--- description: Breaking news and analysis from time.com. Politics, world news, photos, video, tech reviews, health, science, and entertainment news. title: The Best Smartphones of CES 2012 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt14aee23627b95748/6998bd0366d4e3bedecbb6cf/lumia9002.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) # The Coolest Smartphones at the Consumer Electronics Show by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jan 13, 2012 9:55 AM CUT  Jared Newman / TIME by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jan 13, 2012 9:55 AM CUT ## Nokia Lumia 900 
Literally the biggest result so far from Nokia's partnership with Microsoft, the Lumia 900 is a Windows Phone with a 4.3-inch display and support for AT&T's 4G LTE network. What sets it apart, however, is its premium design from a single block of polycarbonate, giving the phone a smooth, weighty finish. No word yet on price or release date.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## Motorola Droid Razr MAXX 
Battery life is rarely a smartphone's most significant feature, but it's the Droid Razr MAXX's entire reason for existence. The phone, due to launch on Verizon Wireless for $300, gets 21 hours of talk time on a single charge in exchange for a slightly thicker profile than the original Droid Razr. That's a refreshing change from high-powered smartphones that can't make it through the day.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## HTC Titan II 
Like the original Titan, HTC's Titan II runs Windows Phone 7.5 and has a 4.7-inch display. AT&T might have you think that 4G LTE is the big addition, but what really makes the Titan II interesting is its 16-megapixel camera, with an f/2.6 lens, dual LED flash and a backside illuminated sensor. It's a gargantuan phone, but think of all the room you'll save in your pocket by leaving the point and shoot at home.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## Samsung Galaxy Note 
Samsung's not the first company to sell a phone with a 5-inch display — that honor goes to the discontinued Dell Streak 5 — but with a gorgeous 720p Super AMOLED display, a built-in stylus and a very smooth take on Android 2.3, Samsung may be the first one to get it right. The Galaxy Note is a niche product, for sure, but it's going to make giant screen-seekers very happy when it launches on AT&T. Price and release date are still unannounced.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## Huawei Ascend P1 S 
Huawei is the latest contender for the "world's thinnest smartphone" crown with the 0.26-inch thick P1 S. This phone feels great in the hands, and the demo unit on display ran Android Ice Cream Sandwich. The bad news? No U.S. carriers have announced plans to sell the phone, and this phone's lack of 4G LTE support means they probably never will (Huawei has built a slightly thicker 4G LTE version). This may be the most beautiful Android phone you'll never use.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## Sony Xperia Ion 
Sony's Xperia Ion is supposed to be all about HD. Its 4.6-inch display has a resolution of 1280-by-720, its 12-megapixel camera captures 1080p video, and when cradled in an HDMI charging dock, it outputs 1080p video and uses a special interface for selecting content. Despite its gargantuan display, the Xperia Ion actually feels good in the hand, too. It's launching on AT&T's 4G LTE network in the second quarter, but no word on price yet.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## Fujitsu Quad-Core Phone 
Fujitsu's phone doesn't have a name, but it does pack a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, which allowed it to power video games with pretty graphics on a big screen. The phone also has a 13.1-megapixel camera and LTE support, and it's both waterproof and dust proof. It was kept under glass at CES, but it'll launch this summer in Japan. Launch plans for the United States are unknown.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## Intel's Android Design 
Intel's reference design for Android phones won't become an actual product, but it will inspire companies like Lenovo and Motorola, who are making phones with Intel Atom-based processors inside. It's not clear yet what Intel-powered phones will accomplish that phones powered by Nvidia, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments do not, but at least we can hope the added competition will result in lower prices and better products.



(MORE: Check out Techland's coverage from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show) jarednewman ## LG Viper 
I didn't get to see LG's Viper up close, but I'm intrigued simply because it packs a dual-core processor and 4G LTE into a device with a 4-inch screen. At a time when most vendors are making their screens bigger, it's nice to see LG give some love to smaller hands.



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