Huawei Honor spotted at the FCC with AT&T bands

One of Huawei’s most popular mid-range phones, the Honor (also known as the Glory, or the Mercury on Cricket) may soon be headed to AT&T. The phone was spotted going through the storied halls of the Federal Communications Commission, seeking certification for a US release. The phone had radios compatible with AT&T’s 3G and HSPA+ bands. As always with FCC filings, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s coming to any particular carrier – phones are often certified for the benefit of showing them off to potential partners.

The Huawei Honor is a respectable little phone that’s gotten rave reviews for its combination of solid hardware, design and price. The phone is already available in several world markets. As far as hardware goes, you get a 4-inch screen with a resolution of 854×480. Inside is a single-core 1.4Ghz Qualcomm processor, 514MB of RAM and 4GB of on-board storage. An 8MP camera takes 720P video, and toy get an open MicroSD card slot to play with.

Why might a budget-minded Android fan be interested? Mostly because the Chinese manufacturer has shown a surprising commitment to Android updates. The Huawei Honor was the very first Android device to get an official update to Ice Cream Sandwich – an impressive feat for a company that was hitherto though of mainly as a discount manufacturer. Huawei is reaching higher this year, with new Ascend models releasing with ICS and a super-secret high-end Diamond line set to be unveiled later this month at Mobile World Congress.

[via Unwired View]