Acer's DX650 and X960 smartphones leaked: we waited for this?

[Via Sohoa]
Read -- DX650
Read -- X960
e-ten posts

For the third time this year, we're hearing straight from totally unofficial, somewhat sketchy Acer sources that the firm is still planning on producing its own smartphone in 2009. The latest report has company chairman JT Wang stating that the eventual launch may not happen until Q2 2009 (red flag), and he blamed the possible delay on the ongoing negotiations with carriers across the globe. If you'll recall, Acer's been talking up its own phone ever since it took E-Ten Information Systems in under its wings, but many months later, we still have no concrete evidence that anything is going on (mobile wise, at least) behind the firm's doors. We suppose time will tell, but we have serious doubts the hardcore Acer faithful will be holding their breath.
It's barely been a month since Acer dropped a big chunk of cash to buy up 75% of Packard Bell, but it looks like the company still had plenty of money left to throw around, as it's now parted with a hefty $290 million to buy up 100% of Glofiish smartphone-maker E-Ten. According to Acer itself, the boards of both E-Ten and Acer approved the deal unanimously, and they expect the acquisition to close sometime during the third quarter of this year. Any other details, however, are expectedly light, including any word on how future devices would be branded, with Acer chairmen J.T. Wang only saying that the "acquisition of E-TEN increases Acer's global footprint by giving us a strong and highly credible presence in the mobility segment." No word on any future moves by Acer just yet but, given its recent spending spree, we wouldn't be surprised if it tried to expand that "global footprint" even further.
After teasing us with a lustful peep from their V900's marketing collateral, E-TEN had the good grace to make their newest Glofiish official. Their first handset to offer mobile TV does so without hesitation -- DVB-H, DVB-T, T-DMB, and DAB broadcast media are all supported on that generous VGA display. These consumer oriented Windows Mobile phones pack an unspecified GSM radio, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS underneath a new, E-TEN developed touch-based user interface. Presumably, E-TEN has a TouchFLO-like layer to hide the consumer-unfriendly ugliness of Microsoft's increasingly dated and finger-meat hating mobile OS. Also announced is E-TEN's new Glofiish M810 with HSDPA, WiFI (b/g), and GPS with full QWERTY in tow. More on these with their unveiling at GSMA. 









