Golfing with Python Import When is it beneficial to use inline, single use importing in Python?

For example:

__import__("x").doSomething()


Is the above ever shorter than the below?

import x
x.doSomething()


Or

from x import*
doSomething()
This can be useful if you want to use a module just once in an anonymous lambda function, as it allows you to avoid writing a separate statement:

lambda x:__import__('SomeModule').foo(x,123)


is one byte shorter than

from SomeModule import*;f=lambda x:foo(x,123)


If the code is a named function or program, then __import__ is unlikely to help except in the most extreme or contrived circumstances.