7 Best Phones You Can’t Buy In The Us (2026)
Featured in this article
Best Phone
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
Shop at
Xiaomi
Runner-Up
Honor Magic 8 Pro
Best Folding Phone
Honor Magic V5
Amazon
Best Gaming Phone
Nubia Redmagic 11 Pro
Redmagic
There’s a world of excellent flagship smartphones that push photography to new levels and budget buys that confound expectations, but you won’t find them in the US, for various reasons. Some Chinese phone manufacturers are banned, while other brands prefer to focus their efforts in countries where Apple doesn’t have a massive market . Whatever the reason, I’ve tested these global handsets for years—these are the best phones you can’t officially buy in the US.
Many of these phone makers to release multiple devices under sub-brands, so here are some basic facts to know: Xiaomi is the brand behind Poco and Redmi; Nubia came from ZTE; Honor was a Huawei subsidiary but separated after Huawei was banned; and Realme spun out of Oppo. Before diving in, it’s worth noting that folks in the UK and elsewhere in Europe can also buy many of the phones in our Best Android Phones, Best iPhones, and Best Cheap Phones guides on sale in the US.
Updated March 2026: I added the Xiaomi 17 Ultra as my new top pick, the Poco X8 Pro as my budget pick, mentions for phones from Honor, Oppo, and Xiaomi, removed several discontinued models, and updated impressions and prices.
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Best Phone
Chevron Chevron to wishlist Xiaomi
17 Ultra
Shop at
Xiaomi
The latest flagship sailing out of Xiaomi is the 17 Ultra (there was no 16), and I’m ready to crown it camera king. The now familiar design, with that huge circular camera module on the back, has ostensibly dropped a lens, but the main 50-megapixel shooter boasts a new 1-inch sensor and lens pairing that helped me capture stunning shots in a variety of scenarios. There’s just one telephoto lens this year, but it’s a 200-megapixel shooter that slides between 3.2X (75 mm) and 4.3X (100 mm) optical zoom. A 50-megapixel ultrawide and a 50-megapixel front-facing camera round out a truly top-notch camera system.
The rest of the phone ain’t bad either, with a flat 6.9-inch OLED display, speedy processor, and generous RAM and storage. You also get improved battery life and fast wired or wireless charging. I love the speckly green finish (regular black or white are options). Xiaomi has committed to four Android updates and six years of security patches, too. But no device is perfect, so you’ll have to deal with flaws bloatware, Xiaomi’s HyperOS software, and that colossal camera bump. I also think Xiaomi’s AI features are slightly below par.
I highlighted Xiaomi leaning into its partnership with Leica in last year’s 15 Ultra, but it goes even further with the special edition Leitzphone (£1,699). If you don’t mind spending a chunk more, this retro-camera-style beauty adds Leica touches inside and out, but retains everything that makes the Xiaomi 17 Ultra so good.
Specs Display: 6.73-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, OLED Processor and RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with 16 GB RAM Storage: 512 GB or 1 TB Battery: 6,000 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 50-MP ultrawide, 200-MP telephoto (3.2-4.3X), 50-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Four Android OS upgrades and 6 years of security updates Extras: IP68/69, fingerprint unlock, NFC, fast charging with proprietary charger -
Runner-Up
Chevron Chevron to wishlist Honor
Magic 8 Pro
Shop Now
For cutting-edge camera performance and AI assistance across the board, Honor’s Magic 8 Pro is tough to beat. While there are no major leaps here, the Magic 8 Pro brings a raft of refinements over Honor’s Magic 7 Pro. A slimmed-down design featuring subtle curves makes this a lovely phone to handle, and Honor has managed to pack in a much bigger silicon-carbon battery. The versatile camera can also zoom in further (3.7X optical zoom) and handles low light and shaky hands with aplomb (night photography is especially strong). That said, the image processing can be heavy-handed at times.
The 6.71-inch screen is gorgeous, razor sharp, and gets very bright. Honor’s Magic OS 10 is seriously slick atop Android 16 (probably the best software of any manufacturer in this guide). This phone is imbued with Honor AI that genuinely adds value, from photo editing to contextual task handling, and you can bring it to life with the dedicated AI button. There’s also support for Google’s Gemini, if you prefer. This is definitely not a phone for AI skeptics. Throw in secure face unlock, incredibly fast wired (100 watts) and wireless charging (80 watts) with the right gear, plus seven years of Android version and security patch updates, and you have a supremely sophisticated smartphone with very few discernible weaknesses.
