Acer neoTouch Boasts 1GHz CPU, 3.8-Inch Screen At A Very Attractive Price
Thursday, February 17, 2011 8:37On paper, Acer should be killing it with the Acer neoTouch. Sporting a fast 1GHz processor, a large 3.8-inch touchscreen and an attractive price, it’s a tough deal to ignore. Yet, it feels, once more, like an almost-but-not-quite effort.
Physically, the Acer neoTouch is a gorgeous phone. With a front panel dominated by a large 3.8-inch display and notably slimmer lines than their previous releases, the computer company is starting to get mobile right. Do note we said “starting,” as the device sports a cheap build that feels like it can crack with one fall.
You can’t help but love the large-size screen, which manages an 800 x 480 resolution. It displays images sharply, with rich and vibrant colors. With Windows Mobile 6.5 running at the helm, Acer could have done without the home page skinning. They did it anyway with Acer Home, which, unfortunately, doesn’t really add any value to the experience. A custom phone app, a new address book and a better onscreen keyboard round out the modifications to WinMo.
As a phone, the neoTouch manages excellent voice calls. Speakerphone lacks a little volume, though, which makes it tough to use. Overall phone performance is quite fast, especially when compared to the company’s previous Tempo line of smartphones. Battery is only good for a day and a half of regular use, so best carry a charger around if you’re a heavy user.
Feature set is pretty rich, including HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and GPS. It naturally comes with Windows Mobile’s full set of messaging capabilities (e.g. Exchange push email), some excellent productivity apps (e.g. Mobile Office) and a social networking software. Web browsing is pretty snappy with fast-loading pages. Performance won’t eclipse more popular smartphone choices, but it’s better than many Windows Mobile phones we’ve seen.
Media playback, especially movies, is highly enjoyable with the large display. Quality is pretty good, too. There’s also a 5.0 megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus, which manages poor to average shots, depending on the surrounding brightness.
Priced at around $600 unlocked (depending on retailers), it’s quite a bargain for the hardware set alone. It’s a sexy looker, too. That, of course, is if you can live with the decidedly plastic build.