Monday, December 30, 2013

Huawei Ascend Y511 Review - Pros and Cons

The Y-series from Huawei are budget smartphones designed in such a way that most people are able to afford them. Within this group, you have several members that each offer their own specific set of features. The Huawei Ascend Y511 can be considered to be the high-end of the Y-series of the budget smartphones.

Despite still being a budget phone, the Y511 offers a few premium features relative to its siblings, but that also comes at a higher cost. For example, it comes with a 4.5 inch touchscreen, which is relatively large for this type of smartphone. Another extra feature included is the ability to install two sim cards.

Budget smartphones are often a compromise. Unlike more expensive smartphones, they have to fit within a budget and that often results in some drawbacks. The Y511 is no different. There are some good and bad things about the phone that may nor may not be an issue for you.


Like: the Huawei Ascend Y511 comes with a 4.5 inch touchscreen


One good thing about the Y511 is that it has a 4.5 inch screen, which is quite large for a budget smartphone, especially in comparison to phones of the past. Smartphones in general have been moving towards increasingly larger screen as that is what most people demand. The Y511 satisfy this demand from a large segment of the public.

While some people may not like the added weight and size that comes with a bigger screen, there are a lot of people who will like having such a big screen without having to spend a lot for a more expensive mid-range or high-end smartphone where large screens are more commonly found.


Like: the Huawei Ascend Y511 offers lots of value at a reasonable cost


The configuration of the Ascend Y511 is better than most budget smartphones. Besides the previously mentioned 4.5 inch screen, the Y511 has a dual-core processor and 512 megabytes of RAM, which allows it to run most software apps available.

The 4 gigabytes of internal storage can be expanded with a MicroSD card. The Y511 is a quad-band phone, which is useful if you have to travel abroad. All the other standard smartphone basics such as GPS and WiFi are included. Battery life of the Y511 is also better than most budget smartphones.

All these features are packed in a phone that's well-build, which can sometimes be a problem with other budget smartphones. The Y511 on the other hand, feels good in the hand and looks like it will serve its owner for quite some time without breaking.




By author


Like: the Huawei Y511 supports dual sim cards


Another nice feature of the Y511 is that the user can install two sim cards. Both cards can be used simultaneously, although only one supports 3G Internet speeds. This means that for all intend and purposes, you have access to two phones without having to carry an additional phone.

The practical benefits of having two phone numbers that you can use are numerous. You can access the phone service from two different carriers or cellphone providers, separate business matters from private matters and so on.

There are good reasons why there are so many people who want dual-sim support in their smartphone. The availability of this feature in the Y511 will make the phone attractive to these people and that's a good thing.


Neutral: the Huawei Y511 has its limits in terms of what it can do


Like all other budget smartphones, the Y511 cannot do everything that more expensive smartphones can do. You cannot run or even install some of the more demanding apps, including high-end 3D games. Those apps require something more powerful than what the Y511 offers.

However, most apps, including Google Maps, Apps etc. can be used. Ditto for social media apps such as Facebook, Whatsapp and so on. Most mundane smartphones tasks such as web browsing and so on are no problem for the Y511 as long as it doesn't require high-end hardware.

The Y551 is in that sense similar to other budget smartphones. These smartphones are cheaper, but the drawback is that there are things that they cannot do as they were simply not designed for those tasks. As long as you understand what a budget smartphone can and cannot do, you won' have an issue with the Y511.


Neutral: who is Huawei?


While the brand Huawei is slowly making inroads, it's still not a well-known brand. That makes some people hesitant to select a Huawei phone, especially if brand is something that's important to them. These people would rather use something from a more established company or brand.

It's up to every person to decide if the brand Huawei is something that bothers you. It may be a problem for some people, while other people may not have an issue with it. The phone does come with a warranty, however.


Dislike: the cameras of the Huawei Y511 are pretty disappointing


The Huawei Y511 has a camera in the front and back. While the Y511 is a budget smartphone and cannot be compared with more expensive smartphones, the quality of the pictures from the Y511 are still disappointing.

The one in the front is not of much use at all. Its output is comparable to a cheap webcam and it's highly unlikely anyone will be using it a lot. So even though the Y511 does come with a camera in the front, in practice it might as well not have one due to its lack of usefulness.

The camera in the back is better, but still below average. Considering that the Y511 is supposed to be a somewhat high-end budget smartphone bordering a mid-range smartphone, the Y511 should have come with  a better camera.


Summary and comparison of what's good or bad about the Huawei Ascend Y511


In my opinion, the Huawei Ascend Y511 is most suitable for those people who want something more than your average budget smartphone. If you find the screen of budget phones too small for your liking, the Y511 offers a good alternative with its bigger screen.

The Y511 is a good option if you require dual-sim support for whatever reason, but cannot afford anything more than a budget smartphone. The Y511 does cost slightly more than the average budget phone, but it's still quite affordable and costs less than similar smartphones from most brands.

It's probably not as well suited for those people who just want any budget smartphone or have no need for a bigger screen and dual-sim support. Those people can get by with a lesser model and save some money in the process.


Pros:
  • Well-build
  • Big screen for a budget smartphone
  • Dual-sim support
  • Cheaper than most other brands
  • Good value for the money
Cons:
  • Picture quality is disappointing
  • Cannot handle more demanding apps such as high-end 3D games
  • The brand Huawei may scare off some people



Huawei Ascend Y511
Reviewed by Gadget Revue on December 30 2013
Rating: 4

Huawei Ascend Y511 specifications

Type Smartphone
Style Bar
Brand Huawei
Color Black / white
Dimension (H X W X D) 132.8 mm x 67.4 mm x 10.5 mm
Weight 150 grams
Operating System Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Skin Emotion UI
Network bands (varies) UMTS: 850 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
- UMTS: 900 / 2100 MHz
- GSM / EDGE: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
Processor MediaTek MTK MT6572, 1.3 GHz dual-core processor
Graphics Mali 400 GPU
RAM 512 megabytes (MB)
Internal storage 4 gigabytes (GB)
Expandable memory slot Included, up to 32 GB MicroSD card
Screen type 4.5 Inch Multi-Touch IPS LCD
Screen colors 16M colors
Screen resolution FWVGA (854 x 480, 218 PPI)
Rear camera 3.0 megapixels
Front camera 0.3 megapixels
Wireless Connectivity WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0
Connectors microUSB (USB 2.0)
- 3.5 headphone earjack
Sensors Accelerometer
- Proximity sensor
- Ambient light sensor
Navigation GPS + A-GPS
FM radio Included
Battery Lithium-Ion 1730 mAh
Special features Supports two sim cards (single sim version also available)
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