Specs Display: 6.71-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, OLED Processor and RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with 12 GB RAM Storage: 512 GB Battery: 6,270 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 50-MP ultrawide, 200-MP telephoto (3.7X), 50-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): 7 years of software updates Extras: IP68/69, fingerprint unlock, secure face unlock, NFC, fast charging with proprietary charger
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Best Folding Phone
Chevron Chevron to wishlist Honor
Magic V5
Amazon
Wonda Mobile
The excellent Honor Magic V3 was the first folding phone to serve as my daily driver, and the Magic V5 (there was no V4) takes up its mantle as one of the slimmest book-style foldable devices (4.1 millimeters open, 8.8 mm closed), though it has a sizable camera bump. It’s a pleasure to use and feels close to a regular phone when closed, but it has two lovely screens (6.43-inch and 7.95-inch), long battery life, a versatile camera, and fast wired and wireless charging. There’s also a responsive fingerprint sensor in the power button and some useful AI features in Honor’s MagicOS software. If Honor sold it in the US, it just might be the top pick in our Best Folding Phones guide.
Fitting flagship cameras into folding phones is tough, but the bigger camera module in the Magic V5 allows for a bump over the V3 with improved telephoto and ultrawide lenses. I’ve been quite happy with the photos it has captured, though it can’t quite match the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. There are a few other improvements under the surface, including a faster processor, bigger battery, and enhanced durability, but this is only a slight step up from its predecessor. While the Honor Magic V6 has been unveiled and offers another slight improvement over the V5, it’s not yet available in the UK and Europe, though you may want to wait for the promised second half of the year release.
Specs External display: 6.43-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, OLED Internal display: 7.95-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, AMOLED Processor and RAM: Snapdragon 8 Elite with 12 GB or 16 GB RAM Storage: 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB Battery: 5,690 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 64-MP (3X) telephoto, 50-MP ultrawide, 20-MP front camera, 20-MP inner selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Four Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates Extras: Wireless charging, IP58 and IP59, fingerprint sensor, NFC -
Best Gaming Phone
Chevron Chevron to wishlist Nubia
Redmagic 11 Pro
Redmagic
Amazon
If mobile gaming is your priority, the Nubia Redmagic 11 Pro is for you. From the transparent industrial design with built-in fans and RGB lighting to the unbroken, almost bezel-free 6.85-inch AMOLED screen and 144-Hz refresh rate, this phone is designed for gamers. You also get a whopping 7,500-mAh battery and customizable capacitive-touch shoulder triggers. Performance is slick, thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite and speedy RAM (LPDDR5T) and storage (UFS 4.1 Pro). It can run all your favorite games with everything cranked to the max, the cooling is highly effective, and there’s a dedicated game space and mode. It also supports Wi-Fi 7 and has a 3.5-mm headphone port. This is easily the best gaming phone at this price (though there aren’t many to choose from).
This iterative update to the 10S Pro, itself a slight update on the Redmagic 10 Pro, is almost indistinguishable, but it brings a bigger battery, a slightly better processor, and adds wireless charging. The camera is slightly better but still disappoints; the main 50-MP shooter is passable, but it’s paired with a 50-MP ultrawide, when I’d prefer a telephoto, and a sub-par underscreen selfie camera. The software is also shoddy in places, though the promise of five years of software updates is a big improvement over predecessors. For an extra £100, you can jump to 16 GB RAM and 512 GB of storage, not to mention a much cooler-looking translucent back that shows off the liquid cooling loop inside.
Specs Display: 6.85-inch, 144-Hz, AMOLED Processor and RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with 12, 16, or 24 GB RAM Storage: 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB Battery: 7,500 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 50-MP ultrawide, 16-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Five Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates Extras: IPX8, fingerprint unlock, NFC, fast charging with proprietary charger, headphone jack
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Best Midrange Phone
Chevron Chevron to wishlist Xiaomi
15T Pro
Amazon
Continuing to raise expectations for midrange phones, Xiaomi churns out many models every year, and its lineup can be tough to parse. The Xiaomi 15T Pro has come in under the radar, perhaps because the derivative design feels a Pro iPhone or Pixel, but the 15T Pro delivers a near-flagship spec sheet for far less money. This phone is fast, with a large, high refresh rate screen, a versatile Leica-tuned camera system that includes a 50-MP telephoto lens offering 5X optical zoom, and a solid list of extras, from generous and speedy UFS 4.1 storage to the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity.
