@tinjaw
Have you checked the voltage on the 5V rail (Pin2 or 4 for 5V+ and Pin 6 for ground)?
Most power adapters for cellphones cannot hold the voltage. Once you connect a load they drop below 5V and
that can lead to the OrangePI getting stuck in the boot up process.
You say again the red LED comes up, but not the LED direct beside it. This could point to a bad power supply.
So please check first the voltage on the 5V rail ;)