8 Cool Smartphones At CES

Most of the smartphones that we saw at CES have been available for a while, but many have been tweaked, and a few are brand new. Some of the already-released phones are now running Android 4. As a rule, the new phones look thinner, with displays pushing further out to the edge. These 4G devices are easy on the eyes. Dual processors are now the norm.

Many of the smartphones sport new AMOLED displays with Corning Gorilla Glass (or Gorilla Glass 2) lenses. The combination makes for a truly brilliant viewing experience--that you can smack with a hammer.

It's apparent at this show that the really interesting stuff is being held for the upcoming Barcelona CES. Almost all of the phones that we saw had been available since Christmas or before. The twists we did see were mostly along expected lines, with 3D technology, greater battery life, and so on. One twist that did catch our eyes--rugged designs from the likes of Casio. We were impressed with the usability of the toughened-up phones. Sure, they aren't 6 millimeters thick anymore, but they're still thin enough to put in your pocket.

Text In Style

When you first pick up the Droid 4, you think you're looking at a fairly unassuming touch screen phone--thin enough, but nothing special. But a slight push reveals the full QWERTY keyboard that makes the phone a great choice for textaholics. It's thin, 4G, has a dual core processor and runs Android 2.3.5. OMG! What are you waiting for??? LOL.