CODE EXCEPTIONS

Windows Phone 8 offering from HUAWEI released 3 phones at the 2013 CES. The HUAWEI Ascend D2, HUAWEI Ascend Mate and this the HUAWEI Ascend W1. This phone comes as the first Windows Phone 8 offering from HUAWEI and sits at the lower end of the three phones released. Let's find out a bit about the phone specifications and how it stacks up.

[show_AdSense float="left" ad_client="pub-6459652808052815" ad_slot="2316718725" ad_width="250" ad_height="250"]

Windows phone looks a bit like an iPhone with its straight lines and flowing curved corners. It is available in black, and may well come in extra colours as well. The screen comes slightly raised above the bezel. For some this is nice for others it is horrible. It really depends on your view. Many people prefer the flash look on this device. It actually works pretty well and makes the phone look even more glossy than it already is.

On the hind of the phone sits the camera. It looks a little bulgy and doesn't add value to the appearance from the back. The back is soft touch, which gives grip and feels nice in the hand. The design certainly isn't massively innovative, new or exciting, but it is okay. The phone is a value offering towards the bottom of the smartphone market and so the slightly dated and basic design is really to be expected. You can't expect premium-looking design at budget prices.

The phone comes with a dual-core Qualcomm 1.2GHz processor. It's great for multitasking and swiping, and opening apps is fast and responsive. It appears the processor has plenty of power for the smooth operation of the device.

The screen size is the same as the iPhone 5, at 4 inches, with below par resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. The resolution, therefore, is very low, but to be honest, the screen seems to pull off decent performance despite this and looks quite crisp. The colours aren't as bright and vivacious as the screens towards the top of the industry, but again this is a budget phone... So, what can you really expect?

The phone comes with a 1,950mAh battery and therefore, is packed with plenty of power to get you through the day; great compared many phones from Nokia and within this price range generally. It is an extremely decent battery for a budget Windows Phone 8 handset.

The Ascend W1 comes with a 5-megapixel camera and flash. To be honest, it's okay, but not great. It's fine for getting some pictures up to Facebook and Twitter, but will not win any photographic prizes.

Overall, the windows phone does a good job of being a budget Windows Phone 8 with all-around performance. Nothing really stands out as a key feature or winning edge quality specification, but it looks decent, performs very well and stacks up nicely against its competition.

HUAWEI teams have done a good job of producing three good phones for the CES 2013 release. They seem to be carving out a place in the industry and it's good to see the competition increasing further with the Asian companies producing good quality handsets.