They say that time flies when you're having fun. Probably that's why it's so hard to believe that CES 2014 is almost over. Needless to say, it was an event totally worth attending, even though that meant spending hours running back and forth from one booth to another. We had the privilege to be among the first few to personally experience the newest in consumer electronics, and what's even better, we had the chance to take a truckload of new smartphones and tablets for a spin. Some of these weren't really all that impressive, yet others did manage to stand out. You'll find the latter group in the slideshow below – our favorite smartphones and tablets from CES 2014!
Best smartphones and tablets of CES 2014
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Samsung Galaxy NotePRO
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You can't go wrong with a tablet that has "PRO" in its name. And sure enough, Samsung's new Galaxy TabPRO Android slates have quite a lot to offer in terms of hardware specifications and software features.
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 12.2 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 10.1 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 8.4 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 12.2 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 10.1 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 8.4 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO series
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Finally, someone managed to come up with a high-end Android smartphone that's actually compact. That's the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact we're talking about, equipped with its snappy processor and capable camera. And it is resistant to liquid damage, which is a trait that few other phones can brag with. All of these features place the Xperia Z1 Compact among the best phones we had the chance to play with at CES 2014.
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact hands-on
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact hands-on
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
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So, it turned out that the Sony Xperia Z1S wasn't exactly what we expected it to be, but that doesn't make it any less awesome of a smartphone. Later this month, anyone in the US eager to get their hands on Sony's flagship will be able to do so via T-Mobile.
Sony Xperia Z1S hands-on
Sony Xperia Z1S hands-on
Sony Xperia Z1S
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We were genuinely surprised when Asus announced its new ZenFone series at CES, especially when we heard how cheap the phones were going to be. At only $99, $149, and $199 respectively, the Asus ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, and ZenFone 6 are could give the company's market share a welcome boost.
Asus ZenFone 6 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 5 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 4 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 6 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 5 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 4 hands-on
Asus ZenFone series
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Is it a phone or is it a tablet? Well, the Asus PadFone X is actually an amalgamation of both, but if you're familiar with the PadFone concept then you should probably know that already. The Asus PadFone X will be available soon in the US via AT&T. Pricing has not been disclosed, but opting for a PadFone should be a better deal than buying an identical Android phone and a tablet separately.
Asus PadFone X hands-on
Asus PadFone X hands-on
Asus PadFone X
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At CES we had the chance to take the OneTouch Idol X+ for a spin. And overall, it wasn't a bad phone at all. It is shaping up as a device that will deliver specs typical for a high-end device, but at a price that will appeal to a a broader range of buyers.
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ hands-on
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ hands-on
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+
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Here's one more noteworthy offering coming from the Far East – the ZTE Nubia Z5s. Unlike most of the ZTE phones we get to play with, this one has some top-notch hardware to draw buyers' attention with. Too bad that it is only available in China, at least for now.
ZTE Nubia Z5s hands-on
ZTE Nubia Z5s hands-on
ZTE Nubia Z5s
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The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 is a mid-range offering that belongs to the phablet category of smartphones. Among its stand-out features is the huge, 4050mAh battery that can push through 12 hours of video playback on a single charge.
Huawei Ascend Mate 2 hands-on
Huawei Ascend Mate 2 hands-on
Huawei Ascend Mate 2
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A high-end tablet the Acer Iconia B1 is not, but it does have what it takes to draw one's attention. That is its low price of just $150, which is actually pretty good given the tablet's hardware specifications. It has a 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 16GB of storage, and a pair of cameras for selfies and casual photos. All of that is packed inside an aluminum body that feels quite nice to the touch.
Acer Iconia A1 hands-on
Acer Iconia A1 hands-on
Acer Iconia A1
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What makes the Asus Transformer Book Duet so awesome is its ability to run both Android and Windows, and switching back and forth between the two systems is as simple as tapping a button. Its price? Just $599 for the base model – definitely not bad for a dual-OS tablet/notebook convertible.
Asus Transformer Book Duet
Best smartphones and tablets of CES 2014
Samsung's beast of a tablet known as the Galaxy NotePRO is built from the ground up with productivity and multitasking in mind. In fact, there is probably no other Android tablet that can give you as much freedom and flexibility in these two aspects than Samsung's 12-incher. And you get an S-Pen stylus as well, hence the name. Sure, the NotePRO is relatively large and heavy, but that's hardly surprise given the sheer size of the device's screen.
