First announced way back at Mobile World Congress in February, the Huawei Ascend D Quad and D Quad XL have both faded into obscurity since. After causing a bit of a stir with what at the time were very impressive specs, many were excited to get their hands on the devices. Fast forward 6 months to IFA 2012 in Berlin, and it seems that we finally have an answer over when the Ascend D1 Quad XL — it seems to have gained a 1 in the name now — at least will be coming to market. It’s still an impressive device, but as the months have passed since MWC it no longer stands out quite so much as it once may have done.
Announcing the information at IFA, Huawei says the D Quad XL will be launching in Germany from the end of October. It will be available in two colors, matte black and ceramic white for an off-contract price of €499 (£395/$625).
For those not familiar, the 4.5 inch Quad XL stands above the regular D Quad by the inclusion of a pretty hefty 2600mAh battery, which Huawei says is good for 500 hours of standby time. The device is powered by Huawei’s own K3V2 1.2GHz quad-core processor, backed up by 1GB of RAM and 8GB of on-board storage, which is expandable by microSD card. The full press release can be found after the break.
HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL – the smartphone with the special something
New high-end device is smart by name, smart by nature
Berlin, Germany, August 30th, 2012 – In perfect time for the 2012 IFA in Berlin, HUAWEI, a world leading provider of information and communications technology (ICT), presents the smartphone with that certain special something. Display, battery and processor: the HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL always delivers that little bit extra for its users.
The new high-end device is a master of endurance. Based on the Android™ 4.0 operating system, it also incorporates HUAWEI Battery Saving Technology to slash energy consumption by up to 30 per cent. Combined with the ultra-powerful 2,600 mAh battery, it delivers an impressive 15 hours of talk time and 500 hours of standby. And the Ascend D1 Quad XL also features smart computing power, with a 1.2 GHz K3V2 processor and integrated 16x GPU. 1 GB RAM powers smooth, fast changeovers between applications, while 8 GB ROM ensures plenty of space for entertainment – and can easily be increased to up to 32GB with microSD™.
The generous 11.59-cm (4.5-inch) high-definition IPS+ touchscreen makes the most of all content, with crystal-clear presentation even in bright sunlight thanks to its PPI 330 display. And to ensure the HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL is a feast for all the senses, Dolby® Mobile 3 sound enhancement and Audience earSmart™ voice technology create a superb audio experience
“We listen to what our customers want, and they prioritize speed, long battery life and mobile entertainment in a high-quality, lightweight package“, says Lars-Christian Weisswange, Vice President Device Western Europe at HUAWEI Technologies. “The HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL fulfils all their desires.“
The 8-megapixel rear camera features dual LED flash and minimal delay, with state-of-the-art BSI technology delivering excellent image quality even in poor light. A 1.3-megapixel front camera for video telephony and HD video is also integrated, enabling videos to be shot in 1080p full HD and played back on a suitable TV or monitor using a MHL adapter* (Mobile High-Definition Link) or DLNA.
A mere 64.9 mm wide and 11.5 mm in depth, the HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL is the smartest way to conceal an array of high-tech features. The elegant lines of the frame and ultra-compact touchscreen design enabled HUAWEI to slim down this advanced smartphone to the max.
Prices and availability
The HUAWEI Ascend D1 Quad XL is available in Germany from the end of October 2012 in Matt Black and Ceramic White finishes at the recommended retail price of EUR 499,– without contract.