Don't buy the Chinese version of Lenovo phones
If you are based outside of China, do NOT buy the Chinese version of Lenovo phones for the reasons listed below. Even though those phones are often sold online they are not sold by Lenovo outside of China.
Regarding the phones sold on the Chinese market they have a completely different user interface and very often also a different hardware that better fits the Chinese mobile networks and might not work as well outside of China.
Google is also blocked in China, therefore you won't be able to access most google services on a Chinese phone and there is no google app store in the Chinese phone. For that reasons, Chinese phones are NOT SOLD outside of China.
People based outside of China should buy the ROW version of the phone. Unfortunately, some people buy the Chinese phones, root them, modify them, add bloatware, and sell them online to customers outside of China.
Unsurprisingly, phones that are modified in such a way do not run the original version of the software intended by Lenovo. Cannot be updated to new software release, or if you update them you will end up with Chinese firmware.
Settings > About the phone > Build number
If the build number includes "ROW" it is the international version.
ROW - rest of the world.
The model number is also different but there is no universial rule for that.
by pat_box
If you are based outside of China, do NOT buy the Chinese version of Lenovo phones for the reasons listed below. Even though those phones are often sold online they are not sold by Lenovo outside of China.
Regarding the phones sold on the Chinese market they have a completely different user interface and very often also a different hardware that better fits the Chinese mobile networks and might not work as well outside of China.
Google is also blocked in China, therefore you won't be able to access most google services on a Chinese phone and there is no google app store in the Chinese phone. For that reasons, Chinese phones are NOT SOLD outside of China.
People based outside of China should buy the ROW version of the phone. Unfortunately, some people buy the Chinese phones, root them, modify them, add bloatware, and sell them online to customers outside of China.
Unsurprisingly, phones that are modified in such a way do not run the original version of the software intended by Lenovo. Cannot be updated to new software release, or if you update them you will end up with Chinese firmware.
Code:
How to identify the lenovo from China?Settings > About the phone > Build number
If the build number includes "ROW" it is the international version.
ROW - rest of the world.
The model number is also different but there is no universial rule for that.
by pat_box