Meizu M5
All the fuss with customs restrictions began with the order of Xiaomi Mi5, but the de facto distributor "covered" the supply of all models that are officially shipped to Russia. The youngest of them is Redmi 4A.
What this Redmi is, enthusiasts are well aware - this is the only one in the modern Xiaomi model line that truly budget smartphone. That is, not when “we are creating an inexpensive mobile phone, but just in case, there are eight cores in the processor, a metal case, 3 gigabytes random access memory and hefty
battery". Redmi 4A has only the "vital" bells and whistles for a new smartphone - 4 cores / 2 GB RAM, LTE, HD display, 16 GB internal storage. For all this, depending on the color of the case, the Chinese are asking 5500-7000 rubles.
The alternative will not be to the taste of all enthusiasts (the more you know smartphone models, the less choice seems), but it is.
Even slightly cooler eggs of the characteristics, and even the design of the iPhone are absolutely free. Display 5.2 inches (and more bright and contrast), HD, eight Cortex-A53 cores in the processor, this time MediaTek MT6750. Not as respectable as Snapdragon, but MediaTek's eight low-frequency cores are better than Qualcomm's four high-frequency ones. Meizu's speed is noticeably higher, and there is a 3/32 GB option for those who are willing to pay a little extra.
The case is about the same in quality, but in black it looks very expensive - much more presentable than the black version of Redmi 4A. Yes, and a fingerprint scanner is present, unlike the similarly priced Xiaomi.
The “victims” in comparison with Redmi will be the volume of the sound in the headphones and the volume of the speaker (it’s generally a problem), which can only partially be brought back to normal using engineering menu. In terms of the quality of shooting on cameras, smartphones are approximately equal, but Meizu has no expanse for firmware lovers (and MediaTek too, hee hee) - “put on” old smartphone some Android 9 after a couple of years, you certainly won’t be able to. But there is a global multilingual firmware that does not have to be Russified through "hard-to-reach places", as is the case with Meizu smartphones for the Chinese market.
Replacement options for Redmi 3S, 3X, Redmi 4, 4X
Same thing with different sauce. Models with a 5-inch HD display, a Snapdragon 430 processor, unprepossessing cameras and 4100 mAh batteries. Not much, in fact, differs, except for the design of the cases and the fact that Redmi 3S / 3X are “elite” modifications of the third generation of Redmi, and Redmi 4 and 4X are fourth-generation medium-equipped options.
So that life does not seem like honey to newcomers to the Xiaomi world, all these smartphones are also available in two versions - with 2/16 and 3/32 GB of memory. But the junior equipment is still more popular, because instead of the “luxury”-Redmi 3S, it is much more reasonable to take the Redmi 4 Prime with a much faster processor and a Full HD display. All these models are Chinese
sellers today estimate at 8500 - 11000 rubles, depending on the color, modification and impudence of a single seller. From here we will dance.
Be mentally prepared for the fact that you will not find a smartphone comparable in terms of autonomy and openness to flashing at a similar price, you will have to make compromises.
Meizu U10
In this article, the number of Meizu will certainly set you on edge, but there is nowhere to go. Because, minus Xiaomi, this is one of the few manufacturers that, unlike all sorts of Elephone and Doogee, produce high-quality smartphones without "childhood diseases", but still do not ask for impressive amounts for them, like Lenovo and Huawei.
So, Meizu U10 is a "clone" of Meizu M3/M3s mini in a glass-metal case. Gurus will say that it would be wiser to counter the mid-range Redmi trim levels with Meizu's symmetrical answer - M5s, but this model is so "neither fish nor fowl" and self-quoting M3s mini that it is better to prefer the U-series. Moreover, the smartphone is very beautiful in black.
Everything that was said about the Meizu M5 is also true for the U10, with the only difference that you get not 5.2, but exactly 5 inches of the display and unsightly autonomy (“would last until the end of the day”) in exchange for a much more humane price - about 6700-8000 rubles for models with 2/16 GB on board. The quality of the display, cameras and speed are about the same as Redmi in the title, the sound is worse, the autonomy is worse (alas).
