Anyone have the Huawei Ascend Mate 2?

NoxTek

NoxTek

The Geek Redneck
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
9,300
Since I've just about grown sick and goddamned tired of waiting to get a OnePlus One, I've been checking out similarly priced big screen alternatives, especially since the screen on my trusty old Galaxy Nexus recently got cracked thanks to a drop to a tile floor. Something that caught my eye earlier today was the Huawei Ascend Mate 2.

http://www.amazon.com/Huawei-Ascend...406526747&sr=8-1&keywords=huawei+ascend+mate2

Specs:

6.1" 720x1280 IPS screen (yup, you read that right)
Gorilla Glass III screen
Snapdragon 400 @ 1.6ghz
2GB RAM
16GB Storage
MicroSD slot
Full 4G LTE support
GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
UMTS: 850 / AWS / 1900 / 2100
LTE: 700(B17) / 850(B5) / AWS(B4) / 1900(B2)
4050mah battery (supposed to last REALLY long)

Now I've no problem buying Hauwei - they've been making phones for quite awhile and every handset of theirs I've played with in the past has been decent, and a few have been downright fantastic.

The only things that are keeping me from pushing the buy button immediately are:

1. 6.1" is downright obnoxious for a phone screen... I love large screens on phones, but my God. I might look like a douche holding that bad boy up to my ear....
2. The screen is only 720p and not 1080p. I guess that's part of what keeps the phone so affordable. I don't think this will bother me too much since I use a Nexus 7 (2012) and it's 720p. Aside from the low resolution the screen is said to be pretty nice.
3. Extreme lack of custom ROMs for this - namely CM. I am a CyanogenMod whore plain and simple. There are features and tweaks in CM that I use routinely - like status bar brightness control just to name a small one. You really miss that when it's gone. :D

Honestly the above three things aren't really weighing on me too heavily....


So my question is does anyone on the [H] have this guy, and if so what do you think of it?
 
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Trimlock said:
I don't have this but what is the Snapdragon 400?

edit: nm found a good link...

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7637/huawei-announces-ascend-mate-2-61-inch-and-16-ghz-quad-core

Its going to be a bit slow, I wonder how well that SoC will replay 720p content?
Click to expand...


It's pretty much the same thing that's powering the Motorola Moto G, and I've been pretty impressed with that particular handset's performance given it's low price. I haven't seen any problem playing back 720p or 1080p content (obviously 1080p is being downscaled). The Ascend Mate 2 has double the RAM of the Moto G so I can only see it being even better.

No, it's definitely not comparable to a flagship like the Note 3 in terms of raw performance, but that has the added benefit of having the phone sip battery power. Every review I've seen and read has quoted some pretty impressive numbers in terms of battery life. 10 to 12 hours of screen on time, 10 hours of local video playback, 25 hours of talk time, etc.
 
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Well then I guess you answered your question. It seems like a very good device.
 
I used the original Ascend Mate, so I have an idea of what to expect.

Yes, 6.1 inches is huge -- it's fine if you're using your phone as a small tablet that happens to take phone calls, but you're going to feel goofy if you regularly make voice calls on it. The battery life on that was epic (two days on a charge was entirely realistic), and it sounds like the Ascend Mate 2 offers a similar experience.

The interface is nice, if a bit odd (though not unheard of on Chinese phones). It's very much Android, but there's no dedicated app drawer; your apps live on the home screens, like they do on an iPhone. You can definitely get used to it, but it does mean that you'll have an extra home screen or two that holds all your little-used apps.
 
Aurelius said:
I used the original Ascend Mate, so I have an idea of what to expect.

Yes, 6.1 inches is huge -- it's fine if you're using your phone as a small tablet that happens to take phone calls, but you're going to feel goofy if you regularly make voice calls on it. The battery life on that was epic (two days on a charge was entirely realistic), and it sounds like the Ascend Mate 2 offers a similar experience.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's so rare that I actually make or receive phone calls that I could probably count them on one hand for the last three months. I use my phone for Facebook, email, web browsing, and texting. And yes, a fair bit of casual gaming... so that's why I've been leaning closer to a phablet style device.

