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Acer Liquid Zest Plus Smartphone Review

Battery behemoth. The Taiwanese manufacturer, Acer, touts its Liquid Zest Plus as an accessory for travels: A long battery life, and high-quality audio and camera quality are to make the mid-range handset the ideal travel companion. Find out in our test whether this is true.

For the original German review, see here.

The Liquid Zest Plus' highlight is its 5000 mAh battery that is to power the mid-range smartphone for up to 3 days according to Acer. Furthermore, DTS-HD Premium Sound that generates virtual surround sound, and an improved headset sound quality is supported. The primary camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels and is furnished with "Tri-Focus" technology. The autofocus system uses laser, phase, and contrast detection for ideally setting the image focus.

Acer's Liquid Zest Plus has a 5.5-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, and it is available in "Moroccan Blue" and "Andes White" for an RRP of just below 200 Euros (~$225). The very similarly equipped Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL that also has a 5000 mAh battery belongs to Acer's handset direct competition. Beyond that, we list Acer's Liquid Z630S, Leagoo's Shark 1, and Archos' 50 Power as comparison handsets with high-capacity batteries. Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge flagship smartphone is used as the test reference.

Acer Liquid Zest Plus (Liquid Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6735 4 x 1.3 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.50 inch 16:9, 1280 x 720 pixel 267 PPI, capacitive, LCD, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 10.99 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm jack, Card Reader: micro SD card, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, Hall effect sensor, proximity sensor, Mircacast, OTG
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, 2G: 850 MHz, 900 MHz ,1800 MHz, 1900 MHz; 3G: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz; LTE: 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2600 MHz , Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.8 x 154.3 x 77.4 ( = 0.39 x 6.07 x 3.05 in)
Battery
5000 mAh Lithium-Polymer, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 1100 h, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 24 h
Operating System
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: mono, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, modular power supply, guide, USB cable, Acer UI, 24 Months Warranty, SAR rate: 0.603 W/kg (body), fanless
Weight
175 g ( = 6.17 oz / 0.39 pounds), Power Supply: 41 g ( = 1.45 oz / 0.09 pounds)
Price
200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The thin, 9.8-mm (~0.4 in) casing of the Liquid Zest Plus is largely made of plastic that is lightly matted on the back. The back cover that flexes marginally can be removed for expanding the storage via a micro-SD card or accessing the micro-SIM card slots when required. The 5000 mAh battery is, however, non-removable and cannot be replaced.

The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display fits flush in the casing. At a height of 154 millimeters (~6 in) and a width of 77 millimeters (~3 in), the Liquid Zest Plus' display takes up 69.8% of the casing's front surface.

The plastic volume control and power button on the handset's right feature well-defined pressure points and are easy to reach. The quality of the polycarbonate casing cannot be criticized in view of the price range. The smartphone makes a solid and resistant impression.

Size Comparison

158.6 mm / 6.24 inch 82.8 mm / 3.26 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 241 g0.531 lbs156 mm / 6.14 inch 77.5 mm / 3.05 inch 10.55 mm / 0.4154 inch 202 g0.4453 lbs156.3 mm / 6.15 inch 77.5 mm / 3.05 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 156.3 g0.3446 lbs154.3 mm / 6.07 inch 77.4 mm / 3.05 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs145 mm / 5.71 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 9 mm / 0.3543 inch 148 g0.3263 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The internal eMMC storage in the Liquid Zest Plus has a capacity of 16 GB. Only 10.99 GB are left for the user in delivery state. If memory becomes low, it is possible to move installed applications to an external memory card via App2SD

Further configuration features include an FM radio, Wi-Fi Direct, a compass, and a status LED. A fingerprint scanner is not installed. The micro-USB 2.0 port also supports OTG (on-the-go) for connecting peripherals via an OTG adapter. Wireless transmission of display content to external monitors via Miracast is also supported, and it functioned very well in the test with a Sony Android TV.

Like Asus' ZenFone Max ZC550KL, the 5000 mAh battery acts as a kind of power bank for powering other devices via the micro-USB port.

Software

Acer relies on the sixth Android iteration "Marshmallow" for its Liquid Zest Plus smartphone. The security patch from June 2016 was installed at test time. The user interface in the setting menu and the app drawer do not look very modified compared with Vanilla Android. Acer's proprietary interface, Acer UI, shows subtle, visual modifications in the app and folder design.