Well, or you can still buy the M5s, it’s already doing well with autonomy, and the body is metal. It's time to give Meizu a medal for the ability to "spread" the same model into several families, in the best traditions of the classic Zhiguli.
ZTE Blade V7
No need to grin, gentlemen geeks - let ZTE release not the most functional and hassle-free smartphones for its price, but after Oukitel or Leagoo you will understand that it can be worse.
ZTE tried to sell this model in Russia, but to pay 16 thousand rubles for a smartphone in which the proprietary shell periodically “hiccups”, and the case is cheap even in appearance, there were few who wanted to - they were all taken away by Huawei and Samsung.
But for 10 thousand - quite an option! Albeit a little "curve" in color reproduction, but still Full HD display, eight-core processor MT6753, good front-camera and "one-day" autonomy. In terms of sound quality, GPS / GLONASS reception level, design and speed of the system, autonomy, the smartphone is inferior to Redmi, but the display and front camera are cooler, the rear camera is similar in quality to Redmi, and application performance is also not bad. An equivalent alternative if you don't need custom ROMs or super stamina.
Replacement options for Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime (Pro)
Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
If you should miss any of the Chinese Xiaomi “banned” in Russia, then Redmi 4 Prime is one of the best smartphones of 2016, and generally an all-time cool “state employee”. If only because the same combination of a capacious (4100 mAh) battery, display clarity (Full HD) and processor performance (Snapdragon 625) in one model is still
so far no one offers. And, by and large, 11-12 thousand in Chinese stores versus 16 thousand in Russian retail no longer look like an exorbitant overpayment, but let's not be like the capital's tired colleagues, for whom 4 thousand rubles is not money. Let's look for alternatives.
ZUK Z2
Hand on heart - there is no full-fledged replacement for Redmi 4 Prime. Any analogues will either be slow, or not so hardy, or without a Full HD matrix (that is, they will smell like an “economy class”). But if you arm yourself with the idea of a model (a powerful geek budget non-phablet), you can find analogues.
For example, the most “exclusive” right now (because Lenovo is burying this subsidiary brand) is a glass smartphone with a 2016 flagship processor, Snapdragon 820, and a Full HD matrix at the core. Exciting? Very! Against this background
The Redmi 4 Prime smartphone is a “brake”, especially since Xiaomi looks cheaper even after the Chinese screwed a design in the style of the spectacular Redmi Note 4 to the younger model. Yes, and the cameras in the ZUK Z2, although not masterpieces in themselves , but certainly better than the despondency that roams in Xiaomi's compact state employees, starting with Redmi 3.
But there are no freebies even on Aliexpress (or “especially on Aliexpress,” as buyers of fake flash drives would say), so read the shortcomings of the Beetle right away, and don’t say that we didn’t warn you:
- The case is glass and very slippery, so any " broads" becomes more likely and, more importantly, "deadly" for the body panel, even if the smartphone falls on its "back". Scratches on the case also appear very quickly even without any extreme sports. In Redmi 4 Prime, everything is much better with durability.
- With firmware, everything is rather gloomy - new smartphones do not always come with Russian language pack, flashing this model is quite "dreary". Although in terms of the degree of "dirty perversions" nothing compares to modifying a USB cable in order to "fill in" global firmware in Redmi 4A. Everything is relative, but be prepared to modify the smartphone software yourself.
- The brightness of the display is so-so. Using a smartphone on the street is painful.
By and large, ZUK Z2 is such a “degraded” and more affordable Xiaomi Mi5, but in the absence of fish among the search for replacements for Redmi 4 Prime, it is good in its own way.
Huawei nova
Perhaps, officially imported Huawei will be the main "gravediggers" of Xiaomi in Russia, if there are no smartphones at prices from Aliexpress on the market. But with foreign models, not everything is so simple - the Chinese carefully “castrate” Huawei and Honor for the Celestial Empire in such a way that they do not operate 4G (and sometimes 3G) frequencies in foreign markets. Therefore, it is better to bypass the very attractive Honor 5C and 6X on Aliexpress. Or not to bypass, but before that, find the only workable version of the Chinese modifications and make sure that it has multilingual firmware installed. Why live like this?
