Chinese tech giant Huawei said Thursday it would launch its first Windows Phone 8 smartphone for US users later this month.

The W1 phone is a version of the Ascend W1 sold in other markets, according to Microsoft.

The device will be sold at Wal-Mart stores under a no-contract plan. Prices were not announced.

"We are proud to deliver a premium smartphone experience to customers at a competitive price point," said Todd Greenberg, general manager for US Windows Phone sales at Microsoft.

Michael Chuang at Huawei Device USA said the new phone "brings consumers a truly compelling alternative to what's currently in the marketplace -- a device that is competitively priced."

Microsoft's Windows Phone platform has been making slow progress breaking into a smartphone market dominated by Google's Android and Apple's iOS.

Huawei has limited smartphone sales in the US market, but is a major vendor in China and some other markets.