Would you buy a Galaxy S 2-grade phone if it was made by Huawei?
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Until now, Huawei has mainly produced budget-oriented offerings like the T-Mobile Comet, for example, but now the company is obviously aiming at a new, higher level. The Ascend P1 S that got announced on January 9 doesn't look like a bad phone by any means. Quite the opposite.
The reason why we're writing all of this is because it'd be very interesting to see if a Chinese manufacturer such as Huawei, the phones of which aren't particularly popular in the U.S. and Europe, would be able to conquer positions in the upper end of the smartphone market – positions which are currently occupied by industry veterans like Motorola, Apple, Sony Ericsson and Samsung. Hearing those names, it feels almost unnatural to place Huawei next to them. Yet, it seems that's exactly what the manufacturer is striving for.
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So if the hardware is there, what might possibly hold the Ascend P1 S back? Frankly, that's the lack of imagination in this company. Even with such great specs, Huawei hasn't done much in order to differentiate its product in the design department. The handset is an almost exact replica of the Samsung Galaxy S II in terms of appearance. Actually, the manufacturer has preferred to copy every aspect of the Galaxy S II's design, rather than think of its own. The characteristic hump at the bottom, the look and position of the camera on the back, the position of the power/lock key... it's as if you're looking at the international Galaxy S II. It is in these acts of direct copying from the big guys that we recognize Huawei's humble past. It's something that even great specs can't hide.
Huawei did do something in order to enhance Samsung's design, though. It has slimmed down the profile of the handset even further, to the astounding 6.68 mm, creating the world's thinnest smartphone in the process. So it turns out Huawei's designers aren't slouches after all! They have even utilized Corning's Gorilla Glass to make the phone sturdier – a welcome change from the mediocre materials used in its past models. Feel free to check out our hands-on with the device for more details.
So that seems to be the situation with Huawei. With models like the Ascend P1 S (it's still unknown which markets are going to get it), the company is certainly trying to invade previously unexplored parts of the marked. And by the looks of it, its offerings will have the muscle to compete. Will Huawei become a major threat for more established makers like Samsung or Motorola? Will it eventually succeed in obtaining the status of being called a premium phone manufacturer? This all remains to be seen, and with the company already making the first steps in this direction (and promising to continue like this), the answer may arrive sooner rather than later.
Poll
- Would you buy a Galaxy S 2-grade phone if it was made by Huawei?
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29.63%
403 votes Why not? As long as the specs are good, I have no problem getting it. -
51.4%
699 votes I would rather wait for the first reviews to come out before making a purchase. -
18.97%
258 votes No way! I wouldn't go for a phone by such an unfamiliar brand.
1360 votes
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61 Comments
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2. bolaG posted on 11 Jan 2012, 17:19 1 0
I dont know enough about Huawei...I'm skeptical of battery life, signal, and materials on most phones. So untill I have feed back about those things I cant go just on spec sheets.
3. christianqwerty posted on 11 Jan 2012, 17:19 4 6
I feel like Kyocera and Huawei are the Kia and Hyundai of the phone world. They may have good specs and have cheap prices, but it's just not a reliable brand.
5. WakaFlakaD posted on 11 Jan 2012, 17:26 3 0
We will see about the reliability in the long-run for Kia and Hyundai. For a car, most people would at least be looking at about 15 years of usage/200,000. For a mobile phone, let's say 2 years? Buyers switch phones way faster than a car. Even as if the phone breaks down, technology moves so fast, today's hottest become a low-end the next year or two. If it breaks, then let it breaks.
20. FAW-Q posted on 11 Jan 2012, 18:24 2 2
Actually, Samsung is the Kia and Hyndai of the phone world.
25. ningaman999 posted on 11 Jan 2012, 19:23 2 3
Personally Samsung delivers the best quality phones, I don't want to sound stereotypical, but sometimes name brands do matter. Would you rather buy a Sony TV or a Sylvania TV (Look it up)? Samsung is more of the Infinity or Jaguar and Huawei is more like the Mercury. In the end for any product, every brand has their high and low quality.
27. cheetah2k posted on 11 Jan 2012, 19:42 3 1
In Australia we have Samsung branded TV's, and Kogan branded TV's with Samsung panels at less than half the Samsung TV retail price.
Sure the Kogan TV's don't have the exquisite looks of the Samsung TV's, but I'd be keen to give them a go just to save some coin knowing they've got the same quality parts in them...
Huawei phones will be pretty much the same IMO. Quality parts, but Huawei branded.
42. diverdude posted on 12 Jan 2012, 02:25 3 2
I agree that samsung is terrible. Have an s1 captivate, and the frame cracked (keep it in an otter box), the speaker keeps going out, and the GPS has never worked despite days spent trying all the fixes and apps. The first two problems are due to the cheap frame that flexes in the pocket under poor design and not from dropping or abuse. Love android, but next phone will probably be iphone as their phones last (if you don't break the screen). Sure technology is moving quickly but I don't believe in the $600 disposable smartphone model. It doesn't work with people who are not on a postpaid contract system.
