Huawei Ascend D1 (U9500) preview. Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL
2 years ago +1
A clear beautiful screen, the lid does not creak. The volume is good. The camera is super
2 years ago +1
price-quality ratio
2 years ago +1
Screen (in every sense) Speed of work Ability to connect to TV
2 years ago 0
Great screen, soft body.
2 years ago 0
1. Has a comfortable shape, fits well in the hand. 2. Has a bright display and a large display. 3. Not yet buggy.
2 years ago 0
Lovely screen - Nice design for me - Not bad (at the time of purchase) price - Pretty fast (again, at the time of purchase)
2 years ago 0
Price, screen, support for memory cards. The battery, after Galaxy, is good. Fast processor.
2 years ago 0
good iron, excellent display
2 years ago 0
1. Main camera 2. Display
2 years ago 0
Great screen, powerful processor appearance.
2 years ago 0
1. After half a year, it began to slow down a lot, until you reboot, you can’t even make a call!
2. There are no updates at all, I'm still sitting on Android 4.0.2
3. You can forget about GPS in general, it does not work
4. The back cover is a little loose
5. Menu auto-rotate doesn't work
6. The battery runs out quickly even with minimal brightness
2 years ago 0
Back cover backlash, uncomfortable top button, a lot of marriage.
2 years ago 0
1. The sound is not loud enough when making a call.
2. The location of the power and volume buttons is atypical, so you have to get used to it.
3. The size is still a little big. 4. Does not have a branded case.
5. The back cover was not ribbed, as shown in the photo, but rubberized. So it is not clear how it should actually be.
2 years ago 0
DISGUSTING and HORRIBLE software. What kind of glitches I have not seen, and the loss of the network, and random reboots, and a periodically idle camera, and much, much more.
- HORRIBLE assembly. After a month of use, it creaked, as if it had not a lid, but a piece of wood that made terrible sounds when rubbing against the device.
2 years ago 0
Everything that is not listed in the merits
2 years ago 0
Haven't found it yet!
2 years ago 0
battery, vibration feedback, warming up
2 years ago 0
Unreliable back cover
2 years ago 0
Spruce noticeable hull creaks
Camera could be better
Have to recharge at least once every two days
2 years ago 0
The first six months it just flew, then it started to lag and for some reason the speaker stopped working. You have to talk on speakerphone. Applications crash very often, the sensor slows down, the front camera is very bad. The sound is quiet, the vibration is almost not felt. For headphones, I had to download an equalizer that increases the volume. Sits down with active use for 4 hours.
Introduction
The original model, Huawei Ascend D Q, was introduced at the beginning of the year in Barcelona at MWC 2012. At that time, the company wanted to show everyone that it was able to compete in terms of technology development with the largest manufacturers, and the characteristics of that model clearly demonstrated this: a quad-core platform, screen with HD resolution, gigabyte random access memory, 8MP camera and so on. True, this model never arrived in Russia, and another smartphone began to be sold here - Huawei Ascend D1. This device is almost a complete analog of the model presented at the beginning of the year, but with a matte cover and a dual-core processor instead of a quad-core one. Today Ascend D1 can be found in retail for 14,000-16,000 rubles, despite the fact that technically the smartphone is still closer to the segment of top devices.
In the material, we will talk about a smartphone with the XL prefix, this model is a continuation of the Huawei Ascend D1 Quad, or rather, its updated version with an increased capacity battery. We can say that we eventually got the same flagship shown at the beginning of the year, but in a slightly improved version.
In Russia, the novelty will be presented in November, there is no exact date yet, we have a sample a little earlier than the official announcement. I’ll make a reservation right away that I didn’t have the final sample in my hands, so I didn’t dare to do a full review, but limited myself to the first impressions of the device. A detailed review of the novelty will be prepared by Roman Belykh.
Design, dimensions
In terms of design, I definitely like the new smartphone. At the same time, I perfectly understand that there is nothing interesting in the appearance of the Ascend D1 Quad XL, but the shape of the case and its relatively small width make it convenient to hold the smartphone in your hand, and the rubberized plastic of the battery cover is very pleasant to the touch. In addition, this material is practical - no traces and prints are visible on the case, the device lies securely even in a wet hand, does not slip.
