Is Acer retooling the neoTouch Windows Mobile smartphone for Android?

It was only yesterday that an Android-powered Acer netbook popped up, and now the company announced a new Android smartphone.

The Acer Liquid A1 uses the same nippy Qualcomm Snapdragon processor as the Toshiba TG01 and has an 800 x 480 capacitive screen — the largest to so far to appear on an Android smartphone. It will also run the very latest version of Android — version 1.6, or ‘Donut’.

That’s about all Acer has to say about the Liquid A1 so far, but the press release does mention “a new user interface with easy access to entertainment and web bookmarks” – could this be something similar to the custom UIs used on the Motorola Dext and HTC Tattoo Android smartphones?

The Acer Liquid A1 will be available in red, white and black, and have a 5-megapixel autofocus camera, but there’s no news yet on the rest of its specification. That said, the device in the photograph does bear a striking similarity to the Acer neoTouch — a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone released a year ago, with 800 x 480 screen and, yes, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 5-megapixel autofocus camera. Could Acer simply be retooling this old model for Android..?

[ Acer]

ACER LIQUID: The Future Now

The world’s first Snapdragon™ and Android™ 1.6 smartphone

The Future has arrived with Acer Liquid

Acer introduces its new smartphone “Liquid” series: the world’s first Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor based and world’s first Android™ 1.6 high definition smartphone, combining cutting-edge technologies, software innovation and an ultra-fluid user interface to create an all-new mobile experience. It 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.

Finally something different

Acer Liquid is the first Wide-VGA smartphone in the market benefiting from the latest release of the Android™ 1.6 Operating System (aka Donut) and the first Android™ smartphone in the market equipped with the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor.

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.

Unique software enhancements

Acer Liquid also bolsters a set of unique features developed by Acer and its partners:

    * 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.

A refreshing alternative to square shapes

With ellipse curves, a choice of red, white and black colors, and a slim body shape, Liquid will please style-seeking consumers. Designed for ergonomy, Liquid fits well in the hand, and displays a smooth finish. The fluidity of its curves gives the Acer Liquid its unique character and unconventional style.