Related Articles
It’s hard to believe another year has flown by since the last spring CTIA 2010 show in Las Vegas. Before we head to Orlando for CTIA 2011, it’s time to reminisce about the mobile devices that dominated last year’s lineup.
Sarah Tew/CNET
HTC Evo 4G
Sprint’s HTC Evo 4G took our prize for best phone, and it’s little wonder why. Besides kicking off the 4G phone craze by becoming America’s first 4G phone, the Evo debuted with a large, brilliant 4.3-inch display, the latest Android OS at the time (2.1 Eclair), a speedy, 1 GHz processor, and multimedia goodies like an HDMI-out port and hot spot action for up to eight devices.
We weren’t thrilled with the $10 surcharge to use Sprint’s 4G WiMax data, and since the Evo’s debut, LTE has all but been declared winner of the 4G standard. However, even a year on, the Evo can hold its own among most competitors in the field. Sprint has even introduced a spin-off model, the Evo Shift 4G, an Android 2.2 Froyo device with a comfortable keyboard.
Samsung’s Galaxy S was brimming with the promise of an exceptional Super AMOLED display, an integrated social experience through the Social Hub, and fast, premium hardware. The only problem was, we weren’t sure when this runner-up for favorite phone would arrive in the U.S., and in which guise. It turns out there was a Samsung Galaxy phone for every major U.S. carrier, and for some of the more minor players as time ticked on.
Our biggest complaint is the body, which generally feels plasticky and slick. In addition, several models lack a camera flash. Over the year, updates to the Android operating system have lagged, a source of frustration on everyone’s part.
Sprint’s Epic 4Gwas CNET’s favorite phone in the original series. Although the Galaxy name is being splashed on all sorts of handsets, even some less premium models, Samsung is still getting a lot of leverage out of the brand–T-Mobile’s Galaxy S 4G tops our current Galaxy chart.
BlueAnt T1
The BlueAnt T1 was our favorite accessory from last year’s show, and indeed, it was as durable and wind-resistant as promised. In our review, we even called it BlueAnt’s best headset to date–and at the time, it was. Yet since then, we’ve handed that honor to the BlueAnt Q2, which has far more features and a much less bulky frame.
What will this year hold?
This year’s show promises faster, bigger phones, plus tablets, and even more great accessories. Here’s what we think we’ll see at CTIA 2011.