The body color is the most boring black, but there are inserts of dark red details, these are the grilles of the ringing and conversational speakers, as well as the rim around the camera. It cannot be said that they decisively change the boring design of a smartphone to a bold and dynamic one, but at least these elements do add some variety to the appearance.
The size of the Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL is reminiscent of mid-range android smartphones, like the HTC One S, for example. Unlike them, it is a bit thick, this is due to the use of a capacious battery.
Screen
The smartphone uses IPS LCD-display with a diagonal of 4.5 with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. The screen has maximum viewing angles, excellent brightness, while the color reproduction is not as “colorful” and contrasting as in AMOLED displays, but more calm and close to real. I really liked the display in this smartphone.
Platform, performance
You will see the results of tests and benchmarks in the review of the smartphone, and here I want to say a couple of general phrases about the speed of the Ascend D1 Quad XL. The standard interface works perfectly, no delays or slowdowns, the reaction to touch is instantaneous. The smartphone "twirls" FullHD video, games on it also run perfectly. But the "3D Home Screen", one of the types of presentation of the start screens, does not work so smoothly and smoothly. This is probably due to the dampness of the interface itself, because there are no complaints about all other components.
The platform used in the smartphone is Huawei K3V2 with a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor. The device has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory for storing user data, a little more than 5 GB is available from it. There is also a slot for a microSD memory card.
Battery
The highlight of this smartphone for many is not the quad-core processor or the presence of many useful pre-installed programs, but the battery. No wonder the device has an XL prefix, unlike the original D1 Quad, which used a 1800 mAh battery, a 2600 mAh battery is installed here.
The engineering sample I used lasted an average of two days while listening to music every day, surfing the net, taking pictures and using all sorts of instagrams and twitters. Naturally, it is better to measure the operating time by the final sample, so you will find the exact data in the review. But it is already clear that even with a very intense load, this smartphone will work all day. And for an android device, a day of work is a good indicator.
Camera
The main camera has a resolution of 8 MP, there is a flash near the camera module, it can be used as a flashlight. When taking a photo, there are various settings and modes, you can immediately apply color effects or image distortion effects to photos. During movie recording, tracking autofocus works.
Below are examples of pictures and videos from the smartphone's camera, all this was filmed on an engineering sample, so the quality may be different in the final version of the smartphone.
Shooting during the day:
In room:
macro photography:
Shooting text:
Soft
The smartphone runs on Android 4.0.4, there is a proprietary shell with a choice of themes and a number of other features.
The smartphone has an almost complete set of useful utilities, from a file manager and a voice recorder to a program for protecting data and creating backups of system status and programs. In this regard, Huawei has already caught up with manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC, its smartphones are also equipped with a good set of software. By the way, some programs in the Ascend D1 Quad XL almost completely repeat similar programs for iOS in their interface and design, of course, no one copied anything, it's just that the stars aligned.
Conclusion
Information about the timing of the start of sales and the cost of new items will appear along with the presentation of the smartphone in Russia, as I wrote above, there is no exact date yet, it will probably happen next week. Immediately after the announcement, I will try to update the material and add relevant data to it, and now let's move on to brief conclusions.
If Huawei is able to set an adequate price tag for the new products, this smartphone is able to squeeze out such devices as SGS II, HTC Sensation and others on the market. Of course, Huawei does not yet reach the current flagships, but the company is moving in the right direction by releasing balanced devices. And Ascend D1 Quad XL - it seems to me a vivid example of such a balanced smartphone with good performance, practical case, convenient dimensions and a system that already has the necessary minimum of software. This is a great example of a mid-high price smartphone, it's ready to go without any additional settings, practical and does not feel like a cheap craft. And more detailed conclusions, as usual, will be in the review.
