Sometimes you just do not require the latest flagship cell phone with lasers and finger print scanners crammed into gleaming bodies of aluminum and ion strengthened cup. Often you’d be willing to go for something simpler. That is particularly the instance if somebody assures you a lot of the nice material for very little money. We are dealing with the Acer Liquid Jade Z, which offers some elegant electronics just for £150. Is it too excellent to be real?
Slippery structure
Unfortunately, yes it is. Despite having the ability to boast a 5in 720p display screen and a 13-megapixel camera, this budget version is a bit frustrating. Initial impressions aren’t excellent. It’s a mess of a design, with a brushed effect on the plastic back that will convince no one it is constructed of steel. It does not feel good to carry, as a result of a slippery structure that works contrary to the slim profile, in addition to an electrical button that has no company coming to the top of the device. Then there’s the construction: its mildly versatile nature does little to reassure us that this mobile phone is made to final. But to hell with all the design – at this cost we would opt for a Toblerone shaped phone if the photo and sound quality were up to scrape.
Great viewing angles
Unfortunately, the image top quality isn’t really. The size (5in) and resolution (720p) for the display allures, and it does a superb job with sharpness and comparison. Browsing perspectives are good for an LCD screen, however the white balance is a little off. To your eyes (and specially when in contrast to your competitors) it seems a bit eco-friendly. General procedure is erratic. Navigation between applications and menus is smooth sufficient, but during our test it occasionally slowed down to a crawl. We wish the user interface (Acer’s very own, on top of Android 4.4 KitKat) were only a little cleaner. There was a lot of bloatware, much of which will be maybe not detachable and eventually ends up taking area unnecessarily. Talking about which, there is a microSD card port, which we would advise utilizing due to the fact the integrated 8GB storage does not go really much. We were able to pack just one 720p clip, 15 44.1kHz WAV files and two high-res cds before we ran out of space.
Just a little unclear
We’re perhaps not taken aided by the Acer Liquid Jade Z‘s sound efficiency. It’s a thin, insubstantial delivery. We’re maybe not anticipating the type of bass that endangers our eardrums, but far better tonal balance will be good. Detail is not fantastic either – textures are not easily defined and it all sounds a little vague. The Acer flaunts DTS Studio Sound, but this might be virtually an EQ that does bit to improve the aural experience.
Slow-moving camera
Can the 13-megapixel camera save your day? Not really. In writing, the specification appears promising, specifically keeping that f/1.8 lens placing it on par with all the Samsung Galaxy S6. But in truth it does not even come near. For a start, the software is slow-moving, as well as once it’s packed, specifics miss. It’s not sharp sufficient to really engrave those textures.
Never to be scoffed at
Yes, it’s inexpensive. And also for the money, you will get a 5in 720p screen, which is never to be discounted. But that isn’t sufficient to outweigh the Acer Liquid Jade Z‘s other defects. It’s because discouraging as it is disappointing, specially when comparable money could buy you a surprisingly great Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 (4.7). If you should be seeking to save money it may be well worth taking a look at the Acer – but for just a little more you might do a lot better.