Choose delivery country USA before adding to cart.

Ad to cart without warranty, when placing the order set the delivery country to UK and bingo, ordered without extra warranty

OK, Guys, I Am a tweaker/ Android hacker and i Owned a Kenzo varient (The same phone but not all 4g Bands) and now ordered this Kate edition.

It is a good phone. If you have any questions about unlocking the boot loader, custom roms, firmware, returning to stock or any technical issues just send me a PM, happy to help! :smiley:

Hi, Great question. Android is an Open source operating system built on Linux, Opensource by its nature means people can get the source code, download it, tinker with it, change it and upload it to there phones and make it better.

OEMS often do not have the ability to max optimisations and support maximum optimisations to make the phone as fast or as quick as possible.

Areas of improvement include battery life, Broadband speed, Processor speed, over clocking, bench-marking, memory optimisation ect.

The community, especially on XDA individual hobbyists take it upon themselves to optimise individual devices to make them work as good and as fast as possible.

Also, OEMS are often very slow to incorporate latest editions of android and so if you want the latest and greatest release you have to go custom.

Yes you can get a virus on your phone, (Though i have never had one) and there is an easy answer to this. Firstly, latest builds of android have "Permissions manager"

any application you download can only access the parts of the operating system you let it.
Also, Backup backup backup and use the cloud! just like you can get a virus (I suppose though i do not know, never seen one in the wild) you could lose your phone, break your phone, it could be stolen, you might drop it in the loo, you might get it soaked in the rain, anything could go wrong with your phone.

Backup backup backup.

So why use custom? its better, faster, quicker, optimised, longer battery life, and a better usable experience with the latest version always. long long after the manufacturer has stopped updating there device.

How to protect yourself from malware? use good verified community sources, restrict permissions for apps that you do not trust, and backup backup backup.


PS! Another thought: i have noticed in mobile phones especially "Planned Obsolescence" is rife. Manufactures release OTA update after OTA update that degrades the user experience and convinces you to buy the latest and greatest hardware. I my wife has a galaxy S3 that still works amazingly fast slick and quick because i have a custom rom installed on it called Archidroid. A Samsung rom would make the phone unusable.

At £125 I think we can let that slide :smile:

Go for the one in this post i love it, i have put roms on mobiles before but to be honest i like the software it comes with so don't see the point.Also this phone works on all uk networks some don't.

I'm looking for some advice regarding which version to get. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the choices. I'm technically competent and have installed custom ROMs on phones before. Can someone in the know breakdown the options I face please?

good stuff, has anyone noticed the auto dim feature does not work correctly.

Just to add here. The latest Global Dev ROM has finally received the United Kingdom locale. So the next stable release should have it too.

Has anyone on this thread done the sd card trick while still having 2 sims.

Yes some great advice had this phone a few weeks and love it .

Thanks for all the advice in this thread Amin. Ordered mine on Tuesday and so much useful information here. :sunglasses:

just got the hong kong update now as well. Hope it wont take longer

yes, definitely.

Add a tempered glass screen protector.

The case I ordered above arrived and it fits but does not offer much protection.

It feels cheap quality too like a foam cover.

I don't think I would protect the phone if I dropped it.

I am stuck at mi screen after reboot.. anyone should i wait it out ?

i am updating to miui8 via system update.. why you all are going to CM and unlock things ??

any specific reason please ?

no issues with WiFi on mine

anyone have WiFi issues? I can connect to WiFi but it says no internet connection. other devices are fine on the network

Anyone got this case? looks better than my current case!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heyqie-Transparent-Silicone-Mountain-Landscape/dp/B01N6MC2W2/ref=sr_1_13?srs=11231545031&ie=UTF8&qid=1483533486&sr=8-13&keywords=Xiaomi+Redmi+Note+3+Pro+Special+Edition

​sounds like a good device, does it have dual SIM? micro SD card? band 20?

You are absolutely right!

I would just go for the RN3 tbh - it's a fantastic phone and you could easily spend the rest of your life just hanging on a little bit longer for a slightly newer model :-)

​read that as well and just taken receipt of my redmi note 3.

price conversion never normally works out as well as you hope so I'd expect it to be more.

also the plus of this is band 20. I chose this over the note 4 so that I'm fully covered of I want to swap providers.

not sure the first version of the 4x will be that way and will be like the note and normal 4s released this year.

I am still quite tempted to get this phone to replace my Nexus 4; however I read on another thread that Xiaomi is launching Redmi 4X in India by the end of Jan-17 with a Qualcomm 653 chip, 4GB/32GB or 4GB/64GB flavours....Apparently suggested price will be 14,000 Rupees ~ 168GBP.......Stil the RN3 is quite a phone for ~ 135ishGBP

and another guide I did which avoids having to unlock the bootloader http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/how-to/guide-redmi-note-3-special-edition-kate-t3523371

I bought one of these

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-3-Special-Edition-Case-Lenuo-PU-Leather-Soft-Back-Cover-Case-for-Xiaomi/32769726938.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.XV6Zue

Managed to get a flip case,Its not brilliant quality but will do while a better one comes along.Got it from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Xiaomi-Special-Protective-Premium-Leather/dp/B01MXPY1ZV/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482925690&sr=8-3&keywords=case%20redmi%20note%203%20pro%20special%20edition

unlock link for bootloader is

http://en.miui.com/unlock/

I have put a guide for you up here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/how-to/kate-cm13-flash-repair-guide-t3528201

I think XDA is a better place for this guide than HUKD.

2 - 4 days the first time for me.

I was actually already authorised to unlock my Kate edition because I have gone through the official process to unlock in the past with other MIUI devices.

I think once you get approved to unlock, you can unlock Any device with your account.

Got any guides for the Redmi Note 3 Pro please? Would like to check out the CM13 on it

For those who had to request unlocking the bootloader how long did it take to get approved?

As above, the phone feels and looks great with
2 day battery life

The only downside so far :
poor camera
poor torch, it's quite yellow and not that bright

Not sure why this deal is expired, price is £129
(price fluctuates slightly due to exchange rate)

I've used this phone for the best part of a week now and absolutely love it. Cm13 is rock solid and xposed has added a lot more flexibility. Battery life is excellent at around 2 days using Greenify and Amplify. It is very light to hold but has a quality feel. Overall it's easily the best phone I've ever owned (coming from a Galaxy Note 3). Flashing TWRP and CM13 was straightforward and I didn't even need to unlock the bootloader.

Basically flashing TWRP standard without lazy flasher and disabling signing of recovery on miui = bricked device. thats completely normal, it isnt really a story.

You installed the wrong twrp, (official) did not patch your rom for encrypted data, you should have installed Alko twrp version Cofface twrp version or zcx twrp version, you should have also read all the guides and learned what you were doing re: unlocking before attempting this.

As you know, if you read virtually ANY guide on XDA or any set of instructions, the starting line is something along the lines of:

*************************** WARNING: YOUR WARRANTY IS NOW VOID *************************************
I/We Will not be responsible if you can/do brick your device, cause an explosion, Make contact with Aliens/ Set Fire to your toaster.

*************************** WARNING: YOUR WARRANTY IS NOW VOID *************************************


I'm really glad you managed to recover using Xiaomi.eu and if its kenzo you should be fine, if its kate you need to flash the radio. The thing is, theres nothing wrong with the handset, its a very well made device for a very good price.

Any hacks/mods/unlocks/anything you undertake are entirely your responsibility.
Lollipop/marshmallow is encrypted by default by google as a safety feature to make the OS more suitable for enterprise applications.

WHat you should have done after flashing TWRP official is to Flash Lazy Patcher. but its ok, you managed to get around it and learned new things. Just try make sure you dont lose your IMEI or brick the device permanently when fooling around. the same advice can apply to any phone you try and flash without learning all the requirements.


Good thing to do is read up on XDA and discuss flashing and modding there. this is a deals forum and very many people here will totally muck up their devices by trying to unlock bootloader and flash custom roms without having any clue what they are doing as there are a *TON* of non technical users on this forum.

Boy do I have a story for you guys.

I went on to install TWRM Kenzo straight after I unlocked my bootloader. When I went into TWRM my data was encrypted with a password (wtf?). That ment that I couldn't backup the data, so I just went to reboot the phone into system. I waited 30 mins but it wasnt budging at all so I knew at that point the phone was soft bricked... I then went to format the system through TWRM and after that was done I went into adb sideload and tried flashing the Xiaomi Eu Rom through my pc. It INSTALLED!! I was soo relieved as I thought my phone had been bricked, but at least now I know I have FULL control over my phone.

Seriously though I'm still trying to figure out how TWRM made my rom not even launch before.

Finally got the damn thing working, It was driver related (wouldnt have even guessed) the amount of USB drivers I had to install was a headache and a half, also my device manager kept on messing around not putting my phone in the right category. Ohh well all done now, next step hopefully install TWRP.

OTA to latest. 8.1.1.0

what version are you both installing?

sure. tried and tested this. I have an officially unlocked Kate. did it a few days ago. if you do not enable unlock bootloader in developer options. miui tool will fail. this is not well documented anywhere which is by people are using unofficial unlocks. IMO, it is always better to unlock officially if you can.

​ah that's good to know.

with the redmi 3 i had I found flashing the developer ROM did the trick. but I hear this doesn't have that so good to know

​hamza what you need to do is go to about device, tap on miui version 10 times quickly so it says you are now a developer. go to develop options in additional settings. enable developer options USB debugging and unlock bootloader (unlock bootloader is an option in marshmallow).

without this option enabled you will never be able to unlock.

next reboot to fast boot mode.

use the miui tool to unlock bootloader.

job done!

Looks like I'm having trouble unlocking the bootloader, I received permissions to unlock already via sms, so whenever I try to unlock using the Mi Unlock tool I get to 50% and then it says 'couldn't verify device'. I even updated the phone through software update and its still showing the same thing as last time. Anyone know how to resolve this issue? Thanks

I just updated mine via the system update no issues, its no on MIUI Global 8.1 stable (8.1.1.0) MHRMIDI

For the price its very good, my old nexus 5 looks so dated compared to it.

No strange most other countrys are there,I just set as Spain but manually set time etc been fine since.

​​What locale did you you chose? I don't find any UK, England

Tried running automatic update and failed 3 times (verification issue). Nearly tried doing through PC but worked 4th time. Not sure if it had anything to do with briefly USB connecting to my PC in between 3rd and 4th attempt or not. All good now.

Mine came last week but only just had chance to open n play with it!

Thanks OP, Amin and the others who have took time out to give excellent advice!

Looooool, I did find it really funny for their choice of protective packaging. I guess it would absorb the impacts if there were any.

You ordered a shower curtain??

Was I lucky or something?! Mine just came through and I made the order exactly 2 weeks ago.

They need to update my order status though.

That's good to hear :smiley:

Yes as long as you don't activate root.

Does Cyanogenmod work with banking apps?

Flash CM and forget about any security issues with Xiaomi :smile:

Sounds like a hardware fault.

Happy: I dunno, if i was worried about the security of a Xiaomi device i wouldn't have bought one. They are the third largest smartphone maker in the world Under Samsung.

I tried a couple of times, but it didnt go bright on reboot and im not techy enough to try much else :disappointed:

Thanks for the link Amin and dwel99! I might opt for the Cyanogenmod, as Im not really sure if MiUi ROM can be trusted for banking apps.. what do you recon?

My bad, 4G is working as normal (as good as my old M8 anyhow)

I tried to like MIUI but like CM more. I was thinking trying 13. Might do later.

cm13: reliable but Spartan. resurrection remix: cm13 with extra features. cm14-14.1 : bleeding edge but buggy.

if you do take this journey, I highly recommend radon kernel install (not sure if works on Kate.)

personally I'm still on miui for now on my latest handset.

There was a big change in the db early 14 that broke pre-db-changes. I can't say for sure honestly. Backup and give it a try :smile:

I use this firmware.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/how-to/cm14-14-1-aosp-n-firmware-kenzo-kate-t3507789

Do you know if you can dirty flash 14.1 on top of 13?

