The smartphones of CES 2014 (pictures)

From budget feature phones to high-end smartphones, and everything in between, there are plenty of mobile devices to see this year at CES.

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Sarah Mitroff is a Managing Editor for CNET, overseeing our health, fitness and wellness section. Throughout her career, she's written about mobile tech, consumer tech, business and startups for Wired, MacWorld, PCWorld, and VentureBeat.

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Jan. 5, 2014 7:14 p.m. PT

1 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET

The smartphones of CES 2014 (pictures)

LAS VEGAS -- Amid the wearable devices, TVs, and laptop hybrids, smartphones still have a strong presence at CES. We've already seen several devices debut ahead of and at the show, and we're expecting many more to pop up before it's all over. We're rounding up all of the phones, both smart and not, here so you can see what we're seeing at CES 2014. Check back often for new devices as they're announced.

2 of 22 Josh Miller/CNET

LG G Flex (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile)

LG announced during a press conference that its 6-inch phablet with the arched display, the LG G Flex, is coming to not just one, but three carriers: AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Verizon may have a different trick up its sleeve. Big Red tends to hold off on some major devices in favor of introducing its own variations a little farther down the line. Carriers will announce pricing and availability on their own; for now, they're keeping mum.

3 of 22 Brian Bennett/CNET

Sony Xperia Z1S (T-Mobile)

Here comes another waterproof phone from Sony. The flagship Xperia Z1S was unveiled at CES and goes on sale only at T-Mobile on January 13. This model is slightly more waterproof than the earlier Xperia Z1, meaning it can withstand 30 minutes underwater instead of just 15. It's thin and trim like other Xperias, and packs an impressive amount of power, thanks to a Snapdragon 800 2.2 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 3,000mAh battery, and 20.7-megapixel camera.

4 of 22 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

Sony is downsizing its earlier flagship Xperia Z1 smartphone with the Xperia Z1 Compact. Like it's big brother, the Sony Xperica Z1 Compact is waterproof, so it can withstand a drop in the sink. It's packing nearly all of the same specs as the larger Xperia, including a 20.7-megapixel camera and a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, but this model is much easier to fit in your pockets.

5 of 22 Lynn La/CNET

Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G

Updating its 6.1-inch smartphone from last year, the Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G adds 4G LTE support and a zippy quad-core Qualcomm processor. Add on a 13-megapixel camera and a unique custom interface, and you have the beginnings of a compelling high-end phablet.

6 of 22 Brian Bennett/CNET

Acer Liquid Z5

Acer's Liquid Z5 is an off-contract phone that's only available in Europe and Asia for 169 euros. For that price you get a large 5-inch screen, Android Jelly Bean, and DTS sound packed into a solid unibody design. It's not a particularly powerful phone, with its 1.3GHz dual-core Mediatek processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal storage, but Acer said it's optimized its software to work smoothly with the internal hardware.

7 of 22 Asus

Asus PadFone X (AT&T)

AT&T once again corners an interesting exclusive, this time in the form of the Asus PadFone X, Asus' first carrier-branded PadFone. With it, you get a high-end 5-inch smartphone that slides into a tablet to power that slate using the phone's quad-core processor. It's slick, and it'll be coming to your friendly neighborhood conglomerate.

8 of 22 Asus

Asus PadFone Mini

Just as AT&T announced that it will stock the smartphone-tablet hybrid PadFone X, Asus revealed another device that does basically the exact same thing. The 4-inch PadFone Mini is smaller than the PadFone X, but still combines a tablet with a smartphone. The phone slips into 7-inch touchscreen casing, which transforms the phone into a tablet. There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but its possible it will follow the PadFone X to the US.

9 of 22 Asus

Asus ZenFones

Asus went colorful and bold with its next smartphone line. The company's new ZenFones come in three different sizes (with 4-, 5-, and 6-inch displays), and a wide array of colors, including candy-colored pastels and deeper gold and red. All three handsets launch with Asus' Zen user interface and Android 4.3.

10 of 22 Sarah Tew/CNET

Alcatel One Touch Idol X+

This eight-core monster has high-end specs in addition to its octa-core processor from MediaTek. Check out hands-on photos and videos of the Alcatel One Touch Idol X+.

11 of 22 Sarah Tew/CNET

Alcatel One Touch Pop C9

No basic black here! A rainbow of choices makes the colorful Alcatel One Touch Pop C9 phones stand out among the crowd. Intended for Asian and South American markets, this midrange phablet balances features with price. Translation: screen resolution and onboard memory take a step back, but the handset will cost at least half of its rivals' price.

12 of 22 Sarah Tew/CNET

Gold-colored Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha

A subtle champagne hue coats this new SKU of the Alcatel One Touch Idol Alpha, a phone that's already on sale in the wild. CES, however, marked the gold phone's debut.

13 of 22 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Lenovo Vibe Z

Branching beyond its laptop and tablet business, Lenovo is launching several smartphones at CES. The company's flagship is the Vibe Z, a supersized device running Android 4.3.