Like Acer's Liquid Z630S that we tested, it is possible to let applications, such as notes, calculator, calendar, and calls, float over an opened application. Furthermore, "Quick Touch" gestures can be entered on the screen when it is disabled. An optional read mode reduces blue light emission. Acer also installs a real offline navigation application based on TomTom maps that can be used without mobile Internet access called "AcerNav".

Communication and GPS

The integrated Wi-Fi module in the Liquid Zest Plus only supports the IEEE 802.11 b/g/n standards, typical for this price range. The reception quality is good in everyday use, and the Wi-Fi signal is stable. The attenuation of almost -39 dBm was relatively low nearby the router (Telekom Speedport, W921V). The average data transmission rates to the router (Linksys EA8500) at a distance of one meter (~3 feet) of 50 Mbit/s (transmit) and 48 Mbit/s (receive) are on a common level for entry-level devices.

Bluetooth version 4.0 is onboard for wireless communication between mobile end devices. An NFC chip is not present. Acer's smartphone can access the mobile Internet at up to 150 MB/s (download) and 50 MB/s (upload) using LTE Cat.4. It supports quad-band GSM, quad-band UMTS, and the LTE frequencies 800, 1800, 2100, and 2600 MHz. The dual-SIM handset features two dedicated micro-SIM card slots and an additional micro-SD card slot - both SIM slots support accessing the LTE mobile network.

Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Mali-T880 MP12, Exynos 8890, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
303 MBit/s +537%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
47.6 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Mali-T880 MP12, Exynos 8890, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
290 MBit/s +480%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
50 MBit/s
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors

The GPS satellite network is used for mobile tracking. Localization was possible without much delay with an accuracy of 9 feet, approximately 3 meters, outdoors. A sufficiently strong signal for an accuracy of approximately 4 meters (~13 ft) was generated in the indoor test. Based on our GPS test, a difference of roughly 70 meters (~230 ft) on the almost 8-kilometer (~5-mile) route is observed between the incorporated GPS module in the Liquid Zest Plus and Garmin's Edge 500 professional GPS reference device - a very good rate for an inexpensive mid-range smartphone.

GPS Acer Liquid Zest Plus
GPS Acer Liquid Zest Plus
GPS Acer Liquid Zest Plus
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500

Telephone and Call Quality

Keypad
Phone app

Acer uses Google's stock phone app for its mid-range smartphone. It provides the usual features, such as favorites, call list, phone book, and search.

The earpiece's sound and voice quality are satisfactory. The contact is clearly understood thanks to the maximum volume - the same is true for the installed microphone. We performed test calls via Skype and the German Vodafone mobile (D) network.

Cameras

Primary camera macro-photo
Front camera photo

The rear-facing camera module has a native resolution of 13 MP. The photos convince with high-contrast color reproduction in good light conditions. The achieved image sharpness of the autofocus is also satisfactory. Focusing on close objects for macro-photos functions well. The wide aperture of f/1.8 produces bright but also often overexposed photos (scene 1 & 3: graffiti and river). The dynamic range is a bit too low, and the photos consequently tend to look too dark in very different light conditions. The Liquid Zest Plus does a poor job in low-light scenarios (scene 3: street) - hardly any content is visible here.

A 5 MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture is installed on the front of Acer's smartphone. The quality is appealing and suitable for selfies and video telephony. Videos can be recorded in a maximum quality of 1080p at 30 FPS.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories and Warranty

Besides the smartphone, we found instructions, an in-ear headset, USB cable, and an 18-watt modular power supply (2A, 9V) in the review sample's box. A flip cover is available for Acer's Liquid Zest Plus for a recommended retail price of 25 Euros (~$28). In addition to protecting the smartphone, the cover offers useful functions, such as displaying the battery state or current weather, and even the option of taking pictures without having to open the case.

A 24-month warranty is included.

Input Devices and Handling

The capacitive touchscreen made a good impression in the test. Inputs were implemented accurately and without delay. The smartphone is used via Android-typical onscreen buttons. Google's stock Android keyboard is preloaded for text inputting ex-factory.

Onscreen keyboard (portrait mode)
Onscreen keyboard (portrait mode)
Onscreen keyboard (landscape mode)

Display

Subpixel grid

The 5.5-inch LCD panel furnished with the Zero Air Gap technology has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. This results in a pixel density of approximately 267 PPI. The resolution provides a sufficient sharpness for everyday use.

