The Most Wanted Smartphones of 2011
Technology never stands still, something twice as true for the mobile world. Smartphones, especially, are expected to see performance increases greater than any previous year as well as new features that rival even science fiction. To put this into perspective, it’s generally accepted that processing power doubles every one and a half to two years. In terms of raw processing power, this year’s smartphones will be more than twice as fast as last’s. But enough techno babble; let’s get straight to the phones.
The Optimus 2X is actually available in select markets already, expected to make its way to European and U.S. markets soon. It is the very first dual-core Smartphone, running NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor (a processor many Smartphones will be using this year). With its 4-inch display, 8MP camera with 1080p video recording, super slim design, and built on the Android platform, the Optimus 2X will be a very popular device.
Another first from LG: a Smartphone with a glasses-free Stereoscopic 3D Display. Like the Optimus 2X, it too has a dual-core processor, though TI’s OMAP4 rather than Tegra 2. Its display is slightly larger as well, at 4.3-inches. Included is an 8MP camera (capable of 1080p 2D and 720p 3D recording), DLNA and HDMI, and of course Android OS. It should hit European and possibly U.S. markets before the second half of the year, and for those who enjoy 3D content, it’s sure to be a success.
The Atrix 4G is an Android phone coming to AT&T in the next month or two. The phone itself is a fairly standard high-end device, with the usual dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 5MP camera, and 4-inch high res display. What makes it interesting are the accessories, specifically a netbook docking station, giving you a full-size keyboard, USB ports for a mouse, and 11.6-inch screen. The Atrix 4G is sure to be the phone of the year, as long as people are willing to overlook the price. The phone alone will be around $199 on contract, but the phone and laptop dock will be $499 with 2-year contract, pretty steep considering the dock is nothing more than a keyboard, battery, and screen (everything runs from the phone).
The Droid Bionic is basically the Verizon version of AT&T’s Atrix 4G. In fact, it has essentially all of the same hardware. The downside is that it doesn’t have any of the fancy accessories you’ll find for the Atrix, like the laptop dock. Still, it’s a very powerful and capable device for Verizon’s new LTE 4G network.
HTSpeaking of Verizon’s LTE 4G network, the HTC Thunderbolt will actually be the first Smartphone available to utilize it. It has a 4.3-inch display, 8MP 720p video camera, and Wifi Tethering to share that 4G connection, and it should be available this month. Sadly, it is not a dual-core device, so it will have a tough time competing with some of the phones coming out later this year.
The Xperia Play doesn’t have a fancy new dual-core processor; it basically has the same hardware as last year’s phones. It’s still an extremely anticipated device, however, due to its unique slide-out gaming pad paired with the strong Android Marketplace. While it didn’t get the “Playstation Phone” title everyone was expecting, that’s pretty much what it is.
With all of the Android releases expected this year, it’s no surprise the Apple is keeping its head down. Only bits and pieces are known about the upcoming iPhone 5, but it’s rumored that it will feature a 4-inch display (stepping up from the 3.5 inches of all previous generations), and dual-core A5 processor. Further rumor suggests that it will be launching for both AT&T and Verizon on D-Day, aka June 6th. Hopefully it can live up to expectations.
