Acer Stream review

The Acer Stream is the company's latest flagship handset, following on from the Liquid and Liquid E before it. Acer isn't a company with a great history in mobile devices and so far has enjoyed limited success. It's clear that Acer is committed to this agenda, but has it hit the right notes with the Stream?

On paper the Stream looks impressive. A 3.7-inch 800 x 480 capacitive AMOLED display puts it in HTC Desire territory. The 5-megapixel autofocus camera, offering 720p video capture squares up against the Samsung Galaxy S. The micro HDMI out puts it in the game with the HTC Evo. But does it compete with these hero handsets?

We've seen how the Android battleground is drawn up. With most phones offering similar, if not the same, hardware components and the same core operating system, the difference between a good phone and a bad phone often comes down to two things - the design and what the company does to it, which govern the user experience.

Okay, it isn't quite that simple. The screen makes a big difference when the touch response isn't right, but often that is not the fault of the hardware - especially when it comes to a capacitive touchscreen AMOLED display, but how the manufacturer presents the operating system beneath it.

Starting with the design, Acer doesn't do itself any favours. There is a hint of the beTouch range around the back, with a matte black cover shaped as though it has come off the same design line. It's a simple clip on affair and whilst this doesn't make it a bad phone, it doesn't have the impact in the hand that the glorious unibody design of the HTC Desire has, or the premium materials of the iPhone 4.

Around the front there is just a little too much bordering on that display. It feels like the prize asset is hidden away, with the design bringing in a screen frame, that again sits in the body of the phone. It feels a little chunky, lacking consumer refinement and wow factor in the hand. It doesn’t exhibit the clean and sophisticated lines you want from your daily handset.

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