Aurelius said:
The interface is nice, if a bit odd (though not unheard of on Chinese phones). It's very much Android, but there's no dedicated app drawer; your apps live on the home screens, like they do on an iPhone. You can definitely get used to it, but it does mean that you'll have an extra home screen or two that holds all your little-used apps.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got a good look at the interface in this video review and while I think I'd switch to something like the Google Now Launcher or Holo Launcher, the stock launcher isn't absolutely horrible. Not having an 'app drawer' would drive me nuts though. Of course this would all be moot once someone ports CM11 to it....

I heard the official KitKat ROM was released by Huawei in China yesterday, so I'd imagine that the USA version is soon to follow.
 
Blue Falcon said:
Yeah, it's so rare that I actually make or receive phone calls that I could probably count them on one hand for the last three months. I use my phone for Facebook, email, web browsing, and texting. And yes, a fair bit of casual gaming... so that's why I've been leaning closer to a phablet style device.
Click to expand...
In that case, what about Windows Phones?

A 6" Nokia Lumia 1320 with a ClearBlack display is in that same price range. But the US RM-995 model is hard to find.
 
CHANG3D said:
In that case, what about Windows Phones?

A 6" Nokia Lumia 1320 with a ClearBlack display is in that same price range. But the US RM-995 model is hard to find.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I'm just not a fan of Windows Phone. I've played with a couple Lumias in the past and I've always found the UI annoying and the app market lacking (at least compared to Android)

I have heard really good things about that ClearBlack display though, I'd like to actually see it in person!
 
You may fall in love with it, but if you are having issues with the WP interface it won't be enough to persuade you.
 
for that price i would check the BLU VIVO IV a true octacore 1.7ghz chip, with 2GB RAM and MALI 450 GPU.. 5.5" 1080P display, its fast a very very fast device.. way faster than my GS4... in fact my brother changed their GS4 for the VIVO IV.. its a great phone..
 
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not sure if you want to go bigger, but the Xperia Z Ultra GPE (@ 6.4") has better support from Sony (GPE edition plus better custom ROM support on XDA).. ~$360

http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z-ultra

or the Sony Xperia Z1c (compact version, basically the best flagship phone/specs you can get in an iPhone-sized body), also ~$360

I'm a fan of what Sony is doing these days (for android)... think my next phone will be a Sony if there isn't a new nexus
 
Araxie said:
for that price i would check the BLU VIVO IV a true octacore 1.7ghz chip, with 2GB RAM and MALI 450 GPU.. 5.5" 1080P display, its fast a very very fast device.. way faster than my GS4... in fact my brother changed their GS4 for the VIVO IV.. its a great phone..
Click to expand...


But isn't that a MediaTek chipset? Which from what I've read are pretty underpowered core-for-core compared to Qualcomm's SnapDragon 800, even with the Mediatek being an eight core device. Don't get me wrong - I've actually been a big fan of the MTK chipsets in the past because they power some pretty inexpensive tablets and Android set top boxes.

The lack of LTE support also is kind of a bummer....

The one thing that IS really giving me pause is the 1080p Super AMOLED screen on this guy. I love love LOVE the AMOLED screen on my trusty old Galaxy Nexus and honestly believe most LCD panels don't compete when it comes to black level and color vibrance.

Because of that screen alone I might have to seriously consider this guy.... I wonder how the ROM scene is for it?
 
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paperwastage said:
not sure if you want to go bigger, but the Xperia Z Ultra GPE (@ 6.4") has better support from Sony (GPE edition plus better custom ROM support on XDA).. ~$360

http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z-ultra

or the Sony Xperia Z1c (compact version, basically the best flagship phone/specs you can get in an iPhone-sized body), also ~$360

I'm a fan of what Sony is doing these days (for android)... think my next phone will be a Sony if there isn't a new nexus
Click to expand...

I've been (and am actually still) seriously considering the Xperia Z Ultra... but I haven't seen new in box GPE editions anywhere really since Google pulled them from the Play Store. Granted, I could probably grab the regular US LTE Z Ultra and flash the GPE ROM (or CM11, or whatever) on it....

I have actually used the Xperia Z Ultra a bit (a relative has one) and it definitely left me with an overall positive impression despite a few things:

1. The 1080p display, while nice and sharp, seemed to suffer from fairly poor viewing angles even compared to other IPS LCD phone displays I've seen. Even the lowly Moto G has better viewing angles and definitely more brightness. Sony likes to tout the TriLuminous display technology or whatever, but from what I've seen it's just OK. The screen is also notably less bright than other LCDs. However video content does look pretty good on it especially with controlled lighting.