Just use another :smiley:
It's surely not perfect yet, but still being developed unlike CM13.

Yep, Please do! it's the right place for that info :smiley:

I've heard the camera app crashes?

Sorry, I typed that on my phone: Three C's = Three (CS) Customer service (Awful) - Grammer on a phone isnt my strongest point, sorry.

CM 14.1 runs good too.

I might post this on XDA as it took me a good while to pull together all the information - it might save someone else having to do the same legwork.

Agreed, My moto is: if your the kind of person that will do that (like me or you Dwl99) you can find the information easily online and probably have a philosophy on backups and debricking and will feel comfortable with the prospect of breaking (& then fixing) things. I am conscious this is an open non-techy deals forums so I do not recommend unofficial custom flashing here. best place to look is XDA.

I agree if you're very worried about bricking your phone then don't try this. It's certainly not for the novice. I've been hacking & flashing phones for many years and haven't killed one yet :smirk:

thanks for the guide. it is an excellent write up. and very accurate. however I do not recommend that anyone does that as it could lead to bricking hand other problems. any mistake will brick.

I've put this little guide together to help anyone who wants to use Cyanogenmod 13 (Android 6.0) on their phone. It runs very smoothly and is much more customisable than MIUI. Main differences here.

This can now be done without unlocking the bootloader which avoids a whole world of hassle. It involves flashing an official MIUI developer ROM which has had the stock recovery replaced by a custom recovery (TWRP). You can then use the custom recovery to wipe MIUI and flash Cyanogenmod (or any other ROM you want to try). I have done this to my own phone and encountered no problems but I accept no responsibility in the unlikely event of you bricking your phone! The MIUI developer ROM in the link is one in which I have already replaced the stock recovery with TWRP and uploaded to Mediafire. If you prefer to download the developer ROM from the official website and replace the stock recovery yourself that's fine. The Cyanogenmod ROM is actually for Kenzo so you will need to flash a couple of additional zip files to make it all work.

1. Download & install this version of Miflash.

2. Start your phone up and enable USB debugging.

3. Download the modded developer firmware containing the custom recovery and unzip it. Also download files to make the fingerprint reader etc work here and the radio firmware here and Open Gapps ARM64 6.0 nano but do not unzip them. Copy the last 3 zipped files to an external SD card and insert it in the phone.

4. Download and install minimal adb & fastboot.

5. Start up your phone (with the external SD card inserted) and connect it by USB to your PC. Run minimal adb on your PC, type adb devices and Enter, look for a popup box on your phone asking for permissions & accept it.

6. Type adb reboot edl and Enter, the phone will boot into edl mode with a blank screen.

7. Start up Miflash and point it to the unzipped modded firmware folder then flash it - takes around 400 sec.

8. Disconnect the phone, press Power and Vol Up to boot into TWRP recovery. When you boot into TWRP for the first time you will see that it's all in Chinese. Just tap on the second bottom button on the right then tap on the globe icon and select English as the language. Then you need to tap on the oblong button on the bottom right of the screen to save it. If at any time TWRP asks you to allow it to stop itself being replaced by stock recovery just agree to it.

9. *IMPORTANT* back up ALL partitions to the external SD card using TWRP. Later on, copy this backup to your PC and keep it safe. It's your insurance policy against any disasters such as losing your IMEI. Then boot into MIUI and wait for it to load (might take a while).

10. Once MIUI has loaded, shut down the phone then press Power and Vol Up to boot into TWRP recovery. Do a full wipe and then flash the CM13 ROM then the firmware update then the radio update then Gapps. Then boot into your new firmware!

11. Make sure you disable LiveDisplay in Settings or you will get screen flickering issues.

Well pleased with mine looks and feels like a £300+ phone,I installed co'pilot just now and its very quick at picking up satellites.Unlike my last phone from china.

​This is when I should have took my time.. Thought I had waited an hour :-) been running for a week now really good phone.

Thanks for quick reply. It looked like LTE was already the preferred connection so I didn't change it. I was comparing against my HTC m8, but I'll check again.
The wrong locale wouldn't affect this would it?
I couldn't get 4G inside my house as well. But inside my local Lidl was great! Which I haven't tried yet with the Note3.

btw I was a little confused "three C's" you mean Three's 3C's business model?!?

it should be 4g. have you checked your network settings on the device to make sure 4g is preferred? have you compared to using another 4g handset in the same location on the same network? I just blew up at three last night because the 4g in my house is crap and was told in no uncertain terms by the three C's that 4g was a free bonus and I should be great full for it and if I ever get it I should be happy but I should never actually ever expect the three network to actually fully work anywhere because that is asking too much!

yep. the three C's definitely annoyed me!

any way to fix the three 4g issue without root? buy another simcard from another network? :smiley:

Received mine Monday as well. No UK locale in setup, had to choose India.
Updated to MIUI 8.1.1.0 over OTA wifi.
Big but is no 4G and I'm on iD/Three. I haven't tried SIM 2 as that's a nano slot.
Is there an easy (without root) way to fix the 4G issue?

Thanks to the OP for this deal and thanks to Amin who is clearly a very knowledgeable chap! Couldn't be happier! :smile:

received mine on Monday!

Hey got mine yesterday! First impressions is that it's awesome value for money. Thought I'd bricked it though when I did the OTA update, it just stayed on the MI logo boot screen for ages afterwards. Eventually it booted up but I was panicking!

So a word of advise to anyone else doing the OTA, just leave it. I'm not sure how long it took to reboot (I'm used to Samsung updates where you get the animation and a percentage counter). You don't get any of that, just a MI logo and a status bar that initially doesn't look as if it's moving. I just left it alone and came back about an hour later.

​its very fast in terms of animations and you can get the latest features before the manufacturer releases them. the trade-off is stability.

Hi Amin,

Please can I ask a basic question? I've unboxed my Redmi note 3 pro and have gone straight into the preinstalled OS and have updated to Miui Global 8.1.1 Stable through the android GUI. My question is, what benefits will I get from a custom ROM that I won't be getting with the pre-installed OS?

Really happy with it so far. Have gone from an iPhone 6s to this and prefer this by a long shot.

CM13 running very well. Just make sure you disable LiveDisplay otherwise you get screen flickering issues when unlocking the phone.

True, plus 4G works for me ​(am on BT)

Welcome, Buddy., Glad it worked.


Hmm backups? Super backup straight to SD card is pretty good without rooting.

if rooted, you can use Nandroid in TWRP or titanium backup.

However, prbebly best not to encourage you to root your device right now, just use it as stock. its quite a pleasant to use device as it is, i'm very happy with it myself. ignore all the naysayers (I'm sure you realise they were all wrong now that you have the phone in hand)


ROFL - isnt it funny that they spend hundreds and hundreds (Upto £1300 over 2 years) on a smart phone and now you own one outright that is just as good for 10% of that price? :wink:

I got mine here, and it fits perfectly

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-3-Special-Edition-Case-Lenuo-PU-Leather-Soft-Back-Cover-Case-for-Xiaomi/32769726938.html

2016-12-07 06:26:07 Accepted by carrier
2016-12-13 12:10:00 【Delivery Address】Sinotrans-Delivery Address-Successful delivered

So about 7 days from online order to arrive in the mail :smiley: not bad

Anybody found a uk case for this,I don't want to use it till i get a case.Might drop it.

Worked like a charm!!! Thanks Amin!!!! God bless you man!!! :smiley::smiley: Now on Miui 8 and just important contact from the old iPhone. haha ur a legend man!! thanks for helping the community. Appreciate it a lot.

Will soon download banking up >.< i'l read around whether I should install stock android or stick to miui8 :smiley:

Cheers again Amin!!!

*just run the OTA

helping. just run the it's. I did it today worked fine.

to avoid problems. after setting up the phone with all your details. do not add Google account first time. but do enable wi-fi and miui account.

this will enable you to upgrade ROM without playstore apps. wait a long long time after upgrade reboot (don't force close it mid way like the other guy)

it will be fine. after you can add your Google account and update apps ect.


no computer required.

phone arrived in the mail today. Thx for all the tips Amin! I'l try it tomorrow. I'l need a windows PC I guess? currently on Mac

sandy, I had a quick read. it seems the led brightness is controlled by the kernel.

can you reboot your device and watch the buttons on boot.

if they are bright for a split second initially on boot then you have corrupted kernel settings.

the most likely fix is to backup all your data first, and then flash to latest stock using the edl method. hopefully that will iron out any kernel config issues.

YMMV but it's either hardware or software. if it's software a stock flash (via edl not fast boot or recovery) will restore kernel. option 2 try a custom kernel. but that is slightly more technical.

first step: reboot and watch the buttons to see if it's hardware or software.

or a custom kernel with adjustable settings?

depends on the handset I guess. mine are bright (looking at it right now) are you using a custom ROM? have you googled it to see if it's normal?

I was wondering if anyone could help with a problem my Mi Max has got.
The led touch buttons are very dim. Much dimmer than mums Note 3 and it doesnt seem right hardly light up.
Does anyone else have this problem with Xiaomi device

dwl99 no they cannot. the problem is cm is android open source + hacks to make it work often comprising of drivers for hardware which the manufacturer has released as part of the GPL licence (a licence that all users of open source have to follow for taking advantage of open source code that is android) however some things are not open source. some components like the camera drivers and fingerprint drivers are never released by the manufacturer (not open source) similarly most Google applications like the play store or the Gmail app are not open source - this is why you need to download Google apps separately with Cyanogen mod ROM. - they cannot legally include it in the open source project.

to follow on from that, camera apps are just apps. sure they have filters and tweaks to improve picture quality, but fundamentally, the cm camera driver is a best endeavours basic driver that gets basic functionality out of the camera, it is not the proper camera driver that ships with the licensed manufacturer ROM. I hope that gives more clarity.

PS, some of the fingerprint sensors are also not open source. they have just been ripped from another device which uses the same sensor when a manufacturer accidentally released the code. just remember open source roms like CM or community rims are basically hacked together bits of code, while for the most part they work pretty well,

unless you are prepared to write a driver that matches the hardware perfectly or xiaomi releases the camera source, it will not be as good as stock.

Mucka, yep downsides to rooting are there. but I like the upsides such as adaway (adblock) xposed, YouTube adaway and minmingaurd better than banking apps.

but if you want banking apps, do not root! (or use xposed +rootcloak before installing banking apps :wink:

The last time I rooted my Nexus 5 both Lloyd's and Barclay's banking apps picked up on it and they stopped working.

I'll try miui first :smiley:

Can the picture quality problem be fixed with a 3rd party camera app?

Miui is actually an excellent ROM. very iPhone esque. but this phone has a lot of community support on xda. cm/rr ROMs have very noticeable speed improvements. (not that stock is slow by any means) cm is just faster. biggest downside to cm: you lose camera quality.

cm is very Nexus like. miui is a very good rom though. my advice. try miui for a while. probably root it tho.

then next try xiaomi.eu rom as it improves upon stock. finally take the plunge to cm if you want.

cm can be buggy and needs fingerprint fixes ect but either way they all work very well. it is an excellent device for £120~

as good as flagships.

I've successfully flashed TWRP recovery without having to unlock the bootloader. Have now flashed CM13 and it all seems to be working! So no need to mess about unlocking bootloaders and stuff :stuck_out_tongue:

Mine has arrived this morning i haven't had a look yet, but confirmed no import tax duty to pay.


what is the preferred option for the os CM or standard ?

success!!!! received just now

You are welcome.

sorry 1 thing i forgot to mention.

In EDL mode, your fastboot/ ADB drivers WILL NOT WORK, you require special drivers for qualcomm which are available via the forum link i posted 2 posts up.

Thanks.....
Have to say when people like you make the effort to post a great deal AND keep following up supporting people on the thread despite some less than helpful comments....it is what this kind of forum should be about!

further details:http://en.miui.com/thread-235865-1-1.html

SOLVED IT!!!!!

