Go easy on me please, this is my first deal posted...
So i've been looking around for a new 'bang for buck' smartphone in recent days and stumbled across this deal. The discount code brings the price of this phone to substantially below the price it can be got for from anywhere else.
Only available in gold at this price, but other colours are available for a higher price...
Also seems to be eligible for 6.7% cashback from TCB.
CODE: KIMOVIL5S
*Currently available for pre-order only with stock available 25th march.
I don't know about you guys but this looks like some serious spec for the price!
Top comments
damadgeruk to Gavin01
17 Mar 173#58
No good for me in Scotland then? Debounce on your '!' key appears to be faulty! :man:
All comments (80)
MrDre
16 Mar 172#1
International edition w/global ROM? Can't see anywhere on the seller page where it says that
MoneyMaestro74 to MrDre
16 Mar 171#4
I've purchased smartphones from banggood before. Pretty sure they only list international models even though it doesn't say
MoneyMaestro74 to MrDre
16 Mar 171#5
done some research. Local edition only supports English and Chinese so this is definitely international
jjsm639
16 Mar 17#2
The information you have put refers to the Mi5s plus phablet.
MoneyMaestro74 to jjsm639
16 Mar 17#3
yup thanks for pointing that out, I'll fix. pretty sure more or less everything is the same aside from dual camera
Andybro
16 Mar 17#6
And size
MoneyMaestro74
16 Mar 171#7
im out ATM so not able to get the actual specs in so I've just removed the wrong ones for now. feel free to post them in the comments for people
Andybro
16 Mar 171#8
Me to. Don't think people looking for a xiaomi will hold this against you as it's the kind of thing we research anyway. For those who don't , there is a plus version 5.7" and the standard at 5.15". According to gsmarena the 5s plus also has the addition of an IR port. Finally the camera is a bit different. Looks a good deal for a spec that tops the samsung s7 on paper.
damadgeruk
16 Mar 171#9
Excellent price for what I imagine will be a fantastic phone(had several Xiaomi phones). Currently using an Letv Le Max 2 as I 'need' a larger screen and I'm too tight to buy the Mi5s plus (until they add B20 at least). Le Max 2 is SD820, 4/64GB and 2K screen for £150ish.
bluecityste to damadgeruk
16 Mar 17#19
How are you finding the ROM on the Le max 2?
And how good is the camera?
Thanks
bazza7676
16 Mar 171#10
if only I wasn't with 3 and needed band 20 :-(
damadgeruk to bazza7676
16 Mar 17#11
I cope fine on 3 without band 20, 3G speeds are good in most of the areas I travel.
dreadzone101 to bazza7676
16 Mar 17#13
If this phone had band 20, it would make no difference on Three since it wouldn't be able to utilise it. Three use B20 for their 4G Super-voice. Only a handful of devices supplied by Three support it, which they have listed. For other phones they say: It's not a simple case of Three using B20 means phones with B20 would see improved signal/speeds. Read Three B20 with One Plus 3 discussions.
badboyofrock to bazza7676
16 Mar 17#15
I use this on 3 with no problems. I get 4G nearly all the time with speeds well over 50 Meg.
gigrower6
16 Mar 17#12
m1aq
sethjohnson555
16 Mar 172#14
I settled with a Mi5 after trying loads of different phones and it's absolutely fantastic.I would deffo stick with Xiaomi.
gemignani
16 Mar 17#16
I do recommend the Mi5 instead Mi5s, I've seen some reports that fingerprinter scanner may be funny in the latter. I recently purchased two units from aliexpress for £190 each. The only downside is that it is a bit slippery, but it is very fast :smiley: Motorola never again!
bazza7676
16 Mar 17#17
I work near Canary Wharf and Three told me I need a Supervoice compatible phone, intermittent signal with my Z3 atm
thecresta
16 Mar 171#18
Picked up the 4GB / 128GB variant for £330. Fantastic phone, very impressed with the build quality, performance and the MIUI OS. Outstanding value, this is a high-end phone that rivals the S7 / Pixel / Oneplus 3T at a budget price!
Qrunch to thecresta
16 Mar 17#21
Just got a black ceramic 4/128 mi5 for 328
Looking forward to it eventually turning up!
damadgeruk
16 Mar 17#20
I've grown fond of MIUI though EUI isn't unpleasant. Camera is better than expected though I don't expect much from mobile phone cameras (I've got a camera for that!). As is usually the case, photos suffer when the light level fades. Happy enough to sell my Mi Max. :smiley:
dreadzone101
16 Mar 17#22
Well according to them, the Z3 isn't 4G Supervoice compatible. It can use Three inTouch which is calling over WiFi and nothing to do with B20.
bazza7676
16 Mar 17#23
No so I need to be sure the phone I get will work properly at work before taking the plunge
dealcatcherer
16 Mar 17#24
I'm awaiting the G5 plus eagerly, this is a true competitor... few downsides on this... high specs. food for thought.
malky39
16 Mar 17#25
No band 20 which is used for 4g by all UK networks in some way, no SD card support, treat it as having no guarantee, you will probably get charged customs if you use anything but the free standard shipping.
