Huawei MediaPad X1 takes on Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD

Chinese manufacturer Huawei has launched its 7-inch MediaPad X1 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Most people would place a 7-inch model in the tablet bracket but given that the MediaPad X1 offers full phone functionality, it can arguably be justified that Huawei gives it the "phablet" label.

The camera specification is closer to a phone than a tablet, too. The Huawei comes with a 13MP Sony Exmor R BSI sensor in the rear camera and a 5MP front-unit. Imaging features include panorama shooting, 10-level auto-facial enhancement and voice-activated capture. 

Both design and specification indicate the MediaPad X1 is competing in the high-end bracket of the market. The 7-inch 1200 x 1920 LTPS display is framed by a very thin bezel, giving the device a premium look. According to Huawei the screen-to-body ratio is an unusually high 80%. At 7.18mm the X1 is very thin and weighs only 239 grams. 

Things look promising under the hood, too. Android 4.2.2 is powered by a Huawei-made 1.6 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Huawei claims the 5000 mAh battery allows for five full days of continuous use. On the spec sheet the MediaPad X1 certainly looks good and could be a good alternative to devices such as Google's Nexus 7, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD or the iPad Mini, especially for those users who want phone capability and a high-resolution camera in a 7-inch device. The Huawei MediaPad X1 will be available in China, Russia, Western Europe, the Middle East, Japan and Latin America in March 2014.

Apart from the MediaPad X1 Huawei also launched the TalkBand B1. It's Huawei's contribution to the wearables craze and connects to the MediaPad and other compatible devices via NFC and Bluetooth. The Media MediaPad M1 is a lower-spec 8-inch "phablet" with a 800 x 1280 HD IPS display and a 5MP rear camera. 

The Huawei MediaPad X1 features a sleek design.	It comes in black or white.

Key-specification:

• Huawei V9R1 1.6 GHz quad-core processor
• 7-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD screen
• 2 GB RAM
• 16 GB internal storage, microSD, up to 32 GB
• 13 MP BSI CMOS sensor
• 5MP front camera
• Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
• NFC
• Non-removable Li-Ion 5000 mAh battery