MetroPCS is known for offering 4G LTE smartphones on the cheap, but it’s going for a record today. The Activa 4G isn’t just Huawei’s first LTE smartphone in the US, it’s temporarily the least expensive LTE phone in the country at $149 contract-free for a “limited time.” Digging around, it’s certainly possible to find out how Huawei and MetroPCS reached that price: the 3.5-inch, 320 x 480 screen, 800MHz processor and five-megapixel rear shooter won’t have Verizon Galaxy S III customers developing second thoughts. Still, there is a front VGA camera on the Android 2.3-toting phone, and MetroPCS preloads a copy of the movie Kung-Fu Panda 2 on the bundled 4GB microSD card. You won’t have to wait at all if it sounds like a bargain, as the Activa 4G is already sitting in stores real and virtual as you read this.

Huawei Activa 4G gets your 4G LTE fix on MetroPCS for $149 contract-free originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 11:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we’ve gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

Continue reading FCC Fridays: June 1, 2012

FCC Fridays: June 1, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drastic product strategy adjustments appear to be a hot trend for smartphone manufacturers in 2012, and Huawei is one such example of a company doing its best to hang out with the cool kids. It’s hard to blame it, of course: the OEM’s previous success has been in its ability to crank out budget-friendly smartphones, feature phones and USB sticks like nobody’s business and pushing them out to emerging markets. The story’s even more dire within the US, as most carriers have kept Huawei out of the spotlight by choosing very few of its devices, white-labeling each one and selling them as prepaid. In an effort to gain awareness and improve its market share, Huawei’s turned to establishing brand recognition and improving device selection as its focal points for 2012.

Barely a week into the new year, Huawei took to the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show to showcase the Ascend P1 and P1 S. These two smartphones, nearly identical twins with the exception of the P1 S’ thinner profile and (oddly enough) larger battery, represented the first phase in the company’s new product strategy. The pair were to be powerful new devices with a classy, stylish look and feel. This was a welcome move since Huawei’s best product prior to CES was the Honor, a 1.4GHz single-core device with a 4-inch FWVGA display.

Until Huawei launches its top-tier Diamond series of smartphones (including the ultra-powerful D Quad), the Ascend P1 — which is expected to arrive in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia by the end of the month at an unknown price — will be the company’s best offering. Naturally, we were eager to take this Platinum series (second tier) device for a spin. Is the P1 truly a sign of Huawei turning a new leaf? Does it hold its own against similarly specced competition? Follow us past the break to find out.

Continue reading Huawei Ascend P1 review

Huawei Ascend P1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei‘s 102HW Ultra WiFi 4G router might not be bathing in the same irradiated limelight as Sharp’s Pantone 5, but it’s said to support the fastest mobile data service in Japan. Announced at SoftBank‘s summer product rollout, the 102HW sports download speeds of up to 110 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up on AXGP (Advanced eXtended Global Platform) 4G, though it’ll fall back to 3G when necessary. Up to ten users can simultaneous surf the web via 802.11b/g/n WiFi at 300 Mbps and share files through a built in microSDXC card slot. The box can also switch to and from SoftBank WiFi hotspots on the fly if cellular connections alone won’t cut it. Live in Japan? You’ll have to wait until September to land a hotspot of your own.

Huawei hotspot supports 110Mbps downstream on Softbank’s 4G network originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 05:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the animal kingdom, reptiles shed their skins. In the mobile marketplace, Android smartphones do just the opposite. So, in keeping with the natural order, Huawei’s preparing a June coming out party for a UX of its very own, dubbed Emotion UI. The Chinese manufacturer’s no stranger to custom interfaces, as we saw at CES 2012 with the optional 3D launcher it employed on the Ascend P line. But as the company continues its trek towards major mobile player status, certain stock perks were sure to fall by the wayside. It’s a bid for differentiation that should arguably “enhance” the user experience, but if forums and comment sections are to be believed, this great leap forward is actually a devolution of the worst kind. Hit up the source below to gander at the garbled word constructions of good ‘ol Google translate.

I’ve got you under my skin: Huawei to cover Android in new Emotion UI originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 12:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei has filed an EU antitrust complaint against InterDigital to end its “abuse” of the allegedly standards-essential patents it controls. The company has urged the commission to examine its demands, which are considered too hefty to come under the protection of FRAND terms. The shoe normally resides on the other foot, with InterDigital previously instigating battles with Nokia, Samsung and ZTE. This time, it looks like the Chinese giant was tired of being pushed around by what it’s derisorily called a non-practicing entity — which we’ve taken to be a polite euphemism.

Update: InterDigital has released a statement, which we’ve included after the break.

