Remember Ideos? It keeps growing… Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 has all it takes to be the preferred smart phone in its category; it has some of the most desired features which are available only on pricy devices such as a 5Megapixel camera and a decent 800×480 pixels resolution for a 3.8inch screen which makes text and images look sharp and smooth. Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 may be the cheap powerful monster everyone is looking for, but it has its own flaws on areas that count such as a mutilated Android’s interface instead of preserving the operating system’s good looks. Huawei could have played safe by retaining the original Android’s interface; however, by introducing its own version of skin, we’re skeptical on whether most users will find it fascinating enough. There are two versions of Ideos X5; one with 4GB internal storage and the other has 2GB onboard storage space, the 2GB version has been retailing in Kenya for a while now, going at Kshs.18999 at Safaricom retail shops.
Huawei U8800 Ideos X5’s housing has a significant portion of plastic and a touch of chrome, it may not be the sleekest device we’ve seen, but considering everything, it’s acceptable and rates fairly against peers in the same genre. The front panel is hugely taken by a 3.8inch screen with exceptions to 4 capacitive buttons (Search, Home, Back and Menu) sitting at its bottom. On the left side is a +/- volume rocker while a 5.0Megapixel camera and LED Flash sit around the back cover. With protruding camera lens, you might damage the lens with the slightest slide on a rough surface. Huawei U8800 Ideos X5’s 5.0Megapixel camera is said to capture 720p videos, but as much as we’re fascinated by this gesture, the quality of videos is not at par, it’s only good on paper. The plastic housing doesn’t look cheap neither does it creak when squeezed and felt sturdy enough to escape minor accidental falls without a scratch. At 11.6mm thick, Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 will fit in the smallest pocket; however, weight is a bit of an issue as 130g is not what you’ll expect on a device in this category at this time.
Huawei U8800 Ideos is shipped with Android v2.2 Froyo onboard though an official upgrade to v2.3 Gingerbread has been available until it was pulled off due to some bugs. You can as well get a custom Gingerbread rom from developers such as xda though might not be as stable. Under the hood is an 800MHz processor though a 1GHz chipset was more appropriate, there’s 512MB worth of RAM and 2GB or 4GB internal storage depending on which version you’re using. Another disappointment on Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 is lack of an FM radio despite being supported by the OS. The 3.8inch capacitive screen is coated by oleophobic to prevent scratches.
Huawei U8800 Ideos X5 Features/Specifications;
Operating System: Android v2.2 Froyo (upgradeable to v2.3 Gingerbread)
Other ft: Geo-Tagging, Sensors: Proximity, Accelerometer, Compass
Battery: Standard Lithium-Polymer 1500mAh
About Gerald -
A Technology Enthusiast with over 15 years experience. Entrepreneur, and founder of TechLimbo. Besides technology I like the EPL, F1, MotoGP, NFL, Basketball, Video Gaming and Swimming.