The big downside here for most folks will be the quirky software, but it can be customized into shape with a little effort. There’s also some bloatware to remove, and Xiaomi doesn’t quite match some competitors on software support, though it’s not far behind. Being picky, the 144-Hz refresh rate doesn’t kick in often, and since this is not an LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) display, it sits on 60-Hz most of the time. Ultimately, the 15T Pro is a very strong all-rounder that delivers excellent value for money. The regular 15T (£449) is almost the same size, but has a slightly weaker chipset and camera, a plastic frame, and misses out on wireless charging.
Specs Display: 6.83-inch, 144-Hz, AMOLED Processor and RAM: MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ with 12 GB RAM Storage: 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB Battery: 5,500 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 12-MP ultrawide, 50-MP telephoto (5X), 32-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Five Android OS upgrades and 6 years of security updates Extras: IP68, fingerprint unlock, NFC, fast charging with proprietary charger -
Best Budget Phone
Chevron Chevron to wishlist Xiaomi
Poco X8 Pro
Shop Now
Replacing the discontinued Poco F7 as my budget pick, the Poco X8 Pro is very similar. Actually, if anything, it’s a slight step down, sporting a smaller, 6.59-inch AMOLED screen, a Mediatek Dimensity 8500 Ultra chipset, and 8 GB of RAM in the basic model. Performance was solid, though my review unit was the 12 GB RAM version, and the slightly smaller body makes it a touch easier to handle. You get the same big 6,500 mAh battery, offering plenty of stamina, with 100-watt charging enabling it to fill in less than an hour. The main camera is a solid 50-MP shooter, though the 8-MP ultrawide and 20-MP front-facing cameras aren’t great. I the mint green model, but it also comes in black or white. My review unit is the special Iron Man edition.
There’s still too much bloatware to deal with, and Xiaomi’s software is not my favorite, but you get decent software support, including four Android versions and six years of security updates. There’s no wireless charging, but that’s par for the course in this bracket. Overall, the Poco X8 Pro is the best package at this price, especially at the currently discounted price. You may want to check out the X8 Pro Max (£469) if battery life is a priority because it jumps up to 8,500 mAh. It also has a bigger screen, better processor, and Wi-Fi 7 support.
Specs Display: 6.59-inch, 120-Hz, AMOLED Processor and RAM: Mediatek Dimensity 8500 Ultra with 8 GB or 12 GB RAM Storage: 256 or 512 GB Battery: 6,500 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 8-MP ultrawide, 20-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Four Android OS upgrades and 6 years of security updates Extras: IP68, fingerprint unlock, NFC, fast charging with proprietary charger
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Best Repairable Phone
Chevron Chevron to wishlist Fairphone
(Gen. 6)
Fairphone
Murena (with /e/OS)
Scoring a perfect 10 on iFixit’s repairability scale is rare, but the Fairphone (Gen. 6) managed it, making it a great pick if longevity is important to you. Fairphone also aims to be as environmentally friendly and ethical as possible, carefully sourcing components, using recycled materials wherever possible, and committing to decent wages and conditions. While previous Fairphones had the same mission, they often came with compromises in terms of basic specs and dull design. The Fairphone (Gen. 6) is different, with modular accessories, a clever distraction-free mode triggered by a dedicated switch, and a pretty decent camera system.
While the specs are respectable, you can find more powerful hardware in this guide for less money. The Fairphone also lacks wireless charging and only scores an IP55 rating for water resistance (fine for rain, but don’t submerge). That said, ethical options are virtually nonexistent in the smartphone market, so the Fairphone is one of a kind.
Specs Display: 6.31-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, P-OLED Processor and RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 with 8 GB RAM Storage: 256 GB Battery: 4,415 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 13-MP ultrawide, 32-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Seven Android OS upgrades and 8 years of security updates Extras: IP55, fingerprint unlock, microSD, modular accessories, NFC
Other Good International Phones
These phones are worth considering if you have yet to see something you .
