CES 2013: Huawei's first WP8 device Ascend W1 unveiled

Keeping its date with all the buzz, Huawei unveiled its first Windows Phone 8 smartphone, Huawei Ascend W1, at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The Ascend W1 is 10.15 mm thin and features a 4-inch display with OGS Technology, powered by the high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8230 dual-core 1.2GHz processor and Adreno 305 GPU. With a 1950 mAh battery, the Ascend W1 has 470 hours of standby time, which the company claims is the longest among all smartphones in this class. It features a visually iconic design inspired by a tropical island and comes in an array of bold colours - including blue, red, black and white. 

It is Huawei’s first Windows Phone 8-running smartphone

Here’a quick look at the specs of the Huawei Ascend W1 smartphone:

• 4-inch IPS LCD touch screen, WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) resolution
• 3G, EDGE, Wi-Fi capabilities
• Bluetooth
• 5.0-megapixel AF rear-facing camera with flash LED, 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera
• 4GB + expandable upto 32GB

The Huawei Ascend W1 has a low reflective IPS LCD display with full lamination technology, which provides visibility under any lighting condition. The Windows Phone 8 Start screen lets you customise and pin Live Tiles with topics of personal interest, providing real-time updates that are uniquely yours. Additionally, a dynamic lock screen allows you to select the photos or updates most important to you and have them ready at a glance, even when the phone is locked.

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“Inspired and powered by people, the Ascend W1 is a combination of Huawei’s user-centric design philosophy and Windows Phone 8 software, bringing consumers a truly compelling alternative.” said Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group. “The addition of the Ascend W1 to our smartphone portfolio gives consumers access to an even wider range of Huawei smartphones. At a price that makes sense to consumers, Ascend W1 underscores our commitment to put smartphones within reach of every consumer, no matter who you are or what you want from your phone.”

“We are excited to be working with Huawei to further expand our device portfolio to new locations and price points, allowing more people to experience Windows Phone 8 while enjoying the Ascend W1’s unique features,” said Terry Myerson, Corporate Vice President of the Windows Phone Division.

The Huawei Ascend W1 will be available in China and Russia from January 2013, with Western Europe, Middle East, USA and other selected countries to follow. 

Attendees at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) also witnessed the unveiling of the smartphone with the largest screen in the world – the Huawei Ascend Mate. The Huawei Ascend Mate features a huge 6.1-inch HD display, a 1.5GHz Hi-Silicon quad-core processor and a 4050 mAh battery. Together with Huawei’s proprietary Quick Power Control (QPC) and Automated Discontinuous Reception (ADRX) battery efficiency technology and fast sharing technology, the Huawei Ascend Mate is proof that bigger is better.

Huawei also unveiled the Huawei Ascend D2. The Huawei Ascend D2 runs on Android 4.1 and features a 5-inch FHD IPS+ 443 ppi Super Retina LCD display, Huawei’s K3V2 1.5GHz quad-core CPU and a 13MP BSI camera. With its 3000 mAh battery and Huawei’s proprietary Quick Power Control (QPC) and Automated Discontinuous Reception (ADRX) battery efficiency technology, the Ascend D2 has a stand-by time of six days on WCDMA.