
hyper
24 Jan 16#73
I have a xiaomi MI3 which have owned for over 18 months, dropped it several times and it is still in one piece.
Also support for the phone is better than the Samsung (S3) I had before, when released it was running Jelly Bean, mine is now on Marshmallow (Miui beta). My Samsung was stuck on the version it shipped with and had no update.
ifti
24 Jan 16#72
it's gone up
elitom
20 Jan 16#71
just killfile him ..... use the IGNORE (the t**t) button :smiley:
simplz
EliTom
bellboys
20 Jan 16#70
Is johan back?? Be afraid, be very afraid people :confused::p
elitom
17 Jan 16#48
TBH now the price is £120 from EU warehouse it might be worth someone who really wants this phone looking at CEX
they have two for online ordering for not much more and it`s UK stock so delivery in a few days and 24 month warranty !
EliTom
batmanbatgirl to elitom
19 Jan 16#69
????, is that for agreeing or you can't take the truth or are you working for gearbest, selling Lucky packet phones to uk customers
batmanbatgirl
19 Jan 16#67
How is this a deal, a Chinese phone with a bad screen, no guarantee, pay import tax, and when you get it it will be inferior to any thing you've ever seen. Oh well, you pay what you get? If your dint want to pay then I can only assume you want this lucky packet phone?
elitom to batmanbatgirl
19 Jan 16#68
kerplunk !
EliTom
kwasny2000
19 Jan 16#65
so much hate, these phones are not for everybody have RN2 and love it.
Thinking of getting another Xiaomi for my wife but consider redmi 3 or redmi note 3 cose of the decent battery does any body have any view on this.
elitom to kwasny2000
19 Jan 161#66
battery life on these are superb ..... mine has been off the charger since 6am and still has 63% left - with data and bluetooth on !
the software on my Mi4i is just fine - yes it`s a kind of iOS clone which I woudl rather not have but it works well
for near vanilla Android there is always the option on cyanogenmod!
EliTom
acholmes2000
19 Jan 16#63
very true its such a shame the software Is terrible as hardware can be extremely tempting at these prices, vanilla android would be ideal on such devices.
noncho
19 Jan 16#62
Nice phone, I was almost going to buy it, but 250$ were a bit too much IMO.
Below 200$ and from EU warehouse is very nice finding.
P.S. My mistake, I was going for MI4C. Still good price...
wildecat
18 Jan 16#61
4G at 800 MHz is the cheapest to deploy, so I'd want it and 4G 1800 MHz as a minimum.
MarcoLoves360
18 Jan 161#60
cold gearbest is the worse company I ever seen ordered a redmi note 2 from EU warehouse on the 3 December didn't receive it it annoyed me so much had to go through PayPal to get a refund never again rather pay more £20-£30 and buy on Amazon or somewhere else. avoid.
Repeating what others have said. It's a great phone for £100. So heat.
BUT.
It may or may not have 4g support where you live.
It may or may not get updates.
It may or may not be full of spyware /malware.
It may or may not take forever to be delivered by Gearbest.
Bearing the above in mind, buy it if £100 is your budget and you're confident to flash ROMs and deal with Gearbest.
It's not as good as a £500 phone, anyone who says so is an idiot, but it's still a great £100 phone.
elitom to Tafkawac
18 Jan 161#58
does not support O2 with 4G - other networks will work - O2 will give only H+
With the official MIUI 7 ROM you will get OTA updates
the only issue I had with possible malware was the OEM facebook app - ran Malwarebytes and it caused facebook to play up - re-installed facebook from Google Play and all is good and Malwarebytes reports all OK
deal with GearBest at your peril - google them and know the risks
as agreed it's not a £500 iPhone / Samsung replacement but as a £100ish phone it does a very good job - feels solid and well built and is fast and camera is not as bad as many like to think
EliTom
klsurfer
18 Jan 16#56
Hi. any owners of this check too see if it support multi users ?
thanks
elitom to klsurfer
18 Jan 16#57
I cannot find the multi user mode on mine
EliTom
demwunz
17 Jan 16#54
I bought one of these for my wife last month from debenhams plus, its a nice size, and nice finish etc, but the screen wasn't working properly, so I sent it back. Scared to get another one to be honest. This is a nice price if you get a working one though.
Snoopdowg
17 Jan 16#53
I got xiaomi note 4 via 'value basket' phone was great but unfortunately had built in Trojans. sent it back and still waiting outcome. anyone know if the gear best phones have torjans built in ?