Continue reading Huawei files EU antitrust complaint against InterDigital

Huawei files EU antitrust complaint against InterDigital originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 10:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we’ve gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

Continue reading FCC Fridays: May 25, 2012

FCC Fridays: May 25, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 22:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Talk about being tardy to the party: a month after its keyboard-less twin, the Huawei Ascend G312 QWERTY has finally received approval from the FCC. While this particular name may not sound very appealing to the average US customer, perhaps its other designation — the T-Mobile myTouch Q — will. Indeed, this is the 2012 iteration (the slide-out keyboard version, at least) of the carrier’s annual series, and it sports quadband GSM / EDGE and 850 / AWS / 1900 / 2100 HSPA+. Most of the specs are already known: you can expect to find a 4-inch WVGA display, 1.4GHz MSM8255T chip with 1GB RAM and 4GB of onboard storage and room for microSD expansion. If you’re a fan of the myTouch series — or even hardware keyboards in general — you likely won’t have to wait too much longer.

T-Mobile myTouch Q makes its mark on the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 12:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei’s putting a whole bunch of oomph behind its 2012 lineup, and it’s finally beginning to get noticed here in the US. Not too long after getting the Ascend D1 approved by the FCC, the Chinese manufacturer has returned to Washington to push the Ascend P1 through the government agency. Regarded as a close sibling to the slimmer P1 S, this particular Platinum-class device comes offering gifts of pentaband HSPA+ / UMTS, which means there’s a chance we could see it show up on AT&T or T-Mobile (neither carrier has made their intentions known as of yet). The OMAP 4460-powered Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone will, however, be available in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia by the end of the month, with Europe and Latin America following soon after. If you enjoy poring through federal documents, you’ll love peeking at the source link below.

Huawei Ascend P1 slips through FCC with pentaband goodness for all originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Some of us aren’t convinced that phablets will last as more than a short-term success. That hasn’t stopped ABI Research from predicting that enough of the size XXL smartphones will sell to block all natural sunlight. The study team sees phones like the Galaxy Note and Optimus Vu as just the start, with help from Huawei, HTC and others leading to a crescendo of 208 million phablets shipped in 2015 alone. Of course, as with many of these predictions, the estimate is based on a little bit of knowledge and a lot of speculation about the market’s tastes: the researchers have a hunch that the values of navigation, reading and the web will steer us to big screens, and they’re including devices just over 4.6 inches like the One X or the upcoming Galaxy S III. There’s a bit of evidence to support the claims — Samsung sold five million Notes in five months, and HTC has seen some brisk One X sales — but that’s still no guarantee that regular-sized smartphones will have to fight in the shade.

Continue reading ABI: Galaxy Note and other phablets will ship at 208 million a year by 2015, blot out the sun

ABI: Galaxy Note and other phablets will ship at 208 million a year by 2015, blot out the sun originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 18:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This past week, Verizon Wireless brought its LTE service to 28 new markets and expanded its reach in 11 additional areas. We also saw Straight Talk introduce the Samsung Galaxy Proclaim, and it appears that Rogers will soon offer the HTC One S. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of May 14th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 14th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 May 2012 21:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We here at Engadget tend to spend a lot of way too much time poring over the latest FCC filings, be it on the net or directly on the ol’ Federal Communications Commission’s site. Since we couldn’t possibly (want to) cover all the stuff that goes down there individually, we’ve gathered up an exhaustive listing of every phone and / or tablet getting the stamp of approval over the last week. Enjoy!

Continue reading FCC Fridays: May 18, 2012

FCC Fridays: May 18, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 23:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s mid-May — do you know where your Ice Cream Sandwich update is? Six months after Android 4.0 made its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, millions of owners of legacy Android devices are still anxiously awaiting the day the new firmware gets downloaded on their own electronic real estate. At least the scene today is much more pleasant than it was just a few months ago, as ICS is finally rolling out to several popular devices. But if you’re shopping for a phone or tablet, how can you possibly keep track of which device has what version?

Amidst the confusion, we’ve put together a handy list of the legacy devices that have already been updated to Ice Cream Sandwich, as well as the ones that are promised an upgrade at a future date. Of course, many phones and tablets have ICS ROMs, leaked builds and other unofficial versions of the new firmware available, but we’ll only discuss official downloads here. We plan to amend the list as the update rolls out to more devices, so be sure to check back from time to time. Head past the break to see how much of a reach Ice Cream Sandwich has.

Continue reading Which devices have Ice Cream Sandwich?

Which devices have Ice Cream Sandwich? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gartner’s latest dispatch reveals a wobbly global trade in mobile phones. Although our love of smartphones continued to blossom, with sales of that subcategory up nearly 45 percent, it wasn’t enough to stave off a two percent overall decline compared to the same quarter in 2011. A total of 419.1 million handsets were sold, representing the first hiccup after nearly three years of growth and leading analysts to point fingers at a slow down in the Asia / Pacific region as well as a lack of product launches at the start of the year. Meanwhile, these figures also confirm what was already gleaned from IDC’s shipments data: Samsung has knocked Nokia off its 14-year-old perch to become the padrone of the mobile phone market, with a cut of over 20 percent. It also replaced Apple as the number one smartphone vendor, claiming ownership of almost half of that segment. Damn, it feels good to be a pebble.

