Just recently, the Xiaomi company was unknown to anyone in the global portable electronics market. Today, it is becoming a sales leader around the world, not without the help of the CIS countries, which, in fact, are the most frequent buyers of their goods. That is why authorized suppliers of Xiaomi phones began to appear in countries such as the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine and others.
Thus, in the spring of 2017, the Smart Orange company (a division of the RDC Group), which officially sells and services Xiaomi smartphones, launched its activities in Russia. It would seem that everything is fine and it will finally be possible to buy a good one budget smartphone, bypassing all the difficulties of foreign purchases. But alas, not everything is as good as it seems.
Starting in April 2017, outrage began to appear on various Internet resources about the difficulties of crossing customs control with smartphones purchased by users in Chinese online stores. At the same time, employees of several customs control points (Ekaterinburg and Orenburg) simply seize it and make a return, discovering that the parcel contains a phone under the Xiaomi brand.
The Federal Customs Service explains all these actions by the fact that it was at the end of March that a letter was sent to their address regarding the procedure for importing Xiaomi products, which indicated that the only representative of the copyright holder in the Russian Federation from Xiaomi is the Smart Orange company. Actually, she and a number of other partners have the right to import Xiaomi products through the “portable phones” line.
Otherwise, the customs office must stop Xiaomi goods and return them to the seller. Even if we take into account that the meaning of the idea is very noble and is to reduce “basement” products from the so-called gray sales markets, then it is worth noting that the ban also affected officially ordered products from Xiaomi for personal use, and this, naturally, caused a storm of indignation.
Give gifts
Smart Orange company opinion
This company confirmed the information about the application submitted to customs regarding Xiaomi smartphones, which they sell on the Russian portable electronics market. They are also ready to cooperate with users affected by such “sanctions”, offering discounts on the purchase of any Xiaomi smartphone in their network. After all, it is Smart Orange that can provide high quality products and their further professional service.
Positions of Affected Consumers
In addition to the fact that the majority of users do not consider smartphones ordered for personal use through online stores to be counterfeit goods, they also believe that Smart Orange’s statement regarding the inadmissibility of introducing these goods into civil circulation is illegal. In Yekaterinburg, an entire community “Problem with Orenburg Customs” was even launched, in which “colleagues in misfortune” could exchange tips on solving this issue and problematic issues regarding the Xiaomi market in Russia.
So, the main reason for what is happening is the cost of imported mobile phones from China. The difference between the price of the same smartphone in an authorized point of the Russian Federation and a Chinese online store will differ on average by 30-40%. Turning up prices and maximizing prices is the answer to the question about the rapidly growing popularity of Chinese products purchased through online stores.
Official suppliers of Chinese electronics and their further actions
Of course, most foreign companies have an intermediary company in the Russian Federation, but the problem of the “gray” sales market is relevant for any brand. Therefore, there are only two solutions to this issue: 
- Establishing a ban on imported goods through unofficial sources (Xiaomi, Sony) and, accordingly, stopping them, detaining them and returning them to the seller.
- Providing the most affordable and high-quality service from trusted companies (Meizu).
Thus, by choosing one of the options, companies create for themselves a certain status as a tough or loyal and high-quality intermediary with good products in the CIS countries.
Options for safely purchasing Xiaomi through Chinese online stores
And yet, Chinese online stores, which have proven themselves on the world market as reliable sources of high-quality equipment at reasonable prices, do not allow domestic users to calm down. Why should I pay prices that are exorbitant on the Russian market if I can purchase goods via the Internet?!
