Chinese manufacturer Huawei is steadily growing its presence in the Western world, and the Ascend P7 is its latest attempt to win over consumers.
Succeeding the Ascend P6, the P7 borrows the same stylings and functions, but provides a slightly better design and some increased power under the hood.
While this is Hauwei's flagship device, it's not in the same league as theSamsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 or Sony Xperia Z2.
In fact with a price tag of €449 (around £370, $625, AU$690), the Ascend P7 finds itself towards the top end of the middle tier of mobiles, but it's not a pricing anomaly like the OnePlus One.
That said, a quick flick through the spec sheet and the Ascend P7 isn't exactly poorly equipped, with a lot of similar features to last year's HTC One.
On the front there's a full HD 5-inch display, while under the bonnet you'll find a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, Mali 450 MP4 GPU, 16GB internal storage and 2500mAh battery.
Round the back there's a 13MP Sony camera while on the front the Ascend P7 is equipped with a selfie-tastic 8MP lens.
It also boasts CAT 4 LTE technology, allowing you to take advantage of the fastest 4G speeds currently available, while Android 4.4 KitKat sits at the heart of the operation.
In the same way that HTC and Samsung tinker with Google's platform, Huawei has stuck its own Emotion UI interface on the Ascend P7. It's version 2.3 of the overlay, and the P7 is the first phone to come running it.
As I've already mentioned when it comes to design there's not a lot to choose between the Ascend P7 and P6, and indeed the Ascend G6 too.
There have been a few handy changes, though. I bemoaned the position of the headphone jack on the P6 and G6, where it's placed on the side.
Huawei has heeded the call and shifted it to the top of handset, making it far easier to pocket when you've got headphones plugged in.
The microUSB port has also shifted from the top of the P6 to the base of the Ascend P7 - the best location when it comes to using your phone while it's charging.
Pick the Ascend P7 up and you'll immediately notice its extremely slender frame - impressive considering the level of tech Huawei has crammed inside the device.
That said the P7 isn't as thin as the Ascend P6 which clocked in at a sultry 6.18mm, but considering it's only grown to 6.5mm it's still thinner than Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S.
Clad in Gorilla Glass 3 front and back, and with a metal frame running round the sides, the Ascend P7 is the best looking and feeling Huawei device to date. It feels premium in the hand and the solid build means there's no uneasy flexing.
Slender bezels run down either side of the display and Huawei has managed to keep the extra space above and below to a minimum, partly thanks to the navigation keys being on screen.
Down the right hand side you'll find an almost central, circular power/lock key which falls comfortably under thumb or forefinger - depending on which hand you're holding the P7 in.
It isn't as big as the button on Sony's current flock of Xperia handsets, but I can't help notice a similarity in the layout, with the volume rocker switch just above.
That's not all for the right side though, as below the power/lock key are two trays - one for the microSIM and the other for a microSD card.
That gives you a hint that you can't remove the rear of the Ascend P7, so the battery is locked out of sight. No swapping out a flat one for a fully charged power pack on the go.
There's a clever fearture surrounding the microSD slot too, as instead of sticking a storage card in it the tray is also compatible with a nanoSIM. This allows you to make the Ascend P7 a dual SIM smartphone, if you so wish.
The compact dimensions of the Ascend P7 (139.8 x 68.8 x 6.5mm) and its 124g weight make it easy to hold in the hand, although the angular edges mean it doesn't sit as nicely as handsets with more of a curved design.
These dimensions also meant I was able to reach all areas of the 5-inch display with one handed operation and no awkward shuffling was required.
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