Acer Launches Android Smartphone And Kindle-Killer

Acer is rolling out an Android-running smartphone called the Stream, the LumiRead e-reader, a 23-inch all-in-one PC, and an Aspire 5745P notebook.

No information has been offered yet about when the products, which were announced May 27 during a press conference in China, may arrive in the US or the UK. When they do, however, they’re likely to find more than a few fans.

Stream smartphone

The Stream smartphone has been designed as a high-end multimedia device, with Android 2.1, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB of RAM, HSDPA download speeds of 7.2M bps, an HDMI port and the ability to record videos up to 720p.

There’s also 2GB of internal flash memory, an 8GB memory card, and a microSD slot that supports up to 32GB of memory. These are paired with a “stunningly fluid 3D interface,” per Acer. The 3.7-inch WVGA display offers 2000:1 contrast. Applications can be launched with a single tap, and the homepage can be customised with widgets, wallpapers and even sounds. With the Android OS, multitasking is a given, and users can switch between applications using a “History” panel at the top of the display.

The Stream measures 11.2mm thin — that’s 0.4 inches — and comes with a 5-megapixel camera, integrated GPS, 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and three types of predictive keyboards to choose from.

Additional features include a Nemo multimedia player, and a streaming service called Spinlets that lets users browse and listen to music, and share what they like on social-networking sites.

LumiRead e-reader

Also likely to attract interest is the clean, white LumiRead, which like Amazon’s Kindle sticks with an e-Ink non-glare display meant to mimic a book or newsprint.

The LumiRead can deliver up e-books and audio books, and no shortage of either —Acer has signed agreements with Barnes and Noble and Germany’s Libri.de to offer LumiRead users access to their e-bookstores, and similar agreements are in the works to offer French and Italian titles.

The display on the LumiRead is 6 inches, and inside is 2GB of flash memory. There’s a microSD card slot, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity and an ISBN scanner, so users can zap codes and create their own book wish lists. A web browser is also on board, which should pair nicely with the qwerty keypad below the LumiRead’s display.

All-in-one PC

Like recent all-in-one offerings from competitors such as Hewlett-Packard, Acer’s aluminum-cased Z5710 was designed for kitchen counters and family rooms. The emphasis here is on the 23-inch, 1,920 by 1,080 resolution touch display, which is paired with a Dolby Home Theater v3 with 5.1 channels and HD surround-sound support.

There’s a slot-in optical drive, a multi-in-one card reader, and HDMI port and an optional TV tuner.

Aspire 5745P notebook

The Aspire 5745P notebook likewise emphasises a high-end multimedia experience, pairing a 15.6-inch HD LED-backlit touchscreen with an Intel Core processor, DDR3 (double-data rate) memory speeds and a Dolby Home Theater v3 sound system. It’s also Energy Star certified and comes with Acer’s PowerSmart Manager, for making the juice last.

Acer’s multitouch technology — “We’re living in a touch era,” says the press release — is shared across the displays on the smartphone, desktop and notebook, making for both easy input and a natural, intuitive experience across the devices.

Acer, often competing neck-and-neck with US competitor Dell, held the second-largest worldwide market share during the first quarter of 2010, shipping 12 million units and showing 54.3 percent year-on-year growth.