Many people ask this question, but the solution is simple - make purchases through online stores. But given the difficult situation with customs and the possibility of being stopped to check the goods (they were detained only in 2 regions) with further return to the seller, taking advantage of the so-called “gray” market becomes much more difficult. However, there are several options for more or less secure cooperation: 
- Ask the seller of such a product to send the smartphone through Singapore Post, which operates through Vnukovo Airport, where the percentage of detentions is very low. But we should not forget about the growing relevance of this issue, which may entail detailed control throughout the country;
- Offer the seller to label the package with a smartphone as a gift, a photo frame, or something like that. Although the event is risky, since there is a scanner everywhere, it really works. Just don’t indicate “telephone” in the abstract. In this case, it will definitely be opened;
- Try to specify a phone from some other Chinese manufacturer. This is the most real option avoid being detained at customs. However, it is worth considering that more than 5% of all parcels are checked in detail by customs control officers, so there is still a risk;
- The easiest option is to purchase new smartphone at a good discount from the Smart Orange company and join their fan club.
As a result, we can say that the procedure for purchasing smartphones on the Chinese Internet market will be relevant in any case. The only thing that intermediary companies like Smart Orange can do is to provide good quality with an appropriate price (without markups of 200-300%) for a popular product.
Since March 15, 2017, another official distributor, the Smart Orange company, has appeared in Russia. It sells Mi equipment and supports users throughout Russia. It sounds good, but not everything is so simple.
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: 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 unlawful actions were noticed at the customs offices of Yekaterinburg and Orenburg. Many users have already suffered from them and have never received their Xiaomi phones from Aliexpress.
How do they explain this?
The Smart Orange company itself has officially confirmed its participation in the “scheme” and explains it 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 by customs authorities of such consignments have become more frequent. The situation also applies to orders from individuals placed on foreign online trading platforms and sent to Russia by post.
The company also calls on all users who encounter similar problem, become their clients and buy the same Xiaomi smartphone from them with an additional discount. This is the loyalty program.
What about prices in Russia?
The appearance of an official distributor in the country is an excellent event, which should primarily be aimed at improving service and user support, and secondly, at sales of 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, 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 versus 25-26 thousand rubles.
How to order a Xiaomi smartphone so that customs does not return it
Users note that the problem specifically affected Xiaomi smartphones; light bulbs, bracelets and other smart gadgets pass through customs without problems. And we note once again that cases have been 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.
- ask the seller not to indicate that this is a Xiaomi smartphone (let him 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 it is a gift, a photo frame, etc.)
- ask the seller to repackage the smartphone in another box so that it cannot be identified, without opening the package
- please do not send to the customs indicated above (although this is difficult)
What will happen to Xiaomi in Russia
The Xiaomi brand is very popular in Russia, Ukraine and other countries. No small merit in this is due to the Chinese stores that sell Mi equipment to the whole world. What will happen now to the Xiaomi brand and products in Russia?
The two main drivers of sales of Xiaomi smartphones are low cost and balanced characteristics. Without one of these components, the meaning of the devices of this brand is lost. There is a very small chance that in Russia users will start buying Xiaomi phones en masse at a double markup; 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 come from international markets, where the brand is not represented at all. The merit of these sales is precisely Chinese stores with reasonable prices and worldwide delivery, 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 will “whiten up gray products” by simply repackaging Xiaomi phones in regular white boxes, without logos and inscriptions.
Instead of conclusions
Do you remember the times of Redmi 1S, Mi3 and the first Redmi Note with a 5.5-inch HD screen? When all Xiaomi devices were sold in these cute beige boxes made from recycled cardboard. When even while waiting for the parcel there was something pleasant and magical. And when you picked it up at the post office and opened the coveted box, your delight knew no bounds.
Today, the popularity of Xiaomi has made the company highly commercial and this is felt in all aspects. The new products come with a locked bootloader, and the recognizable beige boxes have become featureless white, like Apple's. Today everyone is trying to make money from brand fans by raising prices and cutting off supply routes. But many do not understand what exactly fans want from Xiaomi, since they themselves are not fans.
Yesterday I received my Xiaomi Mi6 at the Russian Post office, which I ordered less than a month ago from China. In modern times, consider yourself lucky, because customs, together with the Russian representative office represented by Smart Orange, are clearly against such fraud. I’ll tell you how I did it right now.
