LIVE FROM CES 2013: China’s Huawei this afternoon made bold claims around the launch of its two latest smartphones, calling the Ascend Mate (pictured) “the largest screen smartphone” in the world and its Ascend D2 “the world’s most powerful smartphone.”

The Ascend Mate boasts a 6.1-inch HD screen, notably larger than its closest competitor  – the Note II from Samsung (5.55-inches). Other specs include a 1.5 GHz Hi-Silicon quad-core processor and a 4050 mAh battery. The vendor’s press conference saw Richard Yu (CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group) talk up the device’s battery power; Yu claimed the smartphone provides up to two days of ordinary useage on a single charge and has the fastest battery charging capability of smartphones in its range, which saves over 30 percent of battery charging time.

Operating on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and featuring an 8.0-megapixel rear-facing camera with HDR and 1.0-megapixel HD front-facing camera, the Ascend Mate goes on sale in China next month followed by a global rollout.

Meanwhile the quad-core 5-inch Ascend D2 is dubbed the world’s most powerful smartphone. Also running Android 4.1, it sports a 443 PPI Super Retina LCD display (more advanced than the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII), is powered by Huawei’s K3V2 1.5 GHz quad-core CPU and has a 13 MP BSI camera. During the press conference Yu demonstrated the device’s dust and water-resistant properties, pouring water over the D2 while the device appeared unaffected by its soaking. Yu claimed the device could be fully charged in 30 percent less time than other smartphones.

The D2 goes on sale in China this month, followed by a global launch.

Huawei declined to reveal pricing information for either device, noting only that the company has struck operator deals already in Europe and is in talks with US carriers. Both products will also be available direct from the vendor, via online channels.

Finally, Yu set the stage for further product launches next month, revealing that Huawei will launch two new devices at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.