Instructions:

Go to fastboot mode OR (Pref) -Enable usb debugging inside android developer options, and connect phone to adb mode.

Windows CMD -> "fastboot reboot edl" or "adb reboot edl"

to boot phone into EDL mode (No scren on, but usb picks it up.

Flash with MiFlash2016.

Job done.

Again MAKE SURE you flash Kate on Kate/ Kenzo on Kenzo.

Thanks for your efforts Amin.....same result unfortunately.....I will give an OTA update a go

it will have a different icon and will say miflash2016


another forum member had the same issue.

the wrong miflash will not work.

use this Miflash:

http://api.bbs.miui.com/url/MiFlash


its version 6 or something.

do not get one of the forums.

MiFlash gives the Cast Invalid message......the bottom of the page then suggest using MiPCSuite - this is the one that v3.2 states CANT FLASH Redmi NOTE 3

Yep that is ok....the MiPCSuite even says when connecting in fastboot to try first in normal mode

I dont think it is that since the phone is recognised when plugging in but will check


Yep.....checking that with some degree of paranoia

Will update later - thanks for swift reply

Extract the file twice as you said and verify the integrity of the files is correct.

Do not use MiFlash 2.2 it is 3.2 only - yes you need to register with the forums to D/L

Make sure you are following the instructions correctly to put the phone into fastboot mode before connecting to pc.

If you have had previous androids before, there could very likely be a "Driver conflict"

Easy to resolve, go to windows device manager (With phone connected in fastboot mode) and see if there are any unknown devices with exclamation marks. right click on the device and update the driver, Choose 1 manually) to make sure the phone is detected by the computer.

FAnd miflash should work.

FINALLY!!!! - Make sure you have a Kate device, & not a kenzo device.

DO NOT - I Repeat DO NOT flash a kate rom to a kenzo & vice versa.

I am having a few issues with updating to miui 8....which I would like to do now as I tend not to do big updates once got all my stuff on. All in all - phone seems great but update process is irriating to say the least - I'm not sorted yet but this may help some others

Following instructions on post #285

1) The file once located is
kate_global_images_V8.1.1.0.MHRMIDI_20161202.0000.00_6.0_global_ac46ea44bd.tgz
file size 1.645 gb
you have to unzip it twice - once to a tar file then once to the file structure in the pic in the guide

2) MiFlash doesnt work for me - error "Specified cast is not valid" - see a few posts suggesting using the Mi PC Suite if you get this error

3) The installation lined at the bottom of the miui page downloads a 2.2 version....after installing "device not supported"

4) Back to the miui page - you can get 3.2 version of the osftware...but you need to register--- groan

5) Installed version 3.2 it recognises the phone BUT software states cannot update redmi Note3 3G......so have give up for now

Anyone else? Or any advice ?

Mine arrived this morning. Haven't had a chance to look at it properly but it feels very solidly constructed. Might have a go at flashing CM14 later!

Some post office branches will be affected by strikes.
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/strike-action

Prays its not the branch which has our phones :smiley:

fwiw I think all proven examples of spyware are vendor addons or advertising code spyware. by the same notion browsing any website or hitting any URL goes through your ISP and is probably picked up by Google.

*HINT* if you don't want Google spyware on your android, get cm, do not get gapps and enjoy your gimped device.

hint #1 if you know what you are doing it is trivial to remove spyware (lenovo was just add and remove applications - no different to all the mcaffe and Norton and office demo and other crap you are plauged with when buying a new laptop which helps subsidise the price) - solution. wipe and clean install windows or manually remove apps.

android: remove or freeze any unwanted apps.

fact is your details have been getting gathered by foreign companies for over a decade. just because it's a chinease company you assume it is neferious even though virtually everything at a component level comes from china..... it is really bonkers.

excuse typos typed on phone

You are very welcome.

Yes, you are correct:
​The Rom was updated since written the guide. Always check miui page for latest ROM version. Thanks! - right now just the Dev rom (Rooted) is updated to 8.1.1.0

stable will follow soon I expect (Not rooted)

however the format is the same, Stable = Not rooted, Dev = Rooted

(In a way it is a good thing, it proves this method gives you the latest manufacturer ROM with no nasties added by vendors)

I don't know about this particular phone/model, but the Chinese apps connecting to Chinese servers and sending data are not conspiracies, but proven facts. Lenovo laptops as well.

what is ridiculous is to put open source community driven ROMs like CM on the same page with the vendor Chinese Roms. Who!s to say yhey don't have data stealing software on them? The huge number of people foing through each line of code in them.

No point in talking about wearing tin foil hats, really.

Thanks for the guide Amin - your link to the non rooted rom isnt working though takes you to a chinese langauge miui page ....while it is easy enough to find on the same page as the MiFlash tool it is directly here too

Editing out as the file is different

The link in Amin guide doesnt work but search the list for it on the MiFlash tool page.

File name none rooted (maybe someone can confirm)
kate_global_images_V8.1.1.0.MHRMIDI_20161202.0000.00_6.0_global_ac46ea44bd.tgz
file size 1.645 gb

mine also arrived to the UK, should get it this week.

2016-12-16 05:24

Arrival at Processing Center (Country code: GB)

.................

2016-12-16 05:24

【8】Arrival at Processing Center (Country code: GB)

.................

2016-12-16 05:24

Arrival at transit country

.................

2016-12-15 12:24

Arrive at destination county

.................

2016-12-15 12:24

Arrival at Destination Post (Country: GB)

.................

2016-12-13 22:27

【8】Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)

.................

2016-12-13 22:27

【GBLAL】Transit to Air Transit Centre

.................

2016-12-13 22:27

Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)

.................

2016-12-08 19:00

Security check success

.................

2016-12-06 19:55

Received by line-haul successful

.................

UKDestination Country

2016-12-06 15:02

Notification of shipment confirmation

.................

CNOriginal Country

2016-12-06 14:55

Outbound in sorting center

.................

2016-12-06 14:25

Inbound in sorting center

.................

2016-12-05 16:51

Accepted by carrier

.................

2016-12-04 12:26

Waiting for pick up

Not in air yet.. Mine took 2 days from there until


【8】Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
.................
【GBLAL】Transit to Air Transit Centre

Arrived in the UK!! Yay

mine is still in air or somewhere ..
2016-12-10 19:00:00 【HONGKONG】Hand over to airline

anyone got this HONGKONG while hand over to airline ..
as i can see most of you have [GBLAL]

Arrival at Processing Center (Country code: GB)
2016-12-16 03:35:00 [GMT+8]

Was just about to check on latest air crashes in Asia!

Wow, I ordered before you..and mine hasn't arrive :disappointed: Lucky you mate!

2016-12-14 02:53:15 【8】Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
2016-12-14 02:53:00 【GBLAL】Transit to Air Transit Centre
2016-12-08 19:00:00 Security check success
2016-12-03 18:25:20 Received by line-haul successful
2016-12-03 13:26:00 Notification of shipment confirmation
China
Original Country 2016-12-03 13:25:20 Outbound in sorting center
2016-12-03 12:55:20 Inbound in sorting center
2016-12-02 21:18:54 Accepted by carrier
2016-12-01 07:47:32 Waiting for pick up

Just checked my status

United Kingdom
Destination Country
2016-12-15 12:10:00 Arrive at destination county
2016-12-13 22:29:23 【8】Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
2016-12-13 22:29:00 【GBLAL】Transit to Air Transit Centre
2016-12-08 19:00:00 Security check success
2016-12-05 22:58:47 Received by line-haul successful
2016-12-05 17:52:00 Notification of shipment confirmation
2016-12-05 17:58:47 Outbound in sorting center
2016-12-05 17:28:47 Inbound in sorting center
2016-12-05 16:29:16 Accepted by carrier
2016-12-03 13:14:09 Waiting for pick up

Lol, missed the flight i guess! hope xmas doesnt delay further, hope to get mine next week too, mine was flown out on the 14th so you have a much better chance of receiving it them me next week scouser, you may even get it tomorrow or monday!.

i think i might have to wait till after xmas :disappointed:

I also ordered late on 28th Nov and my tracking follows den169 untill 'Received from customer'. Missed the kin flight! Hopefully will be here next week...

2016.12.10 17:16 (GMT-7): 【8】Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
2016.12.10 17:16 (GMT-7): 【GBLAL】Transit to Air Transit Centre
2016.12.10 01:16 (GMT-7): Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
2016.12.10 01:16 (GMT-7): Transit to Air Transit Centre
2016.12.08 17:16 (GMT-7): Received from Customer
2016.12.05 19:00 (GMT-7): Security check success
2016.12.05 03:00 (GMT-7): Hand over to airline
2016.12.02 20:51 (GMT-7): Received by line-haul successful
2016.12.02 16:00 (GMT-7): Notification of shipment confirmation
2016.12.02 15:51 (GMT-7): Outbound in sorting center
2016.12.02 15:21 (GMT-7): Inbound in sorting center
2016.12.01 21:01 (GMT-7): Accepted by carrier
2016.11.30 11:50 (GMT-7): Waiting for pick up

The problem is most of these Chinese stores dispatch to the post office once per week. so i think you got there just before they shipped den169 - i think i got there just after

​2 days in with the phone.. Very impressed with it. Battery life is very good easily lasting a day, something I only got close to before with s7 edge, but this is outlasting that. Bargain at the price. Again I got myself out of a pickle after the failed OTA, and I would not have been happy at that point, wasn't that clear on how to fix.

16 days to be exact.Ordered late on 28th.

Destination Country 2016-12-14 12:22:00 Delivered
2016-12-11 16:50:00 Arrival at transit country
2016-12-11 16:50:00 【8】Arrival at Processing Center (Country code: GB)
2016-12-11 15:26:00 Arrive at destination county
2016-12-08 11:17:47 【8】Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
2016-12-08 11:17:00 【GBLAL】Transit to Air Transit Centre
2016-12-06 11:17:00 Received from Customer
2016-12-03 19:00:00 Security check success
2016-12-02 20:21:25 Received by line-haul successful
2016-12-02 15:21:00 Notification of shipment confirmation
China
Original Country 2016-12-02 15:21:25 Outbound in sorting center
2016-12-02 14:51:25 Inbound in sorting center
2016-12-01 21:24:03 Accepted by carrier
2016-11-30 12:44:54 Waiting for pick up

damn that was quick... could you please paste the tracking history here ???

dont know about uk but i got this one good quality can recommend link /www.aliexpress.com/item/For-Xiaomi-Redmi-International-Edition-Note-3-Phone-Case-Stand-Wallet-Leather-Flip-Cover-For-Redmi/32764172838.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.0.NoY0uq what i did while waiting for it was to use a iphone 6 plus pouch case phone fits like glove

From despatched overseas to arriving at my house 6 days.Only took just over two weeks from ordering to recieving.

same here. i estimated it should arrive by 23rd if we are lucky.

Dispatched on the 14th. Its going to be a while for me then :disappointed:

Ordered on the 1st dec

Ordered my Redmi on 26 November, and just arrived today... so delivery took 19 days. Last week I ordered a transparent case from Gearbest as reviews suggested it could fit this mobile, will post here after it arrives and I've checked it.

Not many cases out for this version. If you look for one, make sure you search for 152mm.

This device is slightly taller than other versions of this phone.

so is it like arrived at home or UK country >?

Took 6 days for mine to arrive from despatched overseas.

Same here .. since 10 dispatched to overseas.. looks like coming with fishes

hahahaha... PoF is good .. :wink:

I'm taken, sorry m8...try match.com :stuck_out_tongue:

Dispatched to overseas, on the 10th.

what is your current status ?

Think they got mixed up n stuck mine on a boat!

Well I just contacted my friend and he seems to be interested so if he confirms with me hes defo taking it I'll get to use it till my pro prime comes from aliexpress :smirk:

I have the same set Micky. They work very very well paired with this phone!

Anyone point me to a decent flip case in the uk.

