Relative newcomer 2degrees has mounted a solid attack on its rivals since launching the country's third mobile network in 2009 and was recently able to gloat that it had topped the half a million subscriber mark.
From a business perspective, there is still a lot of work
for the newbie network operator to do, including attracting more high-spending customers.
Selling smarter, more expensive handsets is part of that plan and one nice high-end device which 2degrees has exclusive access to is the Ideos X5 from Chinese telecommunications powerhouse Huawei.
First impressions
The Ideos X5 is a classy looking touchscreen phone running the well-regarded version 2.2 of Google's Android operating system.
A sharp 800 by 480-pixel resolution display fills out the device's fulsome 3.8-inch display quite nicely.
The X5 feels solid but also relatively streamlined rather than chunky. It comes with a 5-megapixel camera.
Hardware
With a $549 price tag, the X5 falls into the mid-range smartphone category and, as a result, you would expect Huawei to have made a few compromises in order to keep costs down. The most obvious skimp is probably the processor - an 800MHz Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm - which is adequate, but not the ideal engine for this type of high-potential unit.
Another way Huawei trims costs is by shipping its phones without a microSD card in the box, contrary to what most other brands are doing these days. This is only mildly annoying, as the X5 still comes with 2GB of internal memory, which should be enough to keep most users happy for a while as they save up a few more dollars to buy their own memory card.
Software
Android 2.2 has won a level of critical acclaim earlier versions of the operating system couldn't quite reach. X5 users will be treated to all the expected Android baubles such as voice commands (it helps if you can speak in an American accent) and access to the ballooning Android Market, which is now the source of pretty much every conceivable application you could possibly care to install on your phone.
And, importantly, cult game Angry Birds looks good on the X5's crisp screen.
More serious users will be pleased to know the device ships with popular document reader Documents To Go pre-installed, although in keeping with the Huawei cost-cutting ethos mentioned above, unlocking DTG's editing capabilities - allowing you to change documents whilst on the run - will require a further purchase.
Access to one of Android 2.2's oft-mentioned enhancements - the ability to turn a handset into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot capable of connecting other devices to the internet - will be enabled through a software update which has been promised by the end of May.
Verdict
The Ideos X5 offers a lot of phone for $549, all wrapped up in a stylishly-constructed package and with the potential to turn it into an even more powerful device by splashing out a bit more for hardware and software enhancements.
This is an example of mid-range pricing for what, until very recently, would be considered a very high-spec'ed smartphone.
Huawei Ideos X5
$549 (2degrees, handset only)
Rating: 4/5
SPECS:
Screen: 3.8-inch, 800x480px LCD capacitive touchscreen
Operating system: Android 2.2.1
Camera: 5 megapixel with LED flash
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, MicroUSB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7230, 800MHz
Memory: 2GB internal memory (takes up to 32GB microSD)
Other features: GPS, accelerometer, 720p HD video capture, 3.5mm audio jack
The Huawei-built Ideos X5 is available exclusively through 2degrees.
Relative newcomer 2degrees has mounted a solid attack on its rivals since launching the country's third mobile network in 2009 and was recently able to gloat that it had topped the half a million subscriber mark.
From a business perspective, there is still a lot of work
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