Mobile Miscellany: week of August 26th, 2013

Mobile Miscellany week of August 26th, 2013

If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week brought convincing signs that BlackBerry users are moving away from physical keyboards, along with a new budget Android smartphone for MetroPCS and a stumbling block that's holding up AT&T's acquisition of Alltel. These stories and more await. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of August 26th, 2013.

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Huawei Ascend Mate to reach Vodafone UK in July


Huawei Ascend Mate

Britons with extra-large pockets will have more phones to choose from this summer than the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3: Vodafone UK has committed to carrying the Huawei Ascend Mate before the end of July. The carrier hasn't yet discussed pricing, although the Ascend Mate's modest specs (6.1-inch screen aside) should keep costs in check. We were impressed with the gigantic handset's battery life during our testing, so Vodafone customers with an aversion to wall outlets may want to give it a closer look.

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Source: Vodafone

Editor’s Letter: One more Xbox

In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.

DNP Editor's Letter One more Xbox

Can you believe we've had the Xbox 360 since 2005? As a child of the two- or three-year console cycle, a system still going strong after eight seems inconceivable. Finally, it's being put out to pasture -- somewhat unceremoniously. The Xbox One is its successor and, with no backwards compatibility for disc-based or downloaded games, those looking to make the leap to the next generation in the fall will already want to start weaning themselves from Microsoft's current wunderconsole. It'll make it easier for both of you when it comes time to unplug it.

And you probably will want to unplug it and make the upgrade, though to be fair there's plenty to be cynical about with the Xbox One. So, I'll get that out of the way first, starting with the name. Microsoft is trying to send the message that the new Xbox is the only device you'll need to control your living room. That may be, but One? HTC, of course, called its latest flagship the One, but that was a case of a company distancing itself from previous, complicated naming schemes and going with something simpler. Here, there have been only two previous generations of the Xbox. Calling the third one the "One" is simply confusing. Still, it beats "Xbox Foo," which is what Microsoft's initial press release mentioned. Someone, it seems, got the memo on the official name a little too late.

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Huawei Ascend Mate review: a supersized phone with supreme battery life

Huawei Ascend Mate review a supersized phone with supreme battery life

When Huawei revealed the Ascend Mate at CES this year, it felt like smartphones had reached an end point -- they surely couldn't get any larger. We've since been proven wrong by Samsung's Galaxy Mega 6.3, but the 6.1-inch Ascend Mate has gone on sale first, and it's every bit as intimidating as it was in January. The question is whether or not Huawei has more than just size on its side. Is this nearly tablet-sized device worth putting in our pockets, and can it fend off the suddenly tiny-looking Galaxy Note II and Optimus G Pro? Read on past the break, and you'll find out.

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Huawei’s 6.1-inch Ascend Mate priced in China, turns Yu into part-time model

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Huawei is once again showing its aggressive side in the consumer space, this time by way of its 6.1-inch Ascend Mate which debuted at CES (with a little help from Huawei Device chairman Richard Yu, pictured above). What's new is that earlier today the company announced a price for this Android 4.1 tabletphone in China: ¥2,688 (about $430) unsubsidized, which is pretty competitive given the specs. Need a quick recap? The Mate comes with a 1.5GHz quad-core HiSilicon K3V2, 2GB of RAM, IPS display (but only with 720p resolution) with Gorilla Glass 2 and glove-friendly "Magic Touch" technology, up to 64GB of microSD expansion (on top of the native 4GB available space), 8-megapixel camera and a 4,050mAh battery. Better yet, this particular model comes with WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 pentaband radio, so it'll work nicely for frequent travelers. Interested buyers can hit the order button on Huawei's Vmall online store on the 26th next week.

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Via: Engadget Chinese

Source: Huawei Vmall

Benchmarking CES 2013’s flagship smartphones

Benchmarking CES 2013's flagship smartphones

As you might've noticed, CES 2013 didn't turn out much in they way of smartphone reveals. Most of the mobile industry's big guns held back their reserves (Sony aside), prepping behind-the-scenes for Barcelona's world stage and ceding this Vegas showcase to lesser known Chinese OEMs. So before we bid adieu to these vast convention halls and tuck in for the impending reviews, we've decided to roundup the show's only flagships -- ZTE's Grand S, Huawei's Ascend Mate and D2 and Sony's Xperia Z / ZL -- and pit them head-to-head in preliminary performance testing. Follow along after the break to find out which handset earns the top spot in this benchmark battle.

Continue reading Benchmarking CES 2013's flagship smartphones

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Huawei Ascend Mate hands-on at CES 2013 (updated with video!)

Huawei Ascend Mate handson at CES 2013 updated with video!

We've been handling Huawei's new 6.1-inch smartphone -- and there's a lot of screen there. The Ascend Mate feels good, it doesn't feel like Huawei products of the past, with a slim profile that remains pretty solid as we browsed the new features. Fingers are crossed that its 4,050mAh battery will prove enough for that imposing 720p display. We'll have more impressions up soon -- and we've got our hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading Huawei Ascend Mate hands-on at CES 2013 (updated with video!)

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Huawei launches 6.1-inch Ascend Mate

Huawei launches 61inch Ascend Mate

Huawei launched an absolutely massive set today during its press event: the 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate. This Android 4.1 handset boasts a 720p display, an 8.1 megapixel and Huawei's own Hi-Silicon 1.5 GHz quad-core CPU but fortunately, that gigantic display (which is low temperature polysilicon) has been paired with a 4,050mAh battery -- the Galaxy Note II runs with a 3,100mAh cell -- and we're hoping this means the pocket-straining slab will go the distance in daily use. WiFi will apparently see a speed boost to 150Mbps thanks to dual WiFi receivers and in the stage demo a 1GB file took a mere 60 seconds to download. Huawei claims the Ascend Mate will see you chatting for 22 hours, surfing the Web for 14, or watching 10 hours of video. Fully 73% of that handset's face is display which features Huawei's new "Magic Touch" tech, the new moniker means you can use the phone with normal gloved hands. A few app highlights include a camera and navigation combination dubbed "Guiding Wizard," an easy way to isolate text in words for lookup called "Smart Reading" and finally "Easy Panel" for quick access to Notes, Messages and the like. The Ascend Mate ships for an unknown price to China in February 2013 and other countries -- sadly no mention which -- in March.

Continue reading Huawei launches 6.1-inch Ascend Mate

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Huawei D2, Mate and W1 reportedly pose for press images

Huawei D2, Mate and W1 reportedly pose for press images

Huawei has already left little doubt as to what we'll see from its smartphone line at CES. If official teasers aren't enough, however, well-known phone tipster @evleaks has given Unwired View what's purported to be press images for the three key introductions. The Ascend W1 Windows Phone (at left) looks much like we've seen from live shots, just with newer black and pink hues; the Ascend D2 (right) isn't quite so rainbow-like, but supports what's been claimed of the 5-inch phone's aesthetic and custom interface. A shot for the Ascend Mate (after the break), despite representing the company's stand-out device, is the least surprising given that executive Richard Yu showed customers the real thing just days ago. We'd still give these images a long look -- while there's chances for inaccuracies or surprises, they may be the best glimpses of Huawei's early 2013 lineup before we see it first-hand.

Continue reading Huawei D2, Mate and W1 reportedly pose for press images

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Source: Unwired View