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But how does the Ascend 2 work as a phone? When it comes to actually making and receiving calls, the results were mixed, but generally above average. When it came to listening to callers, voice quality was clear. Meanwhile, those we spoke with reported a scratchy sounding voice, but one that was ultimately discernible.
Battery life
Rounding out the Ascend 2's shortcomings is extremely dismal battery life. After just spending a half an hour making brief, minute long phone calls, surfing the web and downloading apps via US Cellular's 3G network, plus a little gaming, the battery had been reduced by almost 50 percent. That's pretty unacceptable, even for a budget device.
Verdict
As previously mentioned, budget devices get away with a few snags for coming in at a low price point, but the problems plaguing the Ascend 2 simply go beyond what we'd be willing to accept.
If we had to name some positive notes, the Ascend 2 sports a very clean and modern look, one that is miles beyond its forerunner, and it feels great in the hand, too. We can't overstate how comfortable it is to handle.
Actually using the phone, however, exposes a very pokey processor, even for a budget device, and a stifling amount of RAM. There's a noticeably negative impact when it comes to performance. The interface is sluggish and apps are crippled as a result. Based on this alone it's impossible to recommend the Ascend 2, especially since a device like the Samsung Exhibit II 4G offers twice the memory, and 4G service, for a comparable price.
The biggest annoyance of them all, pertaining to the cramped storage space, is the overabundance of carrier-supplied apps. Most of them are either redundant or flat out unnecessary.
Two big features most smartphone care about would be the ability to take pictures and actually make phone calls. As a camera, the Ascend 2 is a complete disappointment, due to lack of flash, autofocus and low megapixels. As a basic phone, it was adequate, but that's not enough to save the device overall.
Sadly, we cannot recommend the Huawei Ascend 2. We always appreciate having another manufacturer in the smartphone race, breeding choice and variety for the consumer. Major players like Samsung and HTC are quite dominant in the Android space, and it's always good to have some competition. Unfortunately, the Ascend 2 gives them nothing to worry about.
Even though this phone is essentially free with a two-year US Cellular contract, we'd recommend you scrape together the cash for a more functional handset.
