Reviews
Dean Quinn
19:34, 18 Jun 2013
The Huawei Ascend P6 was launched in London today. We were on hand to see what the new Android smartphone has to offer
Typical Price:
£429.00
Pros:
Slim profile, quad-core processor, impressive design
Cons:
No Full HD display
Verdict:
It'd be churlish to cast judgement on this device just yet as we've only managed to spend minutes in its company. First impressions bode well though and the impressive design is of particular note. Head back to Know Your Mobile soon for our full verdict.
More Info:
Huawei UK Website
The Huawei Ascend P6 was launched in London today amidst a flurry of excitement as the world's tech press descended on the capital's Roundhouse venue in Camden. After a brief introduction by TV presenter Zoe Salmon, Huawei CEO of Richard Yu took to the stage to take the wraps of the firm's new Android device, revealing what is currently the world's slimmest phone. We managed to snatch a few moments in its company at the event, so read on to find out what our initial impressions are.
Huawei unveils 'world's thinnest smartphone'
Huawei Ascend P6 design and display
The Huawei Ascend P6 was championed by Huawei as a design marvel, and at a glance, we'd agree with them. The svelte device really is striking and it's not until you hold it in the hand that you appreciate the 6.18mm thick (or should that be 'thin'?) chassis.
There are some very angular edges to go with its lithe frame too - with stark lines and a clearly defined bezel. The corners themselves are gently rounded and the bottom edge is cambered slightly, making for a very ergonomic and natural feel when holding it in one hand.
One thing that struck us as slightly odd though was the obscuring of the 3.5mm audio jack with a metal plug. Pull this out though and you'll see that it's actually a key used to access the SIM and MicroSD trays. The audio jack itself is also positioned on the left hand edge, and not the top or bottom, something that many may regard as impractical.
In terms of build quality, the Huawei Ascend P6 feels well put-together and has a tactile feel similar to that of the HTC One, largely thanks to the anodised aluminium outer shell. If we're honest, the black version looks far classier than the white and pink variants, but hats off to Huawei for making these different colourways available at launch.
The 4.7-inch display bodes well though and even though it's only a 720p number it looks vibrant enough.
An 8-megapixel camera unit takes pride of place in the top left corner on the rear, with an LED flash situated just below it.
Huawei Ascend P6 operating system and UI
Powered by Android 4.2.2, the Huawei Ascend P6 looks ripe to offer sound performance across the board.
We weren't able to test out web speed unfortunately, owing to a dodgy Wi-Fi connection at the event and no SIM card installed, but we'll test that out fully when we have more time to spend with the device.
The speed of the Huawei Ascend P6 is something that's no doubt aided by the 1.5GHz quad-core processor under the hood.
Huawei's Emotion UI gets another run-out on the Ascend P6 and that means an array of ever-so-slightly cartoonish app icons (this overlay always conjures up images of LG's pre-smartphone era native interface, probably best remembered by LG Pop users), as well as optional themes that add a bit of visual variety to the UI.
An odd quirk of this overlay however is the lack of an app tray as such, meaning that all of your icons are laid out there on one of the homescreens a'la iOS.
Elsewhere the UI brings a wealth of quick-access settings very much like those exhibited by Samsung's Touchwiz.
Huawei Ascend P6 camera
The Ascend P6's 8-megapixel BSI rear-facing shooter looked more than capable from the small amount of time we had to play with it. That touted Macro setting provided great detail and was easy to get to grips with and the resulting images using both this and the regular auto setting were pleasing with good contrast.
A 5-megapixel lens sits in the top right of the device's front facia and is loaded with what's known as 'Beauty Shot' mode for taking self portraits.
Huawei's marketing spiel suggests that this feature can make faces look 'ten years younger' and with the slider at halfway, you can see a bit of a difference. Hoist it up to 10 however and the face in the shot will begin to resemble Kryten from Red Dwarf.
Initial thoughts
Although we only spent mere minutes with the new Huawei flagship, our initial impressions are favourable. The sleekness will certainly win it fans, as will the slightly-more-affordable-than-other-flagships pricepoint of €499 (£429), but we can't help but think that the decision to make it so slim might mean that battery life suffers as a result of the smaller power cell.
Only time will tell how this one fares and we'd be doing ourselves and Huawei a disservice if we cast judgement so early into proceedings, so for now we'll just say 'nice looking, slim, manufacturer makes all the right noises regarding features' and urge you to return to Know Your Mobile soon when we'll have a full review.
Huawei
Mobile Phones
Android
Huawei Ascend P6
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Emotion UI