The phone market has a vast selection and everyone has different requirements, including how much they want to spend. So why are you so adamant about criticising the phone even towards people who already purchased/received it? Most if not all of your comments on this thread seem to be negative. You act as though the thought of someone buying/liking a phone you consider bad, affects you on a personal level. What relevance is it that you have 2 phones that are 3-4x more expensive? You're on a deals site yet you're calling people who would want to buy a phone under the £150 mark, "poor skintflints"? :neutral_face:

im sure someone off here will buy it off you.
....not that i'm thinking about it :wink:

I've had Original Xiaomi Hybrid Dual Drivers Earphones Mi IV In-Ear Headphones Pro - SILVER since May and to be fair they are a tad heavy (not suitable for jogging as they would fall out) but the sound quality for £14 is outstanding!

WOW slap on the head for me, my first order of my Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro ended up arriving (thought I cancelled it 2 weeks ago), then in 2 days I have a Redmi note 4 which i bought from a member here arriving (gift for my mum) and also my Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 pro prime which is coming from china in 2-3 weeks. Great and I cant return this phone as I bought it from spain.

Why do you keep posting crap about these phones no doubt you never had one or seen one your stupidity beggars belief.You talk utter crap.

Earlier in the thread you said you owned this phone. Was it the MediaTek version of the Redmi Note 3? There's a few variants so it's easy to be mistaken. You were once a skintflint too it seems.

I have Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6s so no need for this crap!
My brother knows dozens of people who only has problems with these phones..

It was an honest question. Did you buy the MediaTek version?

Bunch of poor skinflints on here, nothing more...i really feel sorry for all of them....
I have far better ways to spend 100 pounds as know very well - skinflint always pays twice ...

It would indeed :smiley:

LOL!!! maybe he bought mediatek! omg, that would make sense!

Mine Lasts 2-3 days between charges.

Sound quality is amazing, especially with decent headphones (Mi headphones pro anyone? £15 for high spec earphones)
My car has a Roidmi, and i should be reciving a mi fit 2 any day now, persoannly i think Mi Makes good stuff through and through, my 10,000 MAH mi Powerbank is 1 of the best power banks i've ever purchased.

But i always keep it into context of the price i paid.

Would you rather pay £100 for a 5 year old S3 or £100 for a brand new RN3?

(Remember S3 was a flagship when released)

Are you sure you didn't buy the MediaTek version?

Hamza UK, We have an S3 running the archidroid custom rom that is still going strong and In My Opinion, runs great!


Custom roms really extend the life of phones, but an S3 on the latest stock kitkat rom???? Nahh forget it RN3 would kill a stock S3.


but yes, you will notice a massive performance increase (the main reason is because goolges core apps have become so big, bloated & sluggish)

Well,it be faster than S3, but camera is pants, S3 better here. Sound quality crap-S3 better there. S3 you used 5 years, this will last 14 months at best. And even it has 4000mah battery, it drains fast. Really fast.

Yes but camera will be worse! Looking at these samples. I still have a Sony X10 mini from 2010 that takes much better pics than that!

Forgot to mention I'm also coming from an S3 which I've had for almost 5 years, been through tons of customs roms, but it has been struggling to keep up to speed for the last year or so. Will I notice a big leap in performance when my Redmi note 3 arrives?

​I randomly chose India as a locale but made no difference, everything running with UK info as far as I have seen In the last two days.. No issues with app store etc.

With regards to s7 edge to this phone.. Big jump yes.. Had screen issues so I had to get it repaired and just sold it... Went back to note 4... Already this is so much better then note 4.. I don't really play games or such but do have multiple messaging apps running, twitter feeds, tune in radio and Amazon music and battery has already outperformed note 4 (on marshmallow).

Seems as fast as s7 for what I use a phone for. Massive step up from note 4 which was shocking on 6.0.

Very impressed with it so far (tempting fate of another OTA)...

spain is the closest to home. But if you set network automatic time, the time should be british time anyway so I don't think it matters!

Just recieved mine looks great,Now dare i risk ota update.Anyone tell me what locale it needs got it on falklands but its about 3 hours behind.

thats a big move from samsuing edge 7 ... :smiley:
how is it perfomance wise ?

2016-12-10 19:00:00 【HONGKONG】Hand over to airline

any idea how much from here ?

​Was an ota update I was applying. Started setting up the phone and it said update available. Clicked it. Left it running on charge for what must have been an hour. Maybe I should have just left it for another 30 minutes... But felt it wasn't moving.

Thing that then got me into trouble was not installing the officially Xiaomi application on the pc, instead deep diving into forums :smiley: , as soon as that was done was then able to progress with the flashing.

Up and running now lovely phone. Coming off Samsung Edge 7 and note 4 in the last year, incredible what 130 pounds get you. Almost instant finger print scanner, very fast, looks good. Have to get used to metal back again, slightly nervous holding it..

Hoping to get a good impression or battery life over the next few days.

I Do Not recommend going down the path of flashing a nonofficial rom on this handset unless you are quite comfortable bricking and restoring your phone.

The reason for this is installing an unofficial rom will require you to Unlock the phone bootloader. _ last i heard there was no official method to do this with the RN3 SE device so you MUST use an unofficial unlock to flash custom roms. its not that tricky to do if you know what your doing but i would definitely recommend doing your own research before embarking on that journey.

If you simply want to change the look and feel of the device you are better off downloading "Nova Launcher" from the play store and using a stock android Icon Pack.

Sure, no problem.

the issue you have is many many websites and forum posts there provide wrong or conflicting information.

the easiest, Best & Official way in my opinion (Especially since the phone will be brand new and you have no data to lose) is the official EDL Flash Method.

Xiaomi calls this the "Fastboot Method"

http://en.miui.com/a-234.html

Step 1: Download MIUI ROM Flashing Tool (Size: 31MB).
http://api.bbs.miui.com/url/MiFlash

Step 2:
Select the right MIUI ROM version for your phone from the listed below, and download the corresponding package file. for this phone (Kate edition) it is

Redmi Note 3 Special Edition Latest Global Developer Version Fastboot File Download (Rooted)
http://update.miui.com/updates/v1/fullromdownload.php?d=kate_global&b=X&r=global&n=

Redmi Note 3 Special Edition Latest Global Stable Version Fastboot File Download (Not Rooted)
http://update.miui.com/updates/v1/fullromdownload.php?d=kate_global&b=F&r=global&n=


Step 3: Turn off the device. Press the Volume– key and the Power button at the same time to enter Fastboot mode. Then connect the device to the Windows PC/laptop via a micro USB cable
http://en.miui.com/static/article/innerimg/tongyong/tongyong-fastboot.jpg

Step 4: Double click on the downloaded ROM file to decompress it. Open the file folder for the decompressed ROM pack, and copy its path on the computer.
http://en.miui.com/static/article/innerimg/tongyong/tongyong-3-2.jpg

Step 5: Decompress the MIUI ROM flashing tool downloaded in Step 1, and double click on it to install (if there is security warning, select 'Run'). After installation is completed, open MiFlash.exe and paste into the address bar the ROM file folder path copied in the last step.
Click on the first button (circled out in yellow) to Refresh, and MiFlash should automatically recognize the device. Then click the second button (circled out in red) to flash the ROM file to the device.
http://en.miui.com/static/article/innerimg/tongyong/tongyong-3-3.jpg

Step 6: Wait until the progress bar inside MiFlash turns fully green, which means the ROM has been successfully installed. Then your device should automatically boot to the new version.
http://en.miui.com/static/article/innerimg/tongyong/tongyong3-4.jpg



(This entire guide is a blatant copy & paste from Xiaomi's official flashing guide on http://en.miui.com/a-234.html - to help HUKD users)

Captain, it can happen, do you think it is at all possible you didnt wait long enough on first boot? also is it possible you had vendor changes to your rom which caused a soft brick after OTA? thirdly do you think its possible that cache / dalvik was not cleaned when changing to rom version?

​True needed a bit of time and effort. Not sure if I just got unlucky with my original upgrade taking so long.. All working now and on miui 8.

​Yep. That was it.. As soon as I installed the official software it started to come together. Many thanks

@Amin, perhaps if not too much to ask for, could you post a guide on how to ;
a) Upgrade to Miui 8
b) Stock android (I found this link - http://www.technobuzz.net/install-stock-android-on-redmi-note-3/ )

Or perhaps some website links that you approve :smiley:

Its just beginning... If you haven't got where to spend time - now you will have.
Good luck to everyone!

Cap'n make sure the EDL drivers install with miflash 2016.

do not use the link from the forums, use the one on the official XIaomi page.

OBTW, i like using the Ressurection remix rom from XDA (Marshmallow not nougat) but its for Kenzo so make sure you flash Kate modem afterwards.

​:-) at the moment.. For me.. Made a bit of progress... Next update... 10 minutes

It's all going downhill...

Got mine today. Moving away from a galaxy note 4 that was last six hours and three battery swaps a day. Initial impressions were very positive. Saw update to miui 8.. That's where it all went wrong.. Got stuck on progress bar for over an hour so had to crash it

Think it's soft bricked..

Think I have forced it into edl mode (lot of reading done today)

But can't get it to show up in computer in the right place for uploading qualcomm drivers.. Annoying as it was very good...

Then buy a £700 Iphone (That is worth about £100 in parts)

however you decide, theres always an alternative, this is a VERY VERY strong device for the PRICE. no its not a £700 phone killer, but it costs £600 less MONEY.

OBTW, I PM'd you to say if your so unhappy, do you want to sell your handset to me?

I find it bizarre that out of all the Mobile phone deals on this website, you would go to one of the CHEAPEST handsets, with One of the LONGEST delivery times, from a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, Virtually WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY, - purchase an item, then come back and complain how its inferior to a device that cost 4-5 times more.

It's really Odd. Please keep into context what you spent for what you got, if your unhappy, I might buy it off you. (Secretly I suspect you are just trolling)


But what you are doing is comparing a paying Netbook money for a mid range laptop, and complaining your Netbook budget did not get you the same performance and features as the latest Macbook pro.

Its really really odd.

A better comparison would be: Hmmmmm How does this handset i got for £100 compare to other £100 phones on the market.

Trust me, if you do that comparison, you will be very very impressed with your purchase.

You see mate, it does not has to have 3GB of RAM or super fast processor to work correctly. After such poor quality phone i will start to hate android....

Yes the camera is rubbish. agreed. stay away from this phone if you want to take good pictures look elsewhere.

Are there many second hand high quality dual sim options at a comparable price on gumtree? Please send me links as i have yet to see them.

With 3gb ram, 32gb storage and a fast processor?

Honestly I think you are looking back on your galaxy S3 with rose tinted glasses. It Might have been good back then, but android now and modern apps are far more resource hungry.

Also i remember paying £370 for 1 S3 from china for my wife and £400 for my own S3 a few years back.

So thats still 4 times more than the price you are paying today for a new device!


Why not dust of your amazing old S3 that you mention is far superior. Update it to the latest update, and see if its actually usable and functional with today's app's, games etc and let me know how the 2 devices compare side by side?

I'm sure it would be a great youtube video and you may get thousands of views! "Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro Head to head Comparison"


it would be awesome.:smiley:

Yea arives by royal mail if you choose standard delivery. they will leave a card.

If you choose dhl/ups then they will deliver it instead (But you will have customs charges)

Not got mine yet but any problems i will be straight on to the cc company for a refund.

Are the phones delivered by Royal mail or a courier company? Does it require somebody to sign for?
Thinking of ordering one but I will be away for a week in January....

mine just arrived! :confused:

Done that,now on 8.1.1.0
Still one sim disappears after some time. Auto brightness is crap. Picture quality is worst I have seen...my old Samsung Galaxy S3 takes better pictures. Oh well, lesson learned. As someone said here, was better off with second hand branded handset from Gumtree.

upgrade the rom Tony?

Got mine too, but after short play looks like faulty..:disappointed:
When 2 SIM cards inserted, one disappears after 20-30 minutes, restart corrects this. Also restarted twice in 3 hours. Not happy!

