Category: Android

A while back I mentioned about the new Xiaomi Mi 4 that was being launched in SA. The launch of the phone in South Africa was a HUGE success, and really started gaining traction as a must have phone, given the price point.

As a gadget freak, I am always on the lookout for new and exciting gadgets, especially in the mobile sphere. So when I got the opportunity to give the Mi 4 a run, I jumped at the opportunity!! The Xiaomi brand in China is one of the fastest growing mobile brands, and has a huge community to support it. What I like most about Xiaomi is that they offer the ability to upgrade the phone MIUI OS, as well as being able to install a Windows 10 ROM on the phone!
The phone, which is priced at R3,799 in SA offers a variety of features:

• 5″ IPS 1080p capacitive touchscreen
• Android 4.4.3 KitKat with MIUI v.5, upgradable to MIUI v.6 (And Windows 10)
• 2.5GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU; 3GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset
• 13MP camera, f/1.8 aperture, LED flash, 4K video capture, HDR video, 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps
• 8MP front-facing camera; 1080p video recording
• 16/64 GB of built-in memory
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone
• 3,080mAh battery

So, I have been using the Mi 4 as my secondary device for a few weeks now, using it on the go for a few photos, social stuff and just general on the go use.
Even though the un-boxing was a little underwhelming, with just a phone, charger & USB cable in the box, once you turn the phone on, you start getting a sense of the Xiaomi brand and feel. The phone is pretty sturdy and made of a strong stainless steel frame, and has a distinctly similar look to the iPhone 5.

The screen display is amazing and offers a FULL HD experience, which does mean the battery life takes a bit of a knock. Having said that, using the phone as a secondary phone, I managed to get around 2 days out of the phone, with medium use. Not bad, considering what is under the hood.
The Sony Camera (at 13MP) also offers pretty clear images, as well as great video. This has to be the highlight of the phone, as it is not often we get to see such great camera hardware in these sorts of devices.

The performance on the device is pretty average, given the very basic CPU that’s behind the covers. Comparing it to other devices using the AnTuTu 4 benchmark app, the phone ranks in the middle of comparative phones in the same category.

The MIUI ROM that is pre installed comes with all the standard Google Apps offerings, and apart from 1 or 2 Xiaomi standard apps, the phone doesn’t feel like it comes with any “bloatware” that is often installed by Android phone distributors.

In a world where new smartphones are being released daily, it is difficult to match up to some of the best in the market. But given the price point on this device (R3,799) it’s a great device for an entry level user looking for a smartphone. The device is available at for purchase online on the MIA Africa Site, as well as on contract from MTN and at Dion Wired, Makro, Game & Incredible Connection.

The entry-level smartphone landscape is changing in South Africa. There is an influx of reasonably priced entry level smartphones hitting the market at the moment, and it won’t be long before we see the illusive (decent spec) entry level smartphone hitting the market at around R500.

Personally I have been on the hunt over the last couple of months to find this phone, specifically to distribute to the rural markets, as there is still a huge gap there waiting to be filled. Having said that, nothing amazing has come up and even though MTN launched the Steppa and Vodacom has a basic smartphone on the way for around $45, nothing is blowing the “basic-entry-level” market out the water.

Having said that, there have been 2 interesting brands launched over the last couple of weeks. Kalahari introduced the gobii range of smartphones recently with 2 different models(4″ gobii smartphone IIP (R999) & 4.5″ smartphone IVP (R1,699)), and the guys from Afrihost hooked up with the team from Zest Mobile to launch the Zest T1 smartphone (R2,599/R1,999 launch price Update: Just been informed that the R1,999 price is standard Edit: 21/7: Pricing has been put up again to R2,499) next week.

Both brands of phones run a fairly new version of Android (Jelly Bean & Kit Kat) and have decent specs in the hardware department. Both phones are dual sim, which means they come with a pre-installed sim card with data loaded on. Afrihost give you a 1GB data bundle per month, while Kalahari give you a 200MB Cell C bundle per month.

Here is a spec comparison of the 3 phones.

All in all, it’s an interesting “war” to be watching, as ultimately it means an uptake in Smartphone usage in South Africa, and giving people access to content they never previously had! That’s the winner :)