Smartphone Trends: 4G Calling, Power Processing and More
The buzz surrounding annual technology gala CES 2011 has cooled, but cell phone makers continue to heat up the wires with word about their latest must-have mobile handsets. Promising a raft of new features including casual videoconferencing, blistering broadband speeds and netbook-grade processing power, these are three of the best new handsets.
Atrix 4G (Motorola, $TBD) – Among the world’s brawniest smartphones, this monster features a dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM for heavy lifting, along with 16GB of memory for storing songs, photos and video. Packing 4G download speeds and running on the Android operating system, it can also dock with a laptop for use with a full-size keyboard and screen.
Infuse 4G (Samsung, $TBD) – A high-speed Android 2.2 model, albeit one that packs a thin, high-contrast 4.5 AMOLED (“Super AMOLED Plus,” in video game-influenced marketing speak) touchscreen, nearly bordering on tablet size. Highlights include a beefy 1.2Ghz processor for more effortless app juggling, 8MP camera capable of HD video recording and front-facing 1.3MP camera for impromptu video calls.
Thunderbolt 4G (HTC, $TBD) – A sequel to the Droid Incredible, this Verizon Wireless model crams in a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 8MP camera with dual LED flash and 1080p video recording and, like several other models, a front-facing camera for mobile videoconferencing. A 1.2Ghz dual-core CPU and Android 2.3 (a.k.a. “Gingerbread”) support are also planned.