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Huawei Mercury review: Cricket's most advanced Android phone yet

The Huawei Mercury slides in as Cricket's best smartphone to date, although it's still got some flaws and lacks the carrier's all-you-can-eat music plan.

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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Huawei Mercury (Cricket Wireless)
James Martin/CNET

Score one for Cricket, whose Huawei Mercury is arguably the most feature-rich phone in its lineup.

I say "arguably" because the Android 2.3 Gingerbread smartphone lacks Muve Music, the all-you-can-download music portion of the unlimited voice and data plan for select Cricket handsets, such as the Samsung Vitality.

Muve would be the icing on the cake, but if you're no audiophile, the Mercury is absolutely a phone that Cricket fans should eye. It's got a 4-inch screen, a 1.4GHz processor, and a pair of cameras, one of them 8-megapixels. The camera isn't as good as other 8-megapixel shooters, but it performs nicely outside. Indoor shots were still problematic.

Testing the Huawei Mercury's 8-megapixel camera (photos)

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If you care about call quality, you'll be happy to know that both the standard audio and the speakerphone are among the best we've heard in a long time.

Check out the video, photos, pricing details, and other pros and cons in the full Huawei Mercury review.

Watch this: Huawei Mercury (Cricket Wireless)

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