Huawei Ascend P7 Specs Pricing Pros & Cons Unveiled

Introduction to Huawei Ascend P7

The Huawei Ascend P7 is a flagship smartphone that was launched in mid-2014, representing a major technological leap for Huawei at the time. Emphasizing style and elegance, the device can be seen as a significant milestone in Huawei's journey to becoming one of the leading smartphone manufacturers globally. Despite being discontinued, the Ascend P7 still holds a special place in the hearts of many technology enthusiasts due to its combination of performance, design, and camera capabilities.

Design and Build Quality

The design of the Huawei Ascend P7 is one of its standout features. The smartphone is meticulously crafted with a glass front and back, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which adds a touch of premium quality and durability. Measuring 139.8 x 68.8 x 6.5 mm and weighing a mere 124 grams, it's incredibly thin and lightweight, making it comfortable to hold and use even for extended periods.

Huawei has incorporated a metal band around the sides of the device, providing both elegance and structural integrity. Available in black, white, and pink, the color options add to the device's appeal, catering to a range of style preferences.

Display

The Ascend P7 features a 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of approximately 441 ppi. This high pixel density ensures that images and text appear sharp and clear, while the IPS technology delivers wide viewing angles and good color reproduction. Furthermore, the screen-to-body ratio of about 71.7% provides an impressive visual experience without oversized bezels.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the Ascend P7 is powered by the Kirin 910T chipset, which features a quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU paired with a Mali-450MP4 GPU. While this setup was competitive during its release, offering smooth performance for daily tasks and moderate gaming, it may not match the performance of more recent smartphones.

The smartphone is equipped with 2GB of RAM, which, combined with the chipset, ensures decent multitasking capabilities. With 16GB of internal storage, users have adequate space for apps, photos, and music, although storage can be expanded via microSDXC, provided it's the single-SIM variant.

Camera Capabilities

Camera quality is one of the Ascend P7’s strong suits. It sports a 13 MP main camera with an f/2.0 aperture, 28mm wide lens, and autofocus. Users can capture vibrant and detailed images, especially in well-lit conditions. Additionally, the camera supports HDR and panorama modes, enhancing the versatility of photography options.

The front-facing camera, an 8 MP shooter, is particularly noteworthy, offering one of the best selfie experiences available at that time. With a wide lens, group selfies and video calls are enhanced significantly.

Video recording with the main camera supports 1080p at 30fps, offering good video quality for casual recording needs.

Software and User Interface

Huawei equipped the Ascend P7 with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, paired with their custom EMUI 2.3. The software offers a unique user experience tailored through Huawei’s customizations, which include themes, apps, and features aimed at enhancing usability.

The interface is notably fluid and offers useful features like motion control, bump gestures, and other customization options that enhance the user experience, making everyday usage both productive and enjoyable.

Battery Life

The device houses a 2500 mAh non-removable Li-Po battery, which was quite standard for smartphones around its release period. The battery life supports up to 422 hours in standby on 3G, and talk time extends to 22 hours on 2G networks and 14 hours on 3G. Overall, the battery performs adequately for daily use, although power users might need to charge before the day ends.

Connectivity and Additional Features

Connectivity options for the Ascend P7 are extensive, including support for GSM, HSPA, and LTE networks, enabling fast mobile internet speeds with LTE Cat4 offering up to 150/50 Mbps. It features a microUSB 2.0 interface with OTG support, allowing users to connect external devices.

The Ascend P7 also includes Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with GLONASS for location tracking, NFC for contactless payments and data transfers, and standard Wi-Fi connectivity with support for Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA.

In terms of sensors, it includes an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass, ensuring a full range of functionalities available to users.

Market Position and Conclusion

Upon its release, the Huawei Ascend P7 was positioned as a high-end device, with a price point of approximately 250 EUR. It succeeded in offering a premium package with quality build, excellent display, and competitive camera capabilities.

Though newer models have overshadowed its hardware now, the Ascend P7 remains a classic example of Huawei's prowess in combining style with functionality. For those interested in mobile technology's evolution or seeking secondary devices, the Ascend P7 captures an important phase in smartphone history when design and feature advancements were rapidly accelerating.

The Ascend P7 remains an iconic representative of Huawei's dedication to quality and innovation during a pivotal time in the smartphone industry.