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Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G Review The Ultimate Value

After spending plenty of quality time with it, we can safely conclude that the Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G proved to be exactly what we expected. By combining quality mid-range specs headed by a large IPS display, a beefy battery with outstanding endurance, and affordable contract-free price tag, the phablet is one of the best value-centric offering available at the moment.


Huawei’s choice for the first device to enter the US market is as curious as it is wise. While far from spectacular in terms of hardware, the Ascend Mate2 4G is still attractive thanks to the combination of sizable battery and screen it offers. It also sits in a price bracket which is devoid of direct competitors.




Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G key test findings

1. Build quality is exceptional, especially for the price
2. The 6.1" IPS+ display looks great despite its low resolution
3. The 3,900mAh battery has class leading performance
4. Still camera quality is good
5. The native video player is well equipped to handle all sorts of videos
6. The Android Jelly Bean OS is outdated and the Emotion UI might not fit all tastes

The large 3,900mAh battery is undoubtedly the feature which helps the Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G stand out among its price peers. Its chart-topping performance should make the phablet a must-have if you hate charging your phone every day.

The rest of the devices hardware features arent too shabby either. The display is a quality piece despite its low resolution and both the 13MP Sony-made main camera and its 5MP selfie partner showcased solid performance.

Qualcomms Snapdragon 400 chipset didnt set the benchmark scores on fire, yet it showcased no signs of oomph shortness on most occasions related to everyday use.


Of course, the phablet is far from perfect. We are still scratching our heads over the launch of a device with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean this far into 2014. Android 4.4 KitKat update will surely arrive at some point in the future, but it is worth noting that the world is already talking about the next major build, Android L.

The Emotion user interface is also not cutting edge by todays standards, which promote flat and sleek UI designs. Huaweis UI is rich in features, but overwhelms with heavy colors and textures. The lack of app drawer on the other hand, requires some getting used to if you are coming from most other Android phones.

Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G is priced at $299.99 with no carrier commitment. The Chinese manufacturer has set up its own online store; it also has the phablet on offer on Amazon.

Source | Get IT