Yaroslavna's cry
Let's start with the fact that I have to cry. I was not invited to the first official presentation of Xiaomi in Moscow that recently took place in Moscow. Why? I don't know. I communicate with PR services of almost all vendors, including Samsung and even Apple. The latter, however, very politely send me (and not only me), but nevertheless. But somehow the relationship with Smart Orange did not work out, so my absence from the presentation is not surprising. Although no, on the contrary. Considering how much material about Xiaomi is published on the site, this is doubly strange.
In any case, I still have to buy smartphones and other devices from China in order to write interesting and comprehensive reviews on them. And the main thing is to try to do it quickly. And Mi6 was purchased for the same purpose.
Where did you buy it and what about customs?
I buy most Xiaomi devices on AliExpress from this seller. We communicate closely and he promptly sells me new items. In return, I always include links in my reviews of this store, because it would be a sin not to recommend a reliable site, and secondly, we cooperate, and such relationships should be mutually beneficial.
I ordered my Xiaomi Mi6 on April 30th. Literally a day later, it turned out that at some customs points problems began with newly arrived phones - they were returned back, since the presence of gray supplies disrupted the orderly order of the universe. I immediately informed my supplier about this, to which he replied: “Don’t worry. All our orders are sent by Singapore Post, and there are no returns through it. The Finnish post office is problematic, yes, but the Singapore post office is fine.”
On May 14, the departure was registered at Vnukovo airport. On the same day, customs clearance began and on the night of the 15th the parcel was transferred for delivery throughout Russia. No delays.
On May 16, I received a smartphone at the Russian Post office in Kaluga. Thus, delivery took less than 20 days. In my opinion, an excellent result.
I unpacked the box, turned on the phone - everything works great, as it should. We'll talk about the phone in detail in the review, which will be released next week, but for now let's talk about delivery.
It is noteworthy that the customs declaration stated the following:
"ANDROID PHONE. VALUE $18.” In other words, the seller did not indicate that the phone was specifically Xiaomi inside and its actual cost ($422). And this is despite stories on the Internet that such a lengthy formulation is guaranteed to lead to opening the package in order to check what kind of “Android background” is there.
Perhaps such a scenario would actually take place if there were 150 border service officers at the customs office in Vnukovo and they processed no more than 50 parcels per day. It’s a sin not to open something, because it’s boring. However, I am sure that a little more than 50 shipments arrive at Vnukovo every day.
Push
I have ordered and will continue to order smartphones (including Xiaomi) from China. After all, even taking into account the month-long wait and at least a week of testing the device, my reviews are still published promptly. There is no point in waiting until the device officially arrives in Russia, samples appear at the representative office, and only then they get to me.
Briefly about the current situation. I don’t think the prices for Xiaomi smartphones in Russia are overpriced. Yes, perhaps they could be a little lower, but even for 30 thousand rubles it looks like a completely adequate offer. After all, we get a flagship device, and in addition an official guarantee, support and a system with the Russian language out of the box.
I only condemn the fact that to a simple user they slap his hands when he personally, at his own expense and exclusively for himself, tries to buy some kind of device abroad. Cunning individual entrepreneurs who organized a one-page website and resell something from China should go the distance, but ordinary citizens should not follow them. Can not be so.
The whole fuss with customs restrictions began with the order of Xiaomi Mi5, but de facto the distributor “covered up” the supply of all models that are officially supplied to Russia. The youngest of them is Redmi 4A.
Enthusiasts are well aware of what this Redmi is - this is the only truly budget smartphone in the modern Xiaomi model line. That is, not when “we are creating an inexpensive mobile phone, but just in case, here’s 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 of RAM, LTE, HD display, 16 GB of internal storage. For all this, depending on the color of the case, the Chinese ask 5500-7000 rubles.
The alternative will not appeal to all enthusiasts (the more smartphone models you know, the fewer the choice seems), but it exists.
Even slightly cooler egg characteristics, and even the iPhone design is absolutely free. The display is 5.2 inches (and brighter and more contrasty), 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 cores. Meizu's operating speed is noticeably higher, and there is also an option with 3/32 GB for those who are willing to pay a little extra.