The screen's average brightness of 420 cd/m² is on par with our comparison devices, and its illumination of 94 percent is very homogeneous. We determined a similar rate of 418 cd/m² in our measurement of equally distributed bright and dark areas (APL50). The screen achieves a rate of 397 cd/m² when using the adaptive ambient light sensor for controlling the screen's brightness.

412
cd/m²
414
cd/m²
420
cd/m²
411
cd/m²
414
cd/m²
431
cd/m²
424
cd/m²
414
cd/m²
437
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 437 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 419.7 cd/m² Minimum: 15.19 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 414 cd/m²
Contrast: 1255:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 9.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Acer Liquid Z630S
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Leagoo Shark 1
IPS, 1920x1080, 6.00
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Archos 50 Power
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Super AMOLED, 2560x1440, 5.50
Screen
12%
-26%
12%
-1%
51%
Brightness middle
414
350
-15%
471
14%
586
42%
304
-27%
554
34%
Brightness
420
345
-18%
465
11%
566
35%
311
-26%
552
31%
Brightness Distribution
94
84
-11%
82
-13%
84
-11%
83
-12%
96
2%
Black Level *
0.33
0.27
18%
0.9
-173%
0.57
-73%
0.31
6%
Contrast
1255
1296
3%
523
-58%
1028
-18%
981
-22%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
8.1
4.7
42%
7.1
12%
4.2
48%
5.9
27%
1.59
80%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
13.8
8.5
38%
17
-23%
8.4
39%
14.3
-4%
2.56
81%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.6
5.6
42%
7.5
22%
6.3
34%
4.6
52%
2.01
79%
Gamma
2 110%
1.84 120%
2.23 99%
2.39 92%
2.51 88%
2.01 109%
CCT
7754 84%
6795 96%
8261 79%
6614 98%
7088 92%
6321 103%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
82.12
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.98

* ... smaller is better

With a black level of 0.33 cd/m² (APL50: 0.32 cd/m²) and maximum brightness of 437 cd/m², the Liquid Zest Plus offers a high-contrast reproduction of contents (contrast ratio: 1255:1). Acer's smartphone exhibits weaknesses in color accuracy and grayscale levels. The aberrations of 8.1 and 9.6 are somewhat high (target rate <3). Furthermore, the grayscales display a visible blue-greenish tint in bright areas.

CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space: sRGB)
CalMAN Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps (target color space: sRGB)
CalMAN Grayscale (target color space: sRGB)

The viewing angle stability of the LCD panel is very good. Contents are easily read even in direct sunlight outdoors.

Outdoors
Outdoors
Viewing angles

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 44 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18099 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

Acer's Liquid Zest Plus is powered by MediaTek's mid-range ARM SoC (system on a chip) from 2015. The MT6735 is built in 28 nanometers and has four CPU cores based on the 64-bit capable Cortex A53 architecture. In conjunction with 2 GB of RAM, our review sample is on par with the opponents in most benchmarks although it sports a somewhat weaker CPU. However, it cannot compete with the performance of MediaTek's MT6753 in Acer's Liquid Z630S or Leagoo's Shark 1. A similar impression exists in the browser tests as in the benchmark programs.