Thats the thing Rimi, it *IS CHEAPLY MADE* and CHEAPLY priced. Infact, i have owned many *CHEAP* chinease phones, and 99% of the time they feel cheap and nasty and plasticy.

When i first got a Xiaomi device i was AMAZED by the quality when compared to the price.

My Expectation would be when taking this apart as with taking apart any £100 phone, the insides would be similar.

However, this one: Has a great build quality feel to it.
Has a snappy Qualcom Processer,
Has tons of ram
has tons of storage
Has an external SD Card slot
Has Duel Sim slots
Feels and looks high quality
Has an exceptional battery life (4,000 MAH)

and is just one of the best mobiles Ive ever come accross at the £100 price point (With a coupon & Quidco).

No its not an iPhone or an S7 edge or a Google pixel.

but are any of those listed devices worth 4-8 times the price of this handset? !NO WAY! - i'll use this phone for 1 year or 9 months, pay £6/month sim only, and in 12 months time if it breaks or when it breaks, i'll buy a BRAND NEW PHONE for £100 again.


My Cost for 12 months: £172.

Alternative: Get an Iphone/S7 : Pay £40/month get phone for free
Total cost 12 months: £480.

Buying this phone will save you £300/year or £600 over 24 months without losing very much (Hey it includes buying the handset TWICE in 2 years)


My Thoughts: Your phone repair shop friend is just **** off because he charges £40-60 pounds to change a cracked screen on someones £600-800 device and now with these low cost phones flooding the market it no longer makes sense to pay a repair guy £60 to fix a £100 handset.


Please find me an alternative handset with all those financial benefits that works better and doesn't have any glitches on roms because last time i checked android having the occasional hiccup was normal.

The reason for it not saying "Pro" is because it's not actually officially called that by Xiaomi. Explained here.

Mine just arrived - no sign of "pro" so came on here to ask....my box looks exatly like the pic on the right lined by Amin - thanks

Sure, but they have many glitches on original ROM too. My brother works in phone repair shop and many people takes exactly same model phone for repairs..Just take apart this phone and you will see how cheap it is made...

Rimi, The key is this user has flashed a Special edition rom(Kate) to a RN3 Pro device (Kenzo) - why dont you try flashing a Galaxy S7 rom to a Galaxy S6 and see what happens! :smiley:

Whatch this and you will see what a crap phone is

3 people I know have same phone and it has one or another glitch, "Settings has stopped" most common...
Good luck to all!

Awsome! Yes its the correct edition then! just make sure its the 3gb/32gb version. Someone mentioned they received a 2gb/16gb version by mistake. But if its a Kate its the correct device.


(I think Pro/Prime reference are just made up by Chinese re-sellers to differentiate).

Also, When you first set up the device, there is no choice for UK - just choose India or Spain, either works well. (device will get the time via your network anyway) - and remember if you are planning to flash the Roms, Flash the KATE ROMS ONLY. (Not KENZO)


(Unless you know how to flash the Kate radio separately after a kenzo rom) Hope that helps.

might also look like this:
https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1CrX_KpXXXXa0XXXXq6xXFXXXH/228319068/HTB1CrX_KpXXXXa0XXXXq6xXFXXXH.jpg


Notice the CE 1317 mark.

All in English and CE marked.

I've done a bit more digging and the product model number on the box (2015161) seems to come up with results for 'Kate' on Google, as opposed to Kenzo. So it seems to be the correct one.

Thanks for the fast responses.

Review of one here no pro on the box. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrczEQ2OnX4

The easiest way to check is to look at the back of the box.
If the back of the box does not have the CE Mark, It is the wrong device. Also if the back of the box is in chinese it is the wrong device. Here is a visual example.
https://s3.postimg.org/q956initv/image.jpg


Hope that helps.

Mine arrived today but the box has no mention of 'Pro' on it anywhere, just 'Redmi Note 3'. Before I remove the packaging and open it up to have a play, is there any way of identifying whether or not I have been sent the right version? Thanks.

Seems like I'm getting the phone case faster although i ordered it 7 days after the phone :smiley:
2016-12-12 02:51:00 【Princess Royal RDC】Sinotrans-Princess Royal RDC-Item received at OE in the destination country
2016-12-11 17:41:00 Import clearance success
2016-12-11 00:36:00 【London of GB】Sinotrans-London of GB-Arrive at customs in destination country:Status One / Arrived Customs
2016-12-10 16:35:00 Arrive at destination county
2016-12-08 20:48:00 Security check success
2016-12-08 15:18:03 Received by line-haul successful
China
Original Country 2016-12-07 16:54:02 Outbound in sorting center
2016-12-07 14:10:49 Inbound in sorting center
2016-12-07 06:26:07 Accepted by carrier

Looks like we're on the same shipment. :smiley:

Maybe end of week i will be pleased.

if like mine should be about 14th or 15th

Security check success
2016-12-08 19:00:00
Received by line-haul successful
2016-12-03 18:25:20
Notification of shipment confirmation
2016-12-03 13:26:00
Outbound in sorting center
2016-12-03 13:25:20
Inbound in sorting center
2016-12-03 12:55:20
Accepted by carrier
2016-12-02 21:18:54
Waiting for pick up
2016-12-01 07:47:32
卖家发货
2016-11-30 09:47:05

Its in the country 2016-12-11 16:50:00 【8】Arrival at Processing Center (Country code: GB) how long now anyone .

​Hi

yes it was an update and have had no issues. when I got the phone it was Miui 7 and about a month ago I had an update to Miui 8 with no issues. I have had a couple of updates in the last week which also went without a hitch .. I used to have an iPhone about 2-3 yrs ago and found
the updates just slowed the phone but no detrimental effect at all with any of the updates :smiley:

hi i have the standard version of this phone and no fast charging but it only takes 2hrs 20min to charge from 0 to 100% so considering its a 4050mhp battery i think thats pretty fast so must have something and thats using the supplied charger

thanks for reply was it ota update and how is it working any problems

hi i ordered on the 11th of november during the 11/11 sales it arrived on 9/12 so 28 days had dispatch notice on 14th with tracking number nothing tracking after 10 days so messaged seller who replied please be patient we sold 10,000 units on 11/11 and tracking will soon work which it did on the 23/11 so not sure if it was dispatched on 14th so took 16 days from when tracking appeared oh and tracking worked till it arrived in heathrow airport on 6th but nothing on royal mail tracking other than arrived at heathrow on 6th then delivered on 9th no customs fees hope this helps you a bit

What date did you order BUCKAM2.

​hi
mine is 8.1.1.0

lol I aint seeing mine till after new years defo.

27th Nov

When did you place that order??

Read the OP lol

try cc which doesnt charge.. as i used my debit and paid in gbp.. but still i got charged from bank conversion rate.. contacted aliexpress they said it is in usd only..

which case you ordered pls? i am not sure there was something of the size and thingy

I got my case yesterday!

2 more weeks at least....

2016-12-10 19:00:00 【HONGKONG】Hand over to airline
2016-12-09 04:00:54 Received by line-haul successful

from where the they are sending ??? anyone got this and how much time after this

thinking of buying one (although my nearly 4-year old Nexus 4 still doing the job).... Do you guys pay in Sterling or in USD using Post Office, Halifax, etc credit card which do not charge fees for overseas purchases???

I believe the Grey model is USD164.99....

Probably a month at this time of year.

How long is delivery, if I order now.

Thought mine was flying but looks like it defo is now!...

Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
2016-12-10 17:16:14 [GMT+8]
[GBLAL]Transit to Air Transit Centre
2016-12-10 17:16:00
Received from Customer
2016-12-08 17:16:00
Security check success
2016-12-05 19:00:00
Received by line-haul successful
2016-12-02 20:51:52

are you happy with the phone buckum2?

I just checked my status and it's marker as security check success how long does it take from that point?

hi i just recieved this phone this morning the rom on it is currently 7.3.7.0 mhrmide there is a update available 8.1.1.0 mhrmidi can you check what rom you are currently on for me much appreciated if you could

You will receive it around 24th of December. Ordered many items form them so know well.

I think they must use pigeons.

Mines been flying since the 5th Dec! lol

with a mod it can

anyone -- also if this phone support fast charge or turbo charge or fast charge
???i read somewhere but not sure

Dont beleive "shipped" status until it has a tracking number that works, I ordered mine 11th November and was listed as "Shipped" a few days later, however it was DECEMBER 2nd before a tracking number turned up, and it revealed it had just been sent out.
Some Chinese companies just dont get customer service or expedited delivery; I ordered a tonne of cheap stocking fillers at the same time, and it all turned up within 10 days, phone turned up yesterday via Royal Mail - so no customs charges.
DHL/FEDEX will ALWAYS charge you, and add an admin fee.

mine says

your package In Transit Aliexpress Shipping
United Kingdom
Destination Country
China
Original Country 2016-12-08 22:34:37 Accepted by carrier
2016-12-06 18:01:26 Waiting for pick up



and i ordered on the 1st. Way behind i think!!

Mine says this.
United Kingdom
Destination Country 2016-12-08 11:17:47 【8】Despatched to overseas (Country code: GB)
2016-12-08 11:17:00 【GBLAL】Transit to Air Transit Centre
2016-12-06 11:17:00 Received from Customer
2016-12-03 19:00:00 Security check success
2016-12-02 20:21:25 Received by line-haul successful
2016-12-02 15:21:00 Notification of shipment confirmation
China
Original Country 2016-12-02 15:21:25 Outbound in sorting center
2016-12-02 14:51:25 Inbound in sorting center
2016-12-01 21:24:03 Accepted by carrier
2016-11-30 12:44:54 Waiting for pick up

Click on 'Track Order'.
This is what my case/protector show up as

United Kingdom
Destination Country 2016-12-08 14:15:00 Security check success
2016-12-06 00:28:07 Received by line-haul successful
China
Original Country 2016-12-08 14:15:00 Shipped by air
2016-12-06 00:25:31 Outbound in sorting center
2016-12-06 00:18:26 Inbound in sorting center
2016-12-05 22:19:37 Accepted by carrier
2016-12-03 05:51:08 Waiting for pick up

thanks for the reply.. also if this phone support fast charge or turbo charge ???i read somewhere but not sure

what is this status of out of country

?? i just got email of shipped nothing else
Got the detail in track order.. :smiley:

I ordered mine on the 1st Dec too, showing as seller shipped - waiting for pick up so it's still in China. Hoping to get mine delivered for Xmas as it's a present for my Dad and I'm hoping to have a play around with it first!
....Just checked and both the case and tempered glass protector (ordered same time but different AliExpress sellers) look to have arrived in the UK already!!

Awesome, I ordered a day after you and its still waiting for collection!!!! I Hope that changes soon i want it b4 xmas too!

30th november Amin.

There are non Chinese market phones being sold with mediatek chips....

​when did you order?

Mines despatched to overseas country.Might be here for xmas.

Hiya, Thanks for the question.
I recommend this Phone over the Redmi note 4 big time.

This Phone uses a Qualcomm 650 SoC and the note 4 prime uses MTK Helio X20 SoC

Mobile phone processors are called SoC's (System-on-A-Chip) for this reason: The cpu, Graphics card, Radio/model/ Cache and all the key computer system components are on a SINGLE CHIP!!

Qualcomm is a reputable SoC Brand who's Chips are used in ALL the leading smartphones except Samsung (Samsung make their own chips).

MediaTek is a budget Chinese brand that makes the chips for all the cheap and tacky Chinese phones with really bad build quality. (built for domestic market)


So the Heart of This phone on this thread is a good quality processor and modem/graphics that is used by many big western brands too.

The heart of the Redmi note 4 is the same chip that powers many low end badly supported tacky Chinese brands.


