Normal Vs Global/international - Please Explain

[qiuas]

Hello,
I want to buy mi note 2 (go to gearbe** . com and add this after: /cell-phones/pp_502843.html?wid=91 cuz I can't post links)
from GW-4 warehouse (so if I live in Poland its 0% tax and fees?).
Also there's 3 versions:
-6GB 128GB,
-4GB 64GB International,
-6GB 128GB Global,

Why is the non global/international 6GB 128GB version worth the same as 4GB 64GB but international? Where's the catch? Does it use different bands than in international version so it only works in China or what? Please answer fast.

 

[cobben]

Hello,
I want to buy mi note 2 (go to gearbe** . com and add this after: /cell-phones/pp_502843.html?wid=91 cuz I can't post links)
from GW-4 warehouse (so if I live in Poland its 0% tax and fees?).
Also there's 3 versions:
-6GB 128GB,
-4GB 64GB International,
-6GB 128GB Global,

Why is the non global/international 6GB 128GB version worth the same as 4GB 64GB but international? Where's the catch? Does it use different bands than in international version so it only works in China or what? Please answer fast.

You have to check each seller's information to see exactly what they are selling. Just because they call it "global" or " international" does not mean it really is, you want the real "international" version with all the bands.

There is not necessarily any connection between the price and what is being sold.

Caveat emptor - buyer beware!

 

[qiuas]

You have to check each seller's information to see exactly what they are selling. Just because they call it "global" or " international" does not mean it really is, you want the real "international" version with all the bands.

There is not necessarily any connection between the price and what is being sold.

Caveat emptor - buyer beware!

I checked it. I clicked on global and it had all bands that my country uses and even more then I clicked on international and it had fewer bands but when I checked non global/international version (it just says "6GB 128GB" instead of ie. "4GB 64GB International") it even had the same bands as international and everything other too (including languages etc).
I even checked FAQ and people asked about the normal version and seller says it's international version. But I still don't know why is 4GB 64GB priced the same as 6GB 128GB. It makes no sense to me...
Maybe they have other ROM? Like no google apps or something? This is the first time I'm buying xiaomi phone so I don't know much about them and that's why I'm asking others.

 

[cobben]

I checked it. I clicked on global and it had all bands that my country uses and even more then I clicked on international and it had fewer bands but when I checked non global/international version (it just says "6GB 128GB" instead of ie. "4GB 64GB International") it even had the same bands as international and everything other too (including languages etc).
I even checked FAQ and people asked about the normal version and seller says it's international version. But I still don't know why is 4GB 64GB priced the same as 6GB 128GB. It makes no sense to me...
Maybe they have other ROM? Like no google apps or something? This is the first time I'm buying xiaomi phone so I don't know much about them and that's why I'm asking others.

I was looking for the "International/Global/ whatever" Mi Note 2 - the one with band 20 - last year on AliExpress, and there was all kinds of confusion.

As I recall only the 6GB/128GB variant can be found with band 20, and many sellers do not really know what they are selling.

I ended up not buying one.

 

[qiuas]

I was looking for the "International/Global/ whatever" Mi Note 2 - the one with band 20 - last year on AliExpress, and there was all kinds of confusion.

As I recall only the 6GB/128GB variant can be found with band 20, and many sellers do not really know what they are selling.

I ended up not buying one.

Yes, only 6GB 128GB has global version with LTE B20.
I haven't seen any 4GB 64GB with global version, only international.
I checked again on GB and only 1 seller (GW-4) sells 6GB version for the same price as 4GB. I think it's just international version. In spain for example 4GB international is around 1000zł and 6GB non global is around 1200 zł (1zł = $3,43). I don't know why they sell it for the same in Poland (gw-4).

Edit: In HK 6GB non global is even cheaper than 4GB international. But in other warehouses 6GB non global is more expensive than 4GB international.

 

[qiuas]

For anyone wondering if cheaper version was chinese or european. Yes, it was european. SIM, Wi-Fi and everything works perfectly and polish (my) language was there and everything is in polish. Works perfectly and oled screen is amazing. I see some darker horizontal lines (like many users) but they are only visible on white colors in very low brightness, you have to install something like bluelight filter and turn brightness even more down to see them clearly. But phone is great anyway and 6GB of RAM... oh my god, I can play like 3 games at once or use 20 apps in the same time without loading them again.

 

[cobben]

For anyone wondering if cheaper version was chinese or european. Yes, it was european. SIM, Wi-Fi and everything works perfectly and polish (my) language was there and everything is in polish. Works perfectly and oled screen is amazing. I see some darker horizontal lines (like many users) but they are only visible on white colors in very low brightness, you have to install something like bluelight filter and turn brightness even more down to see them clearly. But phone is great anyway and 6GB of RAM... oh my god, I can play like 3 games at once or use 20 apps in the same time without loading them again.

Did you get the Global version with all the bands, including band 20?

Would you mind telling what you paid, including shipping?

 

[qiuas]

Did you get the Global version with all the bands, including band 20?

Would you mind telling what you paid, including shipping?

I don't know how to check if it's global and what bands it supports. If you can tell me how to check this then I'll answer.
I paid around ~$330. I got phone on the 2nd day.

 

[cobben]

I don't know how to check if it's global and what bands it supports. If you can tell me how to check this then I'll answer.
I paid around ~$330. I got phone on the 2nd day.

Thanks, sorry, don't know offhand how to check which type it is.

If it uses LTE band 20 it is definitely the "real deal" Global version, of course.
There are a number of apps that can show which band the phone is using at the moment, such as Cellmapper, but they don't show all the possible ones.

 

[qiuas]

Thanks, sorry, don't know offhand how to check which type it is.

If it uses LTE band 20 it is definitely the "real deal" Global version, of course.
There are a number of apps that can show which band the phone is using at the moment, such as Cellmapper, but they don't show all the possible ones.

I tried cellmapper and many others but they don't show any bands. I don't know if I need root or what..?

 

[cobben]

I tried cellmapper and many others but they don't show any bands. I don't know if I need root or what..?

??
Cellmapper and other apps work fine without root for me in various phones.

Some of the apps do not show the band numbers directly, forget which, but Cellmapper does.

 

[qiuas]

I don't see any frequencies or bands in cellmapper. Either I'm blind or it doesn't show this for me. Can you explain set by step where to look for it?

 

[cobben]

I don't see any frequencies or bands in cellmapper. Either I'm blind or it doesn't show this for me. Can you explain set by step where to look for it?

It's just there.
Maybe there's something in setup you have to change?

 

[qiuas]

Sometimes it shows nothing and sometimes it just shows this:

My mobile internet works in LTE+ and everything loads perfectly and even faster than on my wifi (60mbps).

 

[cobben]

Sometimes it shows nothing and sometimes it just shows this:


My mobile internet works in LTE+ and everything loads perfectly and even faster than on my wifi (60mbps).

I have no idea why it doesn't show the bands, etc.

Have you given Cellmapper all privileges?

Try tweaking stuff in the setup.