Characteristics:
- Form factor: monoblock
- Operating system: Android 4.0.4 + proprietary shell
- Networks: GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSDPA
- Processor: Quad-core 1.4 GHz based on Huawei K3V2 platform
- RAM: 1 GB
- Program storage memory: 8 GB + microSD
- Interfaces: Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 3.0 (A2DP, EDR), micro-USB (USB 2.0, MHL), 3.5 mm
- Screen: IPS-LCD, 4.5”, 1280x720 pixels (HD)
- Camera: 8 MP autofocus with flash (video in 1080p, tracking autofocus), 1.3 MP front camera (video in 720p)
- Navigation: GPS
- Additional: FM radio, accelerometer, light sensor, proximity sensor, digital compass
- Battery: Li-Ion 2600 mAh
- Dimensions: 129 x 64 x 10.9mm
- Weight: 150 grams
One of the key qualities of products has long been a low, competitive price. Now the Huawei Ascend D1 is on sale, the manufacturer's first high-end smartphone, which is on a par with devices such as, samsung galaxy S II, Sony Xperia P. In other words, this is not a top segment, but not a middle class either.
A brief list of key features is as follows: 4.5-inch IPS + screen, 8-megapixel camera with flash and 1080p video recording, dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, card slot, which are enclosed in a very thin body.
Set:
- Smartphone
- Battery
- Charger
- USB cable
- stereo headset
- Instruction
Appearance
A large screen requires a fairly wide area, so the phone has the following dimensions: 129 x 64 x 8.9 mm, weight 130 g. The model is noticeably heavier than the light one, the difference of 20 g between them is well felt.
Also increased the thickness of the case. The width remained unchanged, but the device stretched up a little, freeing up space for a large screen.
The case is made of plastic, which is represented by a glossy front panel and a velvety finish on the back. The materials are well chosen, especially the practical solution for the removable lid.
Huawei Ascend D1, like the previously released Huawei Ascend P1, looks similar to the Samsung i9100. Similar design touches make it easy to determine who the Chinese copied their smartphones from.
The speaker is located in front, to the left of it there is a light indicator, there is a front camera and a set of sensors.
Under the screen are three touch keys, which are backlit. They are located at a sufficient distance, so that there will be no false positives when pressed.
At the top is a headphone jack and a handy screen lock button.
On the left side is a universal microUSB.
On the right, the volume control button is very well shaped.
There is nothing at the bottom, only a recess is provided at the corner to remove the back cover.
The camera lens protrudes from behind, which stands on a small podium. There is also a characteristic bend at the bottom, it serves for a more comfortable and confident grip of the smartphone.
A flash was placed next to the camera. The surface is black, the softtouch is hardy and does not scratch. So that the smartphone does not look completely boring, the cover is decorated with a pattern, due to which it looks more interesting. The panel is removed, under it there will be a compartment for a SIM card and microSD.
Display
The screen with a diagonal of 4.5 inches and a resolution of 720x1280 pixels, displays up to 16 million colors. Capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch, supports up to 10 simultaneous clicks. There is a set of sensors: brightness sensor, proximity.
The smartphone is interesting for its screen, it uses an IPS-matrix of excellent quality. Natural color rendition, natural colors, pleasant shades do not hit the eyes and do not frighten with strange tones.
It is pleasant to look at the image, the high pixel density and decent viewing angles are pleasing.
Scratch protection is guaranteed by Gorilla Glass, which completely covers the front surface of the smartphone.
On the street in bright weather, the data is not read very well, it is necessary to set the backlight to the maximum, otherwise it will be difficult to make out anything. Indoors or on a cloudy day, as well as in the shade, everything will be fine.
Platform
The device has a Texas OMAP 4460 dual-core processor with a frequency of 1500 MHz, a Power VR SGX540 graphics accelerator. Available 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. Support for microSD memory cards allows you to significantly expand the space for media content, I tried media from 8 to 32 GB inclusive, with all the device worked flawlessly. Examples of synthetic tests can be found in the screenshots. The smartphone works quickly, the reaction speed is at the highest level, it is a pleasure to use it. Android 4.0.3 is suggested.
Interface
The shell in the smartphone supports 2D/3D modes. Accordingly, depending on the selected design style, the appearance of the menu changes. Widgets become voluminous, this is especially noticeable when switching desktops. They also get additional animation. All this is reminiscent of the last generation HTC Sense, although not as beautiful. The main thing is that everything works quickly and without delay, and nothing else is required.
