Pros & Cons of buying an unlocked Cell Phone direct from China (WISH)

[Greg45]

Thinking about buying a cheap cell phone on Wish?

I did and here's what you might want to know before shopping there.

PURCHASE:

P41 6.1" waterfall screen; 6G ram; 128G of storage; 1280 x 720 pixel HD screen; Android 9.1; 3G/4G CPU: MTK797 10core; Double SIM; F-camera 8mp/R-camera 16mp; 4800 mAh removable battery; and most importantly of all it has Play Store (along with many other features)

PROS: I have the $25/mth plan and it works on 3G/4G data just fine. Picture quality is very good and contains lot of options. Sound is exceedingly loud and if all you do on your phone is chat/FB/what's app you can't go wrong...

CONS: When looking for a cheap phone replacement my biggest concern (and yours) is having Google Play/Google Services so you can access apps. **If you see crazy-good phones for almost nothing it is b/c they don't have access to Google play.

I need to be able to put an MS excel & word on my phone.  While these phones can access G.Play you won't be getting the most updated apps and many minor apps simply won't work on them.  (These won't work for me:  Grocery List app, PC optimum app, Transit app)

Twitter, for example works great but I can't get notifications on my screen. So while you have access to G Play, your device is not considered "Certified".  A great phone for those who use it for pictures/chat/phone, YouTube, Facebook...  but not for those who need something for business.

If you're a casual user or a teen - great purchase. Want to save the 8 weeks wait you can buy mine really cheap.  The moral is do your research before buying a cheap phone.  Happy to answer any questions you might have before you dive in to save some $$$. --Greg

[Nezgar]

You might be able to get Google Play and Google services installed on such a phone that doesn't come with them out of the box if you can sideload or manually load an APK. Then after that you might be off to the races able to install anything from Google Play as you're used to...

[Atlantis7]

I am glad you are enjoying your purchase! In my opinion I would strongly advise not to buy from wish at all, let alone technology. As long as the phone works it is fine. But even if you are on a budget, amazon has umidigi phones if OS updates are not required for you, ebay, kijiji and aliexpress may also be viable options. A phone that is certified usually ensures better compatibility.

Nonetheless, to each their own.

Cheers.

[Kevin89]

I would share my thought!

I would buy one like Samsung or Apple phone.

Firstly, I am not a risk type of person, so I need to be sure that my phone will work well for a long time. 

Secondly, there are many plans out there which help you to afford a decent phone.

So, I am currently using Samsung S20+, I purchased it through Samsung and financing it for 2 years. I would say the total for the phone and the plan is very affordable. 

p/s: I got a free earbuds+ for free when I got my phone in March 🙂

[tabi159w]

That's not always true, I own a Mi A3 (Xiaomi) and it has a 720p AMOLED screen.

[will13am]

@Greg45 , are you certain of the screen resolution?  No modern phone that large would have a 720 screen resolution.  

[geopublic]

@Greg45  If you had purchased a Umidigi F2 you would not have any of those problems. Phone runs stock Android 10 Google Play services work without any issues. If your going to buy a Chinese phone stick with the major brands and you should be good.

[Greg45]

I have no idea tbh... I know it says P41 and I love everything about it except for the app situation.  I need to be able to update regularly.  I d/ld the app Device ID and it gave me lots of numbers but couldn't identify the exact Manufacturer.

[Triguy]

I would personally stick with brand name phones.  You are assured of getting OS upgrades usually two and sometimes three upgrades.  Also you will get timely security updates.

[gblackma]

Thanks @Greg45 what's the make and model of your phone?  It sounds like its an Umidigi F2. Stay safe.