The Acer Liquid e: A Blast from the Past

Acer, a Taiwanese international computer manufacturer has revealed to the world what looks like a version 2.0 of its older Acer Liquid A1 mobile phone. Unveiled during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the mobile phone has quite a number of similarities to last year’s Liquid phone model.

Looks the Same, Feels the Same

The Acer Liquid e has not traded in the older Liquid’s blunt and blocky look. It keeps the A1’s blocky chassis and as a result also keeps the problems of its predecessor. The flat rectangular body lacks a comfort grip and the general look does not complement the stylish new Google Android Éclair version 2.1 operating system it comes with. The bright new screen is also overshadowed by the rehashed design. It is no wonder that other mobile phones supporting the Android 2.1, such as the Nexus One, are being noticed a bit more than Acer’s new entry to the smart phone line.

Looking Inside the Liquid e

An X-ray of the Liquid e would reveal a 768 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8259 processor which is still under clocked from its original 1 GHz but should run like an athlete from the Olympics as far as performance is concerned.

This year’s Liquid offers a 3.5-inch WVGA capacitive high definition touch screen.  The screen size is at 3.5 inches with an 800 pixel resolution. A respectable 5.0 mega pixel camera with Auto Focus is also installed in the Liquid e and the package is completed by a standard 3.5mm headphone jack.

Like most smart phones, the Acer Liquid e is Wi-Fi capable. Aside from the quad band GSM, EDGE and GPRS connectivity, it also has Bluetooth and mini USB connection support. High speed internet access is also featured through a 7.2 Mbps 3G connection via HSDPA/HSUPA networks.

Thanks to the Android 2.1, a number of new apps such as the dynamic Google Earth and weather apps complement the Liquid e. If mobile phone conversations are preferred though, not using any energy-draining apps would lend the 135g smart phone about five hours of talk time. Another plus factor is due to the fact that Acer kept their phone customizations to a bare minimum.

Since Android 2.1 was not changed much by Acer, the speed while running the OS also feels liquid. The phone also boasts added SMS and MMS support for easier recall of text message conversations.

The Verdict

Acer’s press release on the Liquid e focuses heavily on the Google Android 2.1. Considering the small amount of differences the newer model has over the Liquid A1, it is definitely no surprise. It is more baffling that Acer would release a clone of its older phone just to feature the Android 2.1. If it feels like a marketing ploy, it really probably is.

The bottom line is if you are the owner of an older Liquid mobile phone then there is really no need to update to the Liquid e just yet. It may be worth holding out for a newer smart phone model that uses the much coveted Google Android 2.1 Éclair operating system with more hardware and design updates.