Acer Liquid A1 unboxed, video style

The Acer Liquid A1 just started shipping in the UK, and right on cue we've got a video unboxing. Turns out the box housing the 1GHz Snapdragon-powered Android set is fairly interesting itself, with a magnetic hinged design that opens to reveal the charger, manuals, and bundled 2GB SanDisk microSD card and SD adapter. As for the phone, don't hold out for an Android 2.0 surprise -- it's running Android 1.6 with Acer's custom Spinlets UI skin on top, which equals a frowny-face from us. Hopefully Acer manages to update things if this guy ever comes to the States, but for now we'll just let you head past the break and check the video for yourselves -- we're sorry about the terrible Owl City soundtrack, but we had nothing to do with it.

[Thanks, Shreedhan]

[va jj Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:00PM]

cpu is only running 75% potential.

[COCOViper Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:19PM]

@va jj
Snapdragon is actually a line of processors that runs from 600-1000MHz, so it's debatable whether it's actually an underclocked CPU or whether they are just running it in the middle or lower end of it's spec'd range.

[chippy Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:50PM]

@va jj Slightly underclocked but still 2x as fast as any other Android phone apart from the Droid. 768Mhz fine by me!

[mrqs Posted Dec 10th 2009 3:54AM]

@chippy 768Mhz is hardly twice more than any other phone
can't be arsed checking more, but at least the galaxy and the hero have 528Mhz processors

[Stefan Witkamp Posted Dec 10th 2009 10:24AM]

@mrqs
the ARMv7 core found in Snapdragons performs much better at same MHz compared to a ARMv6 one found in, for instance, the Hero

[p0p0 Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:04PM]

It does look kinda bulky. For some reason I really want it though. I dunno what it is. It just looks nice. And much superior to my current phone.

[grydlok Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:06PM]

1.6? why

[JONNNathannn Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:19PM]

@(Unverified) because 2.0 is annoying overrated.

[grydlok Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:40PM]

@JONNNathannn
True in a since but people with multiple gmail accounts 2.0 allows you to have 2 on the phone.

[chippy Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:51PM]

@(Unverified) 2.0 isn't really ready yet unless you've got a big group of devs/money to churn out a special like Motorola did. Upgrade is coming April I heard.

[southern78 Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:09PM]

I hate that song in the background...it makes me feel like I am going to have seizures.

[jhurt18 Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:16PM]

Woohoo for awesome accents!

[JONNNathannn Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:17PM]

I like what Acer did to Android at the sides with those panels, but this thing looks like a toy. There's nothing appealing here.

Bigger screens, slimmer phones. It's simple.

[LIve2Lin Posted Dec 9th 2009 11:13PM]

@JONNNathannn: It's a significant feat of engineering to get devices super thin...and a bigger screen makes it a lot more expensive. If they actually did what you're asking, you'd wind up complaining about the price. I think the Liquid has a pretty nice sized screen, and seems plenty thin enough.

That said, I do wish it was "metal and glass" like the Droid...

[JONNNathannn Posted Dec 10th 2009 12:01AM]

@LIve2Lin Except I wouldn't complain about the price.

[ryanplusplus Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:17PM]

Spinlets looks kinda lame.

[Saauron Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:22PM]

I kind of dig it. Owl City not so much.

I want that box.

Here's to hoping that the Sholes tablet ditches the hump and brings the keyboardless side of android a nice form factor.

[Patlex Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:25PM]

Thank goodness Acer didn't give that phone a crappy/ugly custom screen like they did with their WM line of phones.

[Keni Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:17PM]

@Patlex or samsung's horrid touch wiz

[Patlex Posted Dec 10th 2009 12:31AM]

I don't much touchwiz so much. I tried the Acer interface on my phone and it was pretty garbage imo.

[GenesisDH Posted Dec 10th 2009 1:48AM]

@Patlex

Isn't the 'Acer interface' actually SPB Mobile Shell? That's no where near Acer-own.

[Hydra Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:38PM]

*waits for us version with att 3G* not that I have 3G here, but who knows maybe by the year 2020 I will have 3G

[coolbho3000 Posted Dec 9th 2009 9:37PM]

@Hydra I believe it has the 1900 band, which is one of the bands AT&T uses for 3G. It lacks the 850 band, which AT&T is upgrading their 3G networks to.

[r3loaded Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:49PM]

£339 is a very nice price for a Snapdragon phone - just wish it had Android 2.0 on it...

[Broderbund Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:51PM]

Grrr I hate Owl City

[yoko1324 Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:58PM]

I LOVE Owl City. I'm insulted.

