Having already checked out Nokia's windows phone, I was keen to see just how different Chinese Telco giant, Huawei's take on Windows phone 8 was going to be. Specs-wise it isn't exactly a breakthrough, but then it only costs $299 and you do get some serious bang per buck with Huawei's Ascend W1.
It might be a cheapie but that doesn't mean it's cheaply made. For a start it's screen is Gorilla Glass so scratches and dings are able to be kept to a minimum.
This said, the Ascend isn't a brick, in fact it weighs in at a mere 130 grams and is a thin and shapely slab of smartphone that looks as if it is worth a whole lot more than its sticker price.
With the average windows 8 phone typically ringing in on the cash register at anything up to $800 (depending on which plan you choose), the Ascends $299 sticker price is pretty compelling. Adding to that, its specs (as dictated by the windows phone 8 spec) are not too shabby either.
Under its hood, the Ascend W1 packs a Snapdragon dual core CPU and a paltry 4GB of storage. Thankfully the Ascends storage can be expanded using a micro SD card so those on a budget with a big music library can take their music walkies. In use it felt silky smooth, running all apps and games with no stuttering or lags.
