By We found this phone sitting inside the display case alongside its huge army of Android big brethren during last week’s Google I/O conference. Before then, we’d never heard of the Acer Liquid Stream, and all we could walk away with is a name and a picture of how the phone looks (and it doesn’t look bad at all, I’ll add).
Android France seems to have stumbled across some information from their Acer source that will kick off the countdown to more official information on the device. First, they expect that the phone will be launched sometime in October of 2010. It’ll also come stock with Android 2.1 (bummer, right?) but that’s probably because Acer’s been building a brand new custom user interface which has been in the works since before the announcement of Froyo.
We’re expecting more details to come from Android France soon, and we’ll let you know when they do bring us more.
“Liquid Stream”? Seriously? That’s the name? That’s worse than “Wii.” Why don’t we just get it over with and call it the Pissphone.
Gosh dang these companies and their custom UIs!
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Can’t they tell that every company is getting screwed by custom UIs built into their ROMs? It’s delaying EVERYTHING!
Just make them an App already! Please!
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A lot of us don’t even like them for crying out loud.
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Sigh…Sorry…
Well i like the design but stock UI is better though.
I saw a Youtube video. And these are rumored specs:
3.7″ AMOLED and 1 GHz Snapdragon (not underclocked/undervolted). I am guessing 512 megs of ram as that is what the Liquid E will have.
I have a Liquid and love it but do not like the media keys on this phone.
It isn’t the companies getting scrooowed by custom UI’s, it’s the end users. The companies love it. Product differentiation. (The fact that customers get screwed is just an added bonus to the companies.) It is the end users who must wait for updated Android releases. It’s the end users who, as you say, hate these custom UI’s.
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Hey, I have an idea! Let’s make every automobile have a custom UI! Some could have a rear mounted steering tiller. Some could put a joystick in the center console. On some brands lets reverse the accelerator and brake pedals. (Oh gawd I should patent this idea under our broken patent system.)
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But seriously, I understand the realities of product differentiation. How about differentiating your product on how superior it is! Screen size. Brightness. Battery life. Weight. Memory. Speed. Styling. Preinstalled apps. Wallpaper.
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You know, sort of how PC’s are differentiated yet they all run Windows with a uniform UI. (Not that I like Windows.)
Liquid Stream… How about Solid Crystal, or Gaseous Air…
Ok, Air can be a liquid too I suppose, is it still air?
Liquid Stream is not the official name of this product BTW
how about a phone with a good keyboard and trackball for product differentiation
Really wish they kept the same design (out something similar) as the current Liquid and just upped the screen to 3.7″ AMOLED, upped the processor to 1GHz. Saw the youtube video and those media keys really give it am ugly look (this is a smartphone, it makes it look like a teenager’s device). And it will have Eclair? By then, we will be talking Gingerbread! At least have Froyo. Looks like I (and many other current Liquid users) will be leaving Acer for HTC or Motorola at the end of the year or early next year (shame because the Liquid is a really nice phone and this los like a downgrade from the upcoming Liquid E).
Not much of an upgrade from Liquid E (still unreleased btw). Android device makers should focus on better hardware specs at low prices & quick android updates. Leave the apps, OS, & other software tweaks to those who specialize in them. Trying to be everything to everyone is the surest way for a company to fail.
I agree, the special UI should be separate. When you go to the app store, they should have a separate UI section for people who want them. Every phone should get the new update at basically the same time. I know it takes time for the providers to make sure everything works on the specific phones so maybe it’ll be a week or two, but with the special UI’s it takes months. Or at least make it so if you’re not using the special UI on your phone you can get the OS upgrade earlier. In every phone there is a way to go to the regular Android UI, if you have this option set then you get the update at an earlier time. If you’re using the special UI then you wait.
We have to wait til October of this year? For crying out loud, does Jobs et al have ATT by the balls or what?