The case is about the same in quality, and in black it looks very expensive - much more presentable than the black modification of Redmi 4A. Yes, and there is a fingerprint scanner, unlike the similarly priced Xiaomi.
The “victims” in comparison with Redmi will be the volume of sound in the headphones and the volume of the speaker (it’s generally a problem), which can only be partially normalized using engineering menu. In terms of the quality of shooting with cameras, smartphones are approximately equal, but Meizu does not have freedom for firmware lovers (and neither does MediaTek, hee hee) - “put on” old smartphone You certainly won’t be able to use some Android 9 after a couple of years. But there is a global multilingual firmware that does not have to be Russified through “hard to reach places”, as happens with Meizu smartphones for Chinese market.
Options to replace Redmi 3S, 3X, Redmi 4, 4X
The same thing with a different sauce. Models with a 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon 430 processor, unsightly cameras and 4100 mAh batteries. In fact, there is little difference, 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 mid-equipped versions of the fourth generation.
So that life doesn’t seem like honey to newcomers in the world of Xiaomi, all these smartphones are also available in two versions - with 2/16 and 3/32 GB of memory. But the younger version 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 Full HD display. All these models are Chinese
sellers today estimate it at 8,500 - 11,000 rubles, depending on the color, modification and impudence of the individual seller. From here we will dance.
Be mentally prepared for the fact that you will not find a smartphone comparable in 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 definitely set your teeth on edge, but there is nowhere to go. Because, excluding Xiaomi, this is one of the few manufacturers who, unlike all sorts of Elephone and Doogee, produce high-quality smartphones without “childhood diseases”, but still do not ask impressive sums 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 contrast the mid-range Redmi configurations with Meizu’s symmetrical answer - the M5s, but this model is so “neither fish nor fowl” and the self-quote of the 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 being that you get not 5.2, but exactly 5 inches of display and unsightly battery life (“it 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 operating speed are about the same as the Redmi in the title, the sound is worse, the battery life is worse (alas).
Well, or you can still buy the M5s, its autonomy is already quite good, and the body is metal. It's time to give Meizu a medal for its 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 - even though ZTE does not produce the most functional and problem-free smartphones for its price, but after Oukitel or Leagoo you will understand that worse can happen.
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 body is cheap even in appearance, there were few takers - Huawei and Samsung took them all away.
But for 10 thousand - quite an option! Albeit a little “crooked” in color rendering, but still a Full HD display, eight-core MT6753 processor, 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 performance in applications is also not bad. An equivalent alternative if you don't need custom firmware or super-endurance.
Options for replacing 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 in general an unprecedentedly cool “state smartphone”. 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
no one has offered it yet. And, by and large, 11-12 thousand in Chinese stores versus 16 thousand in Russian retail no longer looks like an exorbitant overpayment, but let’s not be like our jaded colleagues in the capital, for whom 4 thousand rubles is not money. Let's look for alternative options.
ZUK Z2
Hand on heart, there is no full-fledged replacement for Redmi 4 Prime. Any analogues will be either slow, or not so hardy, or without a Full HD matrix (that is, they smack of “economy class”). But if you arm yourself with the idea of a model (a powerful geeky budget non-phablet), you can find analogues.
For example, there is already a “most exclusive” (because Lenovo is burying this subsidiary brand) 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 drag, especially since Xiaomi looks cheaper even after the Chinese added a design in the style of the spectacular Redmi Note 4 to the younger model. And the cameras in the ZUK Z2, although not masterpieces in themselves , but certainly better than the despondency that roams Xiaomi’s compact budget phones, 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 immediately familiarize yourself with the shortcomings of the Beetle, and don’t say that we didn’t warn you:
- The body is glass and very slippery, so any “ boom“becomes more likely and, more importantly, “deadly” for the body panel, even if the smartphone falls on its “back.” Scratches on the body also appear very quickly, even without any extreme measures. In Redmi 4 Prime, everything is much better in terms of durability.
