At long last, Huawei has finally revealed its worst-kept secret, with representatives from the company at CES showing off and discussing its first Windows Phone 8 handset, the W1. We"ve been hearing about the device for many months now - it was hoped that it would be revealed back in September, but Huawei quickly dismissed those rumours, while a steady stream of leaks kept us hoping for more.
The W1, Huawei"s first Windows Phone 8 handset - but not its last
There"s no denying that the W1 isn"t the most thrilling handset on the market, but as Huawei itself has said, the device is intended to occupy the lower echelons of the Windows Phone hardware family; it was never intended to be a flagship powerhouse. But that could change soon.
As CNET Asia reports, Huawei product manager Richard Bhudhikanok has confirmed that the W1 isn"t the only Windows Phone in the works from the Chinese manufacturer. He revealed that the company is currently developing another Windows Phone 8 handset that will be "similar to" the giant Ascend Mate, the mighty 6.1-inch phablet which the company also announced at CES, and which will go head-to-head with Samsung"s Galaxy Note II.
On the face of it, Bhudhikanok"s comments suggest that Huawei"s flagship Windows Phone 8 handset will be similarly monstrous - but as he stopped short of revealing any further details, we"ll just have to wait and see. As CNET notes, Huawei has previously confirmed that two more devices will be unveiled at next month"s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona - which is expected to be a hotbed of Windows Phone news, including a possible announcement of "Apollo Plus", the next major update to Microsoft"s mobile OS.