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Huawei's dual-SIM Ascend D2 for China Telecom priced at $640, available online tomorrow
It's only been about a week since the Ascend D2's official debut at CES, but according to Huawei's latest announcement on Sina Weibo, the manufacturer will already be offering its unsubsidized 5-inch 1080p flagship at its online store right after 5pm local time tomorrow. Specifically, this will be a China Telecom (CDMA2000) variant with dual-SIM support, so Huawei fans outside China may want to wait for the WCDMA flavor (there's always the Oppo Find 5 as well). If you happen to be in China and don't mind using China Telecom, then feel free to fork out ¥3,990 or about $640 to be one of the first handful of owners of this 32GB, 1.5GHz quad-core device. That is, if you manage to get your order through "while stocks last."
Benchmarking CES 2013's flagship smartphones
As you might've noticed, CES 2013 didn't turn out much in they way of smartphone reveals. Most of the mobile industry's big guns held back their reserves (Sony aside), prepping behind-the-scenes for Barcelona's world stage and ceding this Vegas showcase to lesser known Chinese OEMs. So before we bid adieu to these vast convention halls and tuck in for the impending reviews, we've decided to roundup the show's only flagships -- ZTE's Grand S, Huawei's Ascend Mate and D2 and Sony's Xperia Z / ZL -- and pit them head-to-head in preliminary performance testing. Follow along after the break to find out which handset earns the top spot in this benchmark battle.
Hands-on with the Huawei Ascend D2 (update: now with video)
Chinese phone maker Huawei just pulled the lid back on its Ascend D2. The D2 features a 5-inch 1,920 x 1080 full HD display, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing shooter, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.1. While the Ascend Mate may dwarf it, we're pleasantly surprised what Huawei's managed to cram in here. We've got a hands-on video and more impressions after the break. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Huawei Ascend D2 official: 5-inch 1080p display, 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, Android Jelly Bean
Huawei's daring to dream big -- at least, that's what prior leaks regarding its latest Android lineup have seemed to indicate. And here at CES 2013, the company's finally formally introduced the Ascend D2, referred to by company Chairman Richard Yu as the "dream phone." Its top shelf specs -- 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.5GHz K3V2 CPU, Android Jelly Bean, 13-megapixel rear camera and 3,000mAh battery -- certainly merit that distinction, but as pie in the sky smartphone ambitions go, its 6.1-inch stablemate, the Ascend Mate, takes the cake. But for more details on the Ascend 2, join us after the break. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Huawei's Ascend D2 confirmed by uncovered billboard at CES
The days preceding CES are like an easter egg hunt, with clues of future products everywhere. Easily revealed near the cabstand line of the Las Vegas Convention Center is a billboard proudly displaying the Huawei Ascend D2 we've been expecting. We will have to wait until tomorrow at 1pm ET for the Huawei press event for the official details, though, which we'll of course be covering live. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub. [Thanks, anon]
Huawei D2, Mate and W1 reportedly pose for press images
Huawei has already left little doubt as to what we'll see from its smartphone line at CES. If official teasers aren't enough, however, well-known phone tipster @evleaks has given Unwired View what's purported to be press images for the three key introductions. The Ascend W1 Windows Phone (at left) looks much like we've seen from live shots, just with newer black and pink hues; the Ascend D2 (right) isn't quite so rainbow-like, but supports what's been claimed of the 5-inch phone's aesthetic and custom interface. A shot for the Ascend Mate (after the break), despite representing the company's stand-out device, is the least surprising given that executive Richard Yu showed customers the real thing just days ago. We'd still give these images a long look -- while there's chances for inaccuracies or surprises, they may be the best glimpses of Huawei's early 2013 lineup before we see it first-hand.
Huawei Ascend D2 reportedly spied while switched on, teases an upscale look
Huawei has already confirmed that we're going to see its extra-large Ascend D2 at CES, but that doesn't mean a sneak peek is unwelcome. ITHome is more than willing to sate our curiosity with a set of photos that purportedly show a fully functional version of the 5-inch smartphone. In a sense, we know what to expect from the software: the D2 appears to be using the same customized Android layer as the even larger Ascend Mate, just without that fifth column of icons. The shots do, however, suggest that Huawei is going for a design as premium-looking on the outside as it is high-powered on the inside. Not much else is known, but we'll likely understand Huawei's fuller ambitions in Las Vegas next month. Update: Our brethren over at Engadget Chinese also received the same batch of photos, and they sure look legit.
Huawei's Ascend W1 and D2 confirmed for CES, Richard Yu expresses worry over the latter
Huawei's first-ever Windows Phone, the Ascend W1, is no stranger to us at this point, but no one's been certain about its debut until now. After mourning his daughter's two stolen ducks on Sina Weibo, Senior Vice President Richard Yu said not only will his company formally introduce its WP8 device at CES next month, but it'll also be showing off its Android-powered Ascend D2 (pictured center and right). Interestingly, Yu also expressed concern that the D2 "Dream Phone" will be too expensive to produce due to the powerful specs: five-inch 1080p display, quad-core 1.5GHz chip (undoubtedly Huawei's very own K3V2), 13-megapixel camera and 3,000mAh battery -- all according to leaked info from an internal event from late October, as well as a recent filing in the TENAA database. Don't worry, Richard, just give us a decent price tag and we'll be all over you.
