Acer neoTouch disadvantages

Introduction

It must be sweet October for Microsoft, with the launch of WinMo 6.5 on the 6th followed by the desktop Windows 7 on the 22nd. Acer are quick to sneak into the spotlight and make the most of the primetime coverage. Their neoTouch is leading a small PocketPC fleet, all powered by 6.5.
But it's the flagship of course to focus all the attention and the neoTouch should be conscious of its task. If you want it all you need to be prepared to take it - all the glory and all the enemy fire. The neoTouch is riding on the wings of a dragon but entering a territory long claimed by others.
The Acer neoTouch is not just the next in the growing line of Windows Mobile 6.5 handsets. It's the top device of a company that's determined to enter the mobile phone game with a bang. The 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU is a great way to start and the other ingredients look quite on par: complete connectivity options, spacious high-res screen and something becoming fairly typical for smartphones these days - a 5 megapixel snapper.
Today Windows Mobile is all about handset manufacturers customizing the OS with their own proprietary interface, such as the popular TouchFLO by HTC, Samsung's TouchWiz and the LG S-Class. Acer have given the neoTouch their own homescreen, brand new Phonebook and Organizer app (called Agenda), along with a neat Preferences menu and Communication manager.
But first, let's go over what the Acer neoTouch does and doesn't do. PocketPC spec sheets are quite a reading but potential deal breakers won't be overlooked either.

Key features:


·    3.8" 65K-color resistive TFT touchscreen, WVGA 480 x 800 pixels


·    Windows Mobile 6.5 with Acer Homescreen, Contacts, Agenda and Gallery


·    Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM (300MB user available)


·    5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geotagging, image stabilizer


·    VGA video recording @ 30fps


·    Quad-band GSM support


·    Tri-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76 Mbps) support


·    Wi-Fi with DLNA technology


·    Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality


·    microSD card slot (up to 32GB)


·    FM radio with RDS


·    Bluetooth and USB v2.0


·    3.5mm standard audio jack, TV-out functionality


·    Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off


·    Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation


·    Smart dial


·    Office document editor (but no PDF viewer)


·    Full Flash support in the web browser (IE)


·    Top-notch audio output quality

Main disadvantages:

·    Not enough user interface customization


·    No camera lens cover


·    Poor photo and video quality


·  microSD slot is under the back cover


·    No DivX/XviD video support out-of-the-box


·    No navigation software, even Google Maps is not preinstalled


·    No active stylus


·    High-gloss body panels are a fingerprint magnet


·    Poor ringing volume

The neoTouch is the first Snapdragon device we're reviewing but the bigger debut is Acer themselves. Since February 2009 - when they made headlines at the Barcelona WMC - Acer have released 4 handsets all in all that have no corresponding entry in the Eten glofish lineup. (It was the acquisition of Eten that put Acer on the mobile phone map.) And we're looking at one of them making a strong claim to challenge the big ones in the PocketPC game.

The Acer credentials as leading laptop manufacturer will have the neoTouch - and the phones to follow - held to a rather high standard. We're dealing with a debut but it looks bold enough at least on paper. And we won't mind another keen compatriot rivalry along the lines of Samsung and LG. Of course, HTC are well ahead at this point but Acer look like they should be taken seriously.
But much like every other Windows Mobile smartphone out there, the Acer neoTouch has it strong and weak points. You can be sure we will explore both of them, on the pages to follow.

Acer Liquid disadvantages

Introduction

The Android meter is ticking. Acer want a piece of the pie. We all add two and two together. Yesterday, Acer didn't know the first thing about phones (if you can say that for a household name in notebooks), today they're betting on two horses in the mobile OS race. After their neoTouch running on Windows Mobile 6.5, Acer decided to dip their toe into another kind of water - the free and open source world of Android. This time attention goes to the Liquid - the company's second Snapdragon powered device.

We have to admit we weren't as impressed as we wished by the neoTouch and its almost naked Windows Mobile OS. It was less the price and more the really strong competition that drew our attention away from it.

We're certain it's not how Acer planned it to be and their answer was immediate - the sexy Liquid powered by Android 1.6. Just like the neoTouch, a Snapdragon core is ticking inside the Liquid and does all it can to run the OS flawlessly despite the slightly lower clock rates.

