eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
The crowded smartphone market saw two additional entries with Huawei’s debut of the Ascend Mate7 and the Ascend G7 at this week’s IFA conference in Berlin.
The Ascend G7 features a 5.5-inch HD screen, enhanced 4G LTE Cat4 connectivity and an optimized 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and runs on Qualcomm’s quad-core 1.2 GHz processor and a 3000 mAh Li-Polymer battery.
The smartphone also features Huawei’s proprietary power-saving technology, which provides three power saving modes–normal, smart and ultra power saving.
With a combination of these modes the Ascend G7 enables 1.2 days of heavy usage and the ability to operate for an additional 24 hours on just 10 percent battery power.
The Ascend G7 will launch with EMUI 3.0, the latest version of Huawei’s user interface that makes it easier to operate with one hand and features an updated look across the entire software interface.
The new timeline design is used extensively throughout EMUI 3.0 for enhanced consistency across various apps.
In addition, EMUI 3.0 intuitively addresses daily needs through practical design details, such as the convergence of the smartphone functions call, contact and messaging, that can now be switched between with a single horizontal swipe.
The camera boasts a 28mm wide-angle BSI lens, and the 5MP front-facing camera features an 88-degree wide-angle lens, allowing panoramic photo horizons to be broadened both vertically and horizontally.
Huawei is also focusing on faster photo-taking capability by including a feature where by double clicking the down volume button, a photo can be captured in one second.
The handset also offers photo editing capabilities including manual focus to adjust photos that are out of focus, independent light measurement features for photos taken in poor lighting, and also offers facial-enhancement capabilities while filming in video mode.
Boasting octa-core architecture, the mammoth 6-inch Ascend Mate7 has an intelligent Huawei Kirin 925 processor made up of four large A15 1.8 GHz and four small A7 1.3 GHz chipsets which are activated in different configurations depending on the power needs of a specific app or function.
One of the major features of the Mate7 is instant single-touch fingerprint access. Located on the back of the handset, the reader supports up to five sets of different fingerprint records which can be allocated to normal and guest modes, so a user can switch modes to enhance protection when securing private folders, applications or payment information.
In addition, ARM TrustZone also stores encrypted data of the fingerprint within the chipset for protection by SecureOS, and prevents direct access by third parties.
The handset is made up of more than 95 percent metal and features an interior structure made of an aluminum alloy for heat reduction. It has a curved back and narrow bezel resulting in a screen-to-body ratio of 83 percent, and comes in three colors: moonlight silver, obsidian black and amber gold.
Accessories include the UltimoPower Active Noise Cancelling Earphones that reduce noise by 15-30db and features a self-charging internal battery when connected to a smartphone and two hours of use when connected to other devices, as well as leather cases and a charging stand that converts the smartphone into a digital photo frame.