Android-based Acer Liquid Z5 with Windows Phone-like launcher released in Europe and Asia

Earlier this month, Acer unveiled its latest affordable Android smartphone, the Liquid Z5, saying that it would launch it “in the coming weeks.” Well, the Z5 is now available in some European markets, as well as in Taiwan (Acer’s home country).

In our CES hands-on with the Acer Liquid Z5 we showed you that, just like the older Liquid Z3, the handset featured Quick Modes - a simple launcher (aimed at smartphone novices) that makes Android look a lot like Windows Phone 8. As ePrice reports, Acer is actually commercializing the Z5 with this WP-like launcher among its main features in Taiwan. It remains to be seen if Microsoft will have anything to say about this apparent design rip-off.

Taiwan aside, we’re seeing the Liquid Z5 on sale in the UK, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Amazon France seems to have the best price: $229 (€169). The Z5 is based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, sporting a 5-inch display with 480 x 854 pixels, and further offering: a multi-purpose Acer Rapid button on the back, 5MP camera, dual-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory, MicroSD card support (up to 64GB), and a 2,000 mAh battery.


sources: ePrice (translated), Amazon France