Just to answer all the typical questions
Jimmy.T to malky39
17 Mar 17#31
..And for those reasons, I'm out. V.good deal though.
Jayswa
17 Mar 17#26
I took advantage of the great EE sim deal and need a decent phone to pair with. My brief searches led me to this, Fits what I need spec & size wise. Only thing is that EE use the LTE bands 3&18 and this only supports 3. Does this mean I wont get 4G coverage in certain areas? Or is the signal beamed in different bands at once? Ie if where a band 18 4G signal is present, a 3 band is too? (not clued up on this stuff!) If its the first the I may need to get an S7 once the S8 releases and the price drops! (dont want an 'edge')
dreadzone101 to Jayswa
17 Mar 171#27
Band 18 isn't a UK 4G band but B3 = 1800mhz. The other UK 4G bands are B7 (2600mhz) and B20 (800mhz). EE now use all 3 after they started rolling out B20 coverage around November last year. This phone has B3 and B7 but lacks B20. Simultaneous usage of different bands is known as carrier aggregation. Article here regarding EE carrier aggregation. The benefits of EE B20 rollout are mentioned here. This phone lacks B20 but the signal should be fine in the majority of UK. Unless you are in an area that had poor or no EE 4G coverage prior to November, then chances are you won't notice significant differences between phones with or without B20. Then again it would be location dependant.
Ash265
17 Mar 17#28
Got Mi 3S Prime. Brilliant. Voted Hot
corderz
17 Mar 17#29
How does this compare to my current Samsung S6?
cjdean1983
17 Mar 17#30
avoid Banggood at all costs. worst customer service. i had a faulty phone and the RMA process was terrible. they even tried to make me pay to return to China at my own expense.
MoneyMaestro74 to cjdean1983
17 Mar 171#37
Im quite surprised by your experience. I had a completely different experience. Device arrived damaged, contacted banggood and they replied within twelve hours (respectable, given timezone difference) and arranged a replacement for me the same day. Perhaps you just got unlucky
cargill85
17 Mar 17#32
just received my lenovo p2 the other day, it's the bogs dollocks! heat added :smiley:
Jayswa
17 Mar 17#33
Appreciate that! Is there a way/app I can check what my local 'bands' are?
DCFC79
17 Mar 17#34
Yet people buy from them, probably are ok if the item is fine but when theres a fault with it thats when problems arise, Ive not yet plucked the courage to buy.
MrDre
17 Mar 17#35
Bought plenty from these in the past with no issues.
So this Mi5s or the Mi5?
Also...if I buy this, how easy is it to install the global rom? I've never had an android phone before but I'm fairly decent with computers/raspberry pi/Linux etc
MoneyMaestro74 to MrDre
17 Mar 17#36
this is the mi5s (which is crazy, seeing as you're hardly paying anymore for it than the mi5 here)...I'm not entirely confident that this is the global ROM. But the language options would suggest that its the global as I believe the Chinese ROM only supports Chinese and English but I could be wrong about that....In terms of installing global ROM you have to go to their website and request an unlock then install bootloader..Plenty of guides explaining how to do it
bluecityste
17 Mar 17#38
Thanks, i might do a search to find a good deal on the Le Max 2 then.
MoneyMaestro74
17 Mar 17#39
"It is one of the best smartphone of market, it is true, but you need to change the stock rom that comes with the mi5s, I think Banggood have put their own rom version, a lot of bugs in it, you need to install the global rom version from Xiaomi site, bacause the stock rom freezes the smartphone all the time."
one of the reviews I just found. I guess this confirms that you'll have to install global ROM yourself.
MoneyMaestro74
17 Mar 17#40
I looked into the le max 2...had iffy reviews at best. don't get me wrong its an absolute powerhouse but it does look like they skipped the design phase almost entirely.
Shovon
17 Mar 17#41
If you install bootloader, does that mean you cant use NFC for contactless payments anymore as Android pay will detect it?
And are we absolutely sure this hasn't got ~Band 20 and it affects 4G on all networks?
Thanks
slugger
17 Mar 17#42
People who are on about the band 20 with this phone, I can assure you this phone can use the 4G perfectly fine where available. I have this phone the 4Gb, 128Gb storage version .. I'm currently using the ID Mobile network which currently piggybacks off Three 3.. the 4G symbol lights up whenever I'm in a zone.. I'm sure it was the O2 network that use to suffer with no 4G on previous Mi phones... Its a beautiful phone very fast a bargain for the price. The only downside I see to the phone is the old ps4 controllers don't work on them but the new ps4 slim controllers work without a problem...weird if you ask me.
dunc360
17 Mar 171#43
I have the Mi Max and have had it since November now with the only negative, being that the Amazon App won't work on the handset.
I am amazed at how well it performs compared to the big boys of the tech world, there is little real-world (noticeable) difference.
Would definitely recommend Xiaomi.
And have had no issues with Banggood before either, parcels usually arrived within 2- 3 weeks from Asia on standard postage and always as expected in my experience.
damadgeruk to dunc360
17 Mar 17#45
Which Amazon app? Amazon apps working on my Mi Max 3/64gb.
yyxt to dunc360
18 Mar 17#59
you can download Amazon from xiaomi's app store.
MrDre
17 Mar 17#44
having to install the global rom is putting me off slightly...I really don't want to brick the phone
damadgeruk to MrDre
17 Mar 171#46
Screen shots from product details show Global ROM is present.
djames108 to MrDre
17 Mar 172#48
im fairly sure you can't brick a snapdragon phine
MrDre
17 Mar 17#47
Can screenshots be trusted though.
gsnares
17 Mar 171#49
Others have reported that they have downloaded the global ROM and used an update app on the phone to install global ROM.
MrDre
17 Mar 172#50
Think I'll take the plunge
If I like it - can sell the current iphone 6 64gb
If I don't - someone on here may want it
kirku
17 Mar 172#51
Recently bought a Mi5 from the forums, after having a Redmi Note 3 Pro for about a year. MIUI takes a little getting used to, especially coming from near stock Android, but now I'm used to it, I really like it.
As for Xiaomi, fantastic phones - brilliant specs for the money, excellent build quality. Have used them both (neither have B20) on Vodafone and EE without any problems.
The Mi5 absolutely flies, a superb phone.
Stu.C
17 Mar 17#52
The Mi5 and Mi5s do not come in an International version in the same respect that there is an internation version of the Redmi Note with Band 20... there is no version of the Mi5 or Mi5s that has B20.
So the only concern is about the software, which can be changed to the International ROM if not pre-installed.
MrDre
17 Mar 171#53
Purchased with black front for £227...can't wait to get rid of this Iphone!
jjsm639 to MrDre
17 Mar 171#54
Where did you get the black one from, I can only see gold and silver.
SweeneyUK
17 Mar 17#55
yeah and even if you do you can easily unbrick it.
MrDre
17 Mar 17#56
Under HK Warehouse and Free Shipping, there are two phones you can select.
Gavin01
17 Mar 17#57
don't forget the lenovo p2 with 4gb ram and good battery.....very good value and English warranty !!!
damadgeruk to Gavin01
17 Mar 173#58
No good for me in Scotland then? Debounce on your '!' key appears to be faulty! :man:
yyxt
18 Mar 17#60
you can download Amazon from xiaomi's app store.
Ulti
18 Mar 17#61
Got it for £211.99 using the code for the white and gold. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to arrive. A week for it to get into stock then 2-4 weeks for delivery I imagine.
Recently been stung for buying a ZUK Z2 from aliexpress which randomly failed (doesn't switch on or charge - even disassembled it!) even though it was spotless after only just a bit over 3 months of usage. Aliexpress are not helping however so I'm hoping to try claim it back through section 75 as I paid on my credit card.
damadgeruk to Ulti
19 Mar 17#62
Would be useful to know if you have success with section 75(and which CC provider). Good luck.
ramtheconqueror
19 Mar 17#63
Bought something this expensive for the first time from this website. Hope everything goes fine...
steevieboy4u
22 Mar 17#64
Just tried to buy and its stating:
Coupon Discount: £33.60
Grand Total: £224.90
How to do you get it at £214.27 like in the OP or even better at £211.99 like Ulti got? :man:
Ulti to steevieboy4u
22 Mar 172#65
I think the price of it changes every now and then.
MrDre
22 Mar 17#66
is everyone who bought one going to report back here when theirs arrives?
As its my first 'Chinese' phone, I may need some help :laughing:
rkoerner to MrDre
30 Mar 171#71
Arrived Mine has just arrived - Can confrim, on mine, it has the latest Global ROM. So far no issues with the lack of Band 20.
Thanks OP - Very happy! bye bye iphone 5
Ulti
22 Mar 17#67
Mine was shipped today woohoo! I bought mine for my younger sis though as I already have a OnePlus 3 so don't think I will post a review or anything. If the black version was also this price I'd get one for my younger brother too as his Meizu MX4 is feeling pretty aged now.
bhupinder2001
23 Mar 17#68
Mine is shipped as well.
Got it for just under £200 with code and cashback.
I will report back when I get it.
MrDre
24 Mar 17#69
Mines not shipped yet but I did order black.
Harun
29 Mar 17#70
How does import duty work with this?