At the top of the screen is a service line, which displays the time, battery charge, signal reception level indicator. Active connections and other data are also visible there. Pulling down opens a menu with shortcuts to quickly turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, data transfer, and auto-rotate the screen.
Up to 5 additional areas are created here, where widgets and application shortcuts are placed - a standard set of features. There are few widgets, this is a standard set for Android. Their number changes, the table that will be used by default is set, it will become the main one. Moving between them is smooth, additional effects are included in the menu so that the action is accompanied by beautiful animation.
As design elements, it is possible to use both pre-installed images and manually added files. Animated pictures, basic for Android, are also placed on the background. There are also live wallpapers. Elements that have become unnecessary are easily removed from the screen - just hold your finger on them for a few seconds and drag them to the bottom of the screen.
The menu consists of multi-colored icons, and no more than 16 icons are displayed at the same time: 4 horizontally and 4 vertically. Folders are created here, in which up to 8 applications are added. At the bottom of the screen you will see a button to quickly exit to the desktop and a key that will launch the menu setup mode. In this case, you can arrange the labels in the desired sequence. At the same time, unnecessary applications are immediately removed from here.
The application manager is activated by the Home button. The smartphone shows a list of the most recently used programs, which come in the form of a list. At the same time, up to 3 windows are displayed on the screen.
The smartphone has a convenient lock screen. By pulling the lock symbol in one of four directions, you can go to the call menu, messages, go to the menu or start the camera. Icons about missed events of various types also fall here.
Phone book
The general list shows contacts from both the phone memory and the SIM card, as well as data from the Google account. You can choose among them by setting the ability to display subscribers only from the selected memory type.
By clicking on the field reserved for the subscriber's picture, you will make a call, send him a message or an e-mail, and also see information about him.
Each contact is assigned several fields, which include various types of phone numbers, email addresses, quick communication tools (AIM, ICQ, Gtalk, Skype and others), residential addresses and other data.
If a picture has been assigned to the caller, it will be displayed on the screen. To simplify the search, you can use the vertical line, which depicts the alphabet. Of course, there is also a standard search function among contacts. Numbers can be assigned to different groups, which are assigned an individual signal.
Call log
Access to the call log is provided directly from the phone book, it is highlighted by a separate tab. The numbers are ordered by date. The list is simple, all information is displayed in one column, which displays calls of all types.
By selecting a subscriber, you can see which calls were made and how many times - such a collapsed list is much more convenient than a long string of the same type of dialed numbers. The number is dialed using the virtual keyboard. There is no automatic display of matching numbers here. When entering numbers, the smartphone will not show names from the device's memory.
Messages
For SMS and MMS, there is a shared folder where received messages go. When sending, by adding various objects to the SMS, you can automatically convert it to MMS. The message is sent simultaneously to several subscribers and to a group.
The device combines correspondence with subscribers into dialogues. The smartphone can automatically delete old SMS if there is no desire to store thousands of archives in the device. The device shows previously used numbers for sending messages. When typing text, you can cut, copy and paste it.
Entering text is convenient. It offers a set of large buttons that are pleasant to press, there is a vibration feedback, as well as an almost error-free typing.
If desired, the keyboard can be replaced with another one, but in general, to installed application There are no complaints about entering text. The only thing missing is the ability to enter text with a stroke, as is implemented in Swype and keyboards from some manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, Sony).
Like any other Android device, there is a separate application for Gmail mail, which is configured immediately after the phone has been activated. There is another, which provides for the simultaneous use of accounts of various services to receive mail. And each of them has its own color. This is convenient, because you can view mail for each mailbox separately, and display messages from all accounts into one. And it already shows which of the boxes received a new message.
Supports copying and pasting text. The capabilities of the mail client include scaling the image with your fingers - multi-touch is simple and convenient. You can change the background when viewing letters. The smartphone allows you to view the files attached to the letter of types known to it (for example, images or office documents). When sending mail, there is a function to add various files to attachments. For both messages and email, the font size is configurable. The user sets the check interval, sets the alert signal or vibrating alert.
Gallery
All images and videos are stored here. Files are displayed as thumbnails, they are displayed in a 2x3 or 3x2 grid, depending on the position of the smartphone. The work is accompanied by cute animation effects.