The Vibe Z has a 5.5-inch screen, with a 1080p HD IPS display at 400 pixels per inch. There's a 13-megapixel camera on the back and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, both of which promise sharp, well-lit photos. Performance-wise, it's on par with other smartphones of its size, with a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage.

Lenovo S930

At 6 inches, the Lenovo S930 is bigger than the Vibe Z, but not necessarily better. Despite its large size, its screen resolution isn't quite as sharp as other phablets, coming in at 1,280x720 pixels.

The S930 is running Android 4.2, has a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek CPU, and sports an 8-megapixel main camera. There's a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera as well, additional camera software for applying photo effects, and a dual SIM card slot.

15 of 22 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Lenovo S650

Lenovo's S650 (left) is a smaller, stepped-down relative of the Vibe Z smartphone. It's Lenovo's smallest phone at CES, measuring 4.7 inches diagonally. The company has yet to reveal pricing or availability details, but it's supposed to be the budget pick from Lenovo's lineup.

The S650 has a 960x540-pixel resolution 4.7-inch screen, and it's running Android 4.2. Like the Lenovo S930, it has an 8-megapixel camera and 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, and a dual SIM card slot.

Lenovo A859

Lenovo's next phone is the A859, a midrange Android 4.2 device that doesn't wow with its specs.

The A859 has a 5-inch LCD IPS screen with a 1,280x720-pixel resolution, which is much lower than than other phones of this size. Just like Lenovo's other smartphone offerings (save for the Vibe Z), this model has an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3Ghz quad-core MediaTek processor, and a microSD card slot. No word yet on price or availability, but a lack of LTE support could indicate that this phone is not meant for the US.

Read CNET's first take of the Lenovo A859.

17 of 22 James Martin/CNET

ZTE Grand S II

ZTE is debuting five new smartphones at CES 2014, including a follow-up to its flagship from CES 2013, the ZTE Grand S. This year's model, the Grand S II (above) has a 5.5-inch full-HD, 1080p display, a top-of-the-line 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and runs on Android 4.3.

In addition to its impressive specs, the Grand S II also has several special features up its sleeve, including the ability to unlock the phone with your voice and a mode for when you're wearing gloves.

Read more about ZTE's smartphones from CES 2014 and stay tuned for more details.

18 of 22 Lynn La/CNET

ZTE Nubia 5S and 5S mini

ZTE is following up its Nubia 5 with two new phones, the Zubia 5S and 5S Mini. Both phones are similar spec-wise, with quad-core processors and 5-megapixel front-facing cameras, but there are a few minor differences. Despite its mini moniker, the 5S Mini, with its 4.7-inch screen, is just barely smaller than the full-sized 5S, which sports a 5-inch display.

19 of 22 Lynn La/CNET

ZTE Sonata

Aio Wireless, AT&T's prepaid arm, is getting a new phone at CES, ZTE Sonata. At just 4 inches, it's on the smaller side of phones these days, but its 720p HD screen looks sharp at its size. Don't expect to be wowed by anything else on this phone though, as it doesn't have LTE, it's running Android 4.1, and has a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor. No word yet on pricing, but it'll need to be low to entice buyers.

20 of 22 Lynn La/CNET

ZTE Iconic phablet

There's no end in sight for phablets. ZTE launched a new on at CES this year, the 5.7-inch ZTE Iconic Phablet. It's a mid-range device made a little more interesting by its aluminum back cover. However, its 720p HD resolution display is lower than top-tier phablets on the market with 1080p screens, and running Android 4.1 isn't doing the phone any favors.

21 of 22 Archos

Archos 45 Helium 4G

Archos is giving us two new phones at CES, the Archos 45 Helium 4G and 50 Helium 4G. What's notable here is that these two phones are the first LTE-enabled devices Archos has built.

Both run Android 4.3, but are slated to get 4.4 soon. Additionally, both devices have a 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor and an Adreno 305 GPU, and both come with 1GB RAM.

There are some differences, as the higher-end Archos 50 Helium has a larger 5-inch 720p HD LCD display, an 8-megapixel camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It also comes with a higher price tag than the 45 Helium, at $250 off-contract.

The entry-level Archos 45 Helium 4G is a smaller, 4.5-inch device with a 854x480 FWVGA resolution. It's got a 5-megapixel main camera, a VGA front-facing camera, and a smaller 1,700mAh battery. For those specs, you'll pay $200.

22 of 22 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Cat B100

Hailing from the same company that makes heavy-duty construction equipment, the Cat B100 is a simple tough-as-nails phone that can stand up to dirt, water, and dust. It sports a thick rubberized casing, metal accents, port flaps, and heavy screws securing the back panel in place -- features that help it stand up to the elements. It can survive a 6-foot drop and will stay alive while submerged underwater for up to 30 minutes.

It's got a 2.2-inch QVGA 240x320-pixel display, a 3-megapixel camera, and 128MB of storage. This feature phone has an FM radio, assisted GPS, and Bluetooth 2.0.