How to buy a smartphone from China

OnePlus 5T,a very good,cheap iphone X  alternative

With all the cool ,well speced smartphones coming out of China at extremely affordable prices,and with Samsung and Apple providing phones at heart stopping prices,a wise buyer would put two and two together and get one of those great Chinese phones and save a few bucks.But is it really that easy to just go out and buy a smartphone from China?Here's a guide for that wise buyer who wants to make the best use of his hard earned dough.

Step 1:Go out and search for the phone you want

Before you import a phone from China,you should know the phone you want right? Search for the best Chinese phone that fits your budget. Phones like the Xiaomi Redmi 5 or Redmi Note 5 fit extremely tight budgets while phones like the Xiaomi Mi 6 or Mi Mix 2 fit those who can add a little more money for the best quality phones.And there are many more good Chinese brands apart from Xiaomi. Vivo,Oppo,Lenovo and Honor offer great spec to price ratio phones. 

Step 2:Check for network compatibility

Huawei P20 Pro supports all Nigerian bands

After searching for the phone you want,check it's network specs also. Most of these phones are created for their home market which is China,and may only support Chinese bands,which may not be the network bands present in your country.For those in the US,carriers like Sprint and Verizon use CDMA technology,which isn't compatible with majority of Chinese phones.,while carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM technology,and are likely to support connectivity on the imported phones. Here in Nigeria,all major carriers support GSM technology,but still be sure to check the bands which comply with your carrier.Also be sure to check if the smartphone you're buying is unlocked,so you're not stuck to a Chinese carrier.

Step 3;Plan your budget

You might see the low prices of Chinese phones and feel that you're getting a great bang for your buck,but just wit until the fees from the shipping company and the duties come in. In order to avoid shock,disappointment and grief when buying a phone from China,be sure to add the cost of shipping and handling to your budget. The cost of shipping from China here in Nigeria ranges anywhere from 6000 naira to 18000 naira or more,and even if the phone is in stock in the store you're buying from,it could take weeks if not months to get to you,and the shipping company would not be responsible if the item is lost or damaged. To counter this problem,it's best you use options like DHL or FedEx when buying a smartphone from China since they are much faster than regular shipping. Be sure to note that it would cost more than usual,but is much safer than usual shipping. It's faster too.

In addition to all the above named costs,PayPal,PayTM(or any mobile wallet you use) or your credit card's company would usually charge you somewhere from 5% for currency conversions,though using PayPal will give you the much needed protection of a refund in case what you saw wasn't what you got,in which case you need to pull out your wallet again,as you will be incurring more shipping cost.

And there's also the case of taxes which are totally unpredictable. In addition to the 6 or 18 thousand naira extra you have to pay on shipping,you also need to pay an extra 6000 or 15000 naira as import taxes.And the price you pay varies directly as the cost of the phone you're buying.

After all this budget planning,you should then look for the best retailer to actually bring the phone to you.(you guseesd it!There are more costs incurred,again.)

Step 4:Choose the best online retailer 

There are a lot of online retailers out there,but not all of them are genuine. Majority of these guys are fraudsters,and you do not want to fall victim of the wrong retailer after literally paying the price for the phone you want to buy from China. So,I've gathered a list of the best online retailers for buying a smarthone from China.

• Jumia Nigeria:These guys are the best,really. They do all the cost business for you,and still deliver the goods to your doorstep ,much faster than regular shipping at only a little cost to you. In other words,all you have to do is search their store for the phone you want,click buy and wait. Then you can pay. See them at Jumia.com.ng
• AliExpress.com
• Banggood.com
• Geekbuying.com
• Chinavision.com
• Konga.com

Step 5: Set the phone up

After you gone through all the hassle(or just used Jumia and avoided the hassle),you need to set up your new phone. Play Store should be added since Google Play sin't allowed in China. You also need to flash a global version of the phone's ROM,since most Chinese phones have custom ROMs. Also set up the language by using Google translate. And once you're done,you'll figure out how much of a high end phone you got for a very very low price.

So there you have it. our complete guide on how to buy a smartphone from China. If you have any questions,tips or if you have bought a phone from China before,kindly join our forum and post your thoughts there or use the comments box. Thanks for stopping by.