Summary
- Acer is returning to smartphones with two new phones launching later this month.
- The specs are pretty modest, such as MediaTek Helio processors from a year or two ago, and Android 14.
- The phones are likely assembled by a third party, and Acer is simply relabeling them as its own.
Over the years, Acer has primarily been associated with computing. We have seen it excel at desktops, laptops, monitors, and in recent years, Chromebooks. The majority may be unaware of this, but the company has also tried its hand at smartphones. And we just learned that it’s making a comeback at that. Except, these are likely phones manufactured by a third party that Acer is rebadging to sell under its name. Acer’s relabeling also extends to scooters, audio products, and TVs.
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As spotted by GSMArena, Acer is releasing two new phones on March 25. The phone’s names are a handful: the Acerpure Acerone Liquid S162E4 and the Acerpure Acerone Liquid S272E4 — or, as those with a large Plex library might call them, the Season 162, Episode 4 and the Season 272, Episode 4. Both phones are allegedly under $100, offering specs that match the incredibly modest price.
The Acer S162 (left) and Acer S272 (right)
Features as barebones as they can get
Here’s what Acer’s upcoming phones will offer. The S162 will sport a 6.5-inch LCD with HD+ resolution. A fairly modest MediaTek Helio P35 processor and Android 14 will power the phone, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
In terms of cameras, you get a 5MP front and 16MP rear camera. The top bezel on the display will feature a waterdrop notch to fit the front camera. The phone will apparently embed a 5,000 mAh battery and Type-C charging. Other features will include FM Radio (vintage, I know), Bluetooth, and a dual nano SIM slot. The dual SIM slot will be hybrid, meaning it can hold either a second SIM or a microSD card for extended storage.
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Looking at the power button’s flat surface, GSMArena speculates that it’ll double as a fingerprint scanner — though Acer doesn’t make any mention of biometrics in its spec sheet, so we wouldn’t bet on it. The expected color variant on the S162E4 is this shade that looks like icy blue.
Source: Acer
The second phone in this series, the one we’ll just call the S272, offers features that are even more entry-level than its counterpart, at least processor-wise. You get a Helio G36 chip on this one, which is almost a whole year older than the Helio P35 (late 2023 compared to December 2024).
The RAM, storage, battery, front camera, and OS specs mirror those of the other phone. The two main differences on this model are a slightly bigger display — 6.74 inches — and a more advanced rear camera — 20MPs.
Source: Acer
On paper, at least, none of the features on Acer’s upcoming phones jump out at you. But there’s a market for everything. And looking at the modest price of these devices, they’ll likely appeal to kids or folks with light pockets.
Acer Liquid S162E4
The Acer Liquid S162 — also known by its full name, the Acerpure Acerone Liquid S162E4 — is the better of two new budget-minded handsets from a brand that has made Android phones in the past, but has since become more associated with laptops and Chromebooks.