ascend

The Samsung Galaxy S4 brings a lot of tech to the table. From eye-tracking and gesture control, to its built-in translator and ability to act as a TV remote, the phone is cutting-edge in a plethora of ways. That being said, in today's highly saturated smartphone market, does the S4 have what it takes to be the best? And if it does, is it enough to get people to switch or upgrade with so many good options out there? With these questions in mind, we dished the S4 out to three people, both iOS and Android users, to let … Read more

Huawei's first Windows Phone 8 handset, the Huawei W1, lands later this month in select Walmart stores and on Walmart.com.

The handset, known globally as the Huawei Ascend W1, by the way, is an entry-level device with a 4-inch LCD display, a 1.2GHZ dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, and a 5-megapixel camera that can capture 720p HD video.

That's not all, of course. The specs continue with a VGA front-facing camera, and the phone comes with an Adreno 305 400MHz GPU. Although there will only be 1.7GB of available user storage, the W1 will come … Read more

I can't say I'm a fan of the "Star Trek" reboot, preferring the days when the franchise was so bad it was good, but I have to admire this marketing stunt for "Into Darkness."

We've seen LED quadrotor displays before, and there's no denying that lighting up the night sky with small flying machines has enormous potential.

Ars Electronica Futurelab, the same outfit that illuminated the skies over Linz, Austria, last year, launched 30 quadrotors near London's Tower Bridge and flew in a formation that any Trekkie would salute.… Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Huawei took the wraps off its latest high-end, superskinny Android phone, the Ascend P2 on Sunday. It has a 720p 4.7-inch display, a 1.7GHz quad core processor and a 13-megapixel camera, all stuffed into an 8.6mm body. I was given an early hands on with the P2's camera to see how it stacks up against the Nexus 4.

Shooting outside the Mobile World Congress center, the P2 was off to an unimpressive start. It didn't have quite the level of control over its exposure that I'd like, resulting in blown-out highlights in the … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--The Huawei Ascend P2 is Huawei's next step in its mission to advance its Android presence worldwide.

Succeeding the Huawei Ascend P1, the P2 has a similar tuxedo look, with a sleek, glossy black face that curves along the top and bottom to dip into points that meet the white backing. Huawei credits the infinity pool as inspiration. While there is a slim bezel, the screen approaches the edges, giving the display an expansive feel. There's an all-black version as well.

A taller, more narrow configuration (a slim 8.6 millimeters thin,) the Ascend P2 felt good … Read more

BARCELONA, Spain--Huawei's booth crew may not have attached any phones to mounts over at its booth at Mobile World Congress, but it's clear that the Huawei Ascend P2 will officially debut at this show.

The successor to the Huawei Ascend P1 Android phone, the P2 is expected to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and shoot for the high end with specs that include a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, a 13-megapixel camera and a 3,000mAh battery.

Rumors also point to a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 2GB RAM, and 8GB internal storage, though perhaps without expandable memory.

We'… Read more

U.S. Cellular is offering a limited time "Family Switcher Bonus" for new customers who activate at least two lines on a Family Plan. The deal, which runs through April 1, provides consumers with a $300 MasterCard debit card.

The catch? At least one of the new lines must be a smartphone.

To sweeten the deal, U.S. Cellular has discounted a number of smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S 3 for $150 and the Huawei Ascend Y, which now sells for just a penny.

What's more, the carrier is tossing in a free 4G LTE Samsung … Read more

Huawei could not have asked for a better CES.

With best-selling heavyweights like Samsung, HTC, Morotola, and Nokia all but invisible from the show, the usually second-tier Huawei became a top dog when it announced two high-end Android phones -- the Ascend Mate and Ascend D2 -- and its first Windows Phone 8 device.

A relative unknown in the U.S, Huawei vowed two years ago to become a top-five vendor in three years. With one year left for it to achieve its own prophecy, things are finally looking good.

LAS VEGAS--Coming in big with two extra-large Android smartphones wasn't enough of a splash for Huawei here at CES. This morning, the Chinese networking provider and handset-maker launched the Huawei Ascend W1, its first-ever Windows 8 phone.

The first thing that struck me, both when I first saw the press images and when I finally got three of the models in my hands, is how similar to W1 looks to Nokia's Lumia 900 and 920.

There's the same block shape with squared-off corners and a glossy display set onto bright colors. In fact, Huawei's W1 (as it's known in the U.S.) … Read more