The performance of the internal 16 GB storage is not particularly fast in sequential read and write, and it lags slightly behind the rivals in the comparison. On the other hand, the access rates in small 4 KB data blocks are in line with the competition. The integrated micro-SD card slot is not the fastest, either. We tested the speed with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M401 reference memory card (max. read: 95 MB/s; write: 80 MB/s). The slot's performance of 28 MB/s (read) and 16 MB/s (write) is rather below average even for an affordable mid-range handset.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
16.17 MB/s
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
18.93 MB/s +17%
Archos 50 Power
MB/s -100%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
50.4 MB/s +212%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
27.68 MB/s
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
38.43 MB/s +39%
Archos 50 Power
MB/s -100%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
76.4 MB/s +176%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
7.95 MB/s
Acer Liquid Z630S
5.82 MB/s -27%
Leagoo Shark 1
6.4 MB/s -19%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
3.6 MB/s -55%
Archos 50 Power
8.78 MB/s +10%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
15.79 MB/s +99%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
20.25 MB/s
Acer Liquid Z630S
28.43 MB/s +40%
Leagoo Shark 1
29.6 MB/s +46%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
9.1 MB/s -55%
Archos 50 Power
26.47 MB/s +31%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
86.7 MB/s +328%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
39.51 MB/s
Acer Liquid Z630S
67.7 MB/s +71%
Leagoo Shark 1
39.6 MB/s 0%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
31.1 MB/s -21%
Archos 50 Power
41.43 MB/s +5%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
145.1 MB/s +267%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
178.6 MB/s
Acer Liquid Z630S
249 MB/s +39%
Leagoo Shark 1
264.1 MB/s +48%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
130.6 MB/s -27%
Archos 50 Power
199.7 MB/s +12%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
487.3 MB/s +173%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
30676 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
35585 Points +16%
Leagoo Shark 1
34261 Points +12%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
26169 Points -15%
Archos 50 Power
23996 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
128749 Points +320%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4944 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
6868 Points +39%
Leagoo Shark 1
5568 Points +13%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
4328 Points -12%
Archos 50 Power
3001 Points -39%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
28671 Points +480%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4333 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
6250 Points +44%
Leagoo Shark 1
4920 Points +14%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
3767 Points -13%
Archos 50 Power
2581 Points -40%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
33031 Points +662%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
9768 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
10508 Points +8%
Leagoo Shark 1
10325 Points +6%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
9043 Points -7%
Archos 50 Power
6981 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
19610 Points +101%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
209 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
278 Points +33%
Leagoo Shark 1
278 Points +33%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
53 Points -75%
Archos 50 Power
122 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2710 (2421min) Points +1197%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
172 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
229 Points +33%
Leagoo Shark 1
232 Points +35%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
42 Points -76%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
3015 (2895min) Points +1653%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
831 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
1113 Points +34%
Leagoo Shark 1
890 Points +7%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
719 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2002 (1539min) Points +141%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
8.4 fps
Acer Liquid Z630S
21 fps +150%
Leagoo Shark 1
8.7 fps +4%
Archos 50 Power
8.6 fps +2%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
51 fps +507%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
14 fps
Acer Liquid Z630S
12 fps -14%
Leagoo Shark 1
8.9 fps -36%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
5.2 fps -63%
Archos 50 Power
4.9 fps -65%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
81 fps +479%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
3 fps
Acer Liquid Z630S
9 fps +200%
Leagoo Shark 1
3.9 fps +30%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
1.8 fps -40%
Archos 50 Power
3.6 fps +20%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
27 fps +800%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
6 fps
Acer Liquid Z630S
4.2 fps -30%
Leagoo Shark 1
4.2 fps -30%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
3.8 fps -37%
Archos 50 Power
1.6 fps -73%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
38 fps +533%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1.9 fps
Leagoo Shark 1
2.2 fps +16%
Archos 50 Power
2.5 fps +32%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
15 fps +689%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4.4 fps
Leagoo Shark 1
2.5 fps -43%
Archos 50 Power
0.87 fps -80%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
28 fps +536%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
3813 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
3814 Points 0%
Leagoo Shark 1
3398 Points -11%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
3691 Points -3%
Archos 50 Power
2824 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
4660 Points +22%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
192 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
691 Points +260%
Leagoo Shark 1
597 Points +211%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
622 Points +224%
Archos 50 Power
176 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2074 Points +980%
System (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1090 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
1614 Points +48%
Leagoo Shark 1
1195 Points +10%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
1088 Points 0%
Archos 50 Power
911 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
4080 Points +274%
Memory (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
450 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
540 Points +20%
Leagoo Shark 1
515 Points +14%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
797 Points +77%
Archos 50 Power
643 Points +43%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2072 Points +360%
Graphics (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
286 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
416 Points +45%
Leagoo Shark 1
418 Points +46%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
317 Points +11%
Archos 50 Power
173 Points -40%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2203 Points +670%
Web (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
10 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
627 Points +6170%
Leagoo Shark 1
611 Points +6010%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
544 Points +5340%
Archos 50 Power
9 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
994 Points +9840%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
12910 ms *
Acer Liquid Z630S
12876 ms * -0%
Leagoo Shark 1
14788 ms * -15%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
13525 ms * -5%
Archos 50 Power
18481 ms * -43%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2564 ms * +80%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
2697 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
2855 Points +6%
Leagoo Shark 1
2992 Points +11%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
2685 Points 0%
Archos 50 Power
2116 Points -22%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
13191 Points +389%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
18.03 Points
Acer Liquid Z630S
19.03 Points +6%
Leagoo Shark 1
17.24 Points -4%
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
17.53 Points -3%
Archos 50 Power
13.16 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
75.1 Points +317%

Legend

 
Acer Liquid Zest Plus Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Liquid Z630S Mediatek MT6753, ARM Mali-T720 MP4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Leagoo Shark 1 Mediatek MT6753, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Archos 50 Power Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa, ARM Mali-T880 MP12, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash

* ... smaller is better

Games

The ARM Mali-T720 MP2 graphics unit integrated into MediaTek's SoC provides enough GPU power for rendering most games from the Play Store, such as "N.O.V.A. 3" or "Need for Speed No Limits", smoothly. However, "Asphalt 8" cannot be played smoothly in high details since the SoC only manages 24 FPS. Both the touchscreen and position sensors functioned impeccably in the test.

