The Huawei Gaga U8180 is a fully functional handset running on Android Froyo V 2.2 and is available in the local market at a surprisingly low price of around Rs.15000. Contradictory to the price however the phone is packed with a wide array of top notch functions neatly tied up in a sleek exterior complete with a rubberized back and a chrome lining which adds to its charms.

 

 

Body & Display

 

The phone operates almost exclusively without the use of actual buttons a function which complements the fluid response of the touch screen. The qwerty touch keypad is accommodated within a small area of the screen devoting the larger portion to display however the native text prediction system makes typing a much easier task and can be vouched for near perfect typing through a slight duration of practice time. Web content is readily zoomed by pinching much like the iPhone even though the function is absent in internal multimedia viewing where a zoom in/out button replaces it. A unique point worth mention is the cube like home screen which can be rotated to host 5 unique home pages that are fully customizable.

 

 

Sound Quality & Memory

 

As far as the speaker quality goes there’s definite room for improvement both in terms of volume and quality but coupled with a 3.5mm headset the U8180 grants the listener a decent musical experience and packs up a fully operational fm radio function. In-built memory is severely limited and goes to around 18mb of internal storage however the option of jacking up the memory capacity through the use of a micro SD card is available to users. On the downside excessive memory usage whether internal or on the SD card causes the phone to lag and gives way to severe response time issues.

 

 

Internet & Multimedia

 

The handset carries a very impressive native browser which performs almost all necessary functions for a moderately advanced web viewing experience. However the option of using a third party client is readily available. A note worth mentioning is that music and videos cannot be downloaded at the absence of a SD card. The data speed and quality however is top notch and parallels other more expensive handsets. Applications and games are available on Google Play the new Android Market and is automatically synchronized to the phone upon purchase. In terms of Multimedia the U8180 carries a fairly vivid 3.2 Megapixel camera capable of video recording and a surprisingly strong voice recorder. The image viewer lacks a few functions that are usually available but makes up for it in being user friendly and responsive. The music player too is a basic application which packs the basic functions that are commonly used.

 

 

Interface & Battery Life

 

The interface and OS is Android with very few tweaks here and there but proved to be more user friendly than most other handsets in the market. The battery life is possibly the U8180’s only flaw lasting less than 24 hours of regular usage.

 

 

 

 

(By Dilshan Senaratne)