Huawei brings W1 Windows Phone 8 handset to US, lands Walmart as retail partner

Huawei is launching another phone in the United States, and it’s managed to recruit a powerful ally to share it with consumers: Walmart. On the same day that founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei pushed back against US national security allegations involving his company, Huawei has announced that its W1 Windows Phone 8 handset will be available this month from America’s largest retailer. The W1 isn’t exactly a new addition to the Windows Phone portfolio, but this marks the first time US buyers will be able to secure the device. As a refresher, the hardware contains a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 5-megapixel rear camera, and a 4-inch Gorilla Glass IPS display. You’ll find just 1.7GB of storage available out of the box, but thankfully that can be bumped up with a microSD card.

Neither Huawei nor its retail partner are revealing how much the W1 will sell for, only saying the price tag will be competitive with other prepaid, no-contract options on the market. It will be available both from Walmart.com and in “select” physical stores this month.