"N.O.V.A. 3"
"Need for Speed No Limits"

Emissions

Temperature

Acer's Liquid Zest Plus reached a very high maximum temperature of 39.9 °C (103.8 °F) on the front while idling. The temperature development clearly increases during load. We measured a maximum of 45.1 °C (113.2 °F) in the test. Since the back remains much cooler in both idle and load, the high temperatures on the front will not be particularly negative for everyday use.

Max. Load
 42.5 °C
109 F
42.6 °C
109 F
45.1 °C
113 F
 
 43.1 °C
110 F
43.7 °C
111 F
44.3 °C
112 F
 
 43.1 °C
110 F
42.9 °C
109 F
42.5 °C
109 F
 
Maximum: 45.1 °C = 113 F
Average: 43.3 °C = 110 F
39.1 °C
102 F
40.6 °C
105 F
41.4 °C
107 F
39.2 °C
103 F
40.8 °C
105 F
41.8 °C
107 F
37.8 °C
100 F
40.2 °C
104 F
41.5 °C
107 F
Maximum: 41.8 °C = 107 F
Average: 40.3 °C = 105 F
Power Supply (max.)  37.4 °C = 99 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 43.3 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 45.1 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.8 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 36.5 °C / 98 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

Pink Noise speaker test

The rear-sided mono speaker achieves a maximum volume of 85 dB(A). Its sound quality is on a good level for the price range, and it hardly sounds tinny even when increasing the volume. The Pink Noise measurement clearly illustrates that the mid-range and high tones are relatively linear while low tones below 250 Hz are virtually absent in the sound characteristics.

The playback quality using the 3.5-mm jack alongside DTS-HD Premium Sound is good and also sufficiently loud.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.435.62531.335.23131.735.8402627.65039.436.26336.234.28028.627.710025.425.112521.32316023.326.120022.532.225022.440.131521.346.440018.454.650017.563.263017.564.380017.268.3100016.871.1125017.372.8160017.472200016.673.1250017.373315017.672.9400017.674.1500017.772.7630017.473.1800017.772.91000017.972.11250018.173.91600018.175.8SPL29.884.3N1.357.6median 17.7median 72Delta1.71240.433.132.440.436.935.631.336.931.428.931.731.431.227.32631.236.935.639.436.931.127.936.231.130.223.228.630.223.924.525.423.924.624.221.324.62622.123.32632.129.122.532.141.938.122.441.952.545.521.352.555.852.618.455.863.859.617.563.870.367.217.570.370.96917.270.975.773.616.875.775.373.417.375.376.372.517.476.377.374.416.677.376.87417.376.875.671.917.675.6747117.67473.571.217.773.573.270.417.473.270.266.717.770.270.367.117.970.363.660.418.163.652.148.718.152.186.583.629.886.564.754.41.364.7median 70.3median 67.1median 17.7median 70.31212.91.71235.342.132.435.331.13031.331.134.630.731.734.633.733.62633.737.436.639.437.434.526.836.234.527.626.728.627.626.124.325.426.124.626.121.324.624.222.723.324.221.620.922.521.626.921.722.426.937.730.521.337.747.441.418.447.459.652.917.559.668.96217.568.975.869.817.275.875.369.816.875.370.165.117.370.166.761.317.466.766.460.216.666.467.66117.367.666.961.317.666.967.862.117.667.869.963.917.769.974.96917.474.980.57517.780.581.676.717.981.671.866.918.171.855.65018.155.685.680.129.885.659.2421.359.2median 66.9median 61.3median 17.7median 66.912.813.91.712.832.633.332.432.635.933.431.335.935.124.931.735.135.130.82635.140.137.339.440.132.429.336.232.4272428.62725.227.525.425.224.727.221.324.72723.523.32729.523.322.529.540.425.722.440.448.728.121.348.755.235.518.455.263.343.317.563.367.747.717.567.774.754.717.274.776.75816.876.775.156.217.375.173.153.917.473.17352.716.67371.451.417.371.471.751.717.671.772.751.517.672.774.654.517.774.674.854.617.474.87353.117.77371.85217.971.864.944.718.164.949.729.618.149.785.265.529.885.262.218.61.362.2median 71.4median 51.4median 17.7median 71.412.111.61.712.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Liquid Zest PlusAcer Liquid Z630SAsus ZenFone Max ZC550KLArchos 50 Power
Acer Liquid Zest Plus audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 39.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 46% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 65% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Acer Liquid Z630S audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 36.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 57% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 40.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 87% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 10% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Archos 50 Power audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 38.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 55% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 73% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (check boxes above can be turned on/off!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The Liquid Zest Plus consumes considerably less power than our listed comparison handsets with a similar screen size. The maximum load power consumption of 4.49 watts is on a very good level for a 5.5-inch smartphone. This rate was reached using maximum screen brightness and loaded SoC via the Stability Test application.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.04 / 0.25 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.83 / 2.06 / 2.08 Watt
Load midlight 3.53 / 4.49 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Gossen Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
5000 mAh
Acer Liquid Z630S
4000 mAh
Leagoo Shark 1
6300 mAh
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
5000 mAh
Archos 50 Power
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
3600 mAh
Power Consumption
-39%
-52%
-26%
-43%
-4%
Idle Minimum *
0.83
1.82
-119%
0.59
29%
1.15
-39%
1.66
-100%
0.63
24%
Idle Average *
2.06
2.35
-14%
3.22
-56%
2.09
-1%
2.88
-40%
1.1
47%
Idle Maximum *
2.08
2.6
-25%
3.45
-66%
2.17
-4%
3.46
-66%
1.56
25%
Load Average *
3.53
3.69
-5%
6.93
-96%
5.38
-52%
3.96
-12%
5.95
-69%
Load Maximum *
4.49
5.98
-33%
7.59
-69%
6.08
-35%
4.34
3%
6.7
-49%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

