U.S. Cellular is offering the Huawei Ascend II for a great on-contract price. Let's take a closer look, in pictures, at what the basic Android smartphone has to offer.
Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica is a passionate content strategist and team leader across the CNET family of brands. She leads a number of teams, including commerce, performance optimization and the copy desk. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on the iPhone and Samsung devices. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds.
Jessica began her leadership role managing CNET's How To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones to home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick in the UK.
U.S. Cellular recently picked up the Huawei Ascend II, an entry-level Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone that doesn't stray far from the basics.
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Design
The Ascend II's design is attractive enough, with smooth round lines and a grippable soft-touch back cover. It's fairly petite without being tiny, so it's easy to cart around.
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Typing troubles
The 3.5-inch screen isn't too shrunken on its own, but typing was tough on the default keyboard, especially without Swype or other keyboards preinstalled to help out. I made a lot of errors.
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Top view
I kind of like how the headset jack straddles the top and back.
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Photo test
First, the compulsory note: All photos were taken with automatic settings. While they have been resized, they are otherwise unaltered.
The Ascend II has a 5-megapixel camera, which certainly isn't extravagant, but could be capable of producing great pictures. It doesn't. Without a flash or autofocus, taking photos was a crap shoot.
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Focal foul
I was aiming for the chiseled Captain Marvel. Instead, Mr. Bacon stole the spotlight.
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Toys
The Ascend II did better than it could have with this scene. The focal field is a tad deeper than for some smartphone cameras.
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Flower power?
Looking at this blurry photo of flowers, taken in early morning light, makes my eyes hurt. The color representation is good, though.
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Also unfocused
Here the leaves look better than the blooms, which I was trying to make my main subject.
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Table
The slatted chair-and-table combo outside CNET's office looked decent photographed with the Ascend II.
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Studio shot
The Ascend II did OK with the standard studio shot, but not every object is in focus.