Gartner: mobile phone sales fell two percent last quarter, Samsung confirmed as numero uno originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 May 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Of the trio of Huawei’s Diamond-class smartphones announced at Mobile World Congress in February, the dual-core Ascend D1 got the least amount of buzz. Today, however, the handset gets its opportunity to bask in the spotlight, since it’s the first of the group to obtain the FCC’s nod of approval. No huge revelations were given, but the docs confirm quadband GSM and pentaband HSPA+ / WCDMA, a welcome treat for AWS fans. As always, we can’t assume any carrier affiliation here, but at least we know the unlocked versions will work on AT&T and T-Mobile without a hitch. It looks like Huawei’s still on track for a Q2 release — let’s hope the same is true for the D1′s older siblings.

Huawei Ascend D1 hits the FCC with pentaband HSPA+ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 12:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you’re like us and really want to know what’s going on, then you’ve come to the right place. This past week, Sprint reassured us with optimism for Windows Phone 8, and T-Mobile’s CEO found a new partner to continue the fight against Verizon’s AWS acquisition. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the “best of the rest” for this week of May 7th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of May 7th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 20:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CTIA 2012 is wrapping up and we thought we’d spend a few minutes reminiscing about some of the more interesting devices we had a chance to see for the first time or that were launched here. Unfortunately for us — and thereby for you, too — the show lacked the bite we’ve seen at previous events, in fact it barely registered a nibble. We did catch up with five products we’d like to highlight so follow on after the break for our recap.

Continue reading CTIA 2012: a look back at our favorite devices

CTIA 2012: a look back at our favorite devices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sadly, when this gorgeous slab of glass and silicon was unveiled at MWC, Huawei wouldn’t let us put our greasy hands on it — and with good reason, the spectacular panel on the MediaPad 10 is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. But, we’re happy to report that the company trotted out the goods for Pepcom’s event at CTIA. We took the device for a pretty thorough spin and, despite being saddled with software still in the development stage, came away thoroughly impressed. The 10-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display is one of the most gorgeous screens to ever grace a tablet. Sure, it’s not quite “new” iPad levels of pixel density, but it certainly puts most of its potential competitors to shame. The primarily aluminum body feels great in the hand, striking a great balance between weight and a premium feel. At only 8.8mm thin it’s no surprise that it comes in at just 13 ounces (roughly), all while packing a 6,600 mAh battery.

The in-house developed 1.5Ghz quad-core K3 Balong CPU inside is given a pretty decent workout by the rough built of Ice Cream Sandwich on board, that was mostly stock but had the sporadic OEM flourish such as different icons and keyboard. Most actions, such as playing back HD video and launching the browser were smooth enough, but we did notice the occasional stutter and pause. We took some time to put it through a few of our standard issue benchmarks, and turned up some mixed results. The 2,696.7ms it took to chug through the SunSpider benchmark left us standing around awkwardly at the Huawei table, while the 2,737 on Quadrant and 30.1 fps in NenaMark 2 were respectable, though not mind-blowing. But, again, we’ll stress that this is still running a development version of the OS. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break for a full tour.

Joseph Volpe contributed to this post.

Check out our event hub to keep up with the latest action from CTIA Wireless 2012!

Continue reading Huawei 10-inch MediaPad hands-on (video)

Huawei 10-inch MediaPad hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 20:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huawei’s at CTIA Wireless 2012 in New Orleans, and we got to spend a little time with one the company’s newest devices geared toward the youth and first-time smartphone users: the Ascend Y200. Power users need not apply here, as the Gingerbread handset offers a not-so-tantalizing 3.5-inch HVGA display, 1,400mAh battery, 3.2MP fixed-focus camera and 1GHz Qualcomm MSM7625A single-core processor (the listed spec here is different from the 800MHz spec we’ve heard previously, which makes us wonder if this has been overclocked for the US market). It also features a lot of fingerprints, courtesy of its glossy plastic build. The UI of the Y200 closely resembles most Huawei Gingerbread phones we’ve played with, such as the Honor. All told, the Ascend Y200 is decidedly low-end, with some European venues offering the device for €100. We may see it on a few prepaid carriers in the US, but this certainly won’t be of any interest to those who crave the latest and greatest smartphones.

Terrence O’Brien contributed to this post.

Huawei Ascend Y200 hands-on at CTIA 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012

Refresh Roundup: week of April 30th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 May 2012 19:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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