CES 2011 Wrap Up: Android Stole the Show

By Brandon Miniman | January 9, 2011 9:37 AM

We wanted to wrap up our CES coverage (which we hope you’ve enjoyed) by linking you to all of our hands on coverage and hot stories from CES. We also wanted to show you a tour of Microsoft’s mobile booth, shown below. But first, some general thoughts about the show.

This year, the show was all about Android. We ushered in the era of dual-core Androids with LG and Motorola, we celebrated the 4G revolution with LG, Motorola, and Samsung, and we even got a glimpse at how Android works when screen resolution is bumped beyond the all-too-common WVGA, thanks to Motorola. Oh, and a little thing called Android 3.0 Honeycomb is going to transform the way we think about not only tablets, but smartphones too.

All other camps were silent: nothing new from RIM in smartphones (though they were showing off the PlayBook in earnest), nothing new from HP regarding WebOS (though they have an event planned just next month), naturally nothing came from Apple (which skips CES each year), and finally, Microsoft rested on its laurels, showing off the Windows Phone 7 launch devices but nothing more.

I think the biggest missed opportunity was from Microsoft. They don’t usually use CES as a launching ground for new mobile products, so we’re likely to hear more from them at Mobile World Congress in February and CTIA in March. But in the shadow of Android, Windows Phone 7 is looking at lot less interesting these past few days than it did back in October when Ballmer announced the launch devices. Microsoft should have used CES as a vehicle to launch either a great new product (like the HTC 7 Pro), or announce concrete plans for the Windows Phone 7 software updates. We know that there’s an update coming soon, and then a bigger update coming later, but the Windows Phone community would very much enjoy knowing more specifically what is coming and when. But alas, there was nothing from Microsoft. Android stole the show and all of the headlines. Below is a video of the Windows Phone stand.

And, in case you missed the big headlines, here are the top smartphones stories to come from CES 2011. Don’t forget that you can see our CES coverage in its entirety from this page.

Editorial: AT&T Disappointed Me While in Vegas

HTC Showing Off AT&T LTE-Capable Android Prototype

11 Xbox Live Titles For WP7 Announced At CES 2011

Qualcomm 1.2GHz Snapdragon And LTE Chips Ready For Verizon

Windows Home Server App For Windows Phone 7 Revealed

Microsoft Says Sprint and Verizon Getting WP7 Before July

Samsung Calling Its 4G LTE Verizon Smartphone “Samsung Verdict”?

Matias Duarte Gives Glimpse of Android Honeycomb on Phones

Sling, Verizon Unveil LTE Placeshifting Bundle with Monthly Fee

T-Mobile HSPA+ Upgrading to 42Mbps, Real-World 25Mbps Speeds