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I just bought a $159 Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite (Android One/Stock, US ATT or T-Mobile Compatible) to replace my original Pixel XL and I can't tell much of a difference

I just bought a $159 Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite (Android One/Stock, US ATT or T-Mobile Compatible) to replace my original Pixel XL and I can't tell much of a difference except for the Camera. It has a much smaller notch than the Pixel 3 and will receive updates I believe until 2021 or further. Some small corners were cut, but it punches way above its price point.

ac29 8y ago
Its a little bit of a stretch to call it ATT or T-mobile compatible. It only supports 2 of the 6 LTE bands T-mobile uses, and ATT is similar.
- prolikewh0a 8y ago
  It only doesn't support Band 12 but band 2 and 4 are the important T-Mobile bands which it supports. No other bands are used heavily. ATT is very compatible. Using T-Mobile around Seattle with the phone and have absolutely no issues anywhere. For $159 I'm not sure what more you could expect. Band 12 would be nice, but I understand they need to cut some corners.
toomanybeersies 8y ago
I have nothing but praise for Xiaomi products. They are phenomenal value. I have a Xiaomi Redmi 4x, which cost me $140 and has perfectly smooth performance. The camera isn't terrible either, it does the trick. Best of all, spare parts are cheap and easy to find. I completely shattered the screen on my phone, it was only $20 to get a complete new screen assembly (lcd, digitiser, and frame), which I'm fairly sure is OEM. I broke the ear speaker in the process of replacing the screen, only $1 to get a new one shipped from China. I can literally make a phone from parts, I can even buy the motherboard on Aliexpress. Xiaomi have really good build quality too, and their their custom version of Android isn't terrible. I also have a Xiaomi bluetooth speaker that I bought for $30, which performs as well as a speaker 2-3 times the price. It's built out of solid aluminium too, so it can take an absolute beating.
- prolikewh0a 8y ago
  I am over impressed with the Mi A2 Lites camera for this price point. Phone has very impressive build quality too. Bad Sample: https://i.imgur.com/vD2uC9u.jpg https://i.imgur.com/vD2uC9u.jpg
- voltagex_ 8y ago
  Have you got a link to the motherboards?
  - toomanybeersies 8y ago
    Here's a few on Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=AS_20181009205845&SearchText=xiaomi+redmi+4x+motherboard https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=A... It would appear that they are used and recycled though, rather than new OEM parts.
    - voltagex_ 8y ago
      I wonder how hard that would be to make work on a bench. Would be nice for messing with postmarketOS, especially if I could get serial out working. I think these still have to be "authorised" by Xiaomi to have their bootloader unlocked though...
hcnews 8y ago
How do you buy Xiaomi phones in US?
- prolikewh0a 8y ago
  Ebay, some are available on Amazon, or you can order from Aliexpress/Gearbest. My only warning for buying Xiaomi phones is to make sure they work on your carrier in your country.

ac29 8y ago

Its a little bit of a stretch to call it ATT or T-mobile compatible. It only supports 2 of the 6 LTE bands T-mobile uses, and ATT is similar.

prolikewh0a 8y ago
It only doesn't support Band 12 but band 2 and 4 are the important T-Mobile bands which it supports. No other bands are used heavily. ATT is very compatible. Using T-Mobile around Seattle with the phone and have absolutely no issues anywhere. For $159 I'm not sure what more you could expect. Band 12 would be nice, but I understand they need to cut some corners.

toomanybeersies 8y ago

I have nothing but praise for Xiaomi products. They are phenomenal value. I have a Xiaomi Redmi 4x, which cost me $140 and has perfectly smooth performance. The camera isn't terrible either, it does the trick. Best of all, spare parts are cheap and easy to find. I completely shattered the screen on my phone, it was only $20 to get a complete new screen assembly (lcd, digitiser, and frame), which I'm fairly sure is OEM. I broke the ear speaker in the process of replacing the screen, only $1 to get a new one shipped from China. I can literally make a phone from parts, I can even buy the motherboard on Aliexpress. Xiaomi have really good build quality too, and their their custom version of Android isn't terrible. I also have a Xiaomi bluetooth speaker that I bought for $30, which performs as well as a speaker 2-3 times the price. It's built out of solid aluminium too, so it can take an absolute beating.

prolikewh0a 8y ago
I am over impressed with the Mi A2 Lites camera for this price point. Phone has very impressive build quality too. Bad Sample: https://i.imgur.com/vD2uC9u.jpg https://i.imgur.com/vD2uC9u.jpg
voltagex_ 8y ago
Have you got a link to the motherboards?
- toomanybeersies 8y ago
  Here's a few on Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=AS_20181009205845&SearchText=xiaomi+redmi+4x+motherboard https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=A... It would appear that they are used and recycled though, rather than new OEM parts.
  - voltagex_ 8y ago
    I wonder how hard that would be to make work on a bench. Would be nice for messing with postmarketOS, especially if I could get serial out working. I think these still have to be "authorised" by Xiaomi to have their bootloader unlocked though...

hcnews 8y ago

How do you buy Xiaomi phones in US?

prolikewh0a 8y ago
Ebay, some are available on Amazon, or you can order from Aliexpress/Gearbest. My only warning for buying Xiaomi phones is to make sure they work on your carrier in your country.