Omoshiroi
17 Jan 16#52
May be better to go with Cyanogenmod as someone suggested, though Xiaomi may be fine, adups FOTA is installed on the default rom of a lot of chinese devices as an 'update service', with the white hat motive of preserving data through failed updates and obtaining software/firmware updates, but about a year ago they were caught with their pants down.
I'm hopeful at least it's not the case, Xiaomi seems to be going places. Just something for people to be certain of.
craigrathbone
17 Jan 16#49
Wouldn't touch GearBest, purchased an action camera from the HK warehouse, it arrived broken, cannot ship it back to HK due to it containing lithium batteries, you would be in the same situation with this phone, they offered me 25% store credit instead.... Useless
Rarnik to craigrathbone
17 Jan 16#51
I read about someone getting in the same pickle recently. Did you PayPal? Because he wasn't able to send the item back due to there being batteries included, Paypal issued him a full refund.
I don't know where I saw it but I just found this site. Will post a couple of their links.
I'll be waiting for the first cheap Xiaomi 4k so I can use it with a headset holder and lie down and watch movies like a man with plan. A plan to lie down and watch movies.
My advice when you get one of these devices, pick up an APK of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and install it (as in, don't put your precious Google login info into the phone when you get it), run it and remove any chinese malware that you find on it.
Also you want to check if it has Micromax Adups FOTA on it because it is known for stealth installing crap on your device and possible data mining. For that you can use a F-Droid's app mover to turn system apps into regular ones and take them off. Just bare in mind, sometimes you have to sacrifice auto-updates.
This is the thing with Chinese tech, a lot of it is great value and I love Xiaomi's stuff, but, there's leg work if you want a more secure device.
eloo to Omoshiroi
17 Jan 16#45
Since this is Snapdragon processor it will have custom ROM's support so CyanogenMod etc should remove all that for you
senukas to Omoshiroi
17 Jan 16#50
Or simply download and update to official Xiaomi ROM from their website which is malware free because Gearbest might send one with modified ROM with some annoying stuff.
elitom
17 Jan 16#47
I have both!
the Mi4i is just a nicer form factor ..... better fit in jeans pocket - better size for one handed operation and thinner that the SU6
both are good phones for the money - I just prefer the Xiaomi :smiley:
EliTom
Lukedotv
17 Jan 16#46
so better colours and brightness but smaller screen.hmm.
davidom
17 Jan 16#44
I've had other Chinese phones with poor camera's not xiaomi. xiaomi cameras are excellent
CoolElectronics
12 Jan 16#4
Trouble with all these Chinese phones are the cameras they're all pretty useless especially in low light - and yes we do get samples sent to us so I have seen more than my fair share of them.
bellboys to CoolElectronics
12 Jan 16#5
Taken from the review linked to in the OP
The Xiaomi Mi 4i comes with a 13 MP rear camera with a dual LED flash, and 5 MP front-facing unit, and the device takes some great photos, especially when considering its price point.
Images appear to be sharp and crisp, and even more so when using Xiaomi’s advanced HDR mode. When it comes to the software, the MIUI camera application hasn’t changed from any other Xiaomi devices, and continues to offer just the right amount of manual control, without getting too overwhelming. There also some very useful additions, like the ability to use the focus ring to adjust exposure, even while in the auto mode.
hyenadog to CoolElectronics
12 Jan 16#15
thats the biggest differentiator really (Nokia was right all along :-( - I have a Galaxy s6 and got it over anything else because of the superb low light camera (way way better than iphone 6S or anything but the LG G4)
you have to factor the cheapie Chinese handsets are not likely to get security/OS updates and have a useless manufactuers warranty as well as generally poor cameras .. its just not worth taking the risk with Android they are so prone to malware and security holes I'd rather stick to LG/Samsung/HTC etc but i wouldnt mid a mid range handset with the s6 camera+microsd and just a HD screen and less of the glass/metal for a lot less money
apple_osx to CoolElectronics
17 Jan 16#42
Did you compare other phones within the same price range? I bet you didn't as all other phones at this price are even worse!
edemmaty
17 Jan 16#37
price has gone up by £20....damnnn!
elitom to edemmaty
17 Jan 16#41
that is because it now ships from EU warehouse - so much fasyter and guaranteed no customs / VAT charges
OP price was shipped out of China
EliTom
Lukedotv
17 Jan 16#39
this is really similar to the vodaphone smart ultra 6 isnt it?
elitom to Lukedotv
17 Jan 161#40
better IMHO
better form size - 5" is not much more one handed operation friendly
screen is better too
EliTom
Nanook
17 Jan 161#38
I'm just saying, as it's out next month.