[Broderbund Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:02PM]

@yoko1324 I'd rather listen to Miley Cyrus.

[ramifications Posted Dec 9th 2009 11:45PM]

@yoko1324

I like him too. It's happy music. Turns your frown upside down!

[andthemaniam Posted Dec 10th 2009 9:58AM]

@yoko1324 I'd rather listen to The Postal Service.

[HardToBelieve Posted Dec 10th 2009 11:27AM]

@yoko1324

I'd rather Listen to the All American Rejects. But that's just obvious, now isn't it.

[Brak Posted Dec 9th 2009 7:58PM]

Too closely resembles an external drive for me. Though, styling isnt as big of a deal-breaker for me. Seems to be on par with the Droid as far as menu response, screen response (of course just seeing 45 seconds of that isnt enough i know). Just happy the big boys are finally coming out to play and no more MSM7crapolas

[jellotime91 Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:09PM]

This is less than amazing. It's kinda cute, the speed is nice... but no pretty UI. I love the Hero because of its pretty UI. :P

[Johanu Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:10PM]

Hey, it's selling here in Portugal for €354,99 unlocked.. Not shabby at all..

[bshizzy Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:10PM]

not bad lookin, kinda like the thickness

[cursive Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:14PM]

as much as i love sense ui and being on at&t this gives me hope = [...

[DougieBear Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:23PM]

Am I the only one who thinks £300 expensive for a mobile? It costs twice as much as a dell mini. Explain how it equates :S

[v4npro Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:27PM]

@(Unverified)

Yeah it is expensive, but most of the time you get half off with contract. To bad in the U.S. you can't get "nice" phones for free like you do in the UK. (talking about iPhone/HTC HD2/etc.. those types of nice)

[v4npro Posted Dec 9th 2009 8:24PM]

I like the phone but I do wish it had Android 2.0/1 on it.

[TareG Posted Dec 9th 2009 9:06PM]

Bezel is too wide around the screen... and yeah as others pointed out the phone is a bit too thick. Also, I'm not liking the sharpness either.\

Xperia X3 is so far a MUCH better choice. And even better would be to wait for the Passion/Dragon.

[SomePerson Posted Dec 9th 2009 9:19PM]

Quite impressed. I didn't expect Acer to make phones but I guess everybody's jumping in the business now. I'm glad Android is expanding, and with the Droid being Time's Gadget of the Year, that will mean Android will get a larger push in 2010. But man, after seeing all those hate comments from Apple Lover sites like CultOfMac, I can feel the hate. I've never seen such a biased site before. Just read the comments there, I dare ya.

[Lightbulb9 Posted Dec 9th 2009 9:20PM]

Im not surprised to see acer do this, they need something to sell, besides netbooks

[305BuddyLuv Posted Dec 9th 2009 10:11PM]

Big question for Acer.
Why put a 5.0 mp camera on the phone with no led flash? seems kinda of dumb.
I love everything about the phone so far. I am already turned off due to the fact that it has no flash for the camera.

[TrumanHW Posted Dec 9th 2009 11:55PM]

Whats PERFECT is when he clicked and held the Acer-Link BS... the lower menu became a trash icon - I can DELETE that lame ass crap! lol. Looks pretty good.. would have preferred a physical keyboard, but, its a step in the right direction.

[yoko1324 Posted Dec 10th 2009 12:06AM]

@ramifications I know - "In the airway" is my favorite

[Siddharth Posted Dec 10th 2009 2:01AM]

Very average UI improvements, relatively bulky form factor, underclocked processor and no Android 2.0 = I'd rather wait for the HTC Bravo.

[hq Posted Dec 10th 2009 3:25AM]

i think it looks pretty cheap. and oh my god that's a fatty. to me it looks more like a big fat all-in-one remote

[Mawich Posted Dec 10th 2009 3:50AM]

"Hopefully Acer manages to update things if this guy ever comes to the States"

So what, we're not worthy of Android 2 over here?

[LordDarkGoose Posted Dec 10th 2009 4:36AM]

It's nice to see up and coming devices in a cut throat market. Well done Acer! I'm just a little blind after staring at it for 10 odd minutes. Lets hope they do an anti glare.

[eka Posted Dec 10th 2009 5:44AM]

They should price it lower.

[xmaster1989 Posted Dec 10th 2009 6:59AM]

Somebody tell me, what's good the Android OS?
I never see ANdroid pda, and in Hungary almost everybody uses Windows on pc and windows mobile on pda.