Smartphone review: The Acer Liquid Mini

At the start of 2010, you couldn't move for brand spanking new Android smartphones eager to take a swish at Apple's false yet ridiculously media hyped handset crown. 

But those hero handsets have moved on, to be replaced by their less glamorous yet far better value for money cousins.

It's a tricky market. Not only are you dealing with the old hero handsets coming down in price as they are replaced by this year's model, but also the ridiculously fast march of technological progress leaving last year's 'must have' specs confined to the dustbin of history.

It's even tougher if you're predominantly a laptop manufacturer trying to make a mark in a field already packed out with household names. So how does this latest Acer smartphone shape up?

Well you'll have to head over to our Acer Liquid Mini deals page for the full review, but it's certainly a contender. The Acer take on the Android operating system is pleasingly different and relatively light, while the handset looks and feels gorgeous across five different colours.

The specifications aren't the best - this is a £200 smartphone after all, which you'll find for free on a lot of good smartphone deals. But with a relatively strong touchscreen showing off all the usual Google goodies, this Acer offering is definitely worth taking a closer look at.