Nanook
17 Jan 16#34
Wait for the mi5/mi5 plus, although it's probably gonna be a lot more expensive :sunglasses:
crazylegs to Nanook
17 Jan 16#36
No wait!!
Lets all wait for the Samsung S10 probably gonna be more expensive too!!
I ask ya!! :man:
jamadaia
17 Jan 16#35
Great phone and price, was going to jump it. But only downer is the lack of MicroSD. Would have been ok if they had put in 32GB =(
jaydeeuk1
17 Jan 16#33
Would be a decent price if it was from a reputable seller. If it was £50 I wouldn't chance it. No warranty from HK, whatever crap they write on the website
jamadaia
17 Jan 161#32
Sounds like Quidco is playing game with quite a few of its customers. I was having this increasingly happening over the past few months. Raising a ticket made no difference, as even though there is clear proof the click was done and also have proof the sales completed (months past the buy and no return etc), they simply reply with a generic message stating the retailer would not honor the cashback and Quidco regrettably cannot help. Any further queries just get ignored, without even a reply. Have literally lost over a hundred ponds in past few months due to this.
Was starting to wonder if it was just my bad luck, but seems not.
johankirchner
12 Jan 161#12
Won't last 2 min, Chinese crap
senukas to johankirchner
12 Jan 164#13
Did you have Xiaomi before? Probably not...
Dropped mine few times on concrete floor, in the street - did not break, works just fine; and OS is better than sammy's I had before.
beanhead4669 to johankirchner
12 Jan 168#17
moron
DADSCAB to johankirchner
17 Jan 16#31
I'm glad it was my vote that pushed this deal over the 100 degrees mark now.
stonebear
17 Jan 16#30
"4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2600MHz"
I use a GiffGaff sim so that's me ferked. Shame. :disappointed:
bellboys
16 Jan 16#29
Now OOS at the HK warehouse BUT it's now in the EU warehouse (so much quicker delivery and guaranteed no customs) for £20 more. Still a great price...
bluntmachetti
14 Jan 16#28
anyone know how long it takes to arrive ?
tek-monkey
14 Jan 161#27
Its the camera that worries me, I'm using a Sony Z1 Compact at the moment and love the camera, not sure I want to take a step back. I do have 5 months til I have to decide though.
elitom
14 Jan 16#26
just got thsi phone - well impressed with it :smiley:
anyone wanting a decent flip cover that does not add much bulk to teh handset and has smart wake sleep function out of teh box look for the Nillkin Sparkle covers on the bay - great fir and good quality - suit the phone perfectly
EliTom
bankerscum
13 Jan 161#25
A xiaomi mi4c flashed with cyanogenmod 12.1 would make Johans spin due to its brilliance.
Poor Johan probably does not have the techno skills to make this happen though more than likely.
Can't wait for the mi5.
mats123
13 Jan 16#24
I guess 16gb with no sd card is a deal breaker but specs are amazing for that money
Moens
13 Jan 16#23
I reckon it's amazingly good price for this device. I have bought one Xiaomi phone from gearbest before - was delivered and works without any problems. Ordered this, thanks op.
lambelo
12 Jan 16#21
Quidco has tracked at £13.17!
decanay to lambelo
12 Jan 16#22
You are very unlikely to get quidco to payout. The 6% is tracking on the dollar amount, so it's obviously a mistake. Unfortunately they seem to be using that as an excuse not to pay anything out at all. I have 3 payments overdue since the end on November.
minions
12 Jan 16#18
how many days it takes delivery
decanay to minions
12 Jan 161#20
Mine took about 6 days via free express delivery. Delivered by Yodel, didn't get any tax/duty notices either.
Are you related to johankirchner by any chance :smirk: Nothing better to do than troll these deals?
As with quality of products made/sold anywhere in the World, it varies a lot, China seems to have a larger percentage of poor quality than anywhere else, but if you KNOW what you are looking for, you can get some great affordable phones. This is a decent Chinese brand like Huawei, OnePlus etc..
bellboys
12 Jan 16#19
Brilliant new username Johan not a bit like your other one :stuck_out_tongue:
decanay
12 Jan 162#16
Ignore it, must be a bot, every comment is the same nonsense on every Gearbest post.
