Acer’s Liquid Zest Plus phone lasts for days with a 5,000mAh battery
Also announced: a liquid-cooled 2-in-1 Surface Pro-alike
Acer is well-known for its computer offerings, but much less so when it comes to smartphones – which is probably why the company is putting its focus on surprising, standout features for new devices.
Case in point: the new Liquid Zest Plus, which sounds more like soap than a smartphone, packs an enormous 5,000mAh battery into a mid-range Android handset priced at less than US$250 (about £175). That’s not the largest phone battery ever seen, but it should be enough to get you through at least two full days of use – and it offers fast charging to boot.
Elsewhere, the specs mostly fall squarely into the middle of the current smartphone pack. The 5.5in display is just 1080p, and with a MediaTek MT6735 processor and 2GB RAM, it’s not going to stand toe-to-toe with the flagships on the market.
However, it has a 13-megapixel back camera with a laser autofocus, and Android 6.0 Marshmallow is certainly a welcome sight. It’s unclear when the handset will release, but if you’re up for a solidly specced Android phone that’ll last for days, the Liquid Zest Plus could fit the bill.
And it wasn’t the only noteworthy announcement yesterday: Acer also unveiled the Switch Alpha 12, which is a strongly Surface Pro-esque 2-in-1 Windows 10 notebook. The keyboard detaches to turn the bulk of the device into a tablet, which has an adjustable stand and also a pen for touchscreen scribbling – and there’s another Surface Pro-like perk.
It’s liquid cooling, which along with the fanless design should keep the device nicely chilly even when running graphics-intensive games and apps. Pack in Intel’s Skylake processors and a 12in 1440p screen and the €699 starting price sounds pretty appealing. The Switch Alpha 12 will be available in the UK from May.
[Source: Acer]
Andrew Hayward
Freelance Writer 