Therefore, better grab a rare species - Huawei smartphone with a Qualcomm processor! The Chinese are importing American chips with their Kirin if you don't know. Huawei nova started as a mid-range mobile phone with an emphasis on glamor and your endless selfie beauty (when automatics remove pimples from the "face" of the face, widen the eyes and mask the second chin) at a not very adequate price, but now it has fallen in price on Aliexpress to about those the same 12 thousand rubles that they ask for Redmi 4 Prime. For a smartphone with 3/32 GB of memory with exactly the same Snapdragon 625 processor, no longer budget case materials and incomparably cooler cameras - a good exchange, isn't it?
By and large, nova is inferior to Redmi 4 Prime only in terms of speaker quality, sound in headphones and autonomy. All other functions in it work on the same or more high level. And, of course, do not expect support for LTE Band 20 in models for the Chinese market, but the standard B3 / B7 are available in absolutely any modification. You can take it without looking.
Replacement options for Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro/Note 4/Note 4X
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
A hardy 5.5-inch phablet with a very fast processor by the standards of "state employees" - this is the whole Redmi Note, of any generation. Among the people, of course, we love the Redmi Note 3 Pro most of all with its Snapdragon 650, good endurance and reliability, but the more beautiful Redmi Note 4 with a ten-core MediaTek, which eats up the charge indecently quickly, but “heaps” in benchmarks, also many like it. Redmi Note 4 with a Snapdragon 625 processor is, frankly, not that interesting, but it is just the golden mean between the first two models. Anyway, we are talking about smartphones with Full HD display, powerful processor, so-so cameras and good autonomy at a price of 10-12 thousand rubles. Alternatives not as many as I would like, but they are there.
Meizu MX6
When the MX6 appeared on the Russian market and they asked for 28 thousand rubles for it, the first thought was - “who needs you at all?”. For almost 30 thousand, it was already possible to aim at much more thoroughbred and faster models, and a beautiful “shovel” with a cheap processor without outstanding features did not impress anything against this background.
But the Chinese sell the same Meizu for 12 thousand, and these, as they say in Odessa, are two big differences. Because the display in Meizu is slightly brighter than in Redmi Note 4, the processor is the same, and the cameras are much better. Autonomy is approximately at the same level as that of Xiaomi, the sound in headphones without adjustment is better than in Redmi, with adjustment it is worse. There are no problems with firmware (that is, there are, but they are easily solved), the ranges of Russian cellular networks LTE is supported at Band 3 and Band 7. You can take it.
LeEco Le S3 X522
Offering a Xiaomi fan to buy a LeEco instead is like giving a pink Volga to an American muscle car lover. But after Smart Orange unwraps your package at customs, you may change your mind.
In general, LeEco has not been feeling very well lately - just look, it will “give oak” due to the fact that the costs of promotion were significantly higher than the profits from sales of mobile phones and TVs. Specialists who had previously joined the company from JD and Lenovo “ran” from the Russian LeEco - is the trend clear?
But we do not buy a painting by a classicist artist in order to predict whether it will be valuable for several years ahead, so we will not delve into the jungle. Let's dive deeper into the new LeEco model - Le S3. Well, like a new one - this is such a “rethought” Le 2, from which custom (“amateur”) firmware is even suitable for the new model.
A slightly more advanced smartphone than Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro in terms of hardware - Snapdragon 652 (against Xiaomi's 650), a slightly more elegant case and a brighter screen. Disadvantages - sound quality in headphones, less endurance, amputated headphone jack (as an alternative, there is an adapter with USB Type-C). Well, the rear camera is worse. That is, not “so-so”, like Redmi Note 4, but “bad”.
But it's still a good smartphone, which "brings all the money" in benchmarks and in real use, and it costs only 9-10 thousand with full Russification and good performance. Who knows if the reliability of budget LeEcos has improved since Le 2, but outside of Xiaomi and Meizu in the same class of devices, a more sensible alternative does not come to mind.