I've got one of these and it's excellent, even the camera is very good, way better than the average chinese branded phone. Coming from a Nexus 5 and Z2, with performance mode on it's a huge improvement, and the camera is better than both of those phones IMHO.
Maybe not a current gen flagship killer, but definitely a great deal at this price.
bellboys
12 Jan 1615#14
johan posts the same old crap on every Chinese phone thread. Best ignored.
bellboys
12 Jan 161#11
I've had the same experience with my elephone p6000. Great phone for the money but now I know more about the Chinese phones market I will definitely change brand next time (now I've seen the light lol I plan to buy myself a new Chinese phone every year with a budget of around £100!). At the moment it's looking like Xiaomi will be getting my hard earned....
shabbird
12 Jan 161#10
good to know. I bought a blackview crown over a year ago and they promised updates
and android upgrade in April 2015. Still waiting. Phone is great but the lack of updates
means I would never buy that brand again.
CoolElectronics
12 Jan 162#9
I've had my say - I'll leave it at that.
hackerace
12 Jan 16#8
is this any better than wileyfox swift?
bellboys
12 Jan 166#7
But you originally said 'all these Chinese phones' and that's a generalisation. :disappointed: Name me a mainstream UK brand Android phone for £97 that comes with any sort of decent camera.
CoolElectronics
12 Jan 161#6
And, as I've said I've used most of the Chinese models and the weak link usually is the camera and the software bugs - not saying it isn't a good deal just giving my opinion for what it's worth.
reptilemonkey1
12 Jan 16#2
plus tax and import charges?
bellboys to reptilemonkey1
12 Jan 16#3
Apologies. I've now added that to my OP. Although I've now made quite a few orders from China/HK and never had a problem. But, yes, there's always a chance so caveat added.
senukas
12 Jan 161#1
Bought my Mi4i last summer and can't fault it. Picture quality could be better at times but at this price the phone is great value. Xiaomi are good at keeping up with the updates too :smiley:
Have some heat.
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
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Opening post
Please be aware limited 4G compatibility so check carefully before ordering.
Please also be aware that you may be subject to import charges.
Review:
http://www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-mi-4i-review-620622/
Main Features:
5.0 inch XIAOMI MI4I Android 5.0 4G Smartphone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 64bit Octa Core 1.7GHz 2GB RAM 16GB ROM FHD IPS OGS Screen 5.0MP + 13.0MP Cameras
Display: 5.0 inch, 1920x1080 Pixel
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 64bit Octa Core 1.7GHz
GPU: Adreno405
System: Android 5.0
RAM + ROM: 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM
Camera: 5.0MP with 80 degree wide-angle, 5 element lens, f/1.8 aperture front camera + 13.0MP 5 element lens, f/2.0 aperture back camera
Sensor: Light sensor, G-sensor, Proximity sensor, Hall Sensor
Feature: Gyroscope, Electronic Compass
Bluetooth: 4.1
GPS: Yes
SIM Card: Dual SIM dual standby, Dual Micro SIM
Network:
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2600MHz
Top comments
Dropped mine few times on concrete floor, in the street - did not break, works just fine; and OS is better than sammy's I had before.
Latest comments (74)
there is a doogee or Umi Rome, only looking to spend similar to £110
I would go for p8000, but it is almost 6 months old!
Also support for the phone is better than the Samsung (S3) I had before, when released it was running Jelly Bean, mine is now on Marshmallow (Miui beta). My Samsung was stuck on the version it shipped with and had no update.
simplz
EliTom
they have two for online ordering for not much more and it`s UK stock so delivery in a few days and 24 month warranty !
EliTom
EliTom
Thinking of getting another Xiaomi for my wife but consider redmi 3 or redmi note 3 cose of the decent battery does any body have any view on this.
interesting video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMXTFpXDoy0
EliTom
for near vanilla Android there is always the option on cyanogenmod!
EliTom
Below 200$ and from EU warehouse is very nice finding.
P.S. My mistake, I was going for MI4C. Still good price...
http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/01/17/xiaomi-customers-are-frustrated-by-the-manufacturers-convoluted-and-possibly-biased-bootloader-unlock-program/
BUT.
It may or may not have 4g support where you live.
It may or may not get updates.
It may or may not be full of spyware /malware.
