The Key Specifications...
- 5.5" INCELL HD (1,280 x 720) display
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit processor
- 2 GB RAM
- 16 GB internal storage with Micro SD card slot
- 13 MP f/2.0 camera
- 5 MP front camera
- 1080p video recording
- 3,000 mAh battery
- Android 4.4 KitKat with EMUI 3.0
Metal Body with Two Pieces of Plastic
Huawei has chose to produce smartphone in premium way. Much like HTC, the Ascend G7 comes with metal body. It's not normal building a mid-range smartphone in such a premium way. Of course, there are two pieces of plastic at the top and bottom of the phone.
The phone doesn't look like an iPhone despite having the separation between metal and plastic. Huawei has only brought in the white version to Malaysia, not sure about the black version. For me, the white version looks good, the metal feels good, it is just too good in build quality.
Just like any others, the 3.5 mm headphone jack is at the top of the phone. From the top, you can clearly see that the camera lens is a bit bumped up, which is not an ideal design as the lens might can be scratched easily.
The Micro USB port and microphone are at the bottom of the phone. The Micro USB port supports USB on-the-go and, it is not at the center.
NFC is available on the Ascend G7, but its antenna is not at the back, but front. So make sure that you face the screen to another device NFC antenna in order to transfer file using Android beam.
5.5" HD Display is Okay
The Ascend G7 has a 5.5" display but the resolution is only 720p. HD resolution might sound like no difference with Full HD resolution, but there is a difference actually.
The low pixel density actually does affect the viewing experience. I feel that there's something missing compared to 1080p display. The display contrast is just average, but thankfully it has a wide viewing angle.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit Processor Performs Well
As a mid-range device, the Ascend G7 packs the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 64-bit processor with four 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 CPUs.
The performance is out of expectation, plus with 2 GB of RAM, multitasking is not a big problem on it. Playing games should be no problem but for high graphics games, there will be hiccups here and there.
Quadrant Standard - 11,987
AnTuTu Benchmark - 20,388
EMUI 3.0 - One Step Closer To iOS
The Ascend G7 is running on Android 4.4 KitKat with EMUI 3.0. EMUI 3.0 has changed a lot from EMUI 2.3. Everything looks flat and simple, but the lockscreen is still the same, featuring Magazine unlock.
You can add up to 9 panels at the homescreen and, finally, you can easily move the apps or widgets by holding the app icon with one finger and swiping the page with another finger, just like what HTC and Xiaomi have did.
Huawei has revamped its own apps too, all of the Huawei apps color scheme are same as the notification bar, and everything looks more polished.
EMUI 3.0 navigation buttons look same as those we've seen from Nexus devices that run on Android 5.0 Lollipop. You can also customize the navigation buttons like changing the position of the back and recent apps buttons, as well as adding the another button that opens notification panel.
The recent apps interface looks different this time, the screen will show four tasks at once and swipe up to close the task, while placing your finger at the bottom of the screen and swipe up will close all the apps at once. The new interface looks nice but you need to wait for around 2 seconds to show the tasks after pressing the recent apps button.
13 MP Camera is Now Better
The Ascend G7 has a 13 MP f/2.0 BSI sensor at the back. The camera interface looks identical as the iPhones. To switch between all-focus, photo or video mode, all you need to do is just swipe the screen.
Camera samples
The camera has minor improvement over previous Huawei devices, macro shoot is still the advantage of Huawei devices. It is able to shoot nice photo with bokeh effect too. However, the photos taken by the Ascend G7 have soft detail, but the noise level is still under control.
Long-lasting 3,000 mAh Battery
Juicing up the Ascend G7 is a 3,000 mAh battery, considering big for a mid-range device at this price tag.
The battery life is pretty decent, it can easily last through a day moderate usage. Sometime I found that it's really hard for the battery to run out. Testing the battery life of the phone during my review progress is hard, because its battery is just simply amazing.
Final Words
The Huawei Ascend G7 is priced at RM 999. It is one of the best mid-range device at this pricing. From the body to the performance, everything is just out of expectation. To be honest, I'm not expecting it to perform well at first when I got the unit. But at last, it proves me wrong. Metal feels great on this device and the pricing is just below RM 1,000. Battery is a beast although it is just a mid-ranger. With these, thumbs up to Huawei for producing such an amazing mid-range smartphone.
Pros
- Premium build quality
- Nice camera
- Long-lasting battery life
Cons
- Display doesn't impress at all
- EMUI need to be more efficient
Written by: Charles
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