Huawei Ascend D1 Pro Reviews

While I give Huawei points for audacity in claiming that the Ascend D1 Quad XL is the fastest smartphone in the world, the device unfortunately fails to live up to the talk. Not only is its performance subpar, but it faces one huge quad-core competitor: the LG Nexus 4. Just like the Quad XL, the Nexus 4 comes unlocked, but at a significantly more affordable price. The Nexus also has a more recent version of the Android OS and offers smoother performance. Frankly, if you're looking for a quad-core unlocked phone, there's no reason to get the Quad XL when the Nexus 4 is available.

Let our words not be minced: when the Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL starts showing up in the majority of global markets this quarter (no US availability has been announced, though we'll likely see it offered by online importers), it'll face some steep competition. What once was billed as the "world's fastest smartphone" is now just another entry on the growing list of quad-core powerhouses available on the market, largely thanks to months of delays. That's not to say it isn't powerful or fast -- on the contrary, it performs exactly the way you'd expect a phone with four CPU cores to, and it's Huawei's best phone to date -- but we unfortunately aren't seeing many features that will help the company's flagship stick out. The saving grace for the XL will be its price; estimated to be around 2,699 yuan ($450), it'll be the only thing that prevents this particular device from getting lost in the crowd.

We initially posed the question whether the Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL is merely a cheap imitation of the MediaPad 10 FHD, since all the components with the exception of the Full-HD display are identical, and have merely been packaged into a smaller case. Its almost as if half of the case was simply streamlined away, and you were left with a new product in the portfolio. Its not quite as simple as that though, since fundamental flaws were also ironed out in our opinion. The average display brightness was increased by over 80%, and thanks to an increase in the processor clock speed, as well as a reduced display resolution, it is also possible to play power hungry 3D games without any difficulties. Performance and brightness however usually improve at the expense of the battery life. Combined with an already ravenous SoC, there is only one thing left that can help - a potent battery. With 2600 mAh Huawei is attempting to compensate in order to extend the battery life, and have to come to terms with a 11.5 mm thick case. Unfortunately this plan doesn't completely come to fruition. With 5 hours and 33 minutes of battery life in a practical WLAN test, the Ascend D1 Quad XL falls behind the competition. The manufacturing quality on the other hand is laudable. The somewhat thicker case lies in the hand pleasantly and doesn't weigh too heavy in your pocket, while being as solid as a rock. The bottom line is that buyers will receive a well constructed device suitable for daily use with a bright display, sufficient performance reserves, and plenty of potential for fun. The Ascend D1 Quad XL tackled all the tasks we threw at it without any problems, and still had plenty of reserves available. Nevertheless, criticism is still attributable to the short battery life and the irreplaceable battery - but then again who or what is perfect? We see the Huawei Ascent D1 Quad XL as a real alternative to high-end devices from Samsung, HTC or Apple.

This device is Huawei’s finest execution of a smartphone yet, and it paves the way for the company to continue delivering lovely Android-toting amalgamations in the future. With Huawei being able to successfully create a beast such as this, we’re encouraged at the company aiming at the USA for releases on US-based carriers for the near future with heroes of their own. If Huawei is able to deliver hero smartphones and tablets up to the quality we’re seeing here with their own brand attached – rather than hidden as it has been for their last several USA-based releases – they’ll have a real shot at expanding in North America. Be sure to let us know if you’ve got any additional questions about the Huawei Ascend D1 quad XL in a comment below and stay tuned as we continue to check Huawei’s offerings in the future! Also have a peek at the timeline below to see our history with this device family specifically.