Photograph: Simon Hill
Oppo Find N6 for $1,959: Touting a creaseless 8.12-inch display, the Find N6 is a beautifully engineered folding phone that’s impossibly slim and light. Despite the promise, the crease is still discernible, but you’ll hardly notice it when the screen is on, though you’ll feel it if you use the optional stylus. Performance is impressively slick, with enough stamina to see you through a busy day, and the camera system is excellent. It’s a big step up over last year’s N5, with a 200-MP main shooter, 50-MP telephoto, and 50-MP ultrawide, though it can’t quite compete with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra above. The global model has all your familiar Google apps, but you’ll have to import if you want it, as the phone is not going to be officially released in the West. That’s the main reason it fails to edge out Honor’s foldable above.
Infinix Note 60 Ultra for $750: Designed with the help of Pininfarina, famous for iconic cars from Ferrari and Maserati, the Note 60 Ultra looks interesting, with a distinctive curved glass section over the camera module that also houses a small matrix display. The phone arrives in a grand box with a curvy car-shaped wireless charger. The specs are solid, apart from the distinctly not “Ultra” chipset (MediaTek’s Dimensity 8400 Ultimate), but availability appears to be very limited for now.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max for $1,033: With a refreshing design featuring a second, smaller screen on the back that encompasses the camera lenses, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and 17 Pro are a little different. Xiaomi came up with various cute ways to employ this auxiliary display, including selfie preview for superior selfies with the main camera, music controls, customizable themes, and virtual pets. There’s even a retro gaming case that lets you play Angry Birds on there, though it feels a bit silly when there’s a 6.7-inch screen on the other side. Aside from the second screen, the 17 Pro Max is a typical Xiaomi specs beast, and the 17 Pro isn’t far behind, but neither has been officially released outside of China yet.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Oppo Find X9 Pro for £1,099: Photography fans must check out the Oppo Find X9 Pro. The 200-megapixel telephoto lens supports 3X optical zoom and can take excellent shots at 6X zoom by cropping images down to 50 megapixels. But to kick things up a notch, you’ll need the detachable Hasselblad Teleconverter Kit. This enormous lens slots into place on the case and adds another 3.28X zoom, though it’s tricky to use without a tripod. An additional trio of 50-MP lenses, with all four supporting 4K video recording at 60 fps with HDR, makes this a great pick for creatives. Impressive specs include a 6.78-inch flat display, IP66/68/69 ratings, and a 7,500-mAh silicon-carbon battery that’s good for two days.
Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra for £749 and F8 Pro for £549: Xiaomi’s cheaper, fun, youthful brand Poco gives it room to experiment, but the company’s own 15T Pro is a better buy in this price bracket. What the F8 Ultra offers that you won’t find elsewhere is a fun or awful (depending on your tastes) denim finish on the back. There are also Bose-tuned speakers, an excellent 6.9-inch display, and an enormous 6,500 mAh battery. It also has a flagship-level Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and generous RAM and storage. There’s even a trio of 50-MP lenses in the camera. The F8 Pro is slightly smaller, but drops little from the spec sheet, making it the better bargain.
Honor Magic 7 Pro for $990 (£899):Honor’s Magic 7 Pro was 2025’s excellent flagship phone, featuring a solid triple-lens camera, a gorgeous 6.8-inch screen, speedy performance, good battery life, and a dual IP68 and IP69 rating. Honor’s Magic OS boasts polished AI features, and Honor announced an increased commitment to seven years of Android version and security patch updates with this phone. On the downside, the Magic 7 Pro has a large camera cut-out on the front, the camera processing is sometimes heavy-handed, and the ultrawide camera struggles to match the other two lenses.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Honor 400 Pro for $715 (£656): A solid alternative to the 15T Pro above, Honor’s sleek and slick 400 Pro is packed with goodies ordinarily reserved for flagship phones. The rounded edges and soft finish feel lovely in-hand. Honor has bet big on AI features, including a debut for Google’s image-to-video AI. The triple-lens camera comprises a capable 200-MP main shooter with a 50-MP telephoto lens and a weak-link 12-MP ultrawide that also handles macro photography. There’s a 50-MP selfie cam too. The 6.7-inch screen is very bright when you need it to be, there’s a relatively snappy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, Wi-Fi 7 support, and the 400 Pro scores an IP68/69 rating. The 5,300-mAh silicon-carbon battery provides plenty of stamina and charges fast, at up to 100 watts wired and 50 watts wireless. Honor promises six years of Android updates for this phone.
Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro for $399 (£349): Xiaomi’s Poco X7 Pro is a compelling bargain that combines a lovely 6.67-inch display with relatively fast performance, good battery life, speedy wired charging, and IP68 water resistance. The 50-megapixel main camera is decent. The Poco X7 Pro runs Android 15 with HyperOS on top, and Xiaomi offers three Android version updates and four years of security patches. This was my budget pick, but the Poco F7 (discontinued), then the X8 Pro unseated it.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Xiaomi 15 Ultra for £995: Last year’s Xiaomi 15 Ultra is still a top-notch phone in every regard, and you can a decent discount on it now. The quad-lens camera is as versatile as they come, a 50-megapixel primary, 50-megapixel ultrawide, 50-megapixel 3X optical zoom, and a 200-megapixel periscope sensor with 4.3X optical zoom (photo samples in my review). You also get a 6.73-inch screen, generous storage, solid battery life, and fast wired or wireless charging.
Doro Aurora A20 for £230: Doro is a Swedish company focused on providing devices for older folks, mostly phones, but also a decent video doorbell. The Aurora A20 is an odd spin on the flip phone that may help some people transition to a touchscreen device. It’s an old candybar HTC Android phone with a flip-out keypad attached to the bottom. There are lots of thoughtful features, including an alarm button, a spacious keypad, and simplified software. It’s also fairly cheap, but I found the performance sluggish, the camera poor, and the design a bit chunky and heavy.
Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra for £506 and F7 Pro for £549: While Poco has traditionally been a budget brand, the aptly named F7 Ultra takes it into new territory. This phone boasts a few flagship-level features, such as the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with the VisionBoost D7 for graphics, a powerful triple-lens camera, and a lovely, high-resolution 6.67-inch display with a 120-Hz refresh rate. It also scores an IP68 rating and offers up to 50-watt wireless charging. The catch is a price hike over previous Poco F series releases. The F7 Pro is more in line with what we expect from the brand, with an older processor, limited camera, and no wireless charging. Both run Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 and have too much bloatware, but Xiaomi now promises four Android version upgrades and six years of security patches.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Realme 14 Pro+ for €530: The color-changing finish may be gimmicky, but it’s fun, and this phone looks and feels far more expensive than it is. There are more highs than lows on the spec sheet. You get a triple-lens camera, an IP68/69 rating, a 6,000-mAh battery, and a 6.83-inch OLED display with a 120-Hz refresh rate, but the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset is limited, there’s no wireless charging support, and no charger in the box. It is still quite a bargain.
Xiaomi 15 for £701: Folks seeking a more compact phone than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra could do a lot worse than its smaller sibling. The Xiaomi 15 feels lovely, with a 6.36-inch screen, a decent triple-lens camera, and top-notch internals. But it’s a conservative design, and it has the same software and bloatware issues as the Ultra.
Honor Magic 7 RSR for £1,550: Designed with Porsche, this souped-up version of the 7 Pro above has a fancier design with a hexagonal camera module, a slightly improved telephoto lens, 24 GB of RAM (ly largely pointless), 1 TB of storage, and a bigger battery (5,850 mAh). It’s lovely, but it doesn’t do enough to justify the additional outlay.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Honor 200 Pro for £365: I don’t love the design of the Honor 200 Pro, but it has a versatile triple-lens camera with a capable portrait mode. There are also some useful AI features, and the battery life is good, with fast wired and wireless charging. It cost more at launch, but at this new lower price, it is a far more attractive option.
Oppo Find X8 Pro for £1,249: The last two Oppo flagships didn’t officially make it to the UK and Europe, so the X8 Pro marked a welcome return. This is a polished phone with a quad-lens camera (all 50 MP), but it feels a downgrade from the Find X7 Ultra I tested because of the smaller sensor. It is fast, with excellent battery life, speedy wired and wireless charging, IP68/69 protection, and no obvious omissions. But it’s pricey, and flagships should not have bloatware.
Avoid These Phones
These aren’t bad phones necessarily, but I think you’d be better served by something above.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite: There’s a retro-cool to Nothing’s translucent hardware and pixelated software, and this is currently the cheapest phone it offers in the UK (it wasn’t released in the US). The screen, battery life, and software are decent, but the camera and bloatware were disappointing. I don’t think the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite is bad, but you can do better.
Nubia Z80 Ultra: This is a similar phone to our gaming pick above, though it trades off a better camera for slightly diminished performance and screen quality. It’s also a real brick with an enormous camera module on the back, making it awkward to handle, though I do the dedicated camera button. Despite a very impressive spec sheet for the money, it manages to feel less than the sum of its parts. Nubia’s software is well below par, and it commits to only three years of security updates and a single Android version upgrade for this phone.
