Acer launches Android phone

Acer’s first Android handset, the A1 Liquid, which was announced back in October, will apparently be shipping this week. According to Aymar de Lencquesaing, head of Acer’s phone unit, the company is planning 8 to 10 new smartphones for 2010, and they expect the balance between Android and Windows Mobile in the new range to be “much more balanced”.

A1 is packing a 3.5? WVGA display, 1 Ghz processor, A-GPS, 5 megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Acer remains tentative about its entry into the crowded smartphone market, aiming at 8-10 handset releases per year, and hope to nab a 6 – 7% market share in the next 3-5 years, but Android should do a better job at spearheading Acer’s entry than Windows Mobile. Leaked projections for the A1 are estimating 1.5 – 2 million sales in 2010, and 500,000 before the end of the year, though it’s a little late launching to reasonably expect in-store holiday stock to be stable.