In the folders, the thumbnails of the pictures are smaller, thanks to which not 3, but 4 pictures are placed vertically. The image opens in full screen, scaling works with multitouch. Files can be sent via email, Bluetooth, SMS, or hosted on Picasa.
You can assign images as desktop wallpaper or assign them to a contact. Rotation of pictures, reduction of their size is supported, as well as additional information about a specific file is displayed, the place where the picture was taken is also shown if geotagging works.
Images are shown both in folders (for example, received via Bluetooth, section with photos), and ordered by date. Thanks to this, it is very convenient to view photos - several sections are obtained in the same folder. There is a built-in photo editor that allows you to apply various effects.
The video is played from the gallery, where a separate folder is allocated for the videos. Nothing special can be said about the phone here. There is no support for DivX and XviD codecs in the smartphone, respectively, the ability to play video out of the box is rather modest. You won't be able to watch anything without an additional player, so it's worth visiting the app store.
Player
The interface of the player is also slightly improved. The general list displays all the songs available in the smartphone's memory. Additional columns are provided: playlists, albums, artists, genres, folders. There is an equalizer with a dozen ready-made presets and manual settings.
During music playback, the cover art recorded in the tags of the files is displayed on the screen. The name of the artist, the name of the album and the song being played are displayed. Tracks can be put on repeat (song, album, all tracks) or listened to in mixed mode. For navigation, virtual keys are used (forward-backward and pause), it is also possible to switch between songs by scrolling through the cover image of a file. You have the right to set the song you like as a ringtone.
The audio part of the smartphone left behind a pleasant feeling, the sound is good. The phone will not be able to replace a high-quality player, but if you do not demand something special from it, then you will be able to listen to music.
There is also the second default player of all smartphones with Android Ice Cream Sandwich. Functionally, both applications are similar, the main thing is that the first has a widget that will help you switch music when the screen is locked, while the second does not.
Radio
The receiver supports RDS, a list of stations is created in memory. The screen displays the frequency scale and the necessary controls. Subsequently, you can switch between channels with dedicated keys. There is a separate key to turn off the receiver.
A photo
It uses an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash. There is also a built-in 1.3-megapixel front camera. There is no dedicated key to start shooting, it is activated only from the menu. The interface is very simple, it's a standard Android design without any frills. Help icons are displayed on the screen to help you set up shooting modes and conditions. Functional icons are displayed on the side.
The following camera settings are available:
Shooting Mode: Single, Group, HDR, Burst, Smile, Beautify, Panorama, Low Light.
Effects.
Shooting mode: auto, action, portrait, landscape, night.
White Balance: Auto, Incandescent, Daylight, Fluorescent, Cloudy.
ISO: 100, 200, 400, 800.
Exposure, saturation, contrast, brightness.
Timer: 2, 5, 10 seconds.
Quality: normal, good, excellent.
Photo size: 8M (3264x2448 pixels), 5M (2592x1944 pixels), 3M (2048x1536 pixels), 2M (1600x1200 pixels), 1M (1024x768), 0.3M (640x480 pixels).
Enables autofocus, HDR, red-eye reduction, photo storage space.
The pictures are of average quality, here Huawei does not stand out from the competition. And since this function now often becomes one of the main ones when choosing a new smartphone, users will evaluate the device accordingly.
Video The maximum video recording quality is 1920x1080 pixels, 28 frames per second with mono sound. There is a set of settings with various effects, in addition, you can switch to the front camera. Calendar The display type is configured: events for the month, for the week, for the day, or only records are displayed. Those dates for which any events are assigned are marked in color. The current day of the week is clearly visible - a white cursor is automatically hovered over it. The user also configures the calendar depending on the day of the beginning of the week, as well as choosing a convenient display format. A new record is given a name, a period, a place. It is indicated with which of the calendars it will be synchronized, you can send invitations to contacts from notebook. The repeat period is set (every day, weekly, monthly, yearly). The reminder will help you not to miss the recording, the set alarm will work in advance. Watch The screen displays the time, date and weather forecast. The smartphone allows you to save several alarms in memory. The repetition is set both for 1 time and for every day, only on weekdays or weekly. Certain days are also set. The melody of the signal is set, you can add a vibrating alert and a text file to it. The period of re-triggering of the signal is fixed. YouTube is a standard application for most modern devices. Allows you to view videos, search among them. It works in full screen mode. The calculator performs calculations in both portrait and landscape orientations. There were no additional features. The Facebook application will allow you to communicate in the network of the same name directly from your mobile device. Standard Twitter client installed. Polaris Office allows you to view and create various "office" documents. There is an application for simple text notes. The recorder will record your monologues and dialogues. The smartphone has a built-in file manager. It supports sorting by time, type, name and size of files, allows you to move, copy and rename files, and perform other useful actions. The Play Market offers thousands of applications. A convenient search function has been implemented, as well as the division of programs into categories, which greatly simplifies viewing. You can look at the reviews, evaluate the rating and express your opinion about the software. Each application is provided with a brief description and images for greater clarity. Purchased applications are displayed in a separate list. Security Guard will act as a means to block incoming calls and messages from unwanted numbers. You can also protect your personal data on your smartphone with it. Built-in Gtalk chat. Google+ network client installed. There is a flashlight. The weather forecast is displayed with beautiful animation. Installed game Riptide GP. Built-in application for working with data via DLNA. The data is backed up. News and weather forecast are displayed. GPS navigation For navigation, Google Maps is used - the standard software for all Android smartphones. The only drawback is that the program requires constant network activity, which affects the amount of traffic consumed by the device. Traffic jams are displayed, thus, the application has become full-featured and convenient not only for pedestrians, but also for car owners. You can see a "live" image of the streets thanks to the Google View function. There is a function of determining the current location, calculating the route from the start to the end point, and the method of movement is set: by car, on foot or by public transport. The route is laid on the map, while key places are indicated in the form of text messages, you can switch between them: view the route in advance or vice versa, go back and lay a different path. Scaling works using multitouch or virtual buttons. Browser For Internet surfing, a convenient application is used. A navigation bar is displayed at the top of the screen, to the right of it there is a shortcut that allows you to bookmark the page. The phone remembers the most visited pages, there is a log of pages viewed. Several windows open at the same time, search for words on the page works, text selection, as well as a practical function for changing the brightness of the screen directly from the browser. Thanks to multi-touch, pages are easily scaled (virtual keys also work to change the size of the displayed one). The font size changes, it is possible to save passwords. There is support for Flash, in general, the browser works quite quickly and is easy to use. Connections The phone works in frequencies 850/900/1800/1900/2100 MHz. The device has Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP support, Wi-Fi with b/g/n support and hotspot mode. The microUSB connector allows you to transfer data via USB 2.0. There is DLNA and a separate application for working with data. Battery The phone has a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 1800 mAh. Usually the phone was enough for a day on a single charge, it lived from morning to evening with two hours of the player, constant background synchronization of social services, 20-30 photos, 1-1.5 hours of mobile Internet. In the continuous video playback mode at maximum screen brightness, the smartphone worked for 6 hours. Conclusion The speaker has enough power for various conditions. The vibration signal is not distinguished by anything, the most common. The ringtone sounds very good. Huawei Ascend D1 turns out to be an interesting model for that group of users who meticulously choose a smartphone, primarily guided by the quality of the screen. The display in this model is excellent and for the money you will not be able to find something better. Today, they ask for 14,000 rubles for a smartphone, which is quite adequate, given that solutions similar in characteristics will cost more. For example, with an all-aluminum body, it lacks a memory card and has a smaller screen size and lower resolution. loses in the quality of materials and display. But this is a more well-known brand, in addition, it offers a lot of firmware and a time-tested reputation.
© Alexander Pobyvanets, Test Lab |
When you have two identical smartphones in front of you, one of which runs on a hitherto unknown quad-core processor manufactured by Hi-Silicon - Huawei K3V2, and the second on a well-established dual-core TI OMAP 4460, making a choice is not so easy. The first captivates with theoretical power, the second with price. To find out whether it is worth waiting for a more powerful version, we got hold of a model that is already available now on a dual-core TI processor - Huawei Ascend D1.
