Huawei launched their new flagship Ascend P7 last Thursday, together with a buffet of other 4G LTE-enabled devices, including a wearable. I had a chance for a brief hands-on with the highly anticipated device, so here’s a quick first impressions.
Huawei has pretty much retained the premium feel and ultra-slim profile of its predecessor – the Ascend P6 in the Ascend P7. Measuring just 6.5mm, Huawei claims its “one of the thinnest LTE smartphones in the market.” I’m not going to denounce that claim. It is indeed super slim.
On the front and back is Corning Gorilla Glass 3, giving you absolute peace of mind. The metallic-look body is forged by a seven-layered rear surface treatment, resulting in a beautiful device and durable build.
5-inch devices are a norm these days, and I’m going to say that 5-5.5-inches is the perfect size range for smartphones. It’s big enough for media consumption yet small enough for one-handed use.
The Ascend P7 feels good in the hands overall.
Feature-packed
In terms of hardware, Huawei has gone in-house, utilising its own silicon – the 1.8Ghz HiSilicon Kirin 910 quad-core processor bundled with a generous 2GB RAM. It’s no Snapdragon 801, but, the Ascend P7 feels snappy overall.
The great thing is that it runs the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat, with Huawei’s Emotion UI 2.3 layer on top. So no waiting indefinitely for a ‘KitKat upgrade’ like some mid-range (and even flagships) in the market.
The selfie phenomenon has taken the world by storm, whether you like it or not. Huawei is riding the bandwagon in full force, packing an 8MP Full HD front camera. If taking selfies is your full time hobby, then you’ll appreciate the pinpoint sharpness, and the 10-level auto-facial enhancements in beauty mode.
Additionally, there’s also a ‘groufie’ or group selfie function, where the front camera can do a panoramic selfie to accommodate more people into a shot.
Huawei has not ignored the main shooter of course, integrating a 13MP camera with a non-spherical f/2.0 lens with BSI. The camera also adopts an Image Signal Processor (ISP) that mimics those found in DSRLs, claims Huawei. I found the camera more than decent in performance, capturing good details and colour.
What’s good about the Ascend P7 is also the fact that it is a 4G LTE device, giving you the quickest mobile internet experience out-of-the-box.
The built-in 2,500mAh isn’t the biggest out there, but considering its ultra slim profile, this is somewhat a compromise. lt will give you a good full day’s use though.
What’s surprising, and welcomed, is the price. At RM1,499, the Ascend P7 packs plenty of high-end kit for the price. Snappy, well built and light on your wallet. Could this be your next smartphone?
Pricing and availability
The Ascend P7 is priced at RM1,499 and is available now in black or white. A pink colour option will be coming.
It’s available at all Huawei authorised stores. You can also buy it online via www.Vmall.my, Huawei’s official online store.
