Huawei unveils new smartphone range

The C8000 uses a 2.8in touch screen and overlays a 3D menu interface

Huawei has unveiled a pair of Android and Windows Mobile smartphones at the CommunicAsia 2009 show in Singapore.

The company joined the Open Handset Alliance in 2008, and has been developing "cutting-edge high-end handsets" powered by Android and Windows Mobile ever since.

"The U8230 and the C8000 handsets on display here at CommunicAsia take the interactivity experience of smartphones to a whole new level, and Huawei is looking forward to working with our customers to bring them to market later this year," said Glory Chueng, a spokesperson for Huawei Terminals.

Details of the new devices are a little thin, but the U8230 runs Google's open source Android and resembles the HTC Magic in basic design. It boasts a 3.5in touch screen, 3.2-megapixel camera and a 1500mAH battery which the company reckons will give it unparalleled battery life for an Android phone.

The Windows Mobile C8000, meanwhile, uses a 2.8in touch screen and overlays a 3D menu interface. It also uses an independent display adapter to help offer smoother media playback, and features power management tools that Huawei reckons will allow it play video files continuously for six to eight hours.

Both phones are due to hit the shelves in the second half of 2009 and, unlike previous Huawei phones, are expected to make it out to Europe. Exact dates and pricing are not yet available.

At the opposite end of the telecoms pipeline, the company also announced the launch of its NetEngine V6 400G-platform universal service router.

The router provides capacity of 400GB per slot and is fully compatible with all existing NE40E router line cards. It is designed to help operators deal with the growing adoption of rich content and other data services.