Oppo Reno 13 Pro 5G: This slim, lightweight midranger boasts a 6.8-inch screen (brightness is limited), a triple-lens camera (solid 50-MP main and telephoto lenses with a disappointing 8-MP ultrawide), and an impressive IP69 rating. Battery life is good, and wired charging is fast, but there’s no wireless charging. It’s packed with bloatware but also AI features and tools covering transcription, summarization, image editing, and more that may add value for some folks. Performance-wise, it can’t keep up with the similarly priced Poco F7 Ultra above. After some time with the 13 Pro, I’m not convinced it justifies such a major price bump over last year’s 12 Pro (it costs an extra £150), and you can do better for this money.
Xiaomi Mix Fold 4: Only officially released in China, the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 is a stylish folding phone with a 6.56-inch outer screen that folds open to reveal a 7.98-inch inner screen. It also offers solid performance and battery life, but despite having a large quad-lens camera module, the camera is underwhelming. The crease is also pronounced, and using a Chinese model is a bit of a pain as various things are not translated, and there’s work in getting the apps you want.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Realme GT7 Pro: This potential flagship killer has a 6.78-inch OLED screen, a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, and an enormous 6,500-mAh battery. You also get a triple-lens camera, but the 50-megapixel main and telephoto lenses are let down by the 8-megapixel ultrawide. It also lacks wireless charging, and you’ll have to import it to the UK, as it only seems to be on sale in Germany.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro+: An attractive, durable design (IP68), a 200-megapixel Samsung camera sensor, and decent battery life with superfast charging (120-watts) must be balanced against middling performance, poor ultrawide (8 MP) and macro (2 MP) lenses, and a ton of bloatware. Ultimately, there’s little improvement over last year’s Redmi Note 13 Pro+, and it’s not just that there are better phones for the same money; there are better Xiaomi phones.
Should You Import One of These Phones?
While some phones are not officially sold in the US or other countries, you can still get your hands on them. They’re easy to buy online, and you may even find some on Amazon, but there are a few things to consider before buying.
Phone Model and Supported Bands
The technologies and specific bands that cellular networks rely upon differ from country to country. While models described as “global” and even UK or European models are ly to work in the US, they may not support all the bands your carrier uses. Missing LTE or 5G bands can mean patchy service or even relegate you to 3G. Chinese and other country-specific models will almost certainly lack some common US bands and may not work on some carrier networks.
Always check the supported bands and cross-reference with your carrier. You will often find this information in the listing or aggregated on websites Kimovil, but I recommend checking directly with the manufacturer and your carrier.
Customs Charges
Depending on where you buy, importing a phone can lead to customs charges and add a significant expense to the overall cost. Do your research and factor in the potential extra fee before you buy.
Android and Google Services
It is common for phones released only in China to ship without any Google services, including the Google Play Store. Many Chinese manufacturers have their own app stores or preinstall third-party app stores on their phones for the Chinese market. Sometimes it’s a simple case of checking a box to unlock and download Google services, but this is not always true.
Even where Google services are supported, some Chinese phones never work properly with certain apps, such as Android Auto. You are often stuck with specific Chinese default apps and services, and many banking apps won’t work as they would on a US or global model.
The latest Huawei phones run HarmonyOS. Although it was originally forked from the Android Open Source Project, it is now completely separate, and Huawei phones can no longer run Android apps. ing its US ban, the company has developed an independent ecosystem of apps and services.
How We Test Smartphones
I try to use every smartphone I test as my main phone for at least a week, sometimes longer. I stress-test performance by playing the most demanding mobile games and recording video at the highest resolution. I make calls to test the smartphone’s microphone and speaker quality.
I often test the camera side by side with a competing phone and analyze the photos on a larger, more color-accurate screen. I’ve been reviewing all kinds of smartphones, from budget devices to flagships, for more than a decade.
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Simon Hill is a senior writer for WIRED and has been testing and writing about technology for around 20 years. You can find his previous work at Business Insider, Reviewed, TechRadar, Android Authority, USA Today, Digital Trends, and many other places. He loves all things tech, but especially smartphones and … Read More
Senior writer and reviewer
TopicsphonessmartphonesAndroidShoppingbuying guidesMobile
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