Huawei finally launches Ascend W1 with Windows Phone 8

After launching Huawei Ascend Mate and Ascend D2 at the CES 2013, the Chinese handset maker is now showing some Windows Phone 8 love.
Huawei had long been mentioned as one of the four original Windows Phone 8 manufacturers and while we've seen Windows Phone 8 offerings from Nokia, HTC and Samsung, Huawei had been missing in action until now.
Huawei has finally launched its Ascend W1 smartphone, which comes with a 4-inch IPS LCD screen and a resolution of 480x800. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8230 dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 512 MB of RAM. There is 4GB on-board memory, which can be expanded to up to 32GB with a microSD card.
Huawei Ascend W1 runs on Windows Phone 8 and comes with 1,950mAh battery that claims to give 470 hours of standby time,. There is 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash on-board.
The company has announced that this smartphone will be first available in China and Russia markets from January 2013. Later it will be available to UK customers through operators Telefonica O2. It will come in two colour options - blue and ruby-pink. So far, Huawei has not indicated the price for this smartphone.
Huawei Device UK and Ireland Executive Vice President Mark Mitchinson said: "Windows Phone 8 is tremendously exciting in terms of both its functionality and the practical benefits it delivers. With the Ascend W1, Huawei has created a product to put this fresh smartphone experience within reach of a much wider audience. O2's record of championing innovative brands and technologies is remarkable, and we are delighted to partner with it for launch of the Ascend W1 in the UK."


Key Specs of Huawei Ascend W1

• 4-inch IPS LCD screen with 480x800 resolution
• Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8230 dual-core 1.2GHz processor
• 512MB RAM
• 4GB internal storage, can be expanded up to 32GB
• 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera
• Windows Phone 8
• 1,950 mAh battery

Huawei announces three new Android phones at IFA, coming in October

Huawei has announced three new smartphones in its Ascend series as well as a brand new user interface 'Emotion' for its Android phones at the IFA trade fair. The new smartphones include Ascend G600, Ascend G330 and Ascend Y201 Pro.Company stated that the new Ascend smartphones will go on sale starting October in markets across the world.
The high-end Huawei Ascend G600 features 4.5-inch display with qHD resolution, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 768MB RAM and 8MP rear camera.
On the other hand, Ascend G300 is a mid-range smartphone with specs like 4-inch WVGA display, 512MB RAM, 1GHz dual-core processor, 5MP camera, and 1500mAh battery.
The third device announcement of the day was Ascend Y201 Pro which will come with 800MHz processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB on-board memory, 3.5" display with HVGA resolution, 1400mAh battery, and 3.2MP camera.
Apart from the new devices, Huawei also showcased its brand new user interface Emotion. Company claims that Emotion will play a critical role in cementing the Huawei smartphone portfolio.
"Reinforcing Huawei's user-centric design philosophy, 'Design with Empathy', Emotion UI is built on a clear understanding of how consumers interact with their smartphones and what they expect from these interactions," company noted in a press release.

6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate showed off before the official CES launch

Huawei seems to getting into action for launching big-screen smartphones. The company is said to be working on a 6.1-inch Ascend Mate. This device is expected to be unveiled at the forthcoming CES 2013.
However, it was showcased at a Huawei store in Guangzhou, China by the company's Chairman, Richard Yu Huawei.
Huawei Ascend Mate sports a 6.1-inch full-HD display at 361PPI pixel density and is powered by a 1.8GHz K3V3 quad-core processor. It is 9.6mm thick and has a 4000mAh battery. So far, there is no news about which version of Android this smartphone will be running.
According to Chinese website Sina Weibo, Ascend Mate will be priced under CNY 3,000, which translates to approximately $480.
Another Huawei device that might see the light of the day at CES is the 5-inch Ascend D2.
As of now, Samsung Galaxy Note II has the title of the smartphone with the biggest screen size. It sports a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. It has a 3100mAh battery and has 16GB internal storage expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card.

The device features a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera. Samsung Galaxy Note II comes with the S-Pen stylus for taking notes on the device. It was launched in India in September for Rs. 37,990.

Image Courtesy: Engadget