- With firmware, everything is quite gloomy - new smartphones do not always come with a Russian language pack, flashing this model is quite a “tedious task”. Although, in terms of “dirty perversions,” nothing compares to modifying a USB cable in order to “upload” global firmware to Redmi 4A. Everything is relative, but be prepared to modify the smartphone software yourself.
- The display brightness is so-so. Using a smartphone on the street is painful.
By and large, ZUK Z2 is 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 left on the market at prices from Aliexpress. But with foreign models, not everything is so simple - the Chinese carefully “castrate” Huawei and Honor for the Middle Kingdom in such a way that they do not operate 4G frequencies (and sometimes 3G) in foreign markets. Therefore, it is better to avoid the very attractive Honor 5C and 6X on Aliexpress. Or don’t bypass it, but before that, find the only working version of the Chinese modifications and make sure that multilingual firmware is installed on it. Why live like this, as they say?
Therefore, you better grab a rare look - a Huawei smartphone with a Qualcomm processor! The Chinese are importing American chips with their Kirin, if you are not aware. Huawei nova started out as a middle-class mobile phone with an emphasis on glamor and these endless selfie-beautifications (when automation removes pimples from the “face” of the face, widens the eyes and disguises the double chin) at a not very adequate price, but now it has dropped in price on Aliexpress to about the same the same 12 thousand rubles that are asked for Redmi 4 Prime. For a smartphone with 3/32 GB of memory with the exact same Snapdragon 625 processor, no longer budget body materials and incomparably cooler cameras - not a bad exchange, right?
By and large, nova is inferior to Redmi 4 Prime only in speaker quality, headphone sound and battery life. All other functions in it work at the same or higher level. And, of course, don’t expect support for LTE Band 20 in models for the Chinese market, but standard B3/B7 are available in absolutely any modification. You can take it without looking.
Options for replacing Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro/Note 4/Note 4X
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
A durable 5.5-inch phablet with a very fast processor by the standards of “state employees” - this is what Redmi Note is all about, of any generation. People, of course, love the Redmi Note 3 Pro most of all with its Snapdragon 650, good endurance and reliability, but many people also like the more beautiful Redmi Note 4 with a ten-core MediaTek, which eats up the charge indecently quickly, but “heaps” in benchmarks. Redmi Note 4 with a Snapdragon 625 processor, to be honest, is not so interesting, but it is just the golden mean between the first two models. One way or another, we are talking about smartphones with a Full HD display, a powerful processor, so-so cameras and good battery life at a price of 10-12 thousand rubles. There are not as many alternative options as we would like, but they exist.
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 anyway?” For almost 30 thousand it was already possible to take aim at much more thoroughbred and faster models, but a beautiful “shovel” with a cheap processor without outstanding features was not impressive 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 tuning is better than in Redmi, with tuning it is worse. There are no problems with the firmware (that is, there are, but they can be 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 a lover of American muscle cars. But after Smart Orange unwraps your package at customs, you may change your mind.
In general, LeEco has not been doing very well lately - just look, it will go to hell 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 “fled” from the Russian LeEco - is the trend clear?
But we are not buying a painting by a classic artist in order to predict several years in advance whether it will be valuable, so we will not delve into the jungle. Let's take a closer look at the new LeEco model - Le S3. Well, like new, this is a “rethought” Le 2, from which custom (“amateur”) firmware is even suitable for the new model.
A slightly more advanced smartphone than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro in terms of hardware - Snapdragon 652 (vs. 650 in Xiaomi), a slightly more elegant-looking body 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 the Redmi Note 4, but “bad”.
But it’s still a good smartphone that “bangs all the money” in benchmarks and in real use, and it costs only 9-10 thousand with full Russification and good characteristics. Who knows whether the reliability of budget LeEcos has improved since the days of Le 2, but outside of Xiaomi and Meizu, no more sensible alternative comes to mind in the same class of devices.
Option to replace Xiaomi Mi Max
I don’t envy fans of “shovel phones” - there are already few smartphones with near-tablet display diagonals, and Mi Max among them is one of the best and certainly the best in terms of price/quality/autonomy ratio, if we are talking about
Chinese prices. But all this is lyrics, and here we have “counterfeit”, so here are the options for large-sized quality smartphones costing 13-18 thousand rubles.
