CES 2014: mobile phones and tablets to watch out for
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is one of the biggest tech events which happens every year in Las Vegas. Like all years, this year’s CES was no different with several manufacturers and even startups demoing their next-generation products, concepts and much more. But, if you want to know what mattered most when it comes to mobile devices, then you’re at the right place.
Samsung Galaxy NotePro
Samsung's beast of a tablet known as the Galaxy NotePRO is built from the ground up with productivity and multitasking in mind. In fact, there is probably no other Android tablet that can give you as much freedom and flexibility in these two aspects than Samsung's 12-incher. And you get an S-Pen stylus as well, hence the name. Sure, the NotePRO is relatively large and heavy, but that's hardly surprise given the sheer size of the device's screen.
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO series
You can't go wrong with a tablet that has "PRO" in its name. And sure enough, Samsung's new Galaxy TabPRO Android slates have quite a lot to offer in terms of hardware specifications and software features.
Asus Zenfone series
We were genuinely surprised when Asus announced its new ZenFone series at CES, especially when we heard how cheap the phones were going to be. At only $99, $149, and $199 respectively, the Asus ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, and ZenFone 6 are could give the company's market share a welcome boost.
Acer Iconia A1
A high-end tablet the Acer Iconia B1 is not, but it does have what it takes to draw one's attention. That is its low price of just $150, which is actually pretty good given the tablet's hardware specifications. It has a 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 16GB of storage, and a pair of cameras for selfies and casual photos. All of that is packed inside an aluminum body that feels quite nice to the touch.
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Though Japanese giant Sony has unveiled the mini variant of its flagship phone Xperia Z1, dubbed as Xperia Z1f already in Japan, people were waiting for it to launch in other countries. Like its flagship sibling, the device packs impressive hardware with 2.26GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB onboard storage and 20.7MP camera at the back. All this is available at a compact size of 4.3-inch display bearing HD resolution.
Huawei Ascend Mate 2
Huawei jumped on the tablet bandwagon last year with the launch of Ascend Mate and now the company has unveiled its successor Ascend Mate 2. The Mate 2 has same large screen (6.1-inches) as of its predecessor offering 720p screen resolution. Manufacturer touts its huge battery capacity of 4,050mAh which can charge other smartphones as well.
ZTE Grand S II
The Grand SII is the successor to the Grand S smartphone revealed last year. In terms of specifications, the device gets all the top-of-the line features with 5.5-inch full HD display, quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB in-built memory, 13MP camera being the few highlights. What’s really impressive about the device is its voice commands which allows user to command it for just about anything just by voice.
Other devices from ZTE- Nubia 5S and Nubia 5S Mini are also worth a mention.
Asus PadFone X and Padfone Mini
Taiwenese Company, Asus keeps innovating on different form factors and Padfone as the name suggests, offers users the ability to use the device as a phone and as a tablet with the help of a dock. The manufacturer revealed two new devices, while the PadFone X has a 5-inch display which can be docked into a 9-inch display; the PadFone Mini comes with a 4.7-inch display which can be used with a smaller 7-inch display. Though there aren’t many details about the PadFone X, PadFone Mini is powered by an Intel processor and offer decent configuration.
Alcatel Idol X+
While manufacturers are still planning to go with octa-core processor, Alcatel is one of the first companies to use octa-core processor in its flagship that too clocked at high-speed of 2.0GHz (MediaTek MT6592). In terms of specifications, it has a 5-inch display with 1080p resolution, 2GB RAM, 16GB expandable memory, 13MP primary camera, etc. The device is also designed well and weighs 130g with thickness of 7.9mm.
Lenovo Vibe Z
Although the smartphone was already been announced by Lenovo in its home country- China, the device has now gotten a price tag. With a 5.5-inch display with 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB memory, 13MP camera, 5MP front camera, the device surely deserves a ‘flagship’ tag.