Hands-on with Acer's Liquid E1 and Z2 smartphones
Hello, phone fans.
I'm Luke Westaway for CNET.
We're here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to check out two new Acer phones.
First up, let's take a look at this guy.
This is the Acer Liquid E1.
This is the slightly fancier of the 2 smartphones.
So as you can see, it's got a 4.4-inch display and that has a 960 x 540 pixel resolution.
It's got a dual core 1 gigahertz processor that doesn't sound too glorious when I say it like that.
But despite how she feels pretty snappy, it seems quite responsive so I'm not too concerned to be honest.
If you flip it around on the back, you can see it's got a 5-megapixel camera.
It's got an LED flash as well.
There is a front-facing camera that has much lower resolution of 0.3 megapixels, so you might find your video calls look just a little bit pixilated.
It's got dual speakers and an FM radio
and is running Android version 4.1, now that is not the most recent version of Android, but is pretty close.
So, you can access to the app store, of course, and all of these home screens that you can fill with widgets, another exciting apps.
I have to say I'm quite impressed by the E1's design.
I like the red accents here on the speaker and lock button.
And if you flip it around, you see you get this cotton-shaped grille across the back and you also got the speakers and the camera.
It's quite a nice effect overall.
If that's a little bit
rich for your blood, then you might want to check out the Acer Liquid Z2, which is a small cousin the phone we just looked at.
So, this one has a 3.5-inch display, which is a lot smaller that's got a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels.
That's not a huge pixel count to be honest, so you might find web pages and things looking just a little bit blurry than you'd like.
It's got a 1 gigahertz processor on the inside of it.
But because of that low resolution and the fact that you're probably gonna be running quite undemanding apps,
you should find it's kind of fast enough for what you need to do.
If I spin it around, you can see it's got a 3-megapixel camera and it's got at this point a nice looking speaker down here as well.
It is running Android version 4.1 Jelly Bean just like the last phone that we looked up.
In terms of design, this phone is the perfect antidote if you're sick of palm-ruining smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note II.
It's extremely small and it feels very light as well.
I spin it around and I like this curved effect on the back.
Overall, I would say this is a compact, quite attractive little phone.
The only thing that really lets down is this low resolution screen.
Both phones are gonna be coming out in Russia and the UK in mid-March.
Other European countries will follow shortly after that.
Unfortunately, there's no way at the moment of the US release date.
The Z2 is gonna cost about 100 euros, while the E1 is gonna cost a slightly pricey at 200 euros or there abouts.
I'm Luke Westaway for CNET here at Mobile World Congress and here are 2 new Acer smartphones.
Up Next
Humane's AI Pin: Unboxed and Tested
Up Next
Humane's AI Pin: Unboxed and Tested
Humane AI Pin Hands-On: Tiny Wearable Phonelet Beams Light Like R2-D2
Humane AI Pin Hands-On: Tiny Wearable Phonelet Beams Light Like R2-D2
Here's Why Your Phone Battery Still Sucks
Here's Why Your Phone Battery Still Sucks
First Look at Rabbit R1 Mobile AI Device
First Look at Rabbit R1 Mobile AI Device
The Best Mobile Tech We Saw at CES 2024
The Best Mobile Tech We Saw at CES 2024
I Upgraded to the iPhone 15 Pro Max: Was It Worth It?
I Upgraded to the iPhone 15 Pro Max: Was It Worth It?
iOS 17 Still Holds Surprises: Overheating Fix, Podcast Changes and More
iOS 17 Still Holds Surprises: Overheating Fix, Podcast Changes and More
How Apple's Switch to USB-C Will Change the iPhone
How Apple's Switch to USB-C Will Change the iPhone
Everything Apple Announced at Its iPhone 15 Event
Everything Apple Announced at Its iPhone 15 Event
Galaxy Z Fold 5 Unboxing and First Impressions
Galaxy Z Fold 5 Unboxing and First Impressions
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
Apple May Give FineWoven Accessories 1 More Season
Apple May Give FineWoven Accessories 1 More Season
US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
What to Expect at Apple's May 7 iPad Event
What to Expect at Apple's May 7 iPad Event
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
Did a Week With the Apple Watch Make Me Use My iPhone Less?
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
How Google Tests the Cameras in Its Pixel Phones
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
Best of MWC 2024: Bendable Screens, AI Wearables and More
Latest How To All how to videos
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro