Hello, friends!We often talk in our reviews about smartphones that have not yet entered the global market, but you can already buy them on Aliexpress.In such cases, one of the main questions is whether to buy the Chinese version of the mobile device or whether it is better to wait for the international one.To make it easier for you to make a choice, we have prepared a separate article where we will tell you about all the differences between the Chinese device and the global one.
Main differences between China Version and Global Version
Many Chinese manufacturers, after the release of the Chinese version, are delaying the release of the global.And sometimes some models do not enter the world market at all.This is especially true in Xiaomi, realme and OnePlus.Therefore, in the article we emphasize smartphones from these companies.
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No matching adapter included
In the configuration of the Chinese version, you will not find a power supply suitable for our sockets.You will have to additionally buy an adapter for a euro plug.Fortunately, such a gadget is inexpensive and is sold in many technical stores or on Aliexpress.
Only Chinese and English are supported
It all depends on the manufacturer.But if we talk about Xiaomi phones, then in the settings you can only choose Chinese or English.For some users, this will be a problem.Yes, there are special programs and add-ons that can change the interface language, but this requires additional operations with the phone.
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In the settings of some programs, you can change the language yourself and select Ukrainian or Russian.This is independent of the general system settings.If you want to translate the entire smartphone interface, you will have to reflash it to the global firmware.
No Google Services
Most Chinese phones come without Google services.Again, you can install them yourself.There are many ways to do this – from simply downloading the apk file to installing the GApps package through custom recovery.And now there are effective analogues of Google services already installed in smartphones.
If you don’t want to fool your head and are used to using Google services from the box, it’s better to purchase a global firmware after all.It will obviously cause less problems.
Useless Chinese programs installed
Xiaomi phones, which simply have a lot of installed programs, are especially guilty of this.The problem is that these applications are not useful outside of China and not all are removed in a standard way.We recommend that you read a separate article in which we talked about effective methods for removing installed programs.
Do these programs negatively affect the use of a smartphone?Not if you have enough space in persistent storage.Labels can simply be removed from the desktop so as not to interfere.This is not a significant minus of Chinese firmware.
The phone does not work in all bands
Here the situation is already more serious, since it directly affects the use of a smartphone.A Chinese phone may not support certain 4G frequency bands (such as band 20), which will negatively affect the quality of the mobile network.The speed of the Internet will drop, and far from the city, the signal will stop catching at all.Read here what band 20 is for and draw your own conclusions.
It is not clear how things are going with 5G.Most likely, some bands will be different in China and Ukraine.Therefore, a 5G-enabled smartphone bought in China may not work well on the network in our country.Certain problems are also possible with frequency aggregation (LTE-A technology).
This is all theory, but in practice, Chinese smartphones usually do not have trouble with 4G.For reviews, we tested many phones with the Chinese version, and they all caught the network normally.But it still depends on the area and coverage of the operator, so consider this point before buying China Version.
Sometimes some characteristics differ
The manufacturer may release versions with different characteristics for the Chinese and global market.For example, smartphones have different processors, as sometimes happens in the phones of the South Korean brand Samsung.But Xiaomi likes to release models with the same parameters, but different names.Because of this, many are confused in the assortment of the company.
It should also be understood that often a smartphone is sold only in China.There is no world version at all.And if you like the model, the only option is to buy the Asian version.For example, this is exactly what happened with last year’s top flagship Xiaomi 12S Ultra.By the way, here we told you when the announcement of the new Xiaomi 13 Ultra is expected (and yes, it should be released for European countries).
Price difference
This is perhaps the only plus of the Chinese versions.They are much cheaper than globals.The difference can be up to $100.That is why many users tend to buy China Version.The savings are quite tangible, but the aforementioned disadvantages can be easily eliminated if desired.
You may be interested in: How to update MIUI on older Xiaomi smartphones
Is it possible to comfortably use the Chinese version of the smartphone
Let’s summarize the above.Buying the China Version is a good option if you want to save money, or if the model you like is not available for the global market.
But you need to understand all the nuances and possible problems.You will not be able to start comfortable use immediately after purchasing the device.You will need to purchase an adapter for the adapter, figure out the interface language, install Google services and remove Chinese software.
Usually the problem is solved in a complex way by flashing the mobile device to the global version.By installing a global shell on a Chinese device, you will get rid of all the shortcomings and will be happy to use your smartphone.
Flashing a mobile device is a serious procedure, the improper implementation of which will lead to the complete withdrawal of the phone from service.Therefore, inexperienced users are better off contacting the wizard.
There is another great option for people who do not want to reflash their smartphone on their own – this is the purchase of the Chinese version with the Global ROM already installed.There are a lot of such versions on AliExpress.They cost about the same as a smartphone with Chinese firmware, but they work no worse than globals.
How do you feel about Chinese versions of smartphones?Can you purchase such a device without any problems, or do you still prefer global phones?Share your opinion in the comments.
Publication date:04/01/2023