Acer Liquid Metal review

Acer's smartphone range includes both Windows Mobile and Android handsets. While the company has yet to announce a smartphone running Windows Phone 7, it has embraced Android 2.2 and this is the operating system found on the Acer Liquid Metal. Preinstalled on top of Android 2.2 is Acer's own customised interface, the consumer-focussed Stream.

The Liquid Metal has a couple of novelties in its hardware design. The curved back is out of the ordinary. This has no effect, positive or negative, on the ergonomics of holding the Liquid Metal in the hand. When rested on a desk, however, it means that the smartphone rocks from side-to-side as you tap the screen. Not so much as to make the device unusable, but enough to be irritating.

The backplate, incidentally, is brown with the main bulk carrying an etched pattern. We rather like it, and the chrome and black of the sides and front of the chassis respectively look dull in comparison.

Acer has included three status lights on the top edge. These stay hidden until they start pulsing a white light that glows through the chrome. They indicate battery status, messaging notifications and missed calls. They're a useful visual indicator of missed communications and will be appreciated by veteran Blackberry fans.

On the top edge of the phone sits the 3.5mm headset connector and power switch. On the right is a shortcut button for the five megapixel camera and a volume rocker. The microUSB connector is found on the bottom edge.

There's nothing unexpected about the touch-sensitive Home, Search, Back and Menu buttons on the front of the chassis beneath the screen. Overall, the Acer Liquid Metal is a comfy fit in the hand and pocket.