As far as huawei, they can pack a punch at value, but battery is aweful and reliability has been poor on their other products. I live in Kenya and even the Kenyans think they are poor quality, but buy them because of their budget smartphones (the ideos was an instant hit but people have stopped buying them because they don't perform as they look on paper). I have had a couple of their 3g modems burn out in less than a year. After a couple months they start getting hot and slow down. Hopefully they will improve like Hyundai and Kia have done, but you won't find me as an early adopter.
50. GALAXY-S posted on 12 Jan 2012, 11:17 1 0
a samsung captivate is about 2 years old!! how do you expect for it to be in perfect condition!! really?? ive had 2 S1 vibrants and ive dropped them plenty of times and have never had any hardware issue at all.. Why dont you try the newer samsung phone for example the GS2 im pretty sure you wont be complaining..
26. cheetah2k posted on 11 Jan 2012, 19:39 4 0
Hyundai and Kia have turned out more reliable than Toyota these days, and during the GFC invested 5 x more $ on R&D than Toyota, Ford and GMH put together.
So @christianqwerty, tecnically, your argument is a bit daft.
Huawei have been around for many years making 3G USB, laptop and wifi modems for ages, as well as having budget targeted reliable but low spec'd mobile phones. I'd give them a chance, providing they were initially cheaper than the others.
31. remixfa posted on 11 Jan 2012, 21:14 2 2
obviously you dont pay attention to cars. hyundai's are now rated higher than many toyotas and hondas. toyotas are having tons of problems. I drive a hyundai sonata. It's the nicest car ive ever owned by far and ive had quite a few nice cars. 100% reliable, well built, excellent interiors, decent power, and the most features per buck.
You should drive one before u scoff at it. I used to do the same thing until my wife bugged me to try it. Best decision i could have made. I know your young and it may not have the "cool" factor that other cars have.. but it also doesnt have the "repair" factor either. lol
33. WakaFlakaD posted on 11 Jan 2012, 21:33 1 0
Did you have the steering problem? That was kinda a big issue on the sonata.. assuming if you are driving the 2011
37. remixfa posted on 11 Jan 2012, 22:07 0 1
no i bought an 09 when they came out with 5 miles on it (in 09 they changed the interior, in 11 they changed the exterior).. 3 were from the test drive. had an odd clutch issue in the first like 200 miles that was fixed quickly and for free, but other than that its been a dream. hyundai treats you better as a customer than any other car company ive delt with in the what.. 15/16 years.. that ive been driving? they really pamper you.
my next car is going to be a sports car, and ive been looking at mustang and camero V8's as well as like 370's.. but with the news that they are going to drop a 350hp engine into the Genesis coup for the 2013 model, i might give that a test drive too. my friend and i laugh at each other. he just traded his stang in for a 2012 sonata because he liked mine so much, and im lookin at trading in my sonata for a stang since i want something faster. lol
53. WakaFlakaD posted on 12 Jan 2012, 14:55 0 0
I just went to motortrend.com and looked at the 2013 of the Genesis coupe, and it looked like a MAZDA to me... 2013 changed the front fascia... I will stick with the 370s. Mustang boss 302 seems nice.
I have to say the 2012 Sonata do look very nice indeed. I see this car everywhere (Chicago). I checked out the website and adding the $3000 package into a SE turbo. The total after tax and everything will come out around $28-30k. Good deal!
51. Dinged posted on 12 Jan 2012, 12:40 0 0
IMO the chinese branded Huawei is nothing like Kia or Hyundai. Hyundai Sonata, for example, has won numerous awards - it's not only fair priced, but it differentiates itself by good innovative design, both inside and out. Toyota on the other hand has lagged in it's interiors and outdated exteriors.
Huawei business model is different - it doesn't innovate, Instead, they make popularly spec'd devices at cheaper prices by manufacturing cheaply (cutting quality in hardware, support, R&D or testing). Although this article states that the Huawei is spec'd the same as a Samsung, don't expect performance to be on par. Driver implementation(affecting phone stability and performance), audio noise, battery life, phone reception, gps accuracy and availability of future updates and support all come into question beyond the scope of this article.
4. gallitoking posted on 11 Jan 2012, 17:24 6 0
I will consider just because they went the extra mile and put the lastest Android version on it... unlike lazy "known" carriers... that rush the product and dont take their time to put ICS on it... (if Huawei can do it why not the rest?)...and lastlyif they get rid of the "Samsung" trademark plastic cover
9. Ray.S posted on 11 Jan 2012, 17:45 10 0
I agree with you. it really is mind-boggling to see the Ascend P1 S run ICS, while something like the LG Spectrum is unveiled with Gingerbread... Then again, it's also important to see exactly when these handsets are going to launch. Huawei might be showing an ICS phone now, but if it fails to launch it before, say, the second half of the year, then big deal that they were first here.
14. WakaFlakaD posted on 11 Jan 2012, 17:53 0 0
Absolutely! Everything we see at this moment are pretty much work-in-progress. ICS will eventually keep rolling out. Will they be able to deliver before Samsung, HTC, Sony or Motorola and hit big in the American market? We will continue to spectacle.
