14 DAY TRIAL // Chinese handset maker Huawei and US-based carrier Cricket teamed up once again to offer customers another affordable Android phone, the Ascend Q.
Customers can purchase the Huawei Ascend Q starting this week for a suggested retail price of $139.99 USD (€115).
The smartphone can be paired with a $55-a-month Cricket rate plan with unlimited talk, text and data and no monthly contract, or Cricket's Muve Music rate plan for $65 a month with unlimited talk, text, data plus music.
There's more to it, as Huawei Ascend Q is the first Android phone introduced by Cricket to offer both a portrait QWERTY keyboard and a 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen display.
When it comes to hardware, the new Ascend Q is far from being impressive. The smartphone is equipped with an 800 MHz single-core processor, which is complemented by 512MB of RAM.
Aside from the internal memory, Huawei Ascend Q comes with a 4GB microSD memory card in the sales package, which can be equipped and used to store Muve Music (3GB).
As expected, the smartphone is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system and will be stuck on this platform due to low hardware configuration.
On the back, the Ascend Q packs a 3.2-megapixel photo snapper with video recording. The phone drains energy from a 1500mAh battery, which has yet to be rated by the manufacturer.
It is also worth mentioning the smartphone offers Wi-Fi and hotspot capabilities, 3G connectivity, and improved security with the Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS).
“Cricket customers enjoy variety and features that empower them to stay socially connected. The Huawei Ascend Q smartphone is an exciting addition to our growing value-driven smartphone device lineup. Our customers will love how this device truly enhances the data input and Muve Music listening experience with both a Qwerty and touchscreen keyboard and DTS audio technology,” said Matt Stoiber, senior vice president, devices for Cricket.