Huawei unveils affordable, island-inspired Windows 8 phone

People on a tight budget who are looking for a robust smartphone are the target market for Ascend W1, Huawei’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphone, which was unveiled Friday.

 

Its tropical island-inspired design will probably appeal to those who like a bold palette in their gadgets. It comes in four colors: dream blue, black, magenta, and white. 

 

At P8,990 and running Microsoft's Windows Phone 8, an operating system that combines functionality with security, there's no doubt it's aggresively priced. But is it the best in the show? Not really.  

 

It's not the fastest or even the most sleek build in its class since both Nokia and HTC do a hands down better job with their Windows 8 devices, but Pinoys looking for a no-frills device that boasts the new Win UI experience at this price point can't go wrong with this one.     

“Combine Windows 8 with the unique features of the new HUAWEI Ascend W1 and you can have the most personal and convenient smartphone to complement your lifestyle,” said Microsoft Philippines Original Equipment Manufacturer director Jerry Bongco.

 

"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," he added.

 

The Ascend W1 is 10.15mm thin and features a 4-inch IPS LCD 480 x 800 touchscreen with OGS technology.

 

Powering it is a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8230 dual-core 1.2 GHz processor and Adreno 305 GPU. The W1 also has a 1950 mAh battery that claims to provide, if it can be believed, up to 470 hours of standby time. That's the longest standby time in its class.

 

Johnson Ma, country manager of Huawei Device Philippines, said the Ascend W1 is "inspired and powered by people," and combines Huawei’s user-centric design philosophy and Windows Phone 8 software.

 

He added the new phone "underscores our commitment to put smartphones within reach of every consumer, no matter who you are or what you want from your phone.”

 

Meanwhile, Windows Phone 8's Live Tiles allow owners to see new messages from people and apps, and organize music, games, and photos.

 

It also features a "Kid’s Corner" that enables adults to share the phone with children to play with without worrying about the little tykes deleting photos, opening emails, making unapproved purchases, and just the general run of mischief by young fingers. – KDM, GMA News