Huawei could go large at CES: Huawei to Unveil Ascend W3 at CES 2014

Ascend W3

Huawei could go large at CES: Huawei to Unveil Ascend W3 at CES 2014

Huawei reaffirmed its commitment to Windows Phone in September 2013, but didn’t unveil any new WP handsets since then. It might do it at CES 2014 next week though. According to Chinese website ZOL, Huawei could officially unveil the Ascend W3 powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 GDR3 at CES 2014, which kicks off in Las Vegas this month.

Las Vegas: As previously reported, the Ascend W3 may have an ultra-thin aluminum body, borrowing design elements from a few Android-based Huawei smartphones like the Ascend D2 and Ascend P6.

The new handset might feature a 4.5 inch display - slightly larger than the 4.3 display of its Ascend W2 predecessor. The screen resolution remains a mystery, but since the W3 is supposedly an affordable device it will probably not be higher than 720 x 1280 pixels. Other expected features include LTE connectivity and an 8MP rear camera. The latest Windows Phone 8 GDR3 should be on board. The pictures that were posted by CNBeta last year shows the handset will be available in Blue and Yellow. The leaked image also bears the logo of China Mobile, and should therefore show up on that carrier.

CNBeta then also reported that the company is working on a high end Windows Phone which is comparable in features to the Ascend D2, which features a 13 megapixel camera, 5 inch 1080P screen and 32 GB of storage. No release date for this handset is known however.

Finally, the firm has posted a photo showing a Peter Fonda in Easy Rider-style, Stars and Stripes helmet on its Facebook page, with the words, “More speed is coming to Vegas.” This could be referencing the recently announced Honor 4 smartphone, which features an eight-core processor.

With Microsoft getting ready to close the acquisition of Nokia’s phone business this year, other manufacturers are likely feeling a bit weird in regards to launching new Windows Phone handsets. Still, Huawei doesn’t seem to be bothered by this yet. It remains to be seen when (and if) the Ascend W3 will be commercially available.

There’s also talk of a Huawei device named the PhoPad, which may end up being the Ascend Mate 2’s official name. There’s nothing much to go on yet, bar the fact Huawei has registered the name as a trademark.