Top 5 phones and tablets to look forward to at CES 2013

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off in Las Vegas on 8 January. And as ever the world’s biggest tech players will be touting stacks of new kit to get gadget fans salivating. 2013’s show will doubtless see a string of new phones and tablets leading the way. Here are the devices that we can’t wait to see once Christmas is over and the real fun begins.

1. Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung’s ‘something new’ teaser trailer has had the tech world chattering about just what the South Korean giant could have lined up for CES. The Galaxy S4 seems the most likely contender and would most assuredly garner the most attention of any gadget on show in Las Vegas and ensure it had a huge, hyped up start ahead of its key rivals.

The device is rumoured to rock a huge five-inch screen, with an even faster processor than the S3 and improved camera. Expect to read plenty more about it as January 8th approaches.

2. Asus Windows 8 tablets

Asus has a penchant for going large at CES, it’s press conferences legendary for their geed up presentation and the performance of CEO Jerry Shen.

While we’re hoping for a stack of concept craziness (its Waveface tech at CES 2010 was truly bizarre), we’re expecting a slew of Windows 8 tablets. The Taiwanese tech titan has already sent out a teaser called ‘In search of incredible’, with an 8 being the focus of the mailout’s design.

There should be tablets running on both the Windows RT and the full-scale Windows 8 versions, the latter set to be a game changer for Asus and Microsoft in 2013.

3. ZTE Grand S

The Chinese mobile maker has already said it’ll be unveiling a new flagship effort at CES, which was named ahead of announcement in the show’s official website last week.

The ZTE Grand S packs a Galaxy S4-matching five-inch display and is set to be the thinnest in its class. The CES posting even claims it features ‘traditional Chinese style’. Whether this is specious PR guff or means the device will be made of hand-painted ancient porcelain remains to be seen. We’re willing to bet it’s the former.

4 Samsung Galaxy Tab update

While Sammy’s ‘something new’ will almost certainly be the Galaxy S4, the Koreans will not be shy about showing off other new kit in Vegas. An update to its Galaxy Tab range is long overdue, especially as challengers from Amazon and Google have eaten into its tablet market share.

Samsung was Apple’s leading rival in this field for a while and it’ll want to reassert itself quickly in 2013 with a high-end device that’s able to compete the latest generation iPad. Expect a Retina Display-beating panel, super slim design and Android Jelly Bean.

5. HTC M7

This Samsung Galaxy Note-baiter could show up at either CES or Mobile World Congress, but our money’s on a Vegas debut. The 1080p full HD device will be aimed at getting HTC back on its feet after an annus horribilis in 2012. There’ll be a unibody design and Android Jelly Bean, but the question is whether it’ll be able to handle Google’s software updates regularly. If not, HTC could be finished as a force in the smartphone sector.