Huawei launches Android X5 smartphone in Australia, for $349

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 11:37

Your IT - Mobility

With its predecessor, the Huawei Ideos 8150, now selling for $99, half its pre Xmas price, Huawei has introduced its latest Ideos Android phone, the X5, to Australia, at $349.

The Ideos X5 is available $0 on a $29 cap from Crazy John's, or users can buy two handsets for $0 on Crazy John's $49 Twin Cap deal. The X5 is also available for $349 outright at Crazy John's and Dick Smith.

Crazy Johns has cut the price of the Ideos 8150 to $99, for online purchases only. And yesterday Telstra introduced a $99 Android phone, the ZTE T3020.

Huawei Australia devices marketing director, Mark Treadwell, had foreshadowed launch of the X5 and the X6 in December, promising low prices. He suggested that the X5 could be available at $0 on $29 plans and the X6 at $0 on $39 plans.  A Huawei spokesman told iTWire today that launch of the X6 was "still some month away."

Treadwell said on the launch of the X5 'The Ideos X5 is Huawei's highest-spec smartphone at an unbelievably affordable price. Running Android 2.2 on a beautiful 3.8 inch display, the IDEOS X5 offers a better experience than other smartphones which cost twice the price." He added that it would be "the first Huawei-branded post-paid handset in Australia."

The X5 runs on an 800MHz processor with a 3.8 inch, 800x480 pixel capacitive touchscreen and includes a 5MP camera, 720p HD video recording capabilities, and up to 32GB of storage. It will operate on all frequencies used in Australia.