CES 2012: Smartphones

Snoozing my way through CES

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Roger Entner's bio below.

This year's CES was pretty dismal for anyone interested in wireless. Sure, AT&T had some good stuff and the Microsoft launched the LTE Windows Phone 7. But other than that, most people would've been better off hitting the snooze button.

Last year, by contrast, AT&T and especially Verizon Wireless made a huge splash with 4G announcements. There was so much excitement that I thought it might upstage the CTIA Show in the spring, which could have faded into oblivion like so … Read more

CES 2012 a 4G orgy, but Android ICS is still MIA

LAS VEGAS--Every January, CES sets the tone for the year with a bonanza of new, thrilling smartphones touting the best and brightest technology. This year proved no different, with more than 21 new smartphones to behold.

More than a few were instant hits, like the Motorola Droid 4, a 4G LTE handset with Verizon, which has a sleek body and a keyboard that's reminiscent of a MacBook in miniature. There's also the Sony Xperia S, which won our admiration for its slick, cutting-edge design and its reality display; and the HTC Titan II, an LTE Windows Phone sequel … Read more

T-Mobile Sparq messaging phone quietly demoed at CES

LAS VEGAS--After the dust settled after a busy CES 2012, I got a chance to visit the T-Mobile Sparq.

Compared with the superphones we saw, the modest Sparq ain't much, but it is an affordable offering for folks looking for a keyboarded messaging phone that doesn't require a two-year contract. Take a look at photos for all the specs.

Cutting the cord...in an iPhone case

LAS VEGAS--One of my favorite parts of CES is getting beyond the shiny new smartphones and tracking down the quirky mobile accessories that hide in far corners of the enormous show floor.

Sadly, I had to wait until the last day of CES to start exploring, so I was very fortunate to bump into the founders of CaseInity at the CNET stage (I guess they figured it was a likely place to find CNET editors lurking about).

Based in Philadelphia, CaseInity is developing a unique and very convenient case for the iPhone 4 and 4S called Cord-on-Board. Beyond just protecting … Read more

SmartDock for Sony Xperia Ion gives an extra jolt

LAS VEGAS--The 4G LTE-equipped Sony Xperia Ion is a nice handset, but what makes it truly powerful is the little known SmartDock accessory.

Aside from the usual role of charging the Ion, it also has several features worth looking at.

For example, like with several other Android smartphone docks out there, an HDMI port mirrors your phone's display on the TV. You can see in our hands-on picture that there's a simple interface for browsing among content and features. Certain TV remotes will also be able to control media playback, presumably through HDMI-CEC.

Perhaps what's most interesting … Read more

Should Siri be jealous of voice recognition competitors?

LAS VEGAS--Looks like Siri was just the beginning.

Okay, even Siri wasn't the beginning. The ability to do voice-command isn't particularly new, but the marquee feature for Apple's iPhone 4S has gotten the masses to recognize and appreciate its benefits. For the first time, voice-command was a feature people talked about and coveted.

At CES, there were better implementations and voice-commands popping up on different devices. Big-name companies got into the mix. Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes Benz, said voice would play a major role in its cars, calling them a driver's "digital companion." … Read more