ZTE Nubia Z11 Max
A little popular phablet, but in vain. Yes, it doesn't have the wow factor of the standard bezel-less Z11, and it doesn't even have the audiophile chip of the 5.5-inch model. But this is the only model in the “6 or more inches” category with a price of up to 20 thousand rubles, which cannot be called a “budget bucket”. Not counting Mi Max, of course.
ZTE Nubia Z11 Max
At the same time, Nubia cannot be called 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 the Mi Max, or even a little better. The 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 came out when smartphones the same age as the Z11 Max began to update to Android 7.0 Nougat! And in general, in the case of Nubia smartphones, there are plenty of times when the developers said “come on, this phone, we changed our minds!”, and users were left with nothing, sometimes even without custom firmware at all.
The scandal around Russian customs and Xiaomi smartphones does not subside: more than 10 thousand people have already signed a petition against the ban on the import of devices. Let's find out from experts whether the actions of customs and the Xiaomi distributor are legal.
What's happened?
Cases of delays at customs have become more frequent in Russia postal items with Xiaomi smartphones. People buy them from Chinese online stores, but the parcels do not pass customs control. The reason is the appeal of the Xiaomi distributor in Russia (Smart Orange LLC): they own the rights to the “XIAOMI” trademark and have declared all devices passing through customs to be counterfeit. Therefore, customs prohibits the import of Xiaomi smartphones through postal mail.
According to rough estimates, more than a thousand Russians are faced with this situation.
Whose side is the law on: what experts say
Hi-Tech Mail.Ru talked to lawyers about this situation and found out interesting details. Experts said they had not heard of similar cases in other countries.
It is quite possible that customs will be bombarded with lawsuits, since despite the completely legitimate claims of brand rights holders, according to the law of the Russian Federation, a material medium can only be recognized as counterfeit by a court.
As Ivan Nikitenko, an intellectual rights lawyer, explained:
A material medium can only be recognized as counterfeit by a court. That is, before the court decision comes into force, the disputed goods are correctly considered “goods with signs of counterfeiting.” This concept itself is legal. Therefore, the court must decide this.
According to Russian law, a product can only be recognized as counterfeit by a court decision.
However, the Head of the Moscow Human Rights Center Mikhail Salkin said that the actions of the distributor and the Xiaomi company are completely legal:
Customs has the right to do this - this is regulated by various laws as well as agreements. According to Russian law, customs may require you to provide a document that allows you to use a trade mark or trade mark in Russia.
Mikhail Salkin
Lawyer, head of the Moscow Human Rights Center
Lawyer Alexey Egorov also called these actions legal:
The situation is indeed quite loud. However, from the point of view of the law, the distributor, alas, is right. He is the copyright holder of the brand in Russia. This is also supported by the decision of the Federal Customs Service. Now, when receiving a smartphone, customs is obliged to send a request to the distributor, and he, of course, will answer that it is counterfeit. Therefore, online platforms selling gray models can already be considered violators Russian legislation. It is easier for them to agree with customs and send the order back than to have problems with the law. Well, or at least not write that they are selling a smartphone of this particular brand (this is just a trick, not a legal way of selling).
Position of Xiaomi and Aliexpress
Hi-Tech Mail.Ru contacted the Xiaomi press service in Russia. to find out their attitude to this situation. They know about the situation with Russian customs and the distributor:
Xiaomi is aware of the current situation and together with our partner RDC Group we are working to resolve the problem. Our fans have always been the company's top priority.
Xiaomi press service in Russia
It should be noted that Aliexpress representatives declined to make official comments.
Is there a war coming with Seryak?
So, Xiaomi smartphones are being detained at customs - this is unfortunate, but another question arises: will this become a trend? Other companies, such as Meizu or Apple, may also claim ownership of the brand and declare all devices ordered from other countries counterfeit. Then we will face a large-scale war between official distributors and sellers of “gray” devices.
