Xperia Mini Pro or Lenovo A820 or F600

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jerrat

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#124583 12-Jul-2013 20:38

Hi, I'm thinking about buying a smartphone. I would really appreciate some advice!

I am considering buying one of three phones. The first is the Sony Xperia Mini Pro. The second is the Lenovo A820, I was thinking of buying it from Ali-express here: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Support-Russian-lenovo-A820-mtk6589-Quad-Core-RAM-1GB-ROM-4GB-Android-4-1black-White/802766403.html. My third option would be the F600 (I'm not to sure what brand this is) I found it on PandaWill here: http://www.pandawill.com/f600-smart-phone-mtk6589-quad-core-android-41-1g-ram-3g-gps-47-inch-dark-blue-p74299.html.

I want a phone with a reasonable amount of Grunt, but I don't want to pay heaps. If you have any other suggestions please tell me!

Thanks so much!!!

Hammerer

2476 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#854653 12-Jul-2013 22:13

All three should work fine and are quite cheap but it helps to know what you'll use it for. Do you need the dual-SIM feature of the Lenovo and F600 so you can, for example, run under two different plans with different numbers.

If you buy overseas, worst case is that you'll have to buy a replacement if it stops working or there are any other problems.

The Sony was great a couple of years ago but not so hot now unless you need the keyboard.

As you want 'Grunt' then that probably excludes the Sony which won't be able to run as many applications at the same time. The Sony is also limited to Android 4.0 and there are definite advantages in getting newer versions of Android. It also has a much smaller screen and a correspondingly smaller battery.

The F600 seems a cheaper build, e.g. heaviest body, fewer colours for the screen (260K vs 16M) and the memory card is limited to 16GB cf 32GB for the others (important if you want to save lots of music or video). Also, I can't tell if it does 720p HD video like the others.

[Edit:corrected product name]

jerrat

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#854768 13-Jul-2013 09:23

Is buying from overseas risky? Are Alibaba and Panda trustworthy? Am I likely to actually get the phone I order?

Thanks!!!

Goosey

2829 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#854860 13-Jul-2013 10:59

make sure they are compatable with the carrier you will be using them on within NZ i.e. will they work fine on Telecom , Voda and 2D networks (they are all different).

Goosey

2829 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#854863 13-Jul-2013 11:01

The xperia mini pro is a bit old these days. Perhaps you want to look more locally for parallel imported handsets that might be in your price range after you factor in currency conversion and potential GST/Import fees.

Hammerer

2476 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#854877 13-Jul-2013 11:14

jerrat: Is buying from overseas risky? Are Alibaba and Panda trustworthy? Am I likely to actually get the phone I order?

Thanks!!!

Buying from overseas is more risky because the seller is in a different legal jurisdiction. That means they don't have to comply with NZ law. If problems develop, you can find it is harder to resolve when you can't physically visit the seller. You can have some of those problems buying from NZ sites, e.g. dodgy sellers on Trade Me, but at least you can pursue the issue through the NZ police and justice system.

Even so, I've bought a lot from overseas through all sorts of sites without any problems. But I've never used the sites you mention so I can't comment on them.

jerrat

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#855451 14-Jul-2013 19:22

I've decided to buy the Lenovo A820. However it isn't available to buy in NZ, so i'm forced to buy from overseas. Again I am faced with three options:

1.) AliExpress.com - The cheapest (only by a few dollars) but it has shipping times of up to 40 days!!!
-http://www.aliexpress.com/item/free-shipping-dropship-H2000-3-5-INCH-ANDROID-2-2-capacitive-touch-mobilephone/473523894.html

2.) geekbuying.com - The second cheapest, has shipping times of 5 - 11 days. However I've heard some bad stories about customer service here. Returning products is hard, and they only respond when you give them a negative review.
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Lenovo-A820-4-5inch--MTK6589-Quad-Core-Smartphone-IPS-QHD-Screen-1GB-RAM-4GB-ROM--8-0MP-Camera-with-3G-GPS-Russian-Black-315234.html

3.) Pandawill.com - Most expensive and have reasonable delivery times.
http://www.pandawill.com/lenovo-a820-quad-core-smart-phone-android-41-mtk6589-45-inch-80mp-camera-p72653.html

Thanks again!

Goosey

2829 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#855603 15-Jul-2013 08:56

Hi

Whats got you enticed with this particular phone?
I cant even find it on pricespy or priceme or even doing a simple search on Lenovo websites (apart from lenovo search showing me the handsets issues).

Have you tried any of the parallel importers locally in Auckland (heaps of them).... my gauge would be 'if they dont have it / or want to sell it' is it worth having'

Just my two cents.