Huawei Ascend W1 hands-on: the company’s first Windows Phone 8 device (video)

Huawei Ascend W1 handson the company's first Windows Phone 8 device video

If you were following Huawei's presser from earlier today, you may have thought the company's CES 2013 story was "All About Android." Turns out, it's not. On the showfloor here at Pepcom, the company was able to give us a first look at the Ascend W1: it's first entry for the Windows Phone 8 space. Admittedly, the W1 doesn't share any of the lust-worthy, high-end specs that adorn the Ascend Mate and D2, but that's not its angle. As one Huawei rep put it, this is a value proposition, outfitted with a 4-inch display (we couldn't verify resolution) and 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 paried with 512MB RAM. Software-wise, this is about as stock WP8 as it gets, so don't expect to see any applications come pre-loaded onto the hardware.

Dimension-wise, the W1 is a girthy phone, cutting a silhouette that's just about 10mm -- so, it stands far outside the "world's thinnest" category that we've heard so much about at this CES. It also bears a bit of heft which we can't ascribe to its battery size. At 1,950mAh, the W1 should pack enough juice to last seven to nine days on standby and given the reduced power requirements of WP8, it's sure to get moderate users through a full day. There's a paltry 4GB of storage onboard, but thankfully, users can augment that via a microSD slot, allowing for up to 32GB.

UI navigation on the W1 lives up to the elegant, sweeping transitions that have become trademarks of Windows Phone 8. It's appreciably quick and responsive. And somewhat surprisingly, viewing angles on the display held up remarkably when we tilted it about in various degrees. As for that standard micro-USB port, it seems Huawei's done something different by allocating it to the bottom right of the handset.

Wondering when and where you'll see the W1? Well, join the club. Huawei's remaning tight-lipped about pricing and release details, but we did manage to get a confirmation that the W1 would be US-bound this year. For now, feast your eyes on the gallery below and check out our video after the break.

Sarah Silbert contributed to this report.

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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

Huawei’s Ascend W1 and D2 confirmed for CES, Richard Yu expresses worry over the latter

Huawei's Richard Yu confirms Ascend W1 Windows Phone and D2 Android to debut at CES 2013

Huawei's first-ever Windows Phone, the Ascend W1, is no stranger to us at this point, but no one's been certain about its debut until now. After mourning his daughter's two stolen ducks on Sina Weibo, Senior Vice President Richard Yu said not only will his company formally introduce its WP8 device at CES next month, but it'll also be showing off its Android-powered Ascend D2 (pictured center and right). Interestingly, Yu also expressed concern that the D2 "Dream Phone" will be too expensive to produce due to the powerful specs: five-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.5GHz chip (undoubtedly Huawei's very own K3V2), 13-megapixel camera and 3,000mAh battery -- all according to leaked info from an internal event from late October, as well as a recent filing in the TENAA database. Don't worry, Richard, just give us a decent price tag and we'll be all over you.

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Source: Sina Weibo, TENAA

Huawei Ascend W1 makes an appearance in Blue and White

Huawei Ascend W1 makes an appearance in Blue and White

We've kept anxious eyes on Huawei's Ascend W1 for a while now, so imagine our disappointment when it was a no-show at the Windows Phone 8 launch. Fortunately, a Huawei employee has tweeted a pair of pictures that show the device in all of its budget-handset glories. Gone are the rounded corners of handsets like the Ascend D Quad, in favor of a boxier aesthetic that sits well with Metro Windows 8 Style whatever we're calling it this week. Hardware-wise, it's believed to be carrying a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 4-inch, 800 x 480 display, 2,000mAh battery and a 5-megapixel camera. There's also an unconfirmed rumor that we'll first see the China-exclusive device at CES 2013, breaking the hearts of impoverished westerners everywhere.

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Huawei Ascend W1 makes an appearance in Blue and White originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WP Central, WMPowerUser  |  sourceArkady Markaryan (Twitter), (2)  | Email this | Comments

Huawei Ascend W1 render revealed, WP8 in a cyan chassis

Huawei Ascend W1 render revealed, WP8 in a cyan chassis

Nokia's shown off its Windows Phone 8 wares, so has HTC, and we knew Huawei was bringing a WP8 handset to the table sometime soon, too. That day has finally arrived, as an official looking render of the Ascend W1 has popped up on Twitter. If the picture's to be believed, the Chinese firm's handset sports bright coloration similar to its Windows Phone compatriots, and looks to be a handsome addition to the family. Drink it in folks, the official unveiling is likely just over a week away.

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Huawei Ascend W1 render revealed, WP8 in a cyan chassis originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei’s Windows Phone 8 handset outed as Ascend W1, supposed launch window surfaces

Huawei's Windows Phone 8 handset outed as Ascend W1, supposed launch window surfaces

HTC, Nokia and Samsung have each showcased their initial volley of Windows Phone 8 handsets, but Huawei has yet to reveal the Ascend hardware it promised would run Microsoft's smartphone OS. The firm's Richard Yu took to the social network Sina Weibo and outed the device as the Ascend W1 earlier this week, but kept other specifics under wraps. Citing sources from within the company, Chinese language outlet Winp is now claiming that the W1 will ship between November and December, carry a price tag of 2,000 RMB ($317) and arrive in black, blue, pink and white hues. Though a September 25th unveiling is also rumored, Yu mentioned that Huawei will make it a habit of launching phones as they're unveiled, so it may be a while before the curtain is fully pulled back if the November / December window is correct.

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Huawei's Windows Phone 8 handset outed as Ascend W1, supposed launch window surfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 09:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Winp (Translated)  |  sourceRichard Yu (Sina Weibo)  | Email this | Comments