Huawei Ascend II

“The original Huawei Ascend was a low-end, free-with-contract smartphone released on a number of different carriers. It sold well because of its low price, but it wasn't a very good device. The Huawei Ascend II for U.S. Cellular addresses some of that phone's issues, but it's a case of too little, too late. The Ascend II won't cost you a dime, but you can get a much better phone if you're willing to spend some cash.”

“For most consumers, an extremely low price tag excuses a multitude of sins. Sold for just a penny on contract, the Huawei Ascend II needs every pardon it can get. The phone isn't bad, per se, but its performance falls below today's rapidly climbing smartphone standards. That makes it acceptable for a starter smartphone, and the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system is fine. Unfortunately, it's hard to get behind the 600MHz processor, the stumbling camera, and limited battery life. At least the phone is attractive and fairly easy to use. All told, it's a reasonable option in the U.S. Cellular lineup, particularly at the 1-cent price.”

“All in all, the Ascend II is not a phone I would recommend buying. The price is attractive but U.S. Cellular has better options, even for budget-conscious consumers. Check out the HTC Merge or the Samsung Mesmerize. Both will offer much better performance than the Ascend II. With its slow processor, unimpressive display, and terrible camera, the Ascend II is a phone you should definitely pass on.”