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Acer's '09 WinMo phones now members of neoTouch, beTouch lines

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 3rd 2009 @ 6:26PM

There are a number of ways to clearly convey that your products rely heavily on touch operation, perhaps none clearer than simply straight-up putting "touch" somewhere in the name (see TouchWiz, TouchFLO, Touch, TouchSmart, UltraTouch, the list goes on). Enter Acer, which has been preparing a number of new WinMo sets this year including the buzz-generating F1 backed by a speedy Snapdragon core -- except don't call it an F1 anymore, because it's taken on the far more trademarkable "neoTouch" name as it steamrolls toward an official release in coordination with Microsoft's global launch of WinMo 6.5 next week. Filling out the range will be three members of the "beTouch" line -- the E100, E101, and E200 -- all of which should give you that warm fuzzy feeling that you'll be able to use your finger to navigate around (if they'd been called "beKeyboard," for example, you'd have to be more skeptical).

[Thanks, Daniel]

Read - neoTouch (F1)
Read - beTouch E100
Read - beTouch E101
Read - beTouch E200

Acer posts S200 user manual, looks like an F1 to us

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 20th 2009 @ 10:24AM

Just because you can't buy Acer's mighty F1 yet doesn't mean you can't do a whole lot of learning about it now that the company has officially posted the beastly handset's user manual online. Actually, if you want to get technical about it, they've posted a manual for an "S200" -- but browsing it quickly reveals that they're talking about the F1 judging by the diagrams and specs, which leads us to wonder whether S200 is the official go-to-market name, a regional variant, or something even more sinister. No bother -- at any rate, the manual is a good opportunity to learn about Windows Mobile 6.5, which the F1 will be shipping with; you're also reminded of that totally bangin' Qualcomm 8250 (that's Snapdragon to the lay folk) running at 1GHz, the 3.8-inch WVGA display, the full HSPA, and the 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Americans will be bummed to see the lack of HSPA 850, though they should be able to cling to 1900MHz in many markets -- and it's not like North America has gotten a lot of mobile love from Acer in the past, so it certainly comes as no surprise. [Warning: PDF link]

[Via MobileTechWorld and wmpoweruser.com]

Acer A1 Android and F1 WinMo Snapdragon smartphones in September?

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 15th 2009 @ 2:35AM

Ah DigiTimes, what would a morning be without your rumors sourced from within Taiwan's component suppliers? Today's tattle has Acer launching its A1, C1/E1, F1, and L1 smartphones "at the end of September and in the fourth quarter" -- that a four-month spread. Of these, the F1 running WinMo 6.5 (pictured above) on Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform and A1 running Android are undoubtedly the most interesting. It's just rumor but it does corroborate the hushed September whispers already heard.

Acer's Snapdragon-equipped F1 in fast-paced WinMo action at Computex

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 3rd 2009 @ 2:13PM

We've already seen dormant F1s resting comfortably from the confines of display stands at MWC earlier this year, but Acer's now ready to flip the power switch and show off its WinMo 6.5 superphone's capabilities in the flesh at Computex this week. Our own Engadget Chinese spent some quality time shooting the Snapdragon-powered beast, running what could very well be the gold shipping build of 6.5 considering that it's now been released to manufacturers in final form for inclusion in their devices. As you might expect for the Tegra-fighting Snapdragon silicon, animations and transitions seems to be totally dead-on smooth and movement between applications is faster than anything this side of a Toshiba TG01, so we're excited to see this one find its way into retail later this year; in the meantime, though, follow the link for some glorious footage.

Acer F1 coming in September, powered by Snapdragon?

by Ross Miller posted Mar 26th 2009 @ 12:37AM

Is one of Acer's mysterious smartphones packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon? According to the folks at All About Phones who reportedly attended an Acer event recently, the F1 will be running the 800MHz ARM chip, which is a tad slower than the 1000MHz equivalent in the TG01. The device will be Windows Mobile 6.5-based, but that's supposedly gonna be shrouded by a Flash-based Acer Suite 2.0 shell. The report also mentions a September release, which jibes with what we saw on that makeshift roadmap at Mobile World Congress, and a 560 Euro ($760) price tag. Nothing's confirmed, but between Acer, HTC, Samsung, and LG, surely someone's gearing up to join Toshiba in the Snapdragon bandwagon.

[Via Unwired View]

Acer's four other phones in the flesh, not powered on

by Nilay Patel posted Feb 17th 2009 @ 11:47AM

Acer made a lot of noise about launching "eight" handsets yesterday, but we only got hard details on the four Tempos -- which was probably the wrong way to go, because the prototypes of the F1, white C1, L1, and the E1 due to launch later this year are way hotter. Too bad Acer won't turn 'em on or tell us anything about them -- we can see the F1 has a five megapixel camera, but the lack of a Windows Mobile 6.5-required hardware Start button on any of these doesn't bode well. Check 'em all out in the gallery.

Gallery: Acer L1, C1, E1, F1 hands-on

Formula 1 superstar finishes first in race to nab BlackBerry Storm

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 9th 2008 @ 11:59AM

There are, shall we say, certain "advantages" to driving a race car sponsored by global wireless behemoth Vodafone. Fame, fortune, and a free account (seriously, all the minutes and kilobytes you can eat!) definitely rank high on that list, but it all pales in comparison to this. It seems that Formula 1 wizard Lewis Hamilton has been gifted with a Voda-branded Storm, a great publicity play for the carrier -- particularly as he's sitting in front of a camera describing how "wicked" it is. Clearly, the video is little more than a PR stunt, but the phone genuinely seems to be his, and at least we can get a clear look at how fast, fluid, and pretty the interface appears to be. So, anyone know where he leaves that thing when he's out racing? Check the full action after the break.

Continue reading Formula 1 superstar finishes first in race to nab BlackBerry Storm

F1 Ferrari phone is red, lacks speed and grace

by Sean Cooper posted Apr 11th 2008 @ 10:32AM

This prancing red handset brings a dash of faux-Ferrari styling to the dreamers amongst us. This Chinese made phone features the typical touchscreen found on Chinese sets, dual-band GSM, 1.3 megapixel shooter, memory card expansion -- we're not sure on the type -- all packaged in a shifty looking red car housing. The handset also comes pre-installed with three games,Jet Plane, Intelligent Puzzle, and Hand & Boot Dance -- yeah, where is the racing game? Price is set at $190 though we suspect this novelty phone won't have the tifosi yammering and cheering like they did for their F1 hero, Michael.

Vodafone launches trio of McLaren handsets from Sharp / Samsung

by Darren Murph posted Jan 16th 2007 @ 6:06PM

While we caught wind of Vodafone's plans to release a Mercedes McLaren-edition of Sharp's 770SH during our stint at CES, it seems that the carrier has now gone official with its plans, and tossed in two more special edition handsets for good measure. Partnering with the McLaren Formula 1 racing team, the duo has slapped that silver and red branding on the Sharp GX29 clamshell and the Samsung SGH-Z520M slider, and although we doubt the specs will change on any of these three mobiles, owners are sure to get a few glances from the updated aesthetics, and racing aficionados will appreciate the specialized Formula 1 news that will be delivered through Vodafone Live! throughout the season. Currently, details are scant with regard to pricing, specs, and availability, but we're sure it won't be too long before Vodafone offers its newfangled trio up to get a few motors running. Click on through for a few more glamor shots.

[Via BenzInsider, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Vodafone launches trio of McLaren handsets from Sharp / Samsung