Now, in day to day use will you notice a difference? Maybe not.. but I would put my money on the Qualcom chip.

amin.. which one u suggest..
this one or redmi note 4 prime ??

debit card .. extra 2 quid debited for paying aliexpress..

it compares to galaxy s6 i have the standard version (no band 20) of this phone have had it since its launch in february on antutu it scores 78000 my son has galaxy s6 edge and his scores 82000 the lg g3 scores 34000 and the moto g4 45000 so this phones is way above those in terms of performance and i highly recommend this phone and i for one love the miui 8 interface

it is easily the most "worth the wait" phone if you can handle it.
IMO it beats £500-600 flagships.

but yes.. the delay is a little annoying.

I have looked all over and can't seem to find a worthy place to buy the Kate model from the EU. If you find one let me know :smile:

Was about to say 25-40 days wait!! lol if only I had the patience, but will probably just pay a few quid extra if I find someone selling for a good price on Ebay

And a 4,000 Mah Battery vs a 3,000 MAH on the g4, however this is a long wait from china and a g4 is available and supported locally (but more expensive)

This also has really guild build quality, finger print scanner, 50% more ram and the processor benchmarks over twice as fast:

RN3 Pro: Basemark X: 14717 Moto G4 :Basemark X: 6932
And also the graphics card is loads better on this too.

NP! took me ages to do it the first time also. Happy to help.

well this is snapdragon 650 & the moto g4 is snapdragon 617
however it is likely (possibly confirmed) the g4 will get nougat. i wouldnt expece the redmi note to. also g4 is stock android, redmi has miui overlay (no app tray) though a launcher can sort this. but down to personal preference.

use this website to help compare:
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=7863&idPhone2=8103&idPhone3=8113

How about the processor, you have any knowledge of that? What phone does it compare to interms of performance? S7,S6?

well this has an extra gb or ram compared to the g4 & g3 and i'm sure the e5 only has 1.5gb ram

Is the performance higher than its competitors at a price to performance perspective? The moto G4, xperia e5 and lg g3 are all going for the same price, I just want the best performing one (most snappy) with a decent os and battery life.

Thanks, I've been trying to figure that out for ages!

Still waiting for links.

I agree rediculous,I think when they say shipped its just to the next room.

Trying to buy this phone but I'm getting the message "The product can not be able to be shipped to your country" and it removes it from my basket.. Anybody know what this is all about?

People were asking about the Redmi 3S.

I've had mine (Geekbuying, Global edition with B20) for just over a week now.

Amazing battery life (more than twice that of any other smartphone I've owned).

Great reception - I get a much stronger signal now in my flat, and on moving trains etc. Tried a speedtest.net on 4G in Birmingham the other day and got 109 Mbps down and 44 up. Brilliant.

Camera is fine, although the sound on videos is useless (compressed and fades in and out) due to it forcing noise-cancellation to be on. Probably fixable by using another camera app.

Definitely worth considering if you want a smaller phone than the Note.

The person who is making the post in your thread link is saying that although there is that setting, it isn't working for them. It is the same developer setting that is mentioned in this thread: http://en.miui.com/thread-390111-1-1.html However, judging by the replies and the OP of your link, the success rate appears to be low. It's possible, but whether it'll work is uncertain. Comment #13 on the MIUI thread suggests an alternative method that worked when they couldn't verify device.

HMMMM! It seems its possible with global dev rom! - see this thread:https://xiaomi.eu/community/threads/official-unlock-for-kate-special-edition.35962/

it turns out one must go into developer options and ENABLE Device unlock first! and then use the official method and it will no longer hang at 50%! cant wait to get my Kate to test and update!

​Hi
I have had this phone for about 2 months and have been hugely impressed. It's my first Chinese phone and I got this to replace my ageing Samsung Note 3 and haven't regretted it for a minute. I paid £150 including delivery from Aliexpress and thought I had had a bargain so this price is the bargain of the year.
Very quick. Battery is easily 2 days. Fingerprint scanner works fab. Twin sim too ! Maybe the camera is marginally worse than the Samsung. That's the only negative. I also got the global version and so was up and running in minutes. I am not a geek and it was simple to set this phone up as any other that I could have purchased from the high street.
Hope this reassure you.

Links or it never happened :smile:

Could you link a few examples? I'm fairly certain it won't be the same version/model

lots of sellers on ebay for same price with ebay protection.

Would recommend the Mi Max brilliant phone nowhere near the size of a piece of bread form earlier post. I've had iPhones and Samsung's and for the price it's fantastic. Battery life of almost 2 days and that's with constant use was the deal breaker for me and quick as anything. I use 3 network and it is lightning fast on 4G.

I think that is applicable mainly for custom ROMs. As in custom ROMs for Kenzo will work on Kate. XDA thread for Kate/Kenzo ROMs. The final line is a warning not to flash MIUI ROMs for Kenzo on Kate.

From the bug thread in my previous comment, the person in reply #24 said they tried for 1 month and had the authorisation received from Xiaomi but were still unable to unlock. Other replies also suggest they waited for permissions too.

Ok, looking at it it seems XIaomi have not made an official method to unlock the Kate bootloader yet which is a pain.

This looks like a good middle of the road solution
http://en.miui.com/thread-345728-1-1.html

Apparently the Kenzo China dev + non-hlos.bin method hangs at 50% using mi Unlock tool.
Shame really but i'm sure they will sort something eventually.

Ohh, interesting, I read kate can use kenzo roms if you just reflash the correct modem afterwards. Not possible to flash china dev and then correct the Hlos via miflash?

unlock officially? - Once the Phone unlock permissions have been granted via Mi.com you should be able to use the unlock tool to unlock on any rom in fastboot mode, I've had to do this several times (Does an IMEI or mac code check i think)

ok gotcha, makes sense, i know kate can use kenzo roms with a kate radio,


have not been able to flash system.img without unlocked BL on kenzo

From what I've read, it is/was impossible to unlock officially. One of the requirements for unlocking bootloader via Xiaomi is to have your phone running a China Dev ROM. 'Kate' only has Global ROMs. Therefore there's been a lot of posts regarding people being unable to do it officially. This post is from last month and nobody has commented to claim they were able to unlock with the official tool. All tutorials and guides for unlocking the bootloader for 'Kate' seem to be unofficial methods.

No need to unlock bootloader to install custom recovery & flash custom ROMs!

I recommend not unlocking unofficially. it can really mess up your boot loader, and sometimes when flashing roms you can relock your bootloader and its simple enough to unlock via Xiaomi (i did it before) and better in the long run.

rest of your information is solid.

Delivery in a month! Hold on while I scribe this offer down with my ink and quill.

After much googling I came across the following posts that I thought were very helpful and are written specifically for Kate:
install TWRP without having to unlock bootloader
summary of how to flash CM13 (3rd post on the page)
more detailed instructions on flashing CM13 & CM14 Ignore the stuff about unlocking the bootloader. Note you will need to reflash the radio to get a 3G/4G signal but the OP has handily compiled a flashable zip
CM14.1 if you're feeling brave

LOL. Did you just make that up? :laughing:

The Official Global ROM is the clean version without the bloatware of the China ROM version.

Hi, Great question. Android is an Open source operating system built on Linux, Opensource by its nature means people can get the source code, download it, tinker with it, change it and upload it to there phones and make it better.

OEMS often do not have the ability to max optimisations and support maximum optimisations to make the phone as fast or as quick as possible.

Areas of improvement include battery life, Broadband speed, Processor speed, over clocking, bench-marking, memory optimisation ect.

The community, especially on XDA individual hobbyists take it upon themselves to optimise individual devices to make them work as good and as fast as possible.

Also, OEMS are often very slow to incorporate latest editions of android and so if you want the latest and greatest release you have to go custom.

Yes you can get a virus on your phone, (Though i have never had one) and there is an easy answer to this. Firstly, latest builds of android have "Permissions manager"

any application you download can only access the parts of the operating system you let it.
Also, Backup backup backup and use the cloud! just like you can get a virus (I suppose though i do not know, never seen one in the wild) you could lose your phone, break your phone, it could be stolen, you might drop it in the loo, you might get it soaked in the rain, anything could go wrong with your phone.

Backup backup backup.

So why use custom? its better, faster, quicker, optimised, longer battery life, and a better usable experience with the latest version always. long long after the manufacturer has stopped updating there device.

How to protect yourself from malware? use good verified community sources, restrict permissions for apps that you do not trust, and backup backup backup.


PS! Another thought: i have noticed in mobile phones especially "Planned Obsolescence" is rife. Manufactures release OTA update after OTA update that degrades the user experience and convinces you to buy the latest and greatest hardware. I my wife has a galaxy S3 that still works amazingly fast slick and quick because i have a custom rom installed on it called Archidroid. A Samsung rom would make the phone unusable.

Flash the official firmware.

i will be new to Android and it concerns me that i have to worry about malware in bootloaders (apparently?). so why would i want to mess with a stock phone and how can i detect any malware?

OK, Guys, I Am a tweaker/ Android hacker and i Owned a Kenzo varient (The same phone but not all 4g Bands) and now ordered this Kate edition.

It is a good phone. If you have any questions about unlocking the boot loader, custom roms, firmware, returning to stock or any technical issues just send me a PM, happy to help! :smiley:

ordered last night, now the long wait. hopefully have 1 before Xmas.

That version does not support ALL UK 4g networks (Bad 20 particularly)

about 3 days

It depends on the seller as AliExpress is basically like Ebay, some sellers will take longer than others.

fantastic phones and best spec for the money last time i checked bar nfc and its camera really isnt THAT bad, got one for a family member and considering getting one myself.

£121.70 from here, I got mine in just over a week https://www.venturedirect.co.uk/products/xiaomi-redmi-note-3-dual-32gb-4g-lte-grey-unlocked-cn-version?variant=20198677255

Judging by your posts in this thread (can't recall coming across you before) I think there's something not quite right about you.

How long did it take from 'Processing' to 'shipped'?

Ordered from AliExpress hundred of times and always get orders delivered within 21-25 days.

Mine too.

Once shipped, probably around 2-3 weeks.

Anyone bought from Aliexpress before? Note sure how long it usually takes for items to be delivered from them.

Yes, mine has shipped

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro has better spec. Have a look here.

how does this compare with the redmi 3s prime?

Has anyones been shipped yet?

Status:The supplier is processing your order

nah toddler must be.

I think you are 5y old. :man:

I think you are Russian.
As I know many Russians and they love chinese phones somehow.

How do these compare to the RedMi3S?

Ive got a RedMi3S ordered from geekbuyer due to it being B20 (on giffgaff) but theres several other Xiaomi 'brands' like the RedMi Note etc that I dont know much about.

I was really looking forward to splashing out a bit on the Mi5S but I cant seem to find one with B20 so thought 'Id half my budget and go for a RedMi.

Yeah - avoid using DHL. You might end up paying the duty plus a handling fee.

If you use DHL then yes. But if you can wait a little bit longer just use the cheapest option and for 99% you will not pay even one 1p. Looks like there is no import duty on value up to £150. Confirmed many times on different forums. I've never been charged.

Hi all, don't forget to add £25 to the price as you will need to pay import duty on this item. As a rough estimate, you willl pay import duty at a rate of 20% of the item's value.

Always pay with CC and in case of any problems contact you CC provider. Or rise the case with Aliexpress and send it back (not always necessary) if you have to using the cheapest option as suggested on Aliexpress. Or use local warranty if you have paid for one on Aliexpress which is the options since some time. There is always some option. You are buying from china really good phone with really good price so of course you have to understand it's not like buying from the local shop. Buying from china is not for anyone.
All my mates who had Xiaomi phones from Chine for sure will buy them again.

I always use the cheapest option and usually it takes about two weeks but you have to remember it might take longer (for example Christmas time). I'm OK with this and can wait. You have to remember that you are buying from China and not from the local shop.

Significant, yes it will work on O2 fine.

Recommend if you get it apply for unlock and install cynogen mod

Ok, so even it was faulty, what then? Return cost is £19.70 and where is guarantee that replacement won't be faulty??
Too many risks and not worth the hassle. All my mates who had chinese phones won't buy them again.

​​​​did you used the normal posting or the EU express? how long did it take to arrive?

