The Cheap Android Phone Is Here, But It's Not What You'd Expect
Unlike what some people tend to expect from Chinese companies, this phone is not a copy or a crappy product with even crappier software. We're looking at a dual core 1.5Ghz chip (Qualcomm MSM8260 SoC), Adreno 220 graphics processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of ROM. It has all the usual stuff - WiFi, Bluetooth, AGPS, and so on. It has a 4" 480×854 LCD built by Sharp, and it even has GLONASS, the Russian GPS alternative. It also has two antennas for better reception, and a massive 1930mAh battery (as opposed to the more common 1400mAh or 1500mAh ones), which promises to deliver two days of "real use" (whatever that means).
Software-wise, Xiaomi has already built somewhat of a name for itself - it's the company behind the MIUI Android ROM, which, unsurprisingly, is also what runs on this phone. The mentioned dual-partition setup means you can have two different MIUI builds installed, and you can even have one build being updated in the background while using the other build. Pretty nifty. Engadget has a video demonstrating MIUI on the Xiaomi Phone.
The most astonishing thing about this phone is its price: $310 (available in October). In fact, there's going to be a 1.2Ghz version as well, and that's going to be even cheaper. This is an absolutely mind-blowing price point, especially since we're not dealing with some silly knock-off, but a truly innovative phone with a unique and well-thought out Android build.
On paper looks great. Let's see if it will be the same in real life.
