Introduction

Acer may be new to the smartphone game but they’re learning fast. On paper, the Acer Stream has all the right ingredients to tackle the HTC Desire and the Nexus One. With much stronger emphasis on multimedia than the titular Google phone, the Acer Stream has a few aces up its sleeve and isn’t afraid to play them.

Acer dabbled in customizing Android with the Liquid, but their first attempts were far from impressive. Packing the latest version of Acer’s custom Android UI, the Stream is a completely different story.

We won’t spoil the surprise – the changes run pretty deep and we can’t summarize them in one paragraph anyway. But don’t be too quick to skip straight to the User interface chapter of this review. The hardware has a few cool things in store as well.

Subtle small-font labels leave no doubt about the multimedia prowess of the Acer Stream. The 5MP camera can capture 720p videos and you’ll also spot the Dolby Mobile logo, which promises great sonic experience. But if you’re not careful you might miss the HDMI label right next to the microUSB port. That’s right, the Acer Stream has a microHDMI port to deliver HD video to compatible external displays.

Here goes the list of pros and cons, for the most impatient readers.

Key features

3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
Android OS v2.1 with Acer Touch 3D UI v4.0
3.7" capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution; multi-touch support
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 1GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM
5 megapixel autofocus camera; image stabilization, geotagging
720p video recording at 24 fps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with DLNA
GPS receiver; Digital compass
Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and turn-to-mute
Standard microUSB port for charging and data
MicroHDMI video out port, 720p support
XviD video support up to 720p
Dolby Mobile; dedicated multimedia keys
Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
2GB built-in memory
microSD card slot (16GB cards supported, 8GB one included);
Preinstalled document viewer
Rich retail box package
Standard 3.5mm audio jack
FM Radio
Smart dialing