Wow you must have got a faulty one for sure.Iv'e had several chinese phones and they have been perfect the last one is still in use after 3 years.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this phone unless you got a faulty one.
GLOBAL ROM is absoltuly fine with d regular updates and yes, you can use it strait away. If you don't like global rom you can just install even better one from this place but bootloader needs to be unlocked. You can unlock bootloader officially or just have a look here.
These phones are fantastic for their price and the only weak point might be camera but it's not so bad (have a look on some reviews). Anyway, please show me phone for £130 with amazing camera.
Buying from China you need to be sure from which seller(shop) you are buying so read and read reviews on forums.
I can recommend Goldway on Aliexpress. Have a look here
I would buy Xiaomi phone any day. Defniatly no other brands from China but that's just my opinion.

I did. Now as I had it, I know why they are cheap... would not pay even £50 for it.

You had this exact phone? Damn...

Very unreliable, battery sucks, well you need to hold it to see what is wrong. Had it and never ever again will even look at these xiaomi, meizu, elephone etc.

Why? What's wrong with it?

You can use it straight from the box - as any other Android phone. But I don't recommend it as you will be disappointed...

Is this phone could be used in the UK without the need of any setting up, no Chinese character, bloatware ??

Thanks

Ordered many items from AliExpress. Delivery takes 20-24 days. Never ever ordered phones, as all these chinese phones are crap big way. You better off with branded second hand smartphone.

​thanks.. ended getting the moto g4 play deal.

​have you bought stuff in Ali before? did you received the items quickly?

Message quidco with proof of purchase my aliexpress cashback didn't track but they honoured it.

Can't speak for the redmis but I got a umi super 2 months ago, great phone but the cameras are terrible. My friend ordered the elephone p9000 and he says the same, If you're after a good camera phone for around £100 I would be considering 2nd hand branded handsets.

has someone already bought the phone and received with no problems from Ali? how long did it take to arrive to the UK?

I'm hoping someone will be good enough to answer a couple of questions for me to save hours of ploughing through the XDA forum. Unlocking the bootloader looks as if it could be a right royal pain to do. There seems to be a way to flash a custom recovery without unlocking the bootloader http://forum.xda-developers.com/redmi-note-3/how-to/method-to-flash-twrp-recovery-unlock-t3473294 - will this work for Kate? If I do this will I then be able to flash a CM or AOSP ROM from recovery with the bootloader still locked?
Thanks

I was trying to order one of this through Quidco . After I put in my payment details and pressed confirm there was this msg that there is no internet connection. I tried to clear cookies went through chrome, explorer, red fox, Safari no luck. Any suggestions please:(

This is 'Kate' Special Edition which does have an Official Marshmallow Global ROM. Your info is correct for 'Kenzo'. If you scroll down the Aliexpress listing, they have screenshots which show it is V8.0.4.0 (MHRMIDG) which matches the Official Global ROM on Xiaomi downloads page for Special Edition. If you try downloading, the filename ends 6.0, whereas the Global stable that you are referring is for the 'Kenzo' and is under the "Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm Global" tab and has a filename ending 5.1. That being said, the seller does have phones with vendor ROMs such as this one. However the one in this deal does match with the Official Global Marshmallow.

Also huge thanks for posting this ive been keeping my phone in a sock for the past month!

I have a Redmi Note 3 and there is NO official global stable Rom with Marshmallow yet (there is with the beta). I have the latest Global Stable and its still Lollipop.

Just a heads up as the vendor is obviously using a custom rom, which wont let you get updates, and might well have some malware snuck in.

I had the same issue with mine: Came with a custom Vendor Rom, bootloader unofficially unlocked, but fortunately had no Malware. To get updates though I had to use Fastboot mode to flash the true official global stable rom, then get unlock permission to properly unlock the bootloader as flashing to the proper rom (if the bootloader wasn't unlocked officially) does lock it again.

If in doubt check the MUI forums and the downloads page to see what the latest official Rom's really are. Current Global Stable is 8.0.6.0.LHOMIDG and runs Lollipop.

EDIT: Seen this is the 'Special Edition', which does have Marshmallow atm. Why they have not done that for the RN3 standard I have no idea (hardware is almost identical)

I have this phone its absolutely fantastic. No bloatware (from the vendor i bought from on ebay anyway). And gets all the OTA updates so far (the latest was today).

The battery is the best ive had in a smartphone i easily get a full days use with heavy useage.

The only downsides is the lack of readily available cases and screen protectors. And a very average camera.

Other than that its a fantastic bit of kit don't hesitate!

Yes and no. As I wrote, it was a seller based in China. But like any retailer, they were subject to Mastercard's rules, as I paid by Mastercard or could have been visa. And yes works with debit cards. Scheme is called chargeback. Both debit and credit cards here apply the rules of mastercard/visa which usually reflect UK statutory consumer rights. You get even more protection on ccrds above £100. Paypal also have some protection. It didn't involve Aliexpress by the way.

Does this work with debit card as well or just cc? and was your retailer EU/UK based ?
i think aliexpress will fall in those lines..

I sent a message to AliExpress regarding the warranty I also bought and was put at ease with their reply:

Xiaomi Sales: Hi,
The replacement warranty belongs to Ali, and if yoor phone goes wrong, you can contact the service of Ali, they will tell you where to repaire the phone free in your country.
And you can find more information by the link
https://trade.aliexpress.com/issue/warranty/warrantyIntroduction.htm?spm=2114.12010108.1000016.15.zBS97m&warrantyType=exchangeOnly


Any other questions, feel free to contact us . Service people are here with you all the time
Best Regards，
Daisy

I bought a clearly faulty item from a China based retailer. They too wanted to charge postage to return it, and even that would have been untrackable so not worth it. My credit card company did a disputed transaction. At first the CC said I had to send it back to China to get a refund. Then after I pointed out the Sales of Goods Act only requires you to make a faulty item available for the retailer's collection, who couldn't legally charge for return postage (statute overrides the contract), CC said fine, just email the seller to let them know they can collect it (!) Got a refund and didn't have to return it. This may help others. I'm not in fact sure without checking whether the Consumer Rights Act does cover non-EU based sellers but mastercards' rules may be broader. So always worth considering a chargeback or disputed transaction, even if the item costs under £100.

​its quite simple really, the MAIN attraction for an international version as opposed to the Chinese version is the UK bands. the software is the same......

and you can use it out of the box as it is, so why try to make out its not. Silly conspiracy theories about data stealing software only on the international version is ridiculous if it exists at all.

The point I was making (which you don't seem to get) is that IF your that bothered you can bung cyanogen or other custom ROM on, but that's preference and it fairly easy to do. But who's to say any custom ROM is any more secure or doesn't have data stealing software on.

Better still never leave the house, don't have a bank account or phone and don't speak to anyone, then you will be safe.......oh and wear a tin foil hat as well just in case :wink:

Does this phone have a full metal boday?

​Well I heard that they kept changing their Ts and Cs and hitting people with customs but with their inclusion of PayPal and their Ts and Cs much clearer now (16.1 on Ts and Cs) I felt prepared to take the plunge
especially as they offer a 12 month warranty which is enforced by PayPal and delivery is DPD and only takes a week compared to 15-30 days on Ali, gearbest etc
I spose all Chinese companies have bad sides, some hate gearbest others swear by them, for example

dwi99, there is a 12 month warranty with eglobal covered by PayPal, which is one of the only reasons I was prepared to buy it

yeah no band 20, unfortunately most Chinese phones are like that, but if you can get past that or you're not on o2/giffgaff you honestly have no excuses :')

Is anybody else having problems with Quidco?
For me, it has been down since last night.

The sticky side of the screen protector.

Huh? Not sure what you mean, you should try to rewritw that.
You can't remove crap you do not know you don't want or crap that you have no idea what it does.
again, international version means a phone you should be able to use right out of the box.
International is not the same as UK (I know it's hard to imagine that though)

adhesive? There is no adhesive involved

Cheers.

Just to clarify, Band 20 is mainly vodaphone,O2. EE is generally OK without band 2 but only in rural areas does it rely on it.

That's great, I was tempted by your post but just to warn other users the Mi5 does NOT support band 20 (800). Otherwise looks like a good deal.

It's a gamble. You're getting a fairly highly-specced phone for a rock bottom price. If it fails there's little point in trying to return it to China as courier costs for tracked delivery will be exorbitant and there's no guarantee they won't just ignore you. You would just have to try selling it on ebay for parts and put it down to experience.

If a warranty is important to you then get a phone from a reputable UK supplier but this spec will cost you about twice as much.

Very tempted but I'm worried regarding the lack of safe guard should it break. Lets say I wake up in a month and it doesn't turn on (this has happened to me with previous phones). Who do I send it to? Have I got any cover at all (assuming I evade their warranty on purchasing). Do Xiaomi offer UK warranty?

I think it's because the warranty is worthless considering you would have to ship to china fully tracked and then anyones guess if and when you would get it back.

Could you please explain why so many complains about Aliexpress warranty in UK? It's only about £8 and you have cover for 12m so where is the problem?

Thanks.

If you mean the "halo" effect, it should be fine since RN3 front glass isn't rounded. When I got RN2, they gave me a free tempered glass screen but it started to "halo" at the top edge. I got those film protectors under the same concern and figured film would stick better. However the lack of oleophobic coating is very noticeable. After a week I ordered a tempered glass one off Aliexpress for less than £1.50. It's been applied now for over half a year and hasn't lifted at the edges so I assume it was weak adhesive on the one I got free. Not sure how well standard RN3 would fit but OP has another thread for screen protector and cases. This is the screen protector link. It will probably take a while to receive but they'd be better than those film ones.

Thanks, that's helpful. I was just a bit concerned that the tempered glass ones would stick out at the rounded glass edges. I wonder if the screen protectors for the bog standard Redmi Note 3 would fit this? There's only 2-3 mm difference.

I would definitely not recommend those screen protectors! They're a German seller, which makes it more enticing since the delivery time would be shorter. I bought from that seller for my Redmi Note 2

Unless they've changed the material since then, they're horrible quality. They are film type without any sort of oleophobic coating, therefore attract oil and fingerprints a lot worse than a bare screen. If you check the back instructions image they only have 1 cover film layer and the protector itself. The protectors were as flimsy as the cover film and I could only distinguish the 2 layers due to the sticky back. They didn't even have a white peel tab nor a top cover film which is common in film type. Mine also says 'SU75 Ultra Clear' (still have 5 left) so I'm almost certain it'll be the same and chances are you won't like it. I'd recommend getting a cheap "tempered glass" type off Aliexpress instead. A lot of the cheap ones are just hard plastic. However they have an oleophobic coating and are much better at resisting fingerprints etc.

​no, the advantage is the UK bands.......
just root it, stick titanium backup on then get rid of any crap on there you don't want.
and is this version really going to have extra special data stealing software on it, doubt it the software will be identical to the none international models

Mines shipped so should be here in time for easter.

Order shipped! Screen protectors on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6x-Savvies-Screen-Protector-for-Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-3-Pro-Special-Edition-Ultra-/351888865369?hash=item51ee35f859:g:5xUAAOSwA3dYEInI

quidco tracked £14.48

We estimate your Cashback will be available by 22 March

☺

​In my opinion that would be the likes of Meizu. But maybe I'm just stretching the analogy a little.

Within a few hours for me

Will this be OK with a Kate device? It refers to using files from a Kenzo ROM.

I ordered the grey with temper cover £134.99 without insurance.
How quick was the quidco notification?

I recently applied for the unlock and had a reply the very same day - but yes there is another way ::smiley:

There's is a way to unlock the bootloader with out the wait ,just follow instructions... http://forum.miui.co.in/forum/mi-devices/redmi-note-3/tutorial-guides-aa/35165-redmi-note-3-snapdragon-unlock-the-beast

Who would be the Championship then?

The rom doesn't touch the radio (the software that handles the signal). You can flash other radios, but it's a separate operation.