Replacement option for Xiaomi Mi Max
I don’t envy fans of “shovel phones” - smartphones with a near-tablet display diagonal are already few, and Mi Max is one of the best among them and certainly the best in terms of price / quality / autonomy, if we are talking about
Chinese prices. But all this is lyrics, and here we have “counterfeit”, so here are options for large-sized quality smartphones worth 13-18 thousand rubles.
ZTE Nubia Z11 Max
An unpopular phablet, but in vain. Yes, it doesn't have the wow factor of the standard bezel-less Z11, it doesn't even have an audiophile chip like the 5.5-inch model. But this is the only model in the category "6 inches or more" at a price of up to 20 thousand rubles, which cannot be called a "budget bucket". Apart from Mi Max, of course.
ZTE Nubia Z11 Max
At the same time, you can’t call Nubia cheap either - it looks much cooler and more expensive than Xiaomi, the proprietary shell is also beautiful, the characteristics are about the same (Snapdragon 652, 4000 mAh, 4/64 GB), except that the display is smaller (6 inches exactly). The Russian language is already included in the firmware, there are no problems with frequency support, the quality of the cameras is about the same as in Mi Max, or even a little better. Autonomy is worse, but also not bad, and the main problem is the disgrace with software support. For a long time, owners were content with Android 5.1, and Android 6.0 was released when smartphones of the same age as the Z11 Max began to upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat! And in general, in the case of Nubia smartphones, it is enough when the developers said “yes, this phone, we changed our mind!”, And users were left with nothing, sometimes even without custom firmware at all.
Over the past few weeks, customs in Orenburg has unwrapped many parcels from Aliexpress, which contained Xiaomi phones. Explaining these actions by the fact that Smart Orange LLC acquired the rights to sell Xiaomi products in Russia. And now without the permission of the trademark owner.
Let's try to figure out if such customs actions are legal?
Counterfeit or not?
Counterfeit( counterfeit) is a new product created on the basis of an existing original with infringement of intellectual rights; counterfeit consumer goods. Counterfeit goods are goods produced without the permission of the copyright holders of the intellectual property embodied in the goods.
In connection with these definitions, Xiaomi phones are not counterfeit, as they were manufactured by the official manufacturer of this brand, and are original goods. Therefore, it seems that these smartphones are not counterfeit, and it turns out that buying them on Aliexpress may fall under the concept of “Parallel import”.
Parallel import.
- The term "parallel import" is usually understood as the import of "branded" products into the territory of the country, where these products are not sold by the brand owner himself or by another person with the consent of the copyright holder.
- Parallel imports, also known as “shadow products”, are the imports of genuine (i.e. not counterfeit) goods that are put on the market in one country and then imported into a second country without the consent of the owner of the intellectual property rights to the product in the second country .
That is, buying Xiaomi from Aliexpress can, in principle, come under the concept of parallel imports.
Exhaustion of the exclusive right to a trademark.
According to the text of Article 1487 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation on the exhaustion of the exclusive right to a trademark, we can see that if Smart Orange started selling Xiaomi phones in Russia, then the trademark rights are considered exhausted:
It is not a violation of the exclusive right to a trademark that the use of this trademark by other persons in relation to goods that have been introduced into civil circulation in the territory Russian Federation directly by the copyright holder or with his consent.
Commentary on Article 1487 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation
1. The rule contained in this article is that if a product marked with a trademark is put into civil circulation on the territory of Russia directly by the trademark owner or with his consent (on the basis of a license issued by him), then further civil circulation of this product is not infringement of the exclusive right to a trademark, i.e. cannot be prohibited (pursued) by the right holder (and licensee): the rights to such a product marked with a trademark are considered “exhausted”.
The principle of “exhaustion of rights” also applies to those goods marked with a trademark that were legally introduced into civil circulation abroad and then legally imported into Russia.
On the other hand, on the territory of the Russian Federation, there is a national principle of exhaustion of the rights of the right holder, which provides for the exhaustion of the exclusive rights of the right holder only if the goods are put into circulation within the country. Despite the repeated sale of goods abroad, the consent of the trademark owner is required for the import of goods into a country with a valid national BIP. Otherwise, such actions will be considered illegal, even if the products in the country of purchase were bought quite legally.
