Review Acer Liquid S1 Phablet Update

The Acer Liquid S1 is not the slimmest phablet and at 9.6 mm height it is exactly between the 8-mm Samsung Galaxy Mega and the Huawei Ascend Mate (9.9 mm). It looks even slimmer thanks to the rounded edges. With dimensions of 163 mm x 83 mm the phablet is quite large for its relatively small 5.7-inch display. The competition is clearly in the lead here, especially the Huawei Ascend Mate with dimensions of 163.5 mm x 85.7 mm and a 6.1-inch display. It narrowly beats the competition with a weight of 195 grams.

Our pre-production model’s case was not yet in its final state and according to Acer the quality should improve. For example, the removable back cover did not fit 100% tightly and it rattled. This shortcoming has been remedied by Acer in the production model. The back cover sits very tight on the edges and there is only a slight play in the center, right above the battery, which is not annoying in everyday use. A further weakness of the pre-production model has not been completely dealt with. The Liquid S1 can still be twisted to an extent, which causes visible image distortions on the display.

Acer cannot be criticized in terms of design, even though the phablet is made purely of plastic. The front has a nice, shiny black border that curves over the top of the phone near the earpiece.

The chic and clearly marked touch buttons, located on the lower part of the front of the device, also deserve a positive mentioning. The back has an anti-skid surface, carries a  large, silver Acer logo, and its sloping sides give it a slender feel. With its chrome-colored inset and slight curve, the phablet’s silhouette is also attractive. Those who like a little variety in their device design will be happy to hear that Acer supplies both a black and a white back cover with every device.

Software

In terms of software, Acer put real effort into expanding the Android 4.2 operating system in a useful way. Voice control for the camera, multi-tasking for particular apps, cloud service, and automatic profiles assist the user in everyday situations.

How useful are these enhancements? Anyone who has been frustrated with blurry pictures on a cell phone camera will be happy with the voice control: simply say “cheese” or "capture" while using the camera app and the Liquid S1 automatically takes a picture. We already experienced how helpful this function is on the Samsung Galaxy S4. Unfortunately, even on our production model the voice commands work only in English.

Thanks to “Float UI”, certain apps (camera, calculator, notes and maps) can be launched in their own window that floats over the desktop or other apps. This feature functions very well and can certainly be useful.

The automatic profiles are a real innovation. The Acer Liquid S1 determines your current location via GPS. If you have previously saved your home or office location, the phablet can automatically select the profile to match your surroundings. For example - turn off the ringer in the office or set the ringer as loud as possible and turn on the WLAN when at home. There is an extensive set of options for this feature. In our short test, the phablet recognized our location very reliably.

Another small, but useful, software addition is the printing software “Acer Print”, which finally enables you to print from your smartphone, as long as your printer supports WLAN. The phone also comes with a software program called “Moodagent”, which uses your choice of music to recognize your mood and create dynamic playlists to suit it. We were also pleased that our production model was free of bloatware.

Communication & GPS

Anyone who wants to be equipped for the future with LTE reception will have to look elsewhere. The same goes for fans of the near-field communication “NFC”, because it is also not installed. Instead, we have HSPA as the quickest communication technology, dual-band reception in 3G mode and quad-band reception in 2G mode. The latter may be of particular interest to those who travel frequently, as the frequencies used in different countries often vary. The supported WLAN standards are 802.11 b/g/n. Here too, there is a new standard (802.11 ac) that is not integrated. The WLAN module’s reception fluctuates between ¾ and ½ at a distance of ten meters (~33 feet) and through three walls, which is acceptable.

The GPS module is not really convincing. On the balcony and two meters (~7 feet) away from the nearest house wall the smartphone can only find five satellites, which is not enough to determine the position. Indoors there is absolutely no reception.

The bad reception also shows in our proven comparison test with the navigation software by Garmin. We took a ride on the bicycle along a test track, which offers a variety of landscape characteristics. More precisely, here we have a small, dense forest and a bridge crossing with a subsequent S-curve. We used the fitness app Runtastic for this test.

Even the specialized device shows weaknesses in the forest, but our test sample showed that we went straight through it and also clearly off the actually traveled track. According to the Acer Liquid S1 we have obviously left the bridge next to us and went flying over the road. As soon as we deviate from a straight line, the location jumps in a zig-zag pattern. In short: the device does not seem to be appropriate for decent navigation, which is a pity considering the large display.

The keyboard is another area where we see that Acer did not tinker much with the Android 4.2 OS: it is also Google Android’s standard model. If you hold down the space key, you can bring up other input mode options. The phone supports speech recognition and Swype, a keyboard on which you simply “swipe” from letter to letter to form the words you want.

When it comes to the keyboard, the size of the 5.7-inch display is a clear advantage, since there is space to hit the keys with reliable accuracy. In landscape mode, the keys are so big that you can even type with two hands.

Another input option is the Acer speech recognition, which controls the shutter on the camera and brings up individual apps using previously set commands. It also functions quite reliably.

The touchscreen can be controlled with up to ten fingers or a stylus. Unfortunately, Acer has not included a stylus with the model, so we could not test out this function. The phablet reacts very well to finger input, and the display surface is comfortably smooth.

In principle, outdoor use is possible. Because the display is very reflective, nothing is visible on the screen in direct sunlight, even at the display’s highest brightness level. Thanks to the phablet’s reliable brightness sensor, in less bright environments the image produced is almost always optimal.

Acer has not worked on improving the viewing angles either. Although the content of the screen is still recognizable even from very steep angles, the colors are badly distorted. White spots, for instance, are tinted with a distinct yellow cast.