Android Atlas

Sony Ericsson released just one phone at CES, but the Xperia Arc is nothing to ignore. The hardware, to be frank, is stunning. The handset has a great feeling in the hand; we love the sleek profile; and the display is a looker.

The features are also impressive. We're particularly glad to see the device running Gingerbread--remember that the Xperia X10 ran OS 1.6 when it debuted--and the idea of the Bravia engine powering the media player is something we hadn't expected. We're still ambivalent about Timescape, and we hope it won't interfere with future … Read more

LAS VEGAS--One of the most interesting (and possibly best) things about the Huawei Ideos X5 is what it lacks.

The Ideos X5 is one of a couple Android smartphones we've seen without a customized skin on top of the stock Android operating system. Not all of those skins are bad by any means, but Android purists will welcome the simple, straightforward interface. Take a look at the phone and its features in this First Look video from the CES show fly.

LAS VEGAS--More products seem intent on blurring the line between smartphones and tablets. The 5-inch screen on the Dell Streak, for example, really threw us into a philosophical tailspin. It was awkwardly large to make calls with, but too small for tablet-style Web browsing and productivity.

In spite of ViewSonic's insistence on calling the ViewPad 4 a tablet, I have no qualms telling you that it's really a smartphone. As the name implies, the ViewPad 4 uses a 4.1-inch screen, putting it behind the 4.3-inch screen used on the Motorola Droid Bionic and other unabashed smartphones. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--We've seen a lot of touch-screen smartphones at CES 2011 so far, but very few with QWERTY keyboards. However, Acer's got one that combines both.

The Android 2.2-based Acer BeTouch E210 has a compact, slate design that features a 2.6-inch, 320x240 touch screen and a full QWERTY keyboard, as well as an optical trackpad. Hoping to provide more instant access, the keyboard has been redesigned since the BeTouch E130 and now includes shortcuts to contacts, camera, and messaging apps.

The BeTouch E210 has full wireless options and a 3.2-megapixel camera, but it's not … Read more

Despite the buzz around the LG Revolution, I have to say that the LG Optimus Black has a bit more star power, and it's all because of its display. While I can't attest to its actual clarity under bright daylight due to the dim lighting on the show floor, what I saw of it was impressive.

As we reported, the Optimus Black's 4-inch "NOVA" display boasts 700 nits of brightness, which LG claims makes it the brightest and clearest display on the market. The company even placed it next to an iPhone 4 to compare … Read more

LAS VEGAS--If you find the traditional black and silver handsets to be boring, then you might want to check out the newly introduced Acer Liquid Mini line of Android phones.

Available in five different colors--royal blue, lime green, light pink, and yes, piano black, and jet silver--the Liquid Mini focuses on style, with chrome edges, a curved body, and soft-touch finish. It features a 3.2-inch, 480x320 multitouch screen and Acer's customized user interface, which sits on top of Android 2.2.

The Liquid Mini isn't just about looks, though. The smartphone also has a 5-megapixel camera with … Read more

LAS VEGAS--ZTE isn't announcing devices besides its tablets, but we were able to glean a few things during our meeting with the Chinese phone manufacturer at CES. Chiefly, ZTE is looking for a home for the ZTE Blade, an Android-powered smartphone that's already been released in Europe and Asia.

We took a look at the Blade--it has a 3.5-inch touch screen, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. In global markets, it currently runs Android 2.1 but should be upgradable to Android 2.2 (Froyo). Right now ZTE says it's in talks with major and regional U.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--One of the most anticipated smartphones coming into CES 2011 had to be the HTC Thunderbolt.

Unveiled today at Verizon's press conference, the Thunderbolt is HTC's first LTE device and has been described as "blazingly fast." However, we had to find out for ourselves and luckily we got some hands-on time with it.

In short, the HTC Thunderbolt is fast. Granted, there aren't too many people on Verizon's LTE network right now, but we were impressed at just how fast it pulled up CNET's full site and played video. On other devices … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Verizon and HTC finally took the wraps off the HTC Thunderbolt on Thursday afternoon at CES 2011.

It's the first LTE smartphone for HTC and company CEO Peter Chou described it as "blazingly fast." Details are a bit sparse right now, but we know that it will feature a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive touch screen, and an 8-megapixel camera with HD video capture.

In addition, the handset will run Android (though which version was not specified) with HTC Sense 2.0, Skype Mobile, Dolby surround sound, and DLNA support.

We'll continue … Read more