Sometimes cutting corners doesn't pay off. The Huawei Ascend cell phone debuted in the U.S. on Cricket Wireless to mixed reviews, and now it's available on MetroPCS for the first time. Unfortunately, most of what soured us the first time around is still a problem with this version.

No 3G; Middling call quality; Sluggish, choppy UI

A review of the cheap, touchscreen, Android based Huawei Ascend. Does it have what it takes to make budget conscious users smile?

If you're a bit out of pocket but serious about browsing the web, playing with apps or taking snaps on the move, we'd recommend a larger budget phone such as the Orange San Francisco II or HTC Explorer.

Compact build; great battery life; surprisingly usable keyboard

Restrictive and pixelated screen; bog-standard camera

What kind of smartphone can you buy with £59.99? That's the question Huawei has answered with the Ascend Y100, a fully featured Android phone may have a tiny screen, a mediocre camera and average performance but for under £100, can you really complain?

I purchased this in late january. i couldnt complain it was a good phone being that it was my first android. but as the months started going i seen that it started actin more slower, internet takes long to find connection.

Using media can quickly drain the battery. I think that the battery should be much stronger. I set my alar m at night with the battery ¾ full and when I wake up it, will be low and needing to be charged. It can be charged on the computer or through the charger adapter that cam e in the package.

The very average two-megapixel snapper can't compete with the 3-5 megapixel models of other handsets and the meagre onboard storage needs to be expanded with a microSD card.

Neat build; excellent battery life; amazingly usable keyboard

Small and pixelated display; mediocre camera

Nice sleek mobile. Does not have the 4GB on board storage as said in the description. Does have android 2.3 and is good for playing games (Angry Birds). But you have to install them on the SD Card (which you will need a 4 or Higher GB) as the mobile hasn't got the room to store apps on it.

Easy to use; Fast; Slim

Battery goes to quickly; No headphones

Last year was the first time we had seen smartphones drop to a point where pretty much anyone could afford them, as Huawei and ZTE both joined in and provided Australian telcos with cheap handsets. So what does $99 get you in 2012?

Very friendly to the wallet; Surprisingly responsive screen

Tiny screen doesn't fit much text or make it easy to use the on-screen keyboard; Some apps and games can offer weak performance; Terrible camera; Locked to Vodafone

What kind of smartphone can you buy with $99? That's the question Huawei has answered with the Ascend Y100, a fully featured Android phone exclusively sold in Australia through Vodafone .

Value for money; Some nice UI touches; Decent battery life

Tiny screen; Poor default keyboard; Can be sluggish at times