When Xiaomi launched the HongMi we wonder if they realised just how popular the phone would be, or how many rival devices like the HaiPai i9389 it would go up against!
The HaiPai i9389 might not be the newest phone on the market but it still has more than enough poke under the hood to keep up with most current entry-level phones, in particular the Xiaomi Hongmi.
Gizchina News of the week
If we compare the Haipai and the Xiaomi, both have 4.7-inch displays, 1GB RAM, quad-core processors, and space for dual SIM and micro SD cards. They both also offer great value for money too, unless you don’t happen to live in China in which case the Haipai is a much more affordable phone.
The Haipai i9389 costs less than $150 internationally (due to a lower resolution display and 1.2Ghz CPU), and for those looking for a cheap second phone it might be worth taking a look at.
Not a new model, and sadly, mine stopped charging after 3 months.
The quality of the phone could be better to be honest. The included flip cover is rather flimsy, and suffers from a serious problem (which some other flip covers suffer from too), whereby if the cover is closed, touches to cover register on the screen if the phone is not locked. This has lead to random people being called when I’ve had the phone in my pocket.
However on the positive side the phone is very fast and display is extremely bright, and is easily readable in direct sunlight if you have it set to maximum brightness. I used to have mine set to 20% brightness indoors, and found that to be more than bright enough.
You can download updated ROMs for it here: http://www.needrom.com/?s=i9389&sa=search&scat=0
Also, the phone is bigger and heavier than the S3 and has a smaller screen – 4.7″ instead of 4.8″