Does customs have the right to detain Xiaomi phones bought on Aliexpress?
According to the customs code, it turns out that customs has the right to delay packages from Xiaomi for 10 days in order to request import consent from the trademark holder. Judging by the response of the customs about the reasons for not releasing parcels from Xiaomi, they are requesting an import permit, but Smart Orange refuses them. In this connection, the parcels are sent back to China.
Paragraph 1 of Article 328 of the Customs Code of the Customs Union (hereinafter referred to as the Customs Code, the Code) provides that the customs authorities, within their competence, take measures to protect the rights of copyright holders to intellectual property in the manner prescribed by Chapter 46 of the Code.
According to paragraph 4 of the title article, the customs authorities take measures to protect the rights to intellectual property objects, the customs register of which is maintained by these customs authorities in a member state of the customs union, and intellectual property objects included in the unified customs register of intellectual property objects of the member states of the customs union, and in accordance with the legislation of the member states of the customs union also in respect of intellectual property objects not included in such customs registers.
Paragraph 1 of Article 331 of the Customs Code provides that if, when performing customs operations related to the placement under customs procedures of goods containing objects of intellectual property included in the customs register maintained by the customs authority of a member state of the customs union, or in the unified customs register of objects of intellectual property of the Member States of the Customs Union, the customs authority found signs of violation of intellectual property rights, the release of such goods is suspended for a period of 10 working days. The purpose of suspending the release of goods for a certain period is to establish the facts of violation of intellectual property rights as a result of the activities specified in paragraph 2 of Article 331 of the Customs Code. If, as a result of such measures, the violation of intellectual property rights is not confirmed, this does not indicate an unlawful decision by the customs to suspend the release of goods.
That is, it turns out that there is no consensus on whether the actions of customs and Smart Orange are legal. On the one hand, there is a ban on parallel imports of Xiaomi in the laws. On the other hand, there is a case in judicial practice when the court sided with parallel imports. It was in the situation with the import of the Porsche Cayenne. The copyright holders of this trademark went to court. But the judges sided with the company that imported the car into the territory of the Russian Federation.
Public interests are violated only by the circulation of counterfeit goods, and only such a violation should be punished by confiscation. And in relation to original goods imported without the permission of the owner of the rights to the trademark, Art. 14.10 of the Code of Administrative Offenses should not be applied at all. The holders of the rights to a trademark can, in the opinion of the board, protect their rights by “civil law means”, in other words, by filing claims on their own without the help of administrative bodies.
And also the court sided with parallel imports in the case with spare parts for BMW. The court proceeded from the fact that “the import of original goods marked with a protected trademark and introduced into civil circulation by the right holder himself or with his consent, legally and for a fee acquired on the secondary market outside the territory of the Russian Federation, is not a violation of the exclusive right to a trademark.”
In general, the court recognized that the trademark owner must independently sue the company engaged in parallel importation of products. That is, Smart Orange, instead of going to customs, can go and file a lawsuit against Aliexpress. By the way, now it’s real, since Aliexpress officially registered on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Therefore, on this moment there are two opinions. Since we are not lawyers, it is difficult to figure out which one is more correct.
If someone has deeper knowledge in this topic, then share your vision with us in the comments.
From the very beginning, the situation with the turn of the "gray" Xiaomi smartphones seemed so surprising that it looked more like someone's joke or another "broken phone". But now, after some time, you can look at all this sensibly and without unnecessary emotions, assessing the scale of the brewed Smart Orange porridge.
It all started back in March, when this company acquired the rights to sell Xiaomi gadgets in the Russian Federation. Following this news, rumors spread on the Web about the imminent start of official sales of devices in Russia, which users perceived with interest. At the end of April, even the first brand was held in Moscow, where several well-known smartphones were presented. Few people were pleased with their prices, so the main audience was once again convinced that foreign online stores were, are and will be the main suppliers of affordable Xiaomi smartphones.
And everything would be fine, but Smart Orange made a fuss here too. Being the only official representative, she blocked all other deliveries of Xiaomi smartphones to Russia, operating on the fact that they violate her rights. Now at customs everything international parcels marked "phone" and "cell phone" can be opened for verification - if Xiaomi is found, the shipment is returned back.
