Top 5 smartphones CES 2012

The Gadget Show  Wednesday 11 January 2012

CES 2012 is well and truly turning out some amazing devices this year and while Mobile World Congress is just a matter of weeks away, the smartphone manufacturers are using the show as a way of getting a jump on the competition. Here we look at the top 5 smartphones at CES 2012, see which one is your favourite.

Nokia Lumia 900

Everyone knew that Nokia had to do something special to makes itself a player once more in the USA and with the launch of the Nokia Lumia 900 it’s certainly turned up the heat. This is the first LTE (4G) smartphone set to launch and along with it comes a 4.3-inch screen, the largest smartphone the company has launched to-date.

The Windows Phone device comes with a 1.4GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory, with no signs of expansion. Perhaps the only poor shout on the Nokia Lumia 900 is the inclusion of the same 8-Megapixel camera as the Nokia Lumia 800, which may not cut it against some of the other rivals in our list.

Sony Xperia S

The Sony Xperia S is the first handset to be announced after the split from Ericsson at the end of 2011 and with its 4.3-inch 1280×720-pixel HD screen and and ‘Reality Display’ Sony isn’t taking any prisoners with the high-tech gloss of this Android handset. What’s more, you’ll find the Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine packed inside, along with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and a whopping 12-megapixel camera with Sony’s Exmor R backlit sensor.

The only problem with the Sony Xperia S is that it will ship with Android Gingerbread in Q1 of this year and get a move up to Android 4.0 in Q2, which may initially stop people buying into the snazzy smartphone.

Sony Xperia Ion

If one Sony smartphone isn’t good enough, then how about a second to get the blood pumping! Yet another Android smartphone running Gingerbread 2.3.7, but with an update due in Q2, the Ion packs in a whopping 4.6-inch panel with 1280×720-pixel HD Reality display.

Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, you’ll find a host of features, such as the 12-Megapixel camera with full 1080p video capture and is set to be PlayStation certified, so gamers will love it too.

Set to be the firm’s first LTE foray, we can expect the Sony Xperia Ion to come to town in March of this year.

HTC Titan II

If big is what you’re after then rely on HTC to deliver. The HTC Titan II comes with a massive 4.7-inch display with 480×800-pixel resolution and still manages to find room to stuff a 16-Megapixel camera into the back! This is also the company’s first LTE smartphone set to ship later this year, the same as the Nokia Lumia 900, and in the same way will turn up sporting the Windows Phone OS.

Along with the high-tech camera, you’ll find video skills allowing for 720p recording that you can store on the 16GB of internal memory. Sadly, it seems there is no form of expansion on the Titan II. When it comes to processing, you’ll find a Qualcomm 1.5GHz Snapdragon S2 processor, along with 512MB of RAM.

No launch date has been announced, so we’re not expecting to see the HTC Titan II before Q2 of this year.

Huawei Ascend P1

The Huawei Ascend P1 looks like being something of an outsider compared to the big names on offer at CES 2012 but the Chinese device manufacturer could well be ready to launch a surprise hit onto the market.

The Huawei Ascend P1 is an Android 4.0 phone that comes with a 4.3 inch AMOLED screen and set to be powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. So far so good and we’re looking forward to checking out how slim and light it is in the hand, as Huawei is quoting it’s just 6.8mm thick.

The Huawei Ascend P1 is expected here in the UK by March 2012 but pricing is still to be defined.

What what do you think, has CES 2012 got you excited about the trend for smartphones in 2012? Sure, a lot are US-centric but this all bodes well for MWC in February. Let us know which one is your favourite in the Comments below.