Acer beTouch E400 Android smartphone

Acer is fully committed to producing smartphones, but seems to be slightly schizophrenic in its approach. There are devices in the Liquid range, which tote Android and are nicely high end, devices in the neoTouch range which run Windows Mobile, and devices in the beTouch range which again run Android and occupy the mid to lower …

[Anonymous Coward]

not "moot"

i.e., "of no significance "but rather "of arguable importance", someone might actually like changeable covers,

honestly, I don't have anything better to do

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it just me

Or do these PC manufacturers always come up with butt-ugly phones that always seem a few years out of style?

[Giles Jones]

Cheap.

Well it is cheap, but even at the high end there's only a couple of ok looking phones.

It seems like there's a lot of space wasted for the logo and buttons. I wouldn't really want to use the web at that screen size and resolution any more.

[HFoster]

Niggle

I wouldn't buy it, and that's purely because it physically resembles a cheap knock-off iPhone, which iPhone owners will pick up on and ridicule.

I don't think Android OS needs any association with the words "cheap immitation".

[Anonymous Coward]

No trackball?

Bit of an omission that - difference between being able to quickly navigate through web pages or having to constantly zoom in and enlarge clickable links to discretely touchable sizes - read-tap asymmetry and all. Likewise text editing is a pain by finger alone.

That and the odd zoom and keyboard behaviour seems to imply they haven't really thought much about usability or really engaged with the Android conventions.

[Tigra 07]

Nice comparison...

I like the comparison between the stripe around the edge and the iphones design.

How about comparing the signal when you hold it?

The androids are coming!

[Jerome 0]

Keyboard symbols

Wow, the smiley is considered more important than the question mark or exclamation mark?

[peter 5]

I AGREEE!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!

We needz!!! easyt!!!!!!!!11! access!!! 2 exclamation!!! MaRKs!!!!111!!!!!11!!!!!!!

Please.

[Stuart 22]

Neither fish nor fowl?

I would like to buy an Android phone. What is stopping me?

Confusion in an evolving market and no firm commitment to upgrade the OS. I can only get 2.1 yet 2.2 is out and 3 is the golden grail (apparently). No way am I going top spend more on a phone than a netbook which is obsoleted in 6 months.

If my N95 died today - I would go for a Pulse Mini - £85. OK small screen but it is up to date and popular amongst the hacking crowd so it may go to 2.2 even if T-Mobile don't deliver. And in 18 months time I could afford to throw it away and get something more modern. Spending over £200 on this. If I'm that crazy I might as well get the top of the range Galaxy or Desire

[Alastair 7]

Easy

"Confusion in an evolving market and no firm commitment to upgrade the OS. I can only get 2.1 yet 2.2 is out and 3 is the golden grail"

It's a source of some confusion to be sure, but plenty of custom ROM makers are supporting old handsets, even when the likes of HTC can't be bothered. Best idea is to get a phone *without* a custom UI like HTC's Sense- that way you'll get the OS updates far, far quicker.

[censored]

Vanilla Android?

Do Acer's phones run vanilla Android or do they add their own nonsense?

In otherwords, could the successor to the Liquid be a future option for Nexus One owners?

[JaitcH]

Never buy s 'first' product from anyone

It's unwise to buy the first model of any product as the next version will get rid of the bugs. If Apple didn't get it right even after the fourth version, who knows what awaits discovery in this version one of Acers first go around at cracking this nut?

This Acer handphone isn't even in the same class as an HTC model on the same price range.

I have bought Acer laptops and their warranty/support is pitiful (their country head office is within 2 kilometres of my residence) and they have gave undertakings which they have yet honour.Think very carefully before buying Acer especially this time around. Note the sad double-tap zoom feature.

What about upgrades and what other features have been omitted?

[Anonymous Coward]

Shame it acer

Yes I agree, Acer's support department is simply diabolical. Even if it was a top-notch phone I don't think I'd bother.

[Simon Brown]

shagged phone cases

I have owned mobile phones for many years. After a few months none of them looked particularly pristine. My latest phone is on its second case and that's pretty shagged now. I would welcome freeby replacement cases given my ability to make a phone look like it's been run over but maybe that's just me. Anyway, kudos to Acer for supporting those of us who drop our phones from time to time.