The irony of this would-be control is that the discovered devices are issued as counterfeit, the import of which is actually prohibited. But the representatives of customs control themselves cannot establish exactly this counterfeitness, they simply do not have such powers. They can only identify signs of counterfeiting for further proceedings or, if this is not possible, return the parcel to the sender.
Moreover, you may still have to prove to the seller that the return was not your fault. In the case when the payment was not made through PayPal or AliPay (providing buyer protection), you risk being left without a smartphone and without (part of) the money.
We took comments from the lawyer Yan Chebotarev:
Here the situation is ambiguous. Indeed, the right holder of a trademark has the right to demand the withdrawal from civil circulation of goods marked with his trademark, it is the right holder himself who has the right to decide which goods and where, to which country to transport. However, as a rule, official dealers have exactly the same rights. The entire chain needs to be considered. If the copyright holder has given the rights to the dider to independently ship the goods, for example, to Russia, then the Russian company that bought such goods does not bear any responsibility and the goods are considered absolutely legal. Another issue is that it turns out to be a very complicated procedure for making a transaction. Intending to buy a batch of phones, a Russian importer must not only work out the terms of his contract with a partner, but also make sure that he has the rights to sell goods marked with a separate brand.
According to Roskomsvoboda, customs officers take pictures of detected Xiaomi smartphones and send the pictures to Smart Orange, where they recognize the smartphone as fake from the photo. It remains only to guess by IMEI and issue root rights via Skype. This is the basis for sending the parcel back. Many lawyers disagreed with the legitimacy of such actions, but so far the fact remains that the chances of getting a Xiaomi smartphone ordered abroad are less and less every day.
Initially, everyone sinned only at the Orenburg customs point, but later reports began to appear about the refusal at customs in Yekaterinburg. Those parcels that arrive at Vnukovo are practically not delayed and sent to the addressees, but this is most likely temporary and is based on the heavy workload of the checkpoint. In any case, when ordering now, you should check with the seller which route the package will take.
In connection with this situation, many foreign online stores were forced to temporarily send Xiaomi smartphones to Russia. One of them is quite large GearBest, retailers from AliExpress are gradually joining it. The end users suffer the most from the Smart Orange initiative.
We contacted a representative of one of the Xiaomi branded Russian stores, which is not related to Smart Orange LLC, and asked a few questions about the current situation. Popular anger touched them, and undeservedly- They did not support the decision to ban imports, even more - they were not asked, and the decision of the head office is not subject to discussion. But that didn't stop them from receiving their portion of negativity addressed to Smart Orange. How has this affected the business? Nothing, neither good nor bad. Although ordinary buyers will be the losers. Ordinary distributors understand this and treat with sympathy.
In the official VK group Xiaomi Russia every day there are dozens of angry messages from users who simply wanted to save money by buying a smartphone from a reliable foreign retailer. Few people are willing to overpay 30-50% for official PCT devices that have no practical benefit. Sympathy for Xiaomi is mostly based on attractive prices, which Smart Orange is now offering to forget about.
Users meet inadequate prices with humor, but Smart Orange representatives seem to have the most fun now
The supplier himself can and will benefit from such actions, partly by increasing the demand for the devices he brings. However, on a global scale, this whole situation can greatly undermine the interest of users in the brand. After all many will stop buying Xiaomi even just out of principle, not wanting to encourage a retailer who put an end to really affordable smartphones.
Some users write statements to the prosecutor's office, and someone decided to take the initiative into their own hands by creating a petition, which, upon reaching 25,000 signatures (already over 17,000), will be transferred to the Federal Customs Service of Russia and the main Beijing office of Xiaomi. The petition puts the right emphasis on Xiaomi's commitment to affordability from the start. modern technologies without unnecessary overpayments and marketing surcharges. The prices for the company's smartphones in Russia go against this paradigm.
Particularly desperate and angry users decided to go further. Trying to somehow annoy Smart Orange, through official channels they order expensive flagships of the company with delivery to remote Siberian villages and just very remote areas, where, as they say, the devil will break his leg. Naturally, these addresses are false and couriers from Chinese smartphones no one is waiting there. The addressee will not be found, the smartphone will be returned to the warehouse, and the seller will incur losses for the failed delivery. This is just one example of revenge for the blocked supply chain.
But war is war, and smartphones are on schedule. Those who just want to habitually take the gadget of their favorite brand at the lowest price and with minimal risks continue to look for simple workarounds. Some negotiate with sellers so that they do not mention the Xiaomi brand in the declaration, others explore shipping routes and all kinds of shipping options in order to calibrate the strategy to the smallest detail and “carry out” the purchase through the customs office with a minimum number of failures.
Forces are unequal, but buyers will win, in the end, it is they who "vote with the ruble." But in what way: by force, by putting pressure on Smart Orange and Xiaomi, or by quietly mastering workarounds - the question is still open.
All Xiaomi smartphones imported into Russia, so many buyers of mobile devices from this manufacturer have not been able to receive their packages. Chinese online stores and sellers understood this and returned money to buyers for undelivered goods. Even despite the fact that thousands of Russians have already filed complaints with several Russian authorities and the Xiaomi CEO in China, the likelihood of resolving this situation with customs peacefully is extremely small.
The editors of the site carefully analyzed the situation and found two really working solutions that will help buyers from Russia continue to get their hands on Xiaomi smartphones at very low prices. At the same time, the likelihood of any problems with the customs service of the Russian Federation is negligible. If everything is done correctly, then the parcel is guaranteed to be in the hands of the buyer, bypassing the traps set by Smart Orange, which asked not to let allegedly counterfeit Xiaomi smartphones into Russia, since it owns the rights to this trademark.
Negotiate with the seller or online store
Russian customs operates very simply. If the postal packaging contains words like “Xiaomi smartphone”, then such a postal item will not reach Russia. All Chinese online stores and individual sellers usually mention the name of the company, so the Russian customs are actually provided with all the data to complete their task.
Before buying a Xiaomi smartphone in China, you should contact the representatives of the online store or the seller in advance, asking them not to indicate the brand name of the smartphone, limiting themselves to the words “smartphone” or “ mobile device on Android". In this case, the customs service will never be able to know for sure which smartphone from which manufacturer is inside. Of course, the package can be opened, but this almost never happens.
Compliance with this simple rule will allow you to continue ordering Xiaomi smartphones from China without overpaying a double price to the Russian representative of the company. At the same time, everything will be on completely legal grounds, since the essence of the parcel does not change from this. Customs officers will still understand that there is a mobile device inside, but which one, they will only have to guess.
Order Xiaomi smartphones from the Mall
As part of the integration into the Russian market, the largest Chinese online store AliExpress opened a so-called "Mall" a few months ago, in which Russian residents can order goods not from China, but directly from their country. Thus, postal items bypass customs checks, which means buying in a simple way you can Xiaomi smartphones.
Of course, goods from the Mall cost approximately 10-15% more than those delivered from China, but the confidence in receiving the package and the absence of headaches with customs are definitely worth it. We also note that all postal items moving only in Russia reach the recipients within two weeks, and this is another reason to buy a Xiaomi smartphone through the Aliexpress Mall.
Don't miss your chance! Until April 21, inclusive, everyone has a unique opportunity to Xiaomi Mi Band 3, spending only 2 minutes of their personal time on it.
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Since March 15, 2017, another official distributor has appeared in Russia, the Smart Orange company. It sells Mi equipment and provides user support throughout Russia. It sounds like a good thing, but not everything is so clear.
What is the problem
A week after the loud announcement and the appearance of the official store, users in in social networks complained about the following: the Russian customs, by order of Smart Orange, began to deploy Xiaomi smartphones ordered on sites like Aliexpress and send them back to China.
It is worth noting that we are talking about users with single orders, and not about gray suppliers and delays of entire batches of "gray" products intended for sale in the country and tax evasion.
Such illegal actions were noticed at the customs of Yekaterinburg and Orenburg. Many users have already suffered from them, who never received their Xiaomi phones from Aliexpress.
