Based on what's been shown at CES, some things are readily apparent about the state of Android smartphones for 2011. If you're getting a new phone this year, here's what you should expect:
Massive power. A number of the phones at this year's trade show floor featured a pair of 1GHz cores. That's double the processing power of last year's fastest phones, making for some really serious multi-tasking machines. Plus, there should be some handsets packing 1.2 Ghz single-cores this year, as well.
Large displays. Look for smartphones with 3.5-inch displays to be relegated to the mid-range and entry-level markets, with the CES stars measuring in at 4 inches and beyond. Many will finally be getting the same screen resolution as the iPhone 4, as well, apart from sporting premium displays that are a step above your standard LCD.
Thin is in. While 2011's Android phones will likely grow in width and height, they'll shed the dimensions in thickness to compensate. Expect plenty of releases at 10mm thin and under.
More powerful batteries. At least one handset at the CES floor (the Motorola Atrix 4G) had a 1930mAh battery onboard. That's 30% more juice to the current 1,500mAh standard. We expect more smartphones this year to get the same power unit, especially with all those dual-core devices likely to hit the shelves.