Acer's smartphone achieves a good outcome in our Wi-Fi test using an adapted screen brightness of 150 cd/m². However, 13 hours and 35 minutes are a bit disappointing in view of the battery size and good energy management. Asus' ZenFone Max ZC550KL, also with a 5000 mAh battery, manages 2 hours more although its power consumption is slightly higher.

Thanks to the Quick Charge technology, the battery is fully recharged in roughly 2 hours despite the high nominal capacity. Approximately 50 percent are reached in just less than one hour.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
13h 35min
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
5000 mAh
Acer Liquid Z630S
4000 mAh
Leagoo Shark 1
6300 mAh
Asus ZenFone Max ZC550KL
5000 mAh
Archos 50 Power
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
3600 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
815
681
-16%
542
-33%
959
18%
592
-27%
732
-10%

Pros

+ long battery life
+ high-contrast IPS panel
+ dual-SIM
+ storage expansion
+ music playback (speaker/3.5-mm jack)

Cons

- camera tends to overexposure
- performance
- slow eMMC storage
- handset's dimensions

Verdict

In review: Acer Liquid Zest Plus. Review sample courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de
In review: Acer Liquid Zest Plus. Review sample courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de

Acer's Liquid Zest Plus presented itself to us as a decent mid-range smartphone from the lower price level in the test.

Users dependent on a long battery life will find Acer's Liquid Zest Plus to be a good alternative to existing long-running smartphones on the market. Everyone else can find better and higher-quality models, such as ZTE's Blade V7 or Honor's 5C, for a street price of around 200 Euros (~$225).

In particular, the high-contrast IPS panel, the decent music playback quality via speaker and 3.5-mm jack, dual-SIM functionality, and long battery life in the Wi-Fi test have to be highlighted here. The latter is, however, at the expense of performance (weak SoC) and a superior technical configuration (720p resolution vs. 1080p) - both features are actually no longer contemporary for a 200-Euro (~$225), 5.5-inch handset. Furthermore, the plastic casing lacks a bit of quality feel compared with smartphones made of metal or glass.

Acer Liquid Zest Plus - 09/14/2016 v5.1(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
81%
Keyboard
69 / 75 → 92%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
43 / 60 → 72%
Weight
90%
Battery
97%
Display
81%
Games Performance
14 / 63 → 22%
Application Performance
29 / 70 → 42%
Temperature
82%
Noise
100%
Audio
73 / 91 → 80%
Camera
68%
Average
71%
82%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2016-09-19 (Update: 2018-05-15)