The sample in question is not intended to evaluate the quality of the case and does not work on the final version of the software. Detailed overview a commercial sample will appear closer to the start of sales, that is, at the end of October
Design and ergonomics
The design of a smartphone cannot be called unique, or at least one that, with its whole appearance, clearly indicates who its manufacturer is. The case is quite compact and can compete in this parameter with devices equipped with a 4.3-inch screen, the Ascend D1 has a 4.5-inch screen. And although Huawei has never claimed a record thin bezel around the screen, its dimensions are comparable to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and smaller than the LG Optimus True HD, which is very good.
The corners of the body are rounded, while the sides and ends are flat. Glossy plastic is used around the tempered glass on the front of the device. For additional protection of the glass, the plastic bordering it protrudes slightly above the surface of the case.
At the top of the front panel are: a metal mesh speaker, a status indicator, proximity and light sensors, as well as an HD camera eye.
Three touch keys are installed under the display, and a barely noticeable microphone hole, at the junction between glass and plastic.
Despite the fact that Huawei did not previously use Gorilla Glass in smartphones, the Ascend D1 uses Corning tempered glass.
Now let's talk about the connectors and keys installed around the perimeter of the case. At the top end there is only a 3.5 mm jack and a power / lock key. Reaching for it is not very convenient, but there are no complaints about its work: a short stroke and a noticeable click when triggered. The bottom end is empty. On the left side face there is a MicroUSB connector, on the right side there is a double volume rocker. The key is comfortable to use, it protrudes above the body and has sharp edges, which contributes to its detection when searching blindly.
The back of the smartphone may remind someone of last year's flagship of a well-known manufacturer, but only from the photo, tactilely these are completely different devices. The removable cover, which is also the back panel, is made of plastic, over which a special material is applied. To the touch and pattern, the back panel of Huawei Ascend D1 is closest to Motorola smartphones with Kevlar (carbon fiber).
At the top center, on a small ledge, there is an 8 MP camera lens and two LEDs. Below them is a hole for a microphone and the manufacturer's logo. To the right of the camera, its brief characteristics are listed.
The removable back cover extends to the sides and ends of the case, so it is not possible to remove it when a USB cable or headset is connected. Down, where the multimedia speaker is located, the smartphone body thickens a little. The recess for removing the back panel is located next to the hole for the speaker.
By removing the back panel, the user gets access to the SIM and MicroSD card slots. The battery is non-removable, its capacity is 1800 mAh.
Our editors visited an early sample of a smartphone, which shows traces of operation in the form of a scratch on the back panel, as well as creaking of the case. In addition to the black color of the case, a white analog will be on sale, with the same back cover coating as in our case.
Interface and software
The smartphone runs on Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system. The familiar interface differs only due to more high resolution display in this model. So, for example, the line with labels at the bottom of the screen does not consist of four icons, but five.
The lock screen is divided into two virtual parts. The upper part displays a digital clock, which can be replaced with a single movement to the left or right to the music player control keys. This means that to launch the player, the user does not have to remove the lock, go to the menu or look for the player widget, three movements are enough: the first is pressing the lock button; the second - changing the clock on the player; the third is to launch the player. On the second half of the screen there is a circle, along the edges of which there are four shortcuts for unlocking the screen, launching the camera, entering the call log and messages.
Having unlocked the screen, the user gets to the Desktop. By default, the desktop is pure Android, which is sure to please fans of the latter and lovers of Nexus smartphones. Of the additions, perhaps its own set of widgets, the number of which is six more than the standard one.
We will not describe it, since readers can read it in a separate article, and we will focus on the features inherent in Huawei devices, in particular Ascend D1.
Let's start with the fact that in addition to the standard Android theme, the user can choose "Breeze" or "Dawn". Their differences come down to the background splash screen and the appearance of the icons. You cannot edit the number of desktop windows. This is possible only in the 3D Desktop - a proprietary interface with a hint of three-dimensional objects. These effects are best seen when moving from one window to another. The latter, by the way, can be adjusted, as well as choose one of two transition effects from one window to another. As in the standard interface (2D), a bar is provided above the shortcuts located at the bottom of the screen to quickly switch between desktop windows. We saw the same principle in Samsung smartphones. If in a normal desktop it really does not differ from the Samsung one, then in 3D mode it is more like SPB Shell 3D. In this mode, it is also possible to select the type of icons - "Breeze" or "Square".
