Acer have announced the Liquid Express phone. It looks a lot like previous model in the Liquid range. Two things are different though. The Liquid Express has Gingerbread and it also has … NFC.
So I’m suddenly interested. Here is a bargain basement phone that appeared on both T-mobiles and Oranges websites recently you can pick them up crazy cheap rates from T-mobile. Today there is a rate for about ten pounds a month. I would be interested to see what these sell for sim-free. As NFC starts to gain popularity this sort of device will be what takes it mainstream. Yes the spec might be lacking but Acer certainly seem to be pushing NFC. It would be nice to get one just for NFC use in the future.
If you want more info check out the links below or the press release below.
Links – T-Mobile – Orange – Acer
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London, 28th November 2011 – Following the launch of the first Acer Liquid smartphones equipped with Android, Acer are now extending their range with a new model – the Acer Liquid Express – the company’s first NFC-equipped device.
‘As a technology of the future, NFC is a priority for Acer as it can be used for multiple purposes: payment, transport, tickets, loyalty cards, cultural information… and that’s without having explored the thousands more applications that will follow.’ says Allen Burnes, Vice-President of Acer’s THBG division.
Together with Orange UK and T-Mobile UK, Acer promise to make these new services widely accessible thanks to an affordable and easy-to-use smartphone. The Acer Liquid Express offers usage patterns now previously associated by premium smartphones.
Allen Burnes adds ‘Even if contactless technology has only just started spreading across the UK, it is important for the customer to take into account future need when choosing a new model. In a few months’ time quite a number of smartphone users, whose new smartphones don’t include NFC functionality, will have to change their mobile in order to benefit from this new technology.’
The contactless technology embedded in the Liquid Express allows it to adapt to its users’ current and future needs reading NFC tags or targets, identification, virtualisation of loyalty or payment cards; all of this according to the tightest security standards and approved by a consortium of expert manufacturers, granting NFC Forum 2 and Cityzi certifications to the Acer Liquid Express.
In addition to the NFC functionality, the Liquid Express is equipped with a large 3’5 screen, a Qualcomm 7227 processor that runs at 800MHz, a 5 MP camera with LED flash and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).
Available in Titanium, the Acer Liquid Express marks the general implementation of NFC technology in Acer smartphones. Starting with this model, all of the forthcoming brand’s Android smartphones will be equipped with this up and coming technology.
Price and availability
The Acer Liquid Express is available FREE with both a £15.32 per month T-Mobile UK 24 months contract and a £20.50 per month Orange UK 24 months contract.