Key features


. quad-band gsm/gprs/edge support


. 3g with hsdpa 7.2mbps and hsupa 2mbps

. android os v1.6 with acer ui 3.0


. 3.5 capacitive touchscreen of wvga resolution 


. qualcomm snapdragon 8250 768 mhz cpu, 256 mb ram


. 5 megapixel autofocus camera with video recording


. wi-fi 802.11 b/g and gps receiver


. accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn- to-mute


. digital compass 


. standard miniusb port for charging and data 


. stereo bluetooh ( a2dp ) 


. microsd card slot with support for up to 16gb cards (2gb one included)


. standard 3.5mm audio jack


. direct access to the offcial android market


Main disadvantages

.   Camera lacks flash or lens cover, has outdated features


.    No smart dialing, no voice dialing, no video calling


.     No web Flash support


.   Acer UI 3.0 offers only minor changes to the original interface


. Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability


.   No DivX or XviD video support or a third-party application to play that


.   Poor MP4 playback performance - any videos over QVGA res are barely watchable


.    No proper file manager out of the box


.     No TV-out port


.     No FM radio

Both lists give us a sense of deja-vu. It was a similar case with the neoTouch, but this time the situation is a bit different. Some of the Liquid's weaknesses are inherent to the Android OS (especially its first iteration, the Donut). It's not that they won't count against, but it's at least fair to note most of those are not Acer's fault.
Anyway, the Liquid will be measured against the likes of HTC Magic, HTC Hero, Samsung Galaxy and Samsung Galaxy Spica and it sure has a few things to offer that they won't. WVGA resolution and sky-high processing speeds are enough of an edge against competitors. The excellent capacitive screen and all-round connectivity are perhaps no news for the Android species.
So, Acer are newcomers but they're keen to bring value. Let's see how their Androi

Acer Stream disadvantages

Acer Stream

Introduction

Acer may be new to the smartphone game but they’re learning fast. On paper, the Acer Stream has all the right ingredients to tackle the HTC Desire and the Nexus One. With much stronger emphasis on multimedia than the titular Google phone, the Acer Stream has a few aces up its sleeve and isn’t afraid to play them.

Acer dabbled in customizing Android with the Liquid, but their first attempts were far from impressive. Packing the latest version of Acer’s custom Android UI, the Stream is a completely different story.

We won’t spoil the surprise – the changes run pretty deep and we can’t summarize them in one paragraph anyway. But don’t be too quick to skip straight to the User interface chapter of this review. The hardware has a few cool things in store as well.

Subtle small-font labels leave no doubt about the multimedia prowess of the Acer Stream. The 5MP camera can capture 720p videos and you’ll also spot the Dolby Mobile logo, which promises great sonic experience. But if you’re not careful you might miss the HDMI label right next to the microUSB port. That’s right, the Acer Stream has a microHDMI port to deliver HD video to compatible external displays.

Here goes the list of pros and cons, for the most impatient readers.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
• Android OS v2.1 with Acer Touch 3D UI v4.0
• 3.7" capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution; multi-touch support
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 1GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera; image stabilization, geotagging
• 720p video recording at 24 fps
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA
• GPS receiver; Digital compass
• Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn-to-mute
• Standard microUSB port for charging and data
• MicroHDMI video out port, 720p support
• XviD video support up to 720p
• Dolby Mobile; dedicated multimedia keys
• Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
• 2GB built-in memory
• microSD card slot (16GB cards supported, 8GB one included);
• Preinstalled document viewer
• Rich retail box package
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• FM Radio
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages

• Dim display with poor sunlight legibility
• Camera lacks flash and a lens cover
• Generally poor camera output
• No web Flash support
• microSD card not hot swappable
• No voice dialing, no video calling
• No proper file manager out of the box

Dedicated multimedia keys are less than essential perhaps in a touch phone but they serve a different purpose here. They are a promise for some serious media capabilities – a promise the Acer Stream intends to keep. Putting media aside for a moment, there are no obvious omissions from the spec sheet compared to other top droid rivals.

Acer Liquid live photos

A Snapdragon ticking at 1GHz with 512MB RAM to work with should give the Acer