Acer Android-Based Smartphone and Netbook Announced

Last month we had a good look at the HTC Magic, and although it was a decent phone in its own right the most noticeable thing about it was the fact that it was the first phone (after the poor T-mobile G1) to use the open source and much admired Android operating system.

However not wanting to feel left behind Acer have finally got round to officially announcing what most of us have suspected for a while – that they will be releasing an Android base in Q4 2009. But not only that – they’ve also said that they will be releasing an Android netbook in Q3 2009. After their much anticipated but arguably lack-lustre entrance into the smartphone market earlier this year Acer really needed to make a name for itself within the market, and this is definitely one way to do it!

Android has proved popular due to its ease of use, speed and open-source credentials the latter meaning that it could well have an app store (with both free and priced apps) to rival the expansive Apple one, and this is probably going to be the main selling point for whatever phone Acer come up with.

Onto the netbook, and we have known for a while that companies were planning to use Android (Asus even demonstrated an Android based Eee PC at Computex) but this should be the first example of a commercially available netbook boasting the O/S when it is released in Q3. Although we don’t know anything about the netbook in question it would be a safe bet to assume that it will be some species of the Acer Aspire One, and it may even replace the often removed Linux on future versions.

Jim Wong Acer’s president of IT products gave the reason behind choosing to use Android:
“”The Android operating system offers incredibly fast wireless connection to the internet. For this reason, Acer has decided to develop Android netbooks for added convenience to our customers”

Whilst this may be true the cynic inside me just thinks that they are jumping on the ever accelerating Android bandwagon in an attempt to get more sales, but I am quite happy to be wrong!

On a final note Acer have also announced that they have joined the Open Handset Alliance to join 46 other firms including manufacturers like HTC, ASUSTek and Sony Ericsson as well assorted software, commercialisation and semiconductor companies and mobile operators (most notably Intel, Google and T-mobile).

Led by Google (and hence the original name of Google Android) this alliance aims to develop ‘open standards for mobile devices’ which not only covers the obvious mobile phones and smartphones, but presumably netbooks and laptops as well. As of yet they only have one product (the Linux based Android) but hopefully we will see some more developments in the future.

So that just about wraps up the news from Acer and Android, and all that remains is for us to hope that both smartphone and netbook can live up expectation, and will be able to match the impressive Android.

Via – PC Pro

Related Pages:

1. Acer 10″ Netbook Announced
2. Acer Enters Smartphone Market
3. New Medion Netbook – A Next Generation Netbook?
4. Looking Forward To 2010: The Year Of The Smartbook?
5. Acer Aspire One Netbook Review

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