Huawei Ascend P1 to launch early August

Chinese manufacturer to launch slim smartphone with Vodafone and independent retailers from earlier August

Huawei will sell its quad-core Ascend P1 smartphone in the UK from early August.

The Android Ice Cream Sandwich-powered device will be available from Vodafone for free on a £26 per month contract, as well as from independent retailers.

The Ascend P1, originally unveiled at Mobile World Congress in February, features a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, a 4.3-inch screen and an 8-megapixel camera.

It is 7.69mm thick, and Huawei claims that it is one of the slimmest smartphones on the market.