In general, the interface developed by Huawei looks quite attractive, but there is still work to be done on the functionality. For example, it is not possible to create folders by simply dragging one shortcut to another, expand the set of widgets, improve smoothness, and add additional shortcuts to the Notification Panel to control display brightness, sound profiles, etc.
List of unique apps
Backups
Raptide GP
security guard
Platform
The Huawei Ascend D1 has a TI OMAP 4460 system-on-a-chip. As you probably know, Texas Instruments is focusing on tablets and readers. This is not surprising, given the fact that fewer and fewer smartphones use their chips, while among tablets, the popularity of TI OMAP is at least as good as that of Nvidia Tegra 3.
So, the TI OMAP 4460 is manufactured using a 45-nm process technology, includes two computing processor cores with an ARMv7 instruction set capable of operating at a clock frequency of up to 1.5 GHz, a PowerVR SGX540 graphics chip with a frequency of 384 MHz and 1 GB of dual-channel RAM.
By default, the processor frequency is limited to 1.2 GHz. To make it work at maximum frequency, you should select the "Performance" mode in the "Power Saving Mode" menu. There are also two other modes - "Energy Saving" and "Balanced". Depending on the set mode, the operating time of the smartphone changes. In the maximum mode, the smartphone lasted a little more than three hours, while in the economy mode it lasted up to 5 hours. Under normal operating conditions, the user can count on a day of work with 30 minutes of calls, synchronization via Wi-Fi / 3G, receiving and sending letters, reading news and listening to the player for one to two hours.
Among the features, we also note the “Quick Boot” mode, when activated, it takes 5 seconds to turn on the smartphone, registration in the operator’s network takes another 5 seconds.
Operating time at maximum load
Huawei Ascend D1 performance results in synthetic benchmarks
Battery Saving Mode
Performance mode
Display
Even at MWC 2012, Huawei managed to pleasantly surprise the public with the quality of the displays used. Display characteristics 4.5”, resolution 1280x720 pixels, IPS-matrix, brightness from 16 to 247 cd/m². The image quality is beyond praise, except perhaps for the low brightness, but the absence of an air gap between the display matrix and the glass pleases, thanks to which the picture seems to be drawn on the glass itself, and the viewing angles are close to the maximum.
If we compare Huawei Ascend D1 with LG Optimus True HD in which the display has similar parameters, Huawei will win. LG has lower brightness values, 8-230 cd / m² and worse viewing angles, primarily due to the layer between the display and glass.
Camera
The Huawei U9500 has a camera module with 8 MP resolution and the ability to record Full HD video. The same module is also used in Huawei U8660 (Honor), but thanks to different software, the final results are superior to Honor, which can be seen from the examples below.
Examples of 8 MP photos taken by the Huawei Ascend D1 smartphone
An example of a Full HD video taken with a Huawei Ascend D1 smartphone
Results
Smartphone Huawei Ascend D1 should appear on sale by the end of October at a price of 4500 hryvnia. At first glance, this is a considerable amount for a device of a brand little known in our country, but on the other hand, it is worth considering how much the flagships of Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG cost at the time they appeared on the market? Certainly no less. Representatives of the middle class cost no less - Sony Xperia P and HTC One S. So if you compare the cost of Huawei Ascend with analogues, it turns out not so much. Another thing is that the middle class is now literally saturated with various kinds of devices. What is one Samsung Galaxy Nexus worth. Yes, its functionality is somewhat lower, but it has undeniable advantages. We can not say about the smartphone LG Optimus True HD, which is very similar to the device in question at comparable prices. As a result, it turns out that, on the one hand, Huawei is cheaper than its competitors, but on the other hand, lower prices were expected from this brand. Now the user will think twice before whether to take Huawei, HTC or Samsung. To be fair, the Huawei Ascend D1 is a good smartphone, with a good camera, display, performance and body materials, which is unfortunately slightly overpriced.