How do they explain this
The Smart Orange company itself officially confirmed its participation in the "scheme" and explains this as follows:
According to the letter of the Federal Customs Service dated March 15, 2017 and paragraphs. 2 p. 1 art. 313 of the Customs Code of the Customs Union, paragraph 1 of Art. 1515 and paragraph 4 of Art. 1252 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, as well as Article 18 of the Universal Postal Convention, Xiaomi smartphones imported through unauthorized channels are not allowed to be introduced into civil circulation on the territory of the Russian Federation. Recently, cases of suspension of such shipments by the customs authorities have become more frequent. The situation also applies to private orders placed on foreign online trading platforms and sent to Russia by mail.
The company also encourages all users who have encountered a similar problem to become their customers and buy the same Xiaomi smartphone from them with an additional discount. Here is a loyalty program.
What about prices in Russia
The appearance of an official distributor in the country is an excellent event, which should first of all be aimed at improving service and user support, and secondly at selling official products. But Xiaomi fans on social networks noted the high cost of Mi smartphones, some models are sold 2 times more expensive than on Aliexpress.
For example (32 GB), which is sold on Aliexpress for 8-9 thousand rubles in the Smart Orange store, it will cost 12,999 rubles. The Mi Max phablet with 32 GB of memory costs 19,900 rubles against the Chinese price of 12-13 thousand. Mi Note 2 - 34,000 rubles against 25-26 thousand rubles.
How to order a Xiaomi smartphone so that customs does not return it
Users note that the problem affected Xiaomi smartphones, light bulbs, bracelets and other smart gadgets go through customs without any problems. And once again, we note that the cases were recorded at customs in Orenburg and EKB. And so, here is a small list of tips on how you can buy Xiaomi on Aliexpress so that customs does not return it back.
- ask the seller not to indicate that this is a Xiaomi smartphone (let them indicate Meizu, Bluboo, Venee or any other less popular brand)
- ask the seller not to indicate that this is a smartphone at all (let him write in the declaration that this is a gift, photo frame, etc.)
- ask the seller to repack the smartphone in another box so that it cannot be identified without opening the package
- please do not send to the above customs (although it is difficult)
What will happen to Xiaomi in Russia
The Xiaomi brand is very popular in Russia, Ukraine and other countries. Not a small merit in this is just Chinese stores that sell Mi equipment to the whole world. What will happen to the Xiaomi brand and products in Russia now?
The two main sales drivers for Xiaomi smartphones are low cost and balanced features. Without one of these components, the meaning in the devices of this brand is lost. There is a very small chance that in Russia users will start massively buying Xiaomi phones with a double mark-up, such a scheme simply will not work. Most users will switch to similar smartphones that can be easily ordered from China: Meizu, LeEco, Huawei, Vivo, Oppo and others.
Xiaomi Tech proudly announces its record sales every year, if you compare the numbers, it becomes clear that a large percentage of these sales are in international markets where the brand is not represented at all. The merit of these sales is precisely Chinese stores with adequate prices and delivery around the world, but the manufacturer is usually silent about this in reports.
Thus, by depriving Russian users of the opportunity to order affordable Mi-smartphones on Chinese sites, Xiaomi itself will face losses and a drop in global sales. The current situation harms not only ordinary customers, but also the Mi brand.
We hope that Chinese stores will adapt to such conditions and “whitewash gray products” by simply repacking Xiaomi phones in ordinary white boxes, without logos and inscriptions.
Instead of conclusions
Do you remember the days of Redmi 1S, Mi3 and the first Redmi Note with a 5.5-inch HD screen? When all Xiaomi devices Sold in these cute beige boxes made from recycled cardboard. When even in anticipation of the parcel there was something pleasant and magical. And when you picked it up at the post office and opened the coveted box, there was no limit to delight.
Today, the popularity of Xiaomi has made the company highly commercial and this is felt in all aspects. New items come with a locked bootloader, and recognizable beige boxes have become faceless white, like Apple's. Today, everyone is trying to capitalize on brand fans by inflating prices and cutting off supply lines. But many do not understand what exactly fans want from Xiaomi, since they themselves are not.
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