Short answer: Neither is fully compatible.
You always have to be cautious when buying Chinese phones not originally intended for the North American market. There is never a guarantee they'll work without issue and software / security updates are often rare or non existant.
17 Pro:
- Not 5G compatible.
- It in theory partially supports the 4G/LTE bands in use in Canada. It's missing 25, 26, 29, 46, and 71. I would not count on VoLTE support working. There is no guarantee the phone with work properly with 4G/LTE.
- Does appear to support Canadian 3G frequencies though many Canadian carriers have started charging extra for 3G access now. 3G is rumored to be shutting down in Canada in late 2025. If VoLTE doesn't work, you'll lose the ability to make voice calls once 3G is gone.
- 2G is not available anywhere in Canada
- Runs Android 13 - Android 15 is supposed to be released in mid October.
- 2 year old CPU.
18 Pro:
- 5G only supports 1 of 3 frequencies in use in Canada and does not support the primary two in use here. I would not count on it working for 5G here.
- It in theory supports most 4G/LTE bands in use in Canada. I would not count on VoLTE support working.
- Does appear to support Canadian 3G frequencies though many Canadian carriers have started charging extra for 3G access now. 3G is rumored to be shutting down in Canada in late 2025. If VoLTE doesn't work, you'll lose the ability to make voice calls once 3G is gone.
- 2G is not available anywhere in Canada
- Runs Android 13 - Android 15 is supposed to be released in mid October.
- 4 year old CPU that's barely mid-grade.
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