It may or may not take forever to be delivered by Gearbest.
Bearing the above in mind, buy it if £100 is your budget and you're confident to flash ROMs and deal with Gearbest.
It's not as good as a £500 phone, anyone who says so is an idiot, but it's still a great £100 phone.
With the official MIUI 7 ROM you will get OTA updates
the only issue I had with possible malware was the OEM facebook app - ran Malwarebytes and it caused facebook to play up - re-installed facebook from Google Play and all is good and Malwarebytes reports all OK
deal with GearBest at your peril - google them and know the risks
as agreed it's not a £500 iPhone / Samsung replacement but as a £100ish phone it does a very good job - feels solid and well built and is fast and camera is not as bad as many like to think
EliTom
thanks
EliTom
I'm hopeful at least it's not the case, Xiaomi seems to be going places. Just something for people to be certain of.
I don't know where I saw it but I just found this site. Will post a couple of their links.
http://gearbest.pissedconsumer.com/paypal-had-to-intervene-for-gearbest-to-honour-their-return-policy-20150929707622.html
http://gearbest.pissedconsumer.com/gearbest-use-paypal-loophole-to-avoid-refund-3-facts-20160111768247.html
You might find other useful stuff on it.
My advice when you get one of these devices, pick up an APK of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and install it (as in, don't put your precious Google login info into the phone when you get it), run it and remove any chinese malware that you find on it.
Also you want to check if it has Micromax Adups FOTA on it because it is known for stealth installing crap on your device and possible data mining. For that you can use a F-Droid's app mover to turn system apps into regular ones and take them off. Just bare in mind, sometimes you have to sacrifice auto-updates.
This is the thing with Chinese tech, a lot of it is great value and I love Xiaomi's stuff, but, there's leg work if you want a more secure device.
the Mi4i is just a nicer form factor ..... better fit in jeans pocket - better size for one handed operation and thinner that the SU6
both are good phones for the money - I just prefer the Xiaomi :smiley:
EliTom
The Xiaomi Mi 4i comes with a 13 MP rear camera with a dual LED flash, and 5 MP front-facing unit, and the device takes some great photos, especially when considering its price point.
Images appear to be sharp and crisp, and even more so when using Xiaomi’s advanced HDR mode. When it comes to the software, the MIUI camera application hasn’t changed from any other Xiaomi devices, and continues to offer just the right amount of manual control, without getting too overwhelming. There also some very useful additions, like the ability to use the focus ring to adjust exposure, even while in the auto mode.
you have to factor the cheapie Chinese handsets are not likely to get security/OS updates and have a useless manufactuers warranty as well as generally poor cameras .. its just not worth taking the risk with Android they are so prone to malware and security holes I'd rather stick to LG/Samsung/HTC etc but i wouldnt mid a mid range handset with the s6 camera+microsd and just a HD screen and less of the glass/metal for a lot less money
OP price was shipped out of China
EliTom
better form size - 5" is not much more one handed operation friendly
screen is better too
EliTom
Lets all wait for the Samsung S10 probably gonna be more expensive too!!
I ask ya!! :man:
Was starting to wonder if it was just my bad luck, but seems not.
Dropped mine few times on concrete floor, in the street - did not break, works just fine; and OS is better than sammy's I had before.
I use a GiffGaff sim so that's me ferked. Shame. :disappointed:
anyone wanting a decent flip cover that does not add much bulk to teh handset and has smart wake sleep function out of teh box look for the Nillkin Sparkle covers on the bay - great fir and good quality - suit the phone perfectly
EliTom
Poor Johan probably does not have the techno skills to make this happen though more than likely.
Can't wait for the mi5.
Are you related to johankirchner by any chance :smirk: Nothing better to do than troll these deals?
As with quality of products made/sold anywhere in the World, it varies a lot, China seems to have a larger percentage of poor quality than anywhere else, but if you KNOW what you are looking for, you can get some great affordable phones. This is a decent Chinese brand like Huawei, OnePlus etc..
I've got one of these and it's excellent, even the camera is very good, way better than the average chinese branded phone. Coming from a Nexus 5 and Z2, with performance mode on it's a huge improvement, and the camera is better than both of those phones IMHO.
Maybe not a current gen flagship killer, but definitely a great deal at this price.
and android upgrade in April 2015. Still waiting. Phone is great but the lack of updates
means I would never buy that brand again.
Have some heat.