As a mid-price gateway to the world of Windows Phone the Huawei Ascend W1 is an efficient, fast and capable way in. But the camera isn't quite up to scratch, the screen could be a bit sharper, and it has its work cut out to distinguish itself from the small but growing range of mid-price Windows...

The Huawei Ascend W1 is a cracking little phone.

Dimension-wise, the W1 is a girthy phone, cutting a silhouette that's just about 10mm -- so, it stands far outside the "world's thinnest" category that we've heard so much about at this CES. It also bears a bit of heft which we can't ascribe to its battery size.

The hardware is a bit thicker than I'd like for a WP8 device, but the tradeoff gets you removable battery, microSD, and (given it's Huawei) probably one of the most affordable price points around.

Overall, the Ascend W1 is notable for being Huawei's first phone to run the Windows Phone OS, but it isn't the most exciting device otherwise. For the right price, it could be a decent introduction to Windows Phone for curious users on a budget...

Let's hope that Nokia believes the old adage that imitation is the highest form of flattery, because both Huawei and HTC appear to follow its lead in Windows Phone handset design.

All in all a good first foray into the world of Windows Phone for Huawei, with the laggyness being forgivable if the price is right.

The Huawei Ascend W1 is a new mid-range Windows Phone that will clearly be targeted at price conscious buyers. It has a 4in screen, a 5-megapixel camera and a microSD card slot for extra memory.

It provides all the features you'll want from a smartphone in a package which is intuitive and fully functional.

Keeping the device sprinting rather than chugging along, the Huawei Ascend W1 is a zippy handset with application launches and programme transitions met with lit fuss or fanfare, just a smooth, lag free experience.