- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Samsung Galaxy S II
- Samsung Galaxy Ace 2
- HTC One V
- Kyocera Hydro
- HTC Desire C
- Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- 3G
- 4"
- 1.4 GHz
Released December, 2011
Rated 73% by by c|net (Jan, 2012)This outdoor shot with the Mercury's 8-megapixel camera is pretty good.
Rated 67% by by c|net (Jan, 2012)The 4.1-ounce weight gives the device a nice, solid feel in the hand.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Huawei M886 Mercury compared to the Huawei Ascend II
GHz1.4
Android 2.3 Gingerbread 3G
Rated 73% by by c|net (Jan, 2012)Still, with fine call quality, a 4-inch screen, and nice outdoor photo quality, Cricket's Android options are looking up.
0.6 GHz
Android 2.3 Gingerbread 3G
Rated 67% by by c|net (Jan, 2012)Compared with the original Huawei Ascend, it's much sleeker and more modern, and, of course, it runs the much more recent Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS.
screen size
4"
3.5"
M886 Mercury by c|net (Jan, 2012)Photo quality was pretty good when viewed on the Mercury's screen and on a desktop screen, especially for shots taken outdoors in bright or even lighting.
screen resolution
M886 Mercury by c|net (Jan, 2012)A phone's screen is its main event, and at 4 inches, this one won't disappoint.
memory
| 0 GB | 0.5 GB | 0.5 GB |
processor
M886 Mercury by c|net (Jan, 2012)The Mercury first wheeled into our CNET offices as the Huawei Honor, and the Mercury keeps most of the Honor's attributes, like the 4-inch display, 1.4GHz processor, and 8-megapixel camera with HD video capture.
Ascend II by c|net (Jan, 2012)Given that there were so many dual-core phones on the market at the time that the Ascend II initially stepped forward, it's a little disappointing to see the same 600MHz processor as in the original Ascend.
camera resolution
| 0 MP | 8 MP | 8 MP |
M886 Mercury by c|net (Jan, 2012)While not all promises for the battery and camera pan out quite to the expected degree, the Mercury is nevertheless a nice package for Cricket's off-contract customers, and the price is comparable to what you'll find on other similar carriers.
Ascend II by c|net (Mar, 2011)The camera also sees an upgrade, from 3.2 megapixels to 5 megapixels in the Ascend 2.
Performance Real world tests of Huawei M886 Mercury vs Huawei Ascend II
cpu speed
M886 Mercury by c|net (Jan, 2012)The Mercury's 1.4GHz processor is definitely adequate in this way.
talk time
390 min
219 min
M886 Mercury by c|net (Jan, 2012)The Mercury has an impressively large 1,900mAH battery and a rated battery life of up to 6.5 hours of talk time and up to almost 16 days of standby time.
Ascend II by Lamarr-Blocker (Oct, 2012)Unlimited $45 plan, I can talk until my battery goes flat or until I get blue in the face.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Ascend II
| Is multitouch | Yes | vs | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somewhat common; use multiple fingers at once for more complex interactions | |||
| Much faster processor | 1.4 GHz | vs | 0.6 GHz |
| Around 2.5x faster processor; run computation-intensive applications, such as photo editing, faster | |||
| Much more highly reviewed by consumers | 73% | vs | 51.91% |
| More than 40% more highly reviewed by consumers | |||
| Acts as a wi-fi hotspot | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Share your cellphone's data plan with other devices | |||
| Significantly sharper screen | 244 ppi | vs | 164 ppi |
| Around 50% sharper PPI; enjoy photo-realistic, crisp images | |||
| Significantly higher resolution front camera | 8 MP | vs | 5 MP |
| 60% higher resolution front camera; Video chat with other people | |||
| More battery capacity | 1,900 mA·h | vs | 1,400 mA·h |
| Around 40% more battery capacity | |||
| Has a gyroscope | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Play games and use applications that take advantage of device rotation | |||
| Higher resolution screen | 854 x 480 | vs | 480 x 320 |
| More than 2.5x higher resolution screen | |||
| Bigger screen | 4" | vs | 3.5" |
| More than 10% bigger screen | |||
| Longer talk time | 390 min | vs | 219 min |
| Around 80% longer talk time; go days without charging | |||
| Marginally newer | Dec, 2011 | vs | Jul, 2011 |
| Release date 4 months later | |||
Advantages compared to the M886 Mercury
| Lighter | 120 g | vs | 139 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 10% lighter | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Huawei M886 Mercury | Huawei Ascend II | ||
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Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Samsung Galaxy S II Most built-in storage |
 | 3 | HTC One V Sharpest screen |
 | 6 | AT&T Avail 6-way tie: Has a compass |
 | 7 | ZTE Engage Newest on the market |
