5 awesome phones for under $150 total landing cost from Gearbest

So last week we looked at Christmas shopping Gearbest, my favorite online store. Despite my best efforts though I could not squeeze in some of the wisdom that I wanted to pass on to you in that article. I also promised to present you with curated lists of some of extremely good products which are reasonably priced on the site.

How awesome are these products?

This was one of the questions posed. Chinese products are often stereotypically presented as shoddy and of poor quality and that mentality is entrenched in most people’s minds. What I have discovered in life is that you get what you pay for and most of the Chinese phones you get at Gulf Complex retail for less that $40 online!

China has several premium tech brands of which Xiaomi is the unparalleled leader. It is a globally respected brand that even US customers love and respect. Their phones can compete with the Samsung, Huawei and ZTE phones on any day and often they are better than these brands. In my, and a lot of people’s opinions obviously.

How much duty do I have to pay?

One of the scary things about buying something online is that ZIMRA will demand your first born son as import duty once your product lands. I have put a lot of effort into researching what VAT and Tax you will pay and today you will see an expected landing price beside each phone. This price will include the actual cost of the phone, shipping, duty and VAT you are expected to pay on your product.

The formula for duty is as follows:

• Free On Board Cost (Same as Value for Duty Purposes [VDP]) = Cost on Gearbest + Shipping Costs
  For example on a $100 dollar phone with free shipping this will be $100.
  Duty on phones is 25%:
  100*0.25
  =$25
• All cellphones imported for personal use are liable to pay VAT which is 15% so in our example this would be:
  0.15*125.00
  = $18.75

NB If you believe you are overcharged it’s usually because ZIMRA used a different VDP you might try to contact them with an invoice or bank statement showing exactly how much you paid for your phone and see if you can have your duty reduced. Ultimately they are the authorities and only they can tell you how much you have to pay, doesn’t mean you have to take it like a sheep though.

Shipping

Always choose Registered Air Mail and never ever choose Expedited mail. Couriers like DHL and FEDEX will charge you a fixed import clearing fee of between $30-$50 even when your products are worth $10. These local branches often charge more than the cost of shipping or even the cost of the products themselves! By contract ZIMPOST will charge you handling costs of between $2-$9 and only if you have to pay duty.

The downside is you have to be patient and wait for your items to arrive. Expect to wait around 30 days although you might get surprised by early arrivals (21 days). Buy today and expect to receive in January.

Now the deals

I have cherry picked these phones using the following criteria: specifications, video and actual reviews, brand reputation and landing price (i.e under $150):

1. Xiaomi Redmi 4A 4G Smartphone International Version

This comes with 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 13.0MP Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera, Bluetooth 4.1, Infrared, Gyroscope, Snapdragon 425 Quad Core Max 1.4GHz, 5.0 inch, 1280 x 720 pixels HD screen, 296ppi, LTE, Dual SIM, 3120mAh battery.

Price on Gearbest: $94
Landing Price: $135

The 32GB version with Adreno 308 GPU on Gearbest: $99

Landing Price: $142

3 Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A 4G Phablet Global Version Gray

This comes in metallic grey,2GB RAM, 16GB ROM,13.0MP Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera, Infrared, Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, E-Compass, Gravity Sensor, Gyroscope, Snapdragon 425 Quad Core 1.4GHz, 5.5 inch 1280 x 720 pixels screen, LTE, Dual SIM, 3080mAh  battery. It also has a Finger Print scanner so no one is reading your messages without your consent or cutting your finger off.

Price on Gearbest: $110

Landing Price: $160

4 OUKITEL C8 4G Smartphone – BLACK 

The U20 comes with the following specifications: Android 7.0, 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 pixels FHD display, MTK6737 Quad Core 1.3GHz 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, Finger print scanner, 13MP Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera and 3000mAh  battery. This phone is shamelessly modeled after the Galaxy S8 and while it will never match the venerable S8, it packs a punch for its price tag.

Price on Gearbest: $90

Landing Price: $130

5 OUKITEL C8 4G Smartphone – BLACK 

The C8 comes with Android 7.0, 5.5 inch 1280 x 640 Pixel screen, MTK6737 Quad Core 1.3GHz, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, Fingerprint reader, LTE, 13MP Rear Camera, 5MP Front Camera, Dual Sim, 3000mAh

Price on Gearbest: $90

Landing Price: $130

How awesome is awesome

These phones are part of reputable brands, they have great specifications for their price, decent battery life i.e. you charge at most once a day for normal WhatsApp, Facebook and call use. They are durable with some having metal cases, have fingerprint scanners which are not a usual feature in this price range. Your phone will still work even with a cracked screen, great cameras for both selfies and normal shots. The phones also sport modern stylish designs.

Often for little more dollars you can get the 32GB version of the models featured above if they are available. Changing the color of a phone will most likely change the price you have to pay at the end of the day so be careful when shopping.

Landing price

As already said this is the total price you will pay for the phone for it to land into your hands. Including shipping costs. This is an estimate but you can factor in a deviation of plus or minus $10 in each instance if you really want to be prudent.

As always feel free to ask your questions in the comment section.

NB I have bought items online a couple of times including phones so I have an inkling of what I am talking about.