Huawei Ascend W1 vs Nokia Lumia 520
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Huawei Ascend W1 and the Nokia Lumia 520, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Our rating | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 1,950 mAh | 1,430 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 4 in |
| Main camera | 5 MP | 5 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 130 g | 124 g |
| Released | Jan 2013 | Apr 2013 |
Summary: Huawei Ascend W1 is ahead on battery. Nokia Lumia 520 is ahead on our rating, storage (max), weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Nokia Lumia 520 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 4.0 inches | 4.0 inches |
| Resolution | 480 x 800 pixels | 480 x 800 pixels |
| Protection | OGS Technology (some variants) | Scratch-resistant glass (not Gorilla Glass) |
| Features | — | SuperSensitive touchscreen (works with gloves/nails) |
Platform
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| OS | Microsoft Windows Phone 8 | Microsoft Windows Phone 8, upgradeable to 8.1 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8230 Snapdragon S4 Play (or Snapdragon 400) | Qualcomm MSM8227 Snapdragon S4 Plus |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.2 GHz Krait | Dual-core 1.0 GHz Krait |
| GPU | Adreno 305 | Adreno 305 |
Memory
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDHC, up to 32GB | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 64 GB |
| Internal | 4GB storage, 512MB RAM | 8GB 512MB RAM |
Main Camera
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Single | 5 MP, AF | 5 MP, f/2.4, 28mm (wide), autofocus |
| Features | LED flash | No LED flash |
| Video | 720p | 720p@30fps |
Selfie Camera
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Single | 0.3 MP (VGA) | None |
Battery
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Type | Removable Li-Po 1950 mAh battery | Removable Li-Ion 1430 mAh |
| Stand-by | Up to 470 h (3G) | Up to 360 h (3G) |
| Talk time | — | Up to 14 h 48 min (2G) / 9 h 42 min (3G) |
Body
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 124.5 x 63.5 x 10.15 mm | 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm (4.72 x 2.52 x 0.39 in) |
| Weight | 130 g | 124 g (4.37 oz) |
| Colors | Blue, Red, Black, White | — |
| SIM | — | Micro-SIM |
| Build | — | Plastic body, removable back shells |
Comms
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 2.1, A2DP, EDR | 4.0, A2DP, LE (after Lumia Amber update) |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS | — |
| NFC | Yes | — |
| Radio | No | — |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS |
Launch
| Huawei Ascend W1 | Nokia Lumia 520 |
|---|
| Announced | January 2013 (at CES) | February 2013 |
| Status | Available. Released January 2013 | Discontinued (2015) |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Huawei Ascend W1 or Nokia Lumia 520?
Huawei Ascend W1 — 1,950 mAh for the Huawei Ascend W1 versus 1,430 mAh for the Nokia Lumia 520.
Which is lighter, Huawei Ascend W1 or Nokia Lumia 520?
Nokia Lumia 520 — 130 g for the Huawei Ascend W1 versus 124 g for the Nokia Lumia 520.
Which is newer, Huawei Ascend W1 or Nokia Lumia 520?
Nokia Lumia 520 — Jan 2013 for the Huawei Ascend W1 versus Apr 2013 for the Nokia Lumia 520.
Is the Huawei Ascend W1 or the Nokia Lumia 520 rated higher?
We rate the Huawei Ascend W1 6/10 and the Nokia Lumia 520 7/10.
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