Say Hai! to the Haipad: 7″ Android tablet with ICS for only PHP 4,189 via Lazada

Here’s a find. The Haipad (yes we know it sounds like an iPad saying hello) is probably the most affordable bargain in Manila for a 7″ tablet. According to the folks at Lazada’s online store, the 8GB Haipad is one of their most popular products selling off the virtual shelves. I had to ask: what makes this device so affordable? Is it made of cheap plastic? Are the parts wonky? Read on for our review.

Reps from Lazada contacted me asking if I wanted to review the Haipad after picking it up from their office in Makati and playing with it for several days, here are my insights:

First off, why is it so cheap? The answer lies in the tech specs. The Haipad (or Hai Pad) is powered by a BOXCHIP A13/ Cortex-A8 1~1.5GHz processor which is perhaps the most affordable processing platform for mobile devices today. This processor goes for around USD $50.00 and powers the entire 7″ machine.

PROS
The Haipad comes at a super affordable price but doesn’t scrimp with power. The BOXCHIP A13 processor is faster than most of yesterday’s smartphones so running games like Angry Birds or Temple Run didn’t hiccup at all. The delay in response time happens mostly when switching from portrait to landscape mode but in-app speeds are quite decent considering you only paid less than PHP 5,000 for this tablet. Video playback is decent as well. Not the best — but decent.

The Haipad comes with two charging options — a stock wall charger as well as the option to charge it via USB.

CONS
The Haipad comes with a really annoying plastic wrapper on the back that’s really sticky and removing it is the worst thing ever. As you can see from the photo below, it sucks major balls. My advice is to not remove it at all, but touching plastic with the back of your hand can be a major letdown to tactile awesomeness. Suggestion: clean it with oil or something. In the photo below, there’s some leftover dirt! (will clean, will clean!)

Be prepared to bring a charger with you. This tablet also drains quite fast with a 1800mAH battery powering a 7″ screen.

If you hold the tablet with some force, you will notice the LED screen ripple. This means that there are some components that poke at the screen and that’s a tad scary.

VERDICT

For PHP 4,189 (with the discount from Lazada) you can’t go wrong. If you’re budget-strained and have always wanted a decent tablet to lug around, the Haipad is an obvious choice. It delivers a decent amount of power for the price you’re paying and I can’t stress that enough.

SPECS:
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
8GB Internal Memory; Up to 32GB SD/TF Support
7″ screen; 800 x 480 Resolution
5-point Capacitive Touching Panel; Multi-point
Wi-Fi: High-performance 802.11b/g
3G Module supports USB external
BOXCHIP A13/ Cortex-A8 1~1.5GHz
Has the OTG functions
Support online video, online TV, online movie, Online Music, Online Radio

N.B. Lazada told me I could keep the device. I in turn sent it to the office so we can use it to view website layouts on a 7″ tablet.