Huawei Ascend G 300 review

This £100 Android smartphone comes with meaty specifications including a 4in display, 1GHz Qualcomm processor, 512MB of RAM and 5-megapixel camera. Despite its budget nature, and the use of Android 2.3, Huawei hasn't compromised on performance or battery life.

DesignBudget handsets aren't robust when it comes to build quality, and you can easily spot a cheap handset from 25 yards. This is another area where Huawei's device is the exception. The choice to use capacitive buttons on the front, instead of physical keys, helps to mask the device's budget nature.

Huawei Ascend G300 - Capacitive buttons

The capacitive buttons give the handset a premium look, but aren't the most responsive

However, the responsiveness of these capacitive Android keys is inconsistent. When browsing webpages and using the back button, it can take anywhere between one to three prods to get it working.

Huawei Ascend G 300 - Back

The use of silver gives the device a metallic look

Build quality is solid there is a silver frame running around the outside edge of the screen and the removable back cover gives the impression metal has been used. We're not too convinced by the bits of white plastic that have been included on the back and feel these stop the device from looking high-end. With a weight of 140g, the G 300 isn't lightest device around, but it is easy to hold and you won't feel it when your carrying it around in your pocket.

Khidr Suleman is the Technical Editor at IT Pro, a role he has fulfilled since March 2012. He is responsible for the reviews section on the site  - so get in touch if you have a product you think might be of interest to the business world. He also covers the hardware and operating systems beats. Prior to joining IT Pro, Khidr worked as a reporter at Incisive Media. He studied law at the University of Reading and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism and Online Writing at PMA Training.