Huawei have made the Ascend W2 UMTS version official - giving consumers in the smartphone market yet another option when deciding on which smartphone to purchase. According to the below press release the device should be available now in China (but has already been listed at retailers) - with roll outs later this month to Russia and the Netherlands, and further markets to follow in due course.
Pricing, as far as we know at this stage, will be carrier dependent, but I'm pretty sure the device will be priced attractively. Sporting a 4.3 IPS WVGA LCD display, the specs that we know of already certainly are not up to par with the top of the line Nokia Lumia handsets, but Huawei are clearly going to try and tempt consumers in other ways - most likely pricing.
Here's a quick look at the device back at IFA:
I'm all for a bit of competition, but have Nokia pretty much got the Windows Phone market sown up? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts.
Press Release
Shenzhen, China, November 1, 2013: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today unveiled HUAWEI Ascend W2, a new Windows Phone 8 smartphone. HUAWEI Ascend W2 brings a burst of color to the smartphone experience, offering a range of vibrant finishes including black, blue, yellow, and red. Featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon™ dual-core 1.4GHz processor, the new Windows Phone offers all the power needed for talking, texting, gaming, and browsing.
“Building on the popularity of our first Windows Phone 8 device, HUAWEI Ascend W1, we created HUAWEI Ascend W2 so value-savvy people don’t have to compromise on great technology,” said Kevin Ho, President of Handset Product Line, Huawei Consumer Business Group. "HUAWEI Ascend W2 provides an enhanced visual experience and impressive stand-by time, and can be customized inside and out with splashes of color.”
“We’re excited to build on our partnership with Huawei to launch another unique handset that will delight customers around the globe,” said Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President of Operating Systems Group, Microsoft. “HUAWEI Ascend W2 will offer the consistent, high-quality Windows Phone experience in a colorful new form factor and at a great price.”
HUAWEI Ascend W2 comes equipped with a 4.3-inch IPS WVGA LCD screen, providing a brighter and more vivid display. For incredible responsiveness even when wearing gloves, the display also features TFT Magic Touch technology. The new Windows Phone includes 720P video recording and playback, perfect for watching videos and capturing special moments.
Powered by Windows Phone 8, HUAWEI Ascend W2 offers the most personal smartphone experience with Live Tiles that keep you closest to the people and things that matter most to you. The Windows Phone Store offers more than 175,000 apps, including Pandora, Hulu Plus, Tumblr and Halo: Spartan Assault. More than 20 colored homescreen themes are available for HUAWEI Ascend W2 to complement or contrast with the handset’s exterior, while matching color choices are also offered across the phone’s keyboard backlights and UI themes.
As a Windows Phone, HUAWEI Ascend W2 is cloud connected, so content can flow fluidly from screen to screen. Photos, Office documents, and more on HUAWEI Ascend W2 can be automatically synced to 7GB of free SkyDrive cloud storage and entertainment content like music and videos, spans phone, PC, tablet, and console can be shared with Xbox Music and Xbox Live.
The HUAWEI Ascend W2 TD version became available in China from August and the HUAWEI Ascend W2 UMTS version began shipping to China from October 2013. HUAWEI Ascend W2 will become available in Russia and the Netherlands from November, with other markets to follow.
