Starting all the way back in December of 2008, Acer let it be known that it was working on a self-branded smartphone. Then, this past June, Acer up and joined the Open Handset Alliance and said that it would release its first Android device by Q4 of 2009. Well what do you know. Q4 is here and Acer has actually put its money where its mouth was with the announcement of its first Android-based, Snapdragon-powered smartphone, Liquid.
Acer is touting its new Liquid mobile (previously known as the A1) as “the world’s first Snapdragon and Android 1.6 smartphone” and who are we to disagree. Along with its powerful 1Ghz Snapdragon mobile processor and Android 1.6, the Liquid features a “high definition” 800×480 wide VGA capacitive touch screen display and comes in either red, white, or black. According to Acer:
[The Liquid] is the ideal solution for users demanding the best from their devices, and in particular outstanding multimedia, web browsing, social media integration and video streaming. It also brings smartphone product design forward with its unique and modern style.
This platform brings to market unique benefits for the end users and paves the way for a new wave of innovations from the developer community:
* With its High Definition capacitive touch screen (Wide VGA), Acer Liquid offers today an unparalleled experience when watching pictures or videos. But it also holds a promise for the future: the promise of an abundance of new applications on Android™ Smart Handhelds – games, professional applications and web applets that will enrich the end user experience. Now developers can be assured that their investment will build upon a standard resolution for the years to come;
* Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor, Acer Liquid provides instant access to web pages, smooth streaming of videos or music , and instant response from popular mail, maps and search applications. The high-speed processing capability and high-speed internet access (HSPA) of Snapdragon™ brings to life the Android™ experience: no idle-time, almost instant uploads of web pages and downloads of rich multimedia contents. The developer community can now take full advantage of these capabilities to bring to market innovative applications that demand raw computing power and superior handling of 3D graphics.
The Liquid also includes HSPA connectivity, a 5MP camera with auto-focus, geo-tagging, ISO and a self-timer, and “a slim body shape…that fits well in the hand, and displays a smooth finish.” Oh, and we cannot forget the Liquid’s “unique software enhancements” including:
* Improved power management to help achieve longer battery autonomy for intense users;
* A new user interface with easy access to entertainment and web bookmarks;
* An optimized camera with geo-tagging, ISO, self-timer options and accelerated auto-focus performance;
* Exclusive Spinlets™ application providing free streaming of worldwide music and video, that can be shared with friends and family through web-posting or e-mail;
* Smart integration of Facebook™, Twitter™, Youtube™, Picasa™ and Flickr™ in the address book, with realtime notification of status or content updates.
Acer conveniently left out all the juicy pricing and availability details. But hey, they said they’d drop a ‘droid in Q4, and gosh darn it…they meant it!
[via IntoMobile]