Top 5 Best Smartphones Launched at CES 2014

| Updated: Saturday, January 11, 2014, 18:15 [IST]

In the past few years, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), has become more of a gateway to experience computing stuffs (apps, tablets and hybrids).

Surely, this year also we have witnessed smartphone related announcements.

Brands like Huawei, ZTE, Sony and Alcatel had managed to show thier upcoming handsets. Sony, in particular, impressed critics by coming up with a mini version of popular Xperia Z1 Compact.

Top 5 Best Smartphones Launched at CES 2014

That's not all but Sony also announced a variant of Xperia Z1, dubbed Xperia Z1s. Though, we would've expected the Japanese giant Sony to release the device outside USA.

Apart from Sony, Chinese tech vendor ZTE has come with its high-end offering, the Grand SII. The device will hit the Chinese market first, followed by India sometime later this year with modified hardware.

Next comes, Huawei's Ascend Mate 2 4G LTE, which was unveiled at this year's CES. You might want to expect the handset to India in August time frame.

Here are the top phones announced at just concluded CES 2014. Take a look!

1#

Meet Xperia Z1 Compact, a high-end Android-powered phone featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 powered quad-core processor and 20.7MP camera in a compact form. The device is equivalent to its older siblings, the Xperia Z1 and newly introduced Xperia Z1s, in respect to hardware. The only difference is the size and a 4.3-inch 720p HD display. It is to be seen whether Sony would able to stop Apple in selling less iPhone 5S. Analysts have started predicting comparisons between the Apple iPhone 5S and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

2#

It looks like ZTE has lifted a page from Motorola's book. We're talking about ZTE's Grand S II . The device has a built-in voice recognition unlocking for hands free operation, too close to the Moto X it seems. Other than voice recognition feature, the Grand SII incorporates a 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD capacitive touch display. Under the hood comes a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. The makers have added a 3,000mAh battery fitted inside. Also add a 13MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. The device also features a professional BOX speaker, backed by Dolby sound effects.

3#

China's TCL corporation officially announced the coming of its first ever Octa-Core handset powered by MediaTek MT 6592 chipset. Naturally, the device is a successor to the original Alcatel One Touch Idol X, which was announced at the IFA Berlin tech show last year. Talking about the hardware, the Idol X+ incorporates a 5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display having a resolution of 1,920 x 1080 pixels. Under the hood, there is a MediaTek (MT 6592) powered Octa-Core chipset, backed by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. Also, add a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera on the back with Auto Focus and LED Flash. The phone also supports quality sound, supporting SACD's 24 bit/192KHz playback which is 4 times better than CD. The makers have added a 2,500mAh battery under the hood.

4#

While the original Ascend Mate 2 was launched at an effective price of Rs. 24,999, but it was a commercial failure due to poor marketing. Though, the device was decent enough, if not brilliant. This year Huawei is looking to tap younger generation once again with second generation Ascend Mate 2. The 4G LTE enabled phone comes with a large battery at 4050mAh. The specifications are more-or-less unchanged. The 6.1-inch HD quad-core phablet will face tough competition from Nokia's recently launched Lumia 1320. Click here to know detailed specs of Huawei Ascend Mate 2

5#

Lenovo Vibe Z is a high-end Android handset from the world's largest PC maker. The Vibe Z features a 5.5-inch FHD smartphone featuring Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor under the hood. Also, it is the first phone from Lenovo with 4G LTE connectivity. The phone is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core processor Snapdragon 800 SoC, backed by 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory. There's a 13-megapixel rear-facing shooter featuring f/1.8 aperture, making the camera decent enough to deliver awesome images on every possible occasion. The front-facing camera, a 5-megapixel shooter, comes with the wide-angle lens. Android 4.3 Jelly Bean comes out of the box. Other connectivity features include: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS, and Bluetooth 4.0