MrDre
30 Mar 17#72
hopefully not long until mine is here then :smiley:
Can you tell me the miui version that's on it?
Cheers.
rkoerner
30 Mar 171#73
Yep: " MIUI Global 8.0 | Stable | 8.0.3.0 (MAGMIDI)" - Hope that helps.
Im all transferred over now except Whatsapp (seems like the only way to do it from a Iphone is to buy Wazzapp... )
MrDre
30 Mar 17#74
brilliant thank you very much.
Excited to get mine now, no more walking round attached to a power bank!
rkoerner
31 Mar 17#75
FYI Just had an update pushed to my device I am now running: "MIUI Global 8.2 | Stable | 8.2.1.0 (MAGMIDL)" - Nothing on their official website about it yet. Update was a breeze though.
MrDre
31 Mar 17#76
I'm still waiting for mine haha
Ulti
2 Apr 17#77
Mine arrived on Friday (31/03/17)! Not sure how it got here so fast as it was only shipped on the 22nd! Banggood outdid themselves on delivery with this one. Sister seems happy with the phone so far wrt speed and camera but the fingerprint sensor isn't as good as we hoped.
Was also on the MIUI Global 8.0 | Stable | 8.0.3.0 build but my sister has gone away for 2 days so not sure if she got the 8.2 update pushed to her phone.
slugger
2 Apr 17#78
Tip for you... I have one of these phones... Don't heavy press the the finger print sensor... Press it lightly and it should work fine... I had trouble with it till I got use too it... works everytime now.
MrDre
3 Apr 17#79
still not got mine yet haha
ramtheconqueror
5 Apr 17#80
got mine today. couldn't find UK in the locales? haven't transferred my phone yet, do we need to do anything to get the UK locale? will this be a problem with the android pay or any other apps? Thanks for any suggestions.
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
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Opening post
So i've been looking around for a new 'bang for buck' smartphone in recent days and stumbled across this deal. The discount code brings the price of this phone to substantially below the price it can be got for from anywhere else.
Only available in gold at this price, but other colours are available for a higher price...
Also seems to be eligible for 6.7% cashback from TCB.
CODE: KIMOVIL5S
*Currently available for pre-order only with stock available 25th march.
I don't know about you guys but this looks like some serious spec for the price!
Top comments
All comments (80)
And how good is the camera?
Thanks
It's not a simple case of Three using B20 means phones with B20 would see improved signal/speeds. Read Three B20 with One Plus 3 discussions.
Looking forward to it eventually turning up!
Well according to them, the Z3 isn't 4G Supervoice compatible. It can use Three inTouch which is calling over WiFi and nothing to do with B20.
Just to answer all the typical questions
So this Mi5s or the Mi5?
Also...if I buy this, how easy is it to install the global rom? I've never had an android phone before but I'm fairly decent with computers/raspberry pi/Linux etc
one of the reviews I just found. I guess this confirms that you'll have to install global ROM yourself.
And are we absolutely sure this hasn't got ~Band 20 and it affects 4G on all networks?
Thanks
I am amazed at how well it performs compared to the big boys of the tech world, there is little real-world (noticeable) difference.
Would definitely recommend Xiaomi.
And have had no issues with Banggood before either, parcels usually arrived within 2- 3 weeks from Asia on standard postage and always as expected in my experience.
If I like it - can sell the current iphone 6 64gb
If I don't - someone on here may want it
As for Xiaomi, fantastic phones - brilliant specs for the money, excellent build quality. Have used them both (neither have B20) on Vodafone and EE without any problems.
The Mi5 absolutely flies, a superb phone.
So the only concern is about the software, which can be changed to the International ROM if not pre-installed.
Recently been stung for buying a ZUK Z2 from aliexpress which randomly failed (doesn't switch on or charge - even disassembled it!) even though it was spotless after only just a bit over 3 months of usage. Aliexpress are not helping however so I'm hoping to try claim it back through section 75 as I paid on my credit card.
Coupon Discount: £33.60
Grand Total: £224.90
How to do you get it at £214.27 like in the OP or even better at £211.99 like Ulti got? :man:
As its my first 'Chinese' phone, I may need some help :laughing:
Mine has just arrived - Can confrim, on mine, it has the latest Global ROM. So far no issues with the lack of Band 20.
Thanks OP - Very happy! bye bye iphone 5
Got it for just under £200 with code and cashback.
I will report back when I get it.
Can you tell me the miui version that's on it?
Cheers.
Im all transferred over now except Whatsapp (seems like the only way to do it from a Iphone is to buy Wazzapp... )
Excited to get mine now, no more walking round attached to a power bank!
Was also on the MIUI Global 8.0 | Stable | 8.0.3.0 build but my sister has gone away for 2 days so not sure if she got the 8.2 update pushed to her phone.