<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Gigaom]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://gigaom.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Kevin C. Tofel]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[http://search.gigaom.com/author/kevintofel/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Huawei debuts a 7-inch phone and its first Android Wear watch]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Back in 2012, I suggested that for some, <a href="https://gigaom.com/2012/08/01/heres-why-tablets-yes-tablets-will-replace-the-smartphone/">a tablet may replace a smartphone within the next few years</a>. Fast forward to present day and Huawei is thinking the same: The company <a href="http://consumer.huawei.com/minisite/worldwide/mediapad-x2/index.htm">introduced a 7-inch tablet with cellular voice capabilities</a> alongside its Android Wear smartwatch that was leaked before the Mobile World Congress event, which kicks off today.</p>
<p><a href="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/mediapad-x2.jpg?quality=80&strip=all"><img  src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/mediapad-x2.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=804&#038;h=419" alt="mediapad x2" width="804" height="419" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-917900" /></a></p>
<p>Huawei already sells a large phone direct to consumers in the U.S.: You can buy the Ascend Mate2 with its 6.1-inch display for $299.99 off contract. The new MediaPad X2 brings the screen size to a full 7-inches with 1920 x 1200 resolution for a pixel density of 323 pixels per inch. Huawei says it&#8217;s keeping the overall size of the X2 down with an 80 percent screen to body ratio and 7.28 millimeter thickness. The 5,000mAh battery should easily last a day, if not two, between charges.</p>
<p><a href="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/mediapad-x2-side.jpg?quality=80&strip=all"><img  src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/mediapad-x2-side.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=804&#038;h=419" alt="mediapad x2 side" width="804" height="419" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-917901" /></a></p>
<p>Inside is the company&#8217;s own 64-bit chipset, an eight-core 2.0GHz Kirin 930 paired with Mali T628 GPU and Cat6 LTE radio capable of 300Mbps download speeds. A 13-Megapixel camera adorns the rear, while the front of the X2 has a wide-angle 22mm lens and 5MP sensor.</p>
<p>The device runs Google Android 5.0 software with Huawei&#8217;s own software called EMUI. The base model includes 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM and Huawei will offer a second edition with double the storage and 3GB of memory. Huawei says pricing and availability will vary by region with more details to follow.</p>
<p>Also coming soon at an undisclosed price is <a href="http://consumer.huawei.com/minisite/worldwide/huawei-watch/index.htm">the metal Huawei Watch running Google&#8217;s Android Wear software</a>. It looks like other circular watches that have recently hit the market but Huawei is boasting a higher pixel density: The round 1.4-inch AMOLED screen has a 400 x 400 resolution. The touchscreen is covered with a sapphire crystal and overall, the device looks like a classic metal watch.</p>
<p><a href="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/huawei-watch-official.jpg?quality=80&strip=all"><img  src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/huawei-watch-official.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=804&#038;h=419" alt="huawei watch official" width="804" height="419" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-917902" /></a></p>
<p>Like most Android Wear devices, the Huawei Watch has a bevy of sensors inside: 6-axis gyroscope, barometer, and optical heart-rate monitor. Outside, the case is made from 316L corrosive-resistant, cold-forged stainless steel.</p>
<p>While the watch looks nice, there are already several similar options available to consumers. I&#8217;m more interested to see if consumers adopt the MediaPad X2 as a replacement for both a phone and a tablet.</p>
<p>The X2 should work fine for the latter use; I&#8217;ve <a href="https://gigaom.com/2011/01/21/why-i-just-dumped-the-ipad-hint-size-matters/">happily carried and used a 7-inch slate in the past</a>, although I wouldn&#8217;t use it for a full-time productivity device. You probably can&#8217;t put the X2 in your pocket like you can with most phones though, and that could be a challenge for potential buyers. Still, color me intrigued.<br />
<a href="http://search.gigaom.com/tag/mwc-2015/"><img  src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/3014/07/mwc-2015-ticker.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=804&#038;h=217" alt="MWC-2015-ticker" width="804" height="217" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-917848" /></a></p>
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