Would appreciate some advice about installing a custom ROM. I've had a look at the XDA website but my head is spinning with all the information on it. From my understanding I would need to contact Xiaomi to get the bootloader unlocked first, install a custom recovery and flash a custom ROM. Also, is it that case that any non-MIUI ROM for Kenzo would work for Kate as long as a Kate non-hlos.bin is then flashed? Is there a final step to make sure that B20 etc in this special edition is enabled?
Thanks

Thanks for the reply
I have the kenzo version (came in a box with chinese writing/ shows kenzo on the phones about page) and just lost signal randomly - wasn't due to flashing or upgrading. I have since tried to flash/upgrade in a bid to fix it but have had no such luck!

thanks tisho for the number.. but still not able to find 20£ track on quidco as it is 8.8 % only now..

any one what is the warranty or something on the aliexpress ?

Really? Because the reviews online are just as bad as ever? And are from only a few hours ago??
I've always read never to touch them with someone else's barge pole?

Buy from eglobalcentral, seemed to have some issues a couple years back but now have cleared up their act

Their Ts and Cs clearly state they cover customs fully, and they offer a 1 year warranty and 14 day returns
Its 6-8 day delivery and they use tracked DPD as courier, and accept Paypal for a bit of extra cover

I picked up my Mi5 for 203 all in, insured delivery, was processed in 2 days and here in 5 more
For the extra 50 ish quid you get an infinitely better phone and the camera is rlly good in adequate lighting
In dark lighting it is average but still pretty good, in good lighting it is a fantastic, clear camera

Afraid DHL will report the value to customs who will add their import tax and then vat. DHL will add (I think) £8 for paying all that for at the port of entry and let you know how much you have to pay before they'll deliver it. It's ALWAYS best to have anything from over there shipped by post. 99 times out of 100 you'll avoid all the extra costs. . .

Search for 32720577266

Are you sure you have the Kate (Special Edition) version?

If you flashed a ROM for the regular version (code name Kenzo) it is normal to have lost 3G signal as the radio/modem inside is different.

any one - how quidco is tracking at 20 ? and not able to search this phone after going through quidco ..

Do you think there would be any problems updating the OS with this phone?

Have had this phone for about 5months but I have stopped receiving signal (data/voice) - tried different roms / sim cards etc and no joy..
I know the signal works as I have a 3 signal booster at home so as long as I am on my home wifi I get full signal...

Anyone have any suggestions?
or recommend a similar phone not sure I want to risk going for the same one again...

Great phone, been using it for nearly 1 year now and never had a problem, weekly ota updates, great battery saving options even with heavy use the phone still has around 30% battery at the end of the day with alot of spotify use over bluetooth, also use the Google maps for work alot too

​How did you find this on the Quidco website?

One of the big advantages of the global version should have been that people could use it as is, out of the box

Having to fiddle with custom ROMs nulifies this... Besides, it is more diffcult to instal since global version (Kate) is notoriuosly difficult to bootloader-unlock, ROMs are developed for Kenzo so even more things to go wrong etc

Bought last night, dodged the warranty charge using ops instructions.
Quidco tracking at £20!

I would like to know that too: More info here: https://trade.aliexpress.com/issue/warranty/warrantyIntroduction.htm?spm=2114.12010108.1000016.8.mYswmb&warrantyType=exchangeOnly

OP, that is not a flipcase https://www.aliexpress.com/item/For-Xiaomi-Redmi-Note-3-Pro-prime-Special-Edition-Cover-PU-Leather-Case-for-Xiaomi-Redmi/32772526664.html

have already sent by DHL? did you paid any extra money when it arrived?
because I need it before x-mas and DHL shipping is faster

Second that 3 x Elephone P9000. 1 failed, software issues on one and the latter cracked screen with no UK support. Getting money back was painful.

elephone are junk mate i had a p7000 for 3 days and sold it absolute cheap tat

they posted them to me

Don't the Wileyfox have small batteries?

Wileyfox Spark X - No NFC but SWIFT 2 PLUS does.
However lower spec phones (memory, processor and screen res & size, no finger scanner). Will continue looking.

God dammit no NFC

I would strong consider the Wileyfox Spark X - from a UK mobile company, good specs, Cyanogen OS (not a Cyanogen mod on top of Android), good support if needed and currently only £109 using the £30 off Black Friday code of BFFOX30 (not sure how long this will last).https://www.wileyfox.com/sparkx.html Also available with Prime delivery from Amazon but at £135. Bought one for my wife on launch day and no regrets - considering replacing my cracked Samsung Note 4 with this...

Great price but no NFC on this one.
May go for Elephone P9000 unless I can find a better alternative - Any suggestions?.

Then ur lucky where u stay been none in my area for sale unfortunately

No phones, computers or electronic communications are safe.

​That one is different. It has less RAM, less ROM and no band 20 for 4G.

Am I being stupid here but in going via Quidco I can't find Aliexpress/Xiaomi online store in order to get the cashback. I can get the Aliexpress but can't find this deal in it. How can I find this deal via Quidco?

Ordered -- been fancying one of these for a while just to try out Xiaomi and also a 5.5" screen without spending a fortune ....followed above and got the $10 off....$152 for the Grey version and Quidco has tracked......£122 - £109 with the quidco......cheers OP

i bought 2 on gumtree never even been used for £125 each vodafone unlocked it for free it is overpriced new though should have taken over from s6 for £160 ish would have been the best phone around . as there is no following for it these are cheap to pickup . pretty much a stock rom too so a cheap moto lol

thas only 2gb version & also not global rom

yeah but where can you get a sp7 for 125

smart platinum 7 is far better bar the smaller battery


miui really is tat and the natwest does not work on these , only really good thing was they where loud as hell

http://m.tinydeal.com/product/-p-161632?ref=Android
111£

They are absolutely fine according to me, 2 MP (the selfie one) and 8 Mp (main) polarizing up to 5 and 13, there's a flash too. Saw these phones down to 65.61 now on coolicool, free shipping. Iphone's are good, no doubt, but way over hyped. Very hard to tell a teenager that though (I have one as well).

It is supported though, only difference between kate (internationa/globall) and kenzo (normal) is the extra frequency bands, so on the first flash of any new kenzo rom just reflash the correct firmware afterwards and it works perfectly!

Source: I have this phone

​how are the cameras on ht17? front and back? good and quick enough for normal teenager use!

What method did he/she use?

Friend one dropped few times and then stopped Charging!! £80 shipping to send back for warranty

He meant for a Chinese-sourced phone, as there's virtually no warranty for anything purchased from the Far East.

Get a HomTom HT17 Pro, GBP 68 including delivery, 2GB 16GB storage, Sony camera. HD screen, Android 6, 4G, quad core, decent battery (no quick drain) etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Homtom-HT17-Pro-4G-Smartphone-5-5-Android-6-0-Phablet-Quad-Core-2G-16G-EU-Plug-/282158257166?var=&hash=item41b1f1540e:m:mxZ6___gxD-8bAyGsoDbctA

Have it myself, does everything my wife's Iphone does at a fraction of the price. If you lose this, no disaster, lose your Iphone, ouch....

...where do you think the iphones are made .

Is this better than the Huawei p9 lite?

I'm definitely buying one of these but can't decide which is better

nationwide works

Natwest app works on mine. ​

Fantastic phone. My daughter's arrived last month and it's excellent. Feels, looks and performs like something that costs 500 quid. She got the gold one and I must admit, it's pretty nice.

It's not rooted.

do these work with UK banking apps? I know Barclay's picks up on rooted devices

Well gone for it.£126-48 Hopefully here for xmas.The changing to usa then back to uk did knock off the warranty.

OK, I got this sussed! Use the Aliexpress mobile app as a new user, select delivery destination as the USA and currency US dollars. On the home page of the app is a link for coupons, click on this and you'll get $10 off a $150 spend added to your account. Add ONLY the phone to your basket and the $10 voucher should show when you go to pay. At the payment stage you can then change the delivery destination to the UK without their stupid warranty getting added. Make sure you use a credit card that doesn't load foreign currency transactions (such as Halifax Clarity, Nationwide Visa Select). Total cost for me for the grey version was $152.49 or around £123.

I wanted to, ​except CM isn't officially supported for this version (kenzo is, Kate isn't)

Tried a few times to buy this before and could never get it to drop warranty.I'll have another go.

haha yeah this is already what i would consider a large phone, its not the most comfortable in your pocket. better inside a jacket/coat pocket. the mi max would feel like a trigger happy phone imo

Imagine making a phone call with a phone the size of a slice of bread.........

from what people have said in previous posts, its the vendor roms on this phone which might have that software on.
to be honest though is that any different to what google are doing? they are logging a serious amount of info about their users. just recently they changed all their policies and most users will just click accept without reading or understanding what they have agreed to.

this or the mi max?

Thanks, the other way to do it is to edit the url to direct it to the mobile site i.e. remove the http://www. bit and replace it with m.

daughter has one of these, and I am really impressed with it for the money. is very responsive, nice screen, good camera.

Thanks Jambooboo I will check it out

​I've not bought from them before so I'm confused why anyone wouldn't want to get warranty with it? Especially with Chinese brands

£173 for the white 3gb/32gb model from Geekbuying at present.

​I'd pick Xiaomi over Elephone based on my personal experience but who knows perhaps Elephone has raised their game a little?

If Chinese phones were English football though Xiaomi would be Premier League and Elephone probably League 1.

There was news recently about cheap Chinese phones logging your personal data and sending it to servers in China, is this phone safe?

also dont forget quidco + £8~ coupon.

Choose delivery country USA before adding to cart.

Ad to cart without warranty, when placing the order set the delivery country to UK and bingo, ordered without extra warranty

This or the upcoming Elephone S7. Thoughts anyone?

I gladly would if there was a way, but it's not a voucher with a code that you have to type in. It just gives the discount amount and it adds itself without me doing anything, I don't even have to click on it, it just automatically went into checkout and minused itself off the total figure.

I do like the Xiaomi Mi5, but over £200 for a Chinese phone is a gamble

Care to share the code?

The coupon was in my AliExpress account tab in the My Coupons section, valid from 21 Nov-30 Nov for 'Mobile Only' and automatically got added at checkout. Make sure you don't add any other coupon/voucher from anywhere else as it only will accept one voucher code.

​if I was buying for my mum I wouldn't bother with a Chinese import. at the moment you can get a Wiley fox swift at sub £100 and you've got a decent 2gb/16gb phone with CM13 (android 6). battery life is good and camera isn't bad at that price point. buying thru amazon gives confidence re guarantee.

How did you get the coupon?

After spending almost an hour unsuccessfully trying to not have to pay for the unwanted warranty by ordering this mobile through the mobile browser and not the mobile app, I ultimately paid a total of £122.46 for the mobile including the warranty but I did get a coupon discount of £8.16 automatically at checkout for buying an item over £122.40. Great deal imo.

Their stupid warranty still gets added on even in a mobile browser - any ideas how to make it go away?

​and the fact that every phone at around this price point is pretty much the same........

I love my G2, its just randomly crashing. I need a good camera

At £125 I think we can let that slide :smile:

Only let down by the poor camera

​until the snapdragon version comes out (which could possibly be December)

​Should do as I belive they use 800mhz (band 20)for most of theirs (like Vodafone).

dont the gold and silver versions have a black bar all around the screen, which is usually hidden in the black version?

Would this work with O2 4g?

Would this be much of an upgrade from my htc one M8?

thanks

im trying to get a phone for around £100. would this be the best at the this price point? its for my mum so just want something cheap but powerrful with good cam

gone for it ... Thanks OP

​you can always remove it if you have the right app. would require root though.

I think I would just stick cyanogenmod on anyway as I didn't get on with the miui

Voted hot!


What do you mean? Are you saying I have to order using my browser on my phone? Is the extra charge the customs charges? or is it for the warranty?

Looking at videos they say dont get the Global Version as its full of spam ware you cant remove what ever that means...

so so tempted seen as the note 4 appears to be a downgrade from this