The best cell phones we saw at CES 2024

CES 2024 launched in Las Vegas, bringing us the latest technology and revolutionary innovations. While much of the attention at CES is on next-generation TVs and even new car tech, there’s also a slate of exciting new smartphones this year.

These are some of the best smartphones we’ve ever seen at CES 2024.

Asus ROG 8 Pro phone

Asus is a popular gaming brand that is ringing in the new year with its next-gen gaming smartphone running Android 14.

He Asus ROG 8 Pro phone This is a beast in terms of technical characteristics. It includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. But you can go even further by opting for the high-end version with a whopping 24GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage.

As for the display, it comes with a 6.78-inch Samsung LPTO Flexible AMOLED touchscreen that can reach a refresh rate of 165Hz in some games. As for everything else, the refresh rate ranges from 1Hz to 120Hz. The display also has a 720Hz touch sampling rate and can reach a maximum brightness of up to 2,500 nits. This model has smaller bezels than previous models, and Asus has rated it IP68 for water and dust resistance for the first time.

ROG Phone 8 Pro features a 50MP main camera with Asus 6-axis gimbal, a 13MP wide-angle camera with 120-degree field of view, and a 32MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. On the front, there is a 32MP selfie camera.

The ROG Phone 8 Pro features a massive 5,500mAh battery and an updated cooling system that has just about everything including copper heatsinks, graphite sheets, and even boron nitrate injected into the cavities, meaning you can game for hours without overheating issues. The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro also comes with wireless charging that complements the 65W wired charging capabilities, so you’ll get a full battery in 40 minutes.

All these features make the ROG Phone 8 Pro a powerful phone. But it also has another cool trick: there’s a mini-LED screen on the back of the phone that can display 20 different animations for different scenarios.

There is also a ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition. This version features AeroCool X fan and also has a higher fan speed than previous models, which helps cool your phone more efficiently so you can play more. Also has another An RGB screen, two physical buttons and a forgotten 3.5mm headphone jack.

Asus ROG 8 phone

While Asus really hit its stride with the ROG Phone 8 Pro, it also has the standard ROG Phone 8.

It’s very similar to the Pro version except it doesn’t have the mini LED animation on the back. Instead, it just has a simple RGB display like previous ROG phones, which is still pretty good.

Another difference between the standard ROG Phone 8 and the Pro version is that it only has 256GB of internal storage but comes with 16GB of RAM.

TKL 50 XL 5G

TCL is known for its line of affordable smartphones and tablets. This year at CES 2024 seven new phones announcedbut let’s take a closer look at the TCL 50 XL 5G.

The TCL 50 XL 5G features a massive 6.8-inch 120Hz FHD+ display that also comes with dual speakers and DTS audio. And although it starts with 8GB of RAM, it can be expanded for better performance.

Thanks to the built-in 5010 mAh battery, the TCL 50 XL 5G should last a long time without recharging. This is a good option for those who are always on the go and need a battery-powered phone that can keep up with them. This year it should also become an interesting alternative to Samsung, Google and others.

Phones TCL 50 NxtPaper

TCL also unveiled two new NxtPaper smartphones as part of its huge lineup. TCL is pretty tight-lipped about the specs of the NxtPaper phones, called the TCL 50 XE NxtPaper 5G and TCL 50 XL NxtPaper 5G, so we don’t have much to say. The big problem, however, is that these will be the first NxtPaper phones to hit the US market.

TCL’s NxtPaper technology is impressive in its own right and should offer something different than most other smartphones on the market today. On NxtPaper devices, the screens have a matte finish and even look and feel like paper, hence the name. Because they have a matte finish, the screen is easier to see as there is no glare, especially outside in sunny weather.

Clicks: almost new iPhone

Technically, Clicks is not a new smartphone, but rather keyboard case for your iPhone. But this is one of the most unique accessories we’ve ever seen.

Clicks is a case that fits over your iPhone, similar to the old Mophie Juice Pack case or even the Apple battery case before it was discontinued. It features a Lightning or USB-C port, depending on your iPhone model, and connects directly to the iPhone itself, so no Bluetooth connection is required.

Once Clicks is installed, the virtual keyboard on the iPhone is removed, so it effectively duplicates the screen state. This makes it easier to write while staying immersed in your app and even content creation. The keyboard is even backlit, allowing you to use it in the dark or in low light.

But Clicks isn’t just about adding a physical keyboard to your iPhone. It also unlocks iOS keyboard shortcuts for your iPhone, so you can press CMD+H to quickly return to the Home screen or CMD + Space search. If you’re in Safari, you can scroll through web pages using the spacebar. Keyboard shortcuts aren’t just used in native apps, you can also use Clicks with third-party apps.

Clicks comes in two colors: BumbleBee (yellow) and London Sky (gray). It costs $139 and you can pre-order it now at Clicks.tech. The first deliveries will arrive next month. A Clicks companion app will be available soon in the App Store.

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