After my S7 Edge almost made me cry, I sold it after 12 months of usage and bought the Xiaomi Mi 6.
Best Android I've ever used and seen. The software isn't exactly Apple or Google level but it's very solid and EXTREMELY SNAPPY. The whole thing flies like there's no tomorrow.
I will buy the iPhone X and make it a secondary device but holy hell that device is much better than I expected.
Yeah Xiaomi phones are extremely good. They are not really popular in the west but not hard to get one either through Aliexpress or any other reseller.
The lacklustre cameras and LTE band support are my main issues with those. You'll also want to reflash the phone when you get it - this may require asking Xiaomi for "permission" to unlock the phone (what happens when that server goes away?)
I agree the camera is not great. No Android so far was able to compare against my former S7 Edge (I guess S8/Plus and Note 8 are better though). And that's not okay. I have to admit though, the Mi 6 is a filler device for me until the iPhone X comes out.
The LTE band support problem is weird and I guess it comes from Xiaomi not pulling the right strings in the USA. We can only speculate though.
Yes, I realize that and it's a real shame. It seems Xiaomi can't pull certain strings -- it's hilarious that one has to pull strings to be able to sell phones in USA but hey. Your carriers are a pretty strong mafia. ;)
Jokes aside, again, it's a shame and you guys are missing out. Xiaomi makes the most no-bullshit phones on the planet right after the iPhones.
There are European versions of Xiaomi working on all European frequencies now in Poland. You can grab a nice Xiaomi phone for $150 with a fingerprint sensor and 3/32 memory.
I bought the mi5, installed Lineage on it and holy shit! I don't want this phone to become old and obsolete. Everything has been near perfect if not perfect. Everything. The battery life, screen size, the speed!
Best Android I've ever used and seen. The software isn't exactly Apple or Google level but it's very solid and EXTREMELY SNAPPY. The whole thing flies like there's no tomorrow.
I will buy the iPhone X and make it a secondary device but holy hell that device is much better than I expected.