2. A crappy rear camera. I don't know what they were thinking here.... a dinky 8MP shooter with no LED flash whatsoever? Hell the OPO and the Hauwei Ascend Mate 2 I mentioned in the OP managed to squeeze in pretty nice Sony sensors with flash, and Sony puts a poorly performing camera on this guy? Even many of the other Xperia phones have much better cameras.... not sure what they were thinking, and this gives me serious pause since I DO tend to whip out my phone whenever I can't get to my real camera.

Like I said, I am still considering the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. I like that it's waterproof and extra durable, and like that it has LTE support along with that Snapdragon 800.

It is also ~$80 to $100 more expensive, and I'm a pretty poor fella. ;)
 
And by the way, I really REALLY want to thank you guys for your suggestions and comments. You're giving me options to consider, some that I haven't thought of before, and I really appreciate it! :)
 
Blue Falcon said:
I've been (and am actually still) seriously considering the Xperia Z Ultra... but I haven't seen new in box GPE editions anywhere really since Google pulled them from the Play Store. Granted, I could probably grab the regular US LTE Z Ultra and flash the GPE ROM (or CM11, or whatever) on it....

I have actually used the Xperia Z Ultra a bit (a relative has one) and it definitely left me with an overall positive impression despite a few things:

1. The 1080p display, while nice and sharp, seemed to suffer from fairly poor viewing angles even compared to other IPS LCD phone displays I've seen. Even the lowly Moto G has better viewing angles and definitely more brightness. Sony likes to tout the TriLuminous display technology or whatever, but from what I've seen it's just OK. The screen is also notably less bright than other LCDs. However video content does look pretty good on it especially with controlled lighting.

2. A crappy rear camera. I don't know what they were thinking here.... a dinky 8MP shooter with no LED flash whatsoever? Hell the OPO and the Hauwei Ascend Mate 2 I mentioned in the OP managed to squeeze in pretty nice Sony sensors with flash, and Sony puts a poorly performing camera on this guy? Even many of the other Xperia phones have much better cameras.... not sure what they were thinking, and this gives me serious pause since I DO tend to whip out my phone whenever I can't get to my real camera.

Like I said, I am still considering the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. I like that it's waterproof and extra durable, and like that it has LTE support along with that Snapdragon 800.

It is also ~$80 to $100 more expensive, and I'm a pretty poor fella. ;)
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still available new, ~$360 after ship, tax?

http://www.expansys-usa.com/sony-z-ultra-google-play-edition-unlocked-lte-16gb-black-263504/

http://slickdeals.net/f/7055114-16g...ogle-play-edition-unlocked-smartphone-358?v=1

not sure about warranty though?



i think Sony has done better on the ZU's display (the original sony Z's display was much worse)... i guess there's a lot of room for improvement after seeing other manufacturer's displays (Apple, Nexus 5, Samsung's AMOLED,...)
 
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The reason why blu vivo IV is observed to be faster than the GS4 is simply because TouchWiz is one horrible laggy piece of shit. I do wish Samsung stop pushing down that crap so I would at least be able to choose a Samsung. With TouchWiz, hell no.
 
CHANG3D said:
The reason why blu vivo IV is observed to be faster than the GS4 is simply because TouchWiz is one horrible laggy piece of shit. I do wish Samsung stop pushing down that crap so I would at least be able to choose a Samsung. With TouchWiz, hell no.
Click to expand...
wait for S5 GPE edition? should be coming out soon according to rumors
 
paperwastage said:
wait for S5 GPE edition? should be coming out soon according to rumors
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There's also the price... why should I get that over something I could get on subsidy or something that's cheap from the get-go like the Moto X/X+1 and the Nexus 5/6?
 
