Neat and sturdy design, good-sized screen
Sub-HD display, processor not as powerful as it could be, doesn't do enough to distinguish itself from rivals
Chinese manufacturer Huawei's been on a bit of a roll recently.
Hot on the heels of the high-end (but mid-priced) Ascend P7 and the mid-range Ascend G6 comes the budget Y530, which doesn't stretch to 4G or offer any standout specifications, but does at least have a good-sized screen and quality casing.
Chassis and screen
Huawei's Y-series has traditionally been the ugly duckling of the group -- functionality and price are the watchwords, and they typically lack the class of the higher-end G and P ranges. Things are getting better though, and while the Y530 is a little chunkier than its brethren, at 9mm and 145g it's certainly not the portly heifer it could have easily been. Style-wise too, the neat curves and two-tone screen surround look good and, although the casing is all plastic, it feels sturdy and more robust than some considerably more expensive models (Samsung knows what we're talking about).
The 4.5-inch screen offers a distinctly so-so sub-HD resolution of 854x480 pixels (218ppi) and suffers by not even making the most of those -- a quibble we've had with many a budget handset. The display looks quite recessed from its glass covering and loses clarity as a result. Yes, it's just about adequate for browsing and even watching movies, but as we all become more accustomed to higher-resolution screens at lower prices (check out the Moto G's HD screen for the same sort of price), this is beginning to look a bit behind the curve.
Software and processor
And speaking of behind the curve, it's running the older 4.3 Jelly Bean version of Android, though it's been skimmed with the Huawei Emotion interface to give the software a more distinctive look. The jury's out on the missing apps section (all your apps automatically appear on the home pages rather than being collected in a separate part of the menu), but we quite liked the 'Simple Home' setting that offers a simplified, clutter-free version of your home pages.
The 1.2GHz processor matches the clock speed of the G6 but this one is dual-core rather than quad-core. It also makes do with just 512MB RAM rather than 1GB. As a result its performance is more, shall we say, sedate -- although it can't exactly be described as slow. Operation is reasonably smooth, even if you sometimes have to wait a little while for apps to open. Our AnTuTu benchmark test gave it 12,339 which puts it in line with other dual-core handsets like Samsung's Galaxy Ace 3. The 1,700mAh battery didn't seem to be quite up to the task of getting the Y530 through a full day of regular use -- ours had certainly given up the ghost well before dusk.
Photography
The 5-megapixel camera comes with autofocus and a flash, which is good to see at this end of the market. Picture quality isn't great, which is to be expected. The autofocus setting has a tendency to overexpose and colours don't always look accurate. The front-facing camera is a standard VGA type, rather than the 5- and 8-megapixel versions you'll find on the latest Ascend models. There's just 4GB memory on board, but fortunately you can add up to 32GB via microSD card.
Conclusion
The Huawei Y530 is a solid budget performer that has at least gained a few style points on its low-end predecessors and offers reasonable value for money within its limited specifications.
However, it doesn't cost much more for increased power and considerably better screens these days, so its appeal could be limited.
Software: Google Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
Processor: Dual core 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8210 Snapdragon 200
Memory slot: Yes
Display: 4.5in IPS LCD, 854x480 pixels
Connectivity: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Ports: microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Camera: 5 megapixel, LED flash, autofocus, VGA front-facing camera
Video playback: MPEG-4, H.264, H.263, VP8, RV7-10, Xvid, WMV9
Audio playback: MP3, MIDI, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AAC-LC, FLAC, WMA2-9, RA
Radio: Yes
Battery: 1,700mAh
Size: 133x67x9mm
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
