Google’s Android operating system isn’t just for cell phones anymore. Number-three PC maker Acer has announced two new Android-based products — a touchscreen smartphone called Acer Liquid and a netbook version of the Aspire One laptop that boasts a dual-boot system, running both Android and Windows XP Home.
Android is a mobile operating system based on the Linux kernel which allows developers to access it via Java libraries.
The Liquid is the latest touchscreen phone to try for a piece of the market dominated by Apple’s iPhone. It boasts Android 1.6, the latest version of the operating system, code-named Donut, as well as Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon processor. Liquid supports high-speed Web access via High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) mobile networks.
‘Smart’ Move
Android will “clearly be a major OS for smartphones, and Acer’s decision to use it on their new phones is a smart one,” said Tim Bajarin, principal strategist at Creative Strategies, in an e-mail.
But just having Android won’t be enough in the highly competitive race for the top of the smartphone market. Acer must distinguish itself through a user interface that is “easy to use and easy to navigate,” Bajarin said.
The phone features a high-definition capacitive touchscreen, improved power management for longer battery life, a new user interface that emphasizes entertainment and web access, a camera with geotagging so users can easily identify where photos were taken, and sharing with friends, Acer said.
Liquid is clearly a Web 2.0 phone. Acer said it features “smart integration” with social-networking applications like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, and provides real-time update notifications. It’s also meant to compete with the iPhone on style, with an elliptical form factor, a choice of colors, and ergonomic design.
But, Acer said, the real breakthrough will occur in the future with an expected explosion of Android apps…