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO hands-on
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO hands-on
Best smartphones and tablets of CES 2014
1. Samsung Galaxy NotePRO
Samsung's beast of a tablet known as the Galaxy NotePRO is built from the ground up with productivity and multitasking in mind. In fact, there is probably no other Android tablet that can give you as much freedom and flexibility in these two aspects than Samsung's 12-incher. And you get an S-Pen stylus as well, hence the name. Sure, the NotePRO is relatively large and heavy, but that's hardly surprise given the sheer size of the device's screen.
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO hands-on
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO hands-on
2. Samsung Galaxy TabPRO series
You can't go wrong with a tablet that has "PRO" in its name. And sure enough, Samsung's new Galaxy TabPRO Android slates have quite a lot to offer in terms of hardware specifications and software features.
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 12.2 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 10.1 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 8.4 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 12.2 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 10.1 hands-on
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 8.4 hands-on
3. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Finally, someone managed to come up with a high-end Android smartphone that's actually compact. That's the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact we're talking about, equipped with its snappy processor and capable camera. And it is resistant to liquid damage, which is a trait that few other phones can brag with. All of these features place the Xperia Z1 Compact among the best phones we had the chance to play with at CES 2014.
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact hands-on
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact hands-on
4. Sony Xperia Z1S
So, it turned out that the Sony Xperia Z1S wasn't exactly what we expected it to be, but that doesn't make it any less awesome of a smartphone. Later this month, anyone in the US eager to get their hands on Sony's flagship will be able to do so via T-Mobile.
Sony Xperia Z1S hands-on
Sony Xperia Z1S hands-on
5. Asus ZenFone series
We were genuinely surprised when Asus announced its new ZenFone series at CES, especially when we heard how cheap the phones were going to be. At only $99, $149, and $199 respectively, the Asus ZenFone 4, ZenFone 5, and ZenFone 6 are could give the company's market share a welcome boost.
Asus ZenFone 6 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 5 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 4 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 6 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 5 hands-on
Asus ZenFone 4 hands-on
6. Asus PadFone X
Is it a phone or is it a tablet? Well, the Asus PadFone X is actually an amalgamation of both, but if you're familiar with the PadFone concept then you should probably know that already. The Asus PadFone X will be available soon in the US via AT&T. Pricing has not been disclosed, but opting for a PadFone should be a better deal than buying an identical Android phone and a tablet separately.
Asus PadFone X hands-on
Asus PadFone X hands-on
7. Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+
At CES we had the chance to take the OneTouch Idol X+ for a spin. And overall, it wasn't a bad phone at all. It is shaping up as a device that will deliver specs typical for a high-end device, but at a price that will appeal to a a broader range of buyers.
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ hands-on
Alcatel OneTouch Idol X+ hands-on
8. ZTE Nubia Z5s
Here's one more noteworthy offering coming from the Far East – the ZTE Nubia Z5s. Unlike most of the ZTE phones we get to play with, this one has some top-notch hardware to draw buyers' attention with. Too bad that it is only available in China, at least for now.
ZTE Nubia Z5s hands-on
ZTE Nubia Z5s hands-on
9. Huawei Ascend Mate 2
The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 is a mid-range offering that belongs to the phablet category of smartphones. Among its stand-out features is the huge, 4050mAh battery that can push through 12 hours of video playback on a single charge.
Huawei Ascend Mate 2 hands-on
Huawei Ascend Mate 2 hands-on
10. Acer Iconia A1
A high-end tablet the Acer Iconia B1 is not, but it does have what it takes to draw one's attention. That is its low price of just $150, which is actually pretty good given the tablet's hardware specifications. It has a 7.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, 16GB of storage, and a pair of cameras for selfies and casual photos. All of that is packed inside an aluminum body that feels quite nice to the touch.
Acer Iconia A1 hands-on
Acer Iconia A1 hands-on
11. Asus Transformer Book Duet
What makes the Asus Transformer Book Duet so awesome is its ability to run both Android and Windows, and switching back and forth between the two systems is as simple as tapping a button. Its price? Just $599 for the base model – definitely not bad for a dual-OS tablet/notebook convertible.
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO hands-on