CHANG3D said:
The reason why blu vivo IV is observed to be faster than the GS4 is simply because TouchWiz is one horrible laggy piece of shit. I do wish Samsung stop pushing down that crap so I would at least be able to choose a Samsung. With TouchWiz, hell no.
Click to expand...

nah.. i have the GS4 without the TouchWiz and the Vivo IV its faster.. in fact.. it score over 30.000 in antutu and the most i have scored ever in my GS4 its 29994 but also its very inconsistent.. while the VIVO IV have more consistent and similar results. also for example, when i say its faster its not only due being snappier in the menu its also faster loading games for example real racing 3 which its blazing fast in the Vivo IV in fact, i can open and win a short race in the time the GS4 its still loading the game.. i think its a pretty good phone for the price, its very comfortable in the hand..
 
Now seriously boiling down to the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and the Huawei Ascend Mate 2.... I'll be making some sort of purchase this Friday.

I've even been considering buying a Galaxy Note 3 off Craigslist, but I always worry about buying second hand for fear the phone has been blacklisted.
 
So I actually went ahead and bought the Huawei Ascend Mate 2, my experiences sofar:

Pros:
  • Absolutely massive screen... at 6.1" the only phone I'm aware of that's bigger is the Sony Xperia Z at 6.4". It's awesome.
  • Although only 720x1280, the IPS+ screen really has to be seen to be appreciated. It's bright, offers good color saturation and balance, and has some of the widest viewing angles I've seen on a phone screen. It's about as close to that AMOLED feeling that you're going to get, and I quite enjoy that.
  • Battery life is just plain unreal. There are official numbers floating about the specs sheets, but I managed to get two days of HEAVY usage on a single charge. We're talking tons of screen on time with Facebook, 3D games, Youtube, and web browsing. At the end of that two day period I still had like 14% battery left. Yowsa!
  • Although only Jelly Bean (4.3.x to be somewhat precise), Huawei have added lots of little tweaks that make it seem like a tricked out custom ROM. There is a lot of room for customization and even a theme chooser built in. They have also built a very powerful and complex battery management system, allowing you to blacklist any or all apps from waking the phone while it's in deep sleep. There is supposed to be a KitKat update coming soon.
  • Performance from the Snapdragon 400 (quad core clocked at 1.6ghz) is fantastic for a phone of this price. Moving about the UI is fluid, as is web browsing, Facebook, whatever. Just about every game I ran absolutely flew at maximum quality settings. That Adreno 305 might not be the newest thing on the block compared to the 320 and 330, but it's certainly no slouch. I'm sure the 2GB RAM helps that out a bunch.
  • There is 16GB of onboard storage and a complimentary microSD slot. YOU CAN MOVE APPS TO THE SD CARD with the included build of Android.... sweeeet!
  • Build quality is pretty good for a phone that's damn near an all plastic chassis. The weight is good and balanced (as a 6" phablet can be) in the hand, and there is no flexing or creaking. It definitely has a premium, if a bit utilitarian, look to it.
  • Pictures and video from the rear camera are quite good for a phone camera thanks to a Sony 13 megapixel shooter - definitely leaps and bounds better than my old GNex. The front facing camera is average, but does have a nice wide angle. The 'groufie' panoramic selfie function built into the camera app is a nice touch and the wives and girlfriends will definitely appreciate it.

Cons:
  • The built in launcher and UI (called the "Emotion UI" by Huawei) may not be too every Android fan's liking. It does away with the traditional 'app drawer' and everything is on your home screens. Thankfully Android makes it easy to run a custom launcher, and the Google Now Launcher works a treat.
  • There are a few misc UI things that bug me a bit: Instead of the standard Android black background and white text settings menus, they're reversed and are black text on a white background similar to iPhone and MIUI. Also the app icons are all these squared off versions again similar to Apple... I would have appreciated a theme with stock Android icons for the popular apps. Lastly, and this one is proving to be a bit of a bother, the background for the soft keys (Home, Back, Menu) is a grayish color instead of complete black. I hope they change that back in a future update because I find it annoying.
  • As said earlier it's not running KitKat, but the last Jelly Bean build (4.3). I bet Kitkat would fly even faster on this baby.
  • The phone is so new that there is literally nothing out there in terms of a development community. I think that will change with time. I'd love to see a CyanogenMod port on this handset.


For fun, here's a size comparison. Galaxy Nexus on the left, Ascend Mate 2 in the middle, Nexus 7 2012 on the right. The astute among you will notice that the screens on the GNex and N7 are cracked.... lol.




 
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