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Buying a mobile on Aliexpress is usually a good way to save us some money. Mainly because we find a large number of mobiles at a very good price. These terminals are usually imported from China, and although many of these even offer a guarantee in Spain, other factors must be taken into account. This is the mistake that is usually made when buying a mobile on AliExpress.
You always have to look at the features and the description of the item when buying a mobile on Aliexpress. That smartphone may be refurbished, or even have a different software version mentioned in the description. However, we do not usually look at something so important: the frequency of the networks. In Spain, the main operators use 800 MHz bands for 4G connectivity.Therefore, our mobile must have 800 MHz frequency compatibility to be able to enjoy 4G, although the 1800 and 2600 MHz bands are also compatible, but with a lower network speed (3G). If you are looking for a mobile on Aliexpress and this band does not appear in the list of specifications, it would be better not to buy it, since it may not work with your operator.
Of course, in the characteristics it may not appear exactly 800 MHz in the list of compatible networks. We will have to look for the following to appear.
LTE FDD: B1 / 2/3/4/5/7/8/20
LTE FDD is the type of connection used in Europe. Band 20 corresponds to 800 MHz, the frequency most used in Spain by the main 4G operators. For this connection, band 3 is also used, which are 1800 MHz, as well as 7: 2600 MHz. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that bands appear, above all, 20, 3 and 7. Be careful, the networks in Spain are also compatible with 8 and 1, but these offer only 3G and 2G. Therefore, this mobile would be valid for use in Spain. But you have to look at other factors.
This Xiaomi mobile could be suitable for 4G networks in Spain, since it has the 20 band (800 MHz).
Software updates
Another mistake that is usually made when buying a mobile on Aliexpress is not looking at the software updates of the different versions. Depending on the variant (if it is international or not), it is likely that you will receive a different update than the one that appears in Spain. For example, we can buy a Xiaomi mobile compatible with 800 MHz networks. However, as it is a Chinese version, we receive an update for that country. What do you have to do to avoid buying one that will only receive updates in China? Check that the terminal is a global version compatible with OTA updates. This information usually appears in the product description.
You can also check the reviews or contact the seller to confirm that this phone will receive global updates.
