CES: Huawei shows off first Windows Phone handset

LAS VEGAS: Huawei revealed its first smartphone to run Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 operating system will be the Huawei Ascend W1.

V3 pushed through the crowds at the Consumer Electronics Show to get its hands on the Huawei smartphone, which boasts a 4in 480x800 IPS LCD touchscreen and features a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor.

This confirms that the device is likely to target the budget-conscious buyer, and the handset did feel slightly laggy when we put it through its paces. 

Nevertheless the phone had some neat features, not least of which is Huawei Ascend W1's sleek design. Available in four different colours (red, white, black and blue), the Huawei Ascend W1 reminds us of the HTC Windows Phone 8X, although it does feel a tiny bit chunkier at 10.15mm thick.

Although we didn't get to test it out fully, the Ascend W1 also features a 5MP rear-facing camera, alongside a VGA front-facing camera, 4GB of internal memory expandable via microSD and a 1,950mAh battery, which Huawei told V3 will deliver over 10 hours of constant talk time. 

The Huawei Ascend W1 will be arriving in the UK, and will make its debut on the O2 network. The Chinese firm was unable to comment on the handset's pricing, although hinted that it will be a budget device. 

Check back soon for our hands-on Huawei Ascend W1 review.