The customs actions set a precedent for other companies. There are already reports that devices from Sony, Blackberry, Chuwi and some other companies have been “wrapped” in a similar way.
As Yuri Salkin said, such an outcome is quite possible. Customs services have received new equipment that allows them to examine parcels without opening them. Therefore, there is a possibility that an iPhone ordered from an uncertified online store may also get stuck at the border. There have been no such cases so far, but be careful.
So far, all cases have occurred in Yekaterinburg and Orenburg customs, which is strange. For some reason, parcels with smartphones are not detained at Moscow customs and other cities. Perhaps they have just introduced new equipment there and are testing it. So in the future, other customs offices will probably also start stopping parcels with smartphones.
Why do people even order equipment from China?
The reason is simple - the price difference between a “white” and a “gray” device reaches an average of 30-40%. Let's say Redmi Note 3 Pro in the Smart Orange store will cost you 13,490 rubles. On Ali, a similar copy with global firmware is estimated at 8700-9500 rubles. In the upper price segment, the difference in percentage is smaller, but in absolute numbers it is higher - the “official” Mi Note 2 costs almost 35 thousand rubles, and the “Chinese” one costs 28,781.
Are they “wrapping up” at all points?
Not really. Among indignant buyers, Ekaterinburg and especially Orenburg customs points are notorious. Users note that Xiaomi smartphones are allowed through Vnukovo almost without problems. A trend has also been noticed: several devices that arrived in Yekaterinburg in early May have been tested, but those from April are still lying around. Community subscriber Irina K. at some point began collecting statistics - which smartphones passed control and which failed. From these data it is clear that many devices are stuck in Orenburg, and the “May” devices are leaving Yekaterinburg:
Why did Smart Orange do this?
As in the case of consumers, suppliers are simply looking for their own benefit - “parallel” imports one way or another hit their pockets. It is difficult to calculate the volume of “left” deliveries, but judging by the frenzied reaction of deceived investors, a certain percentage passed by the official importer. The senior vice president of Xiaomi himself spoke about his intentions to “strangle” gray smartphones at a presentation in Russia. Another thing is that such a step seems to have been designed primarily for wholesalers - Internet shuttles, who bought cheaper there and sold more expensive here. Unfortunately, it also caught the attention of ordinary users.
Will others start doing this too?
In this regard, the behavior of Meizu, a direct competitor of Xiaomi for the attention of the Russian consumer, is indicative. Meizu also has a representative office in the Russian Federation, but no one is fighting the flow of gray imports - apparently, they want to drown it out not with bans, but with service and other advantages of “white” smartphones.
But there are also opposite examples, and from the well-known company Sony. The story about a guy from Surgut who ordered a PS4 Slim in Germany and received a fine recently spread all over the Internet - but there the issue is more likely to be the imperfection of the bureaucratic system: the new “Slim” simply did not have time to register in the database of the registry of notifications about the characteristics of encryption tools and goods. But the story that an employee of the Khabarovsk customs press service told to AmurMedia deserves close attention:
“There was a precedent when we turned back a parcel with a Sony PlayStation because the copyright holder said that he did not give permission to import,” Victoria Aleshina, press service of the customs point of the Khabarovsk Territory.
Victoria clarified that if a product is found in a parcel that is included in the Rospatent list, then a request is sent to the copyright holder - whether he gave permission to import. If the manufacturer refuses, the goods are returned to the seller. Judging by customer reviews, Sony is now pursuing exactly this tactic.
Ok, I bought a smartphone, but it got stuck at customs, what should I do?
Strictly speaking, you have two options. Of these, only one can lead to a satisfactory solution to your local problem.
Option 1. Going to court with the Federal Customs Service, which is long and tedious. Even if the outcome is successful, the trial may last more than one year. By then, the smartphone will no longer be relevant. Plus there is the overhead of litigation to consider.
Option 2. Try to get the money back. This option is preferable, if only because there are successful precedents. To refund, you need to make a request to the customs office about the reasons for the return, then open a dispute and attach a scan of the response there, explaining that transport company returned the goods.