Richard Yu consumer business CEO for Huawei

Richard Yu, the consumer business CEO for Huawei, announced the Ascend Mate, what he called the "largest-screen smartphone in the world," and the Ascend D2, the "most powerful smartphone."

The Ascend Mate (left) and the Ascend D2

Though it's hard to tell from this picture, these phones from Huawei are a lot bigger than what most people are used to.

The pitcher test?

Richard Yu shows the audience that the Ascend D2 is, in fact, waterproof. We were kind of hoping for him to drop it in the tank, but the pitcher test is still pretty impressive.

Showing off the Ascend Mate

Consumer business CEO for Huawei, Richard Yu, seemed ready to take on the competition with the new Huawei devices.

Smart reading

Similar to the Kindle and many smartphones, you can select a word and perform a search for definitions or translation.

Check the specs

When you see the specs, the Ascend Mate is definitely impressive, but until we get one in our hands for testing, we'll reserve judgement.

Top view of the Ascend Mate

Micro-USB connector on the top.

Rear view

Large, but thin

When you look at the profile for both phones, you can see they are slimmer than most.

Side by side

Both the Ascend Mate and the Ascend D2 run on a modified version of Android 4.1.

Start your thumb stretches

Glove friendly

Richard Yu put on some gloves to show that the screen was responsive even through the thick fabric.

Close up of pitcher test

Pouring water on the Ascend Mate drew a gasp from the crowd in attendance.