How large can a smartphone get before it becomes completely impractical? Samsung's Galaxy Note II is already a behemoth with a 5.5-inch display, yet China-based Huawei feels it can push the limits with an even larger smartphone display. It's the world's largest, in fact.
The Huawei Ascend Mate is ridiculously big with its 6.1-inch HD IPS+ LCD. Heck it's one inch away from being categorized as a tablet. At the same time, the Mate's 0.4-inch thickness does give it the illusion that it's not bulky, but let's not kid ourselves — this phone won't fit in many pockets comfortably, if at all. Its large size makes it virtually impossible to use without some giant hands, and it's absolutely silly-looking when held up to your ear.
Underneath the massive display, the Mate has a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM to keep Android 4.1 Jelly Bean from chugging. It has a decent 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash that's capable of recording 1080p HD video and a 1-megapixel HD front-facing camera. Huawei didn't mention how much internal storage the Mate will ship with.
And while the display is spacious, it feels like a missed opportunity that Huawei went with a 1280x720 resolution instead of a 1920x1080 resolution that is quickly becoming the norm in flagship phones coming out this year.
In terms of battery life, Huawei has smartly equipped the Mate with a 4050mAh lithium-ion battery, although the company didn't provide any figures on real-world use.
If big screens are your thing and gripping your smartphone like a classic Game Boy doesn't scare you, the Mate might be worth looking into. For most people, the Mate is just too big to carry around as asmartphone.
The Ascend Mate will be available in Crystal Black and Pure White. Sadly, Huawei didn't provide pricing or release date for it. In fact, there's a possibility the Mate not even launch in the U.S. Would you miss it?
Posted on location at CES 2013 in Las Vegas. All photos taken by Raymond Wong for DVICE.
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