Huawei Ascend P2 to be water and dust proof?
As we inch closer and closer to Mobile World Congress later this month Huawei can’t seem to keep a lid on things regarding the Ascend P2. The device, a follow-up to the Chinese company’s 2012 flagship, is supposed to be the company’s best device yet. It’s main claim to fame will be the reclaiming of the “world’s thinnest” crown that the original P1 set, but it sounds like Huawei will also look to tout some supreme durability, as well.
The Ascend P2 is said to be coming with IP54 certification, and while that’s not quite as effective against the elements as Huawei’s IP64-certified D2, it should still be able to hold its own under a little rain or some dirt biking. It’s not often you get a device that durable in a package that thin, so the combination could be a major selling point for some people.
We’re more interested in what’s under the hood, of course. Recent rumors suggest the Ascend P2 is said to be coming with a 4.5 inch IPS display with 1080p HD resolution, a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 13 megapixel camera on the back with a 1.3 megapixel shooter on the front, a 3,000mAh battery, Android 4.1 and more.
Huawei seems to be doing a fine job producing devices worthy of the “high-end” tag, but whether or not the Ascend P2 will be enough to change the company’s position within the ranks of the world’s smartphone OEMs is still up in the air.
Huawei recently reported $2.5 billion in profits for 2012, but a vast majority of that money was made in the company’s various other dealings. In fact, CFO Cathy Meng went on record to say that the company wasn’t quite satisfied with its current position and it looked to gain deeper penetration in 2013.
Huawei seems to be having a tough time outside of Europe and Asia as North American consumers rarely see its name on store shelves. The most notable devices we’ve seen were either entry-level “forgettables” or rebranded specialty devices.
North America isn’t the only market, of course, but it is important for Huawei to get some sort of high-end device up on a carrier or two if it wants more people to accept the brand as a premium alternative to heavy hitters like Samsung and Apple. We’ll be in Barcelona to cover all of the company’s announcements live so stay tuned to Phandroid as we deliver the latest.
[via Unwired View]