Software
As we have mentioned, Acer mainly decided
not to put hand into the Android experience, which will satisfy many users.
While we do not object to the manufacturers adding a little spice to the
software of the phone, it will be much better if it is just a little bit of
features rather than a heavy-handed attempt to overhaul the software. Luckily,
the Acer team has sprinkled a few interesting discreet things, which mostly
increase - or at least do not reduce – the overall experience.
With regard to the essential features, it's
Android (4.0.4, in this case). The buttons on the screen, Wi-Fi, the battery
and signal icons remain constant. The same is true for the app tray, the home
screens and core application icons (camera, browser and so on). In fact, you
may not even notice the difference immediately. But when you realize, the first
thing that will probably be taken notice is the pull-down notification list.
Unlike slide-to-disappear notifications of Android, the CloudMobile has its own
list, which can be removed with the "X". When in this screen, you can
also see a number of quick access controls on the top. They allow you to go
into the music player, notifier, and quick settings (Wi-Fi on / off, mobile
data ... etc.) and the alarm clock.
With
regard to the essential features, it's Android (4.0.4, in this case)
Another pleasant addition is the shortcuts
on the lock screen. Press the standby button to wake the phone, you can either
stroke to unlock, or press and then stroke along one of the four icons below to
go straight to that application. They can be configured for the application of
your choice by long pressing a vacant position on the home screen. You may also
be pleasantly surprised to realize that Swype is installed from scratch, so if
you like it, then you are lucky. Otherwise, you can turn it off, or set up your
favorite keyboard.
The last software function we will mention
is the cloud as you know, the series of features suggested in the name of the
phone. Although the phone is obviously named after the services are connected
to its cloud, this function actually has a slightly lower position in the phone
software. Once opened, the built-in AcerCloud application will prompt you to
register your account. After you do that, you can set the phone to
automatically sync photos, videos, music and documents over any other devices
with installed applications. Currently, it is limited to Android devices and
Windows PCs.
This service works as planned: taking
pictures, then it will appear in your synced folder on the other devices.
However, from what we can mention, there is no way to view these files online
via the browser, but it looks like one important feature that is missing.
Therefore, it seems this feature is to help you sync media across different
devices. That is fine, but this functionality is available in several different
popular versions such as Google Drive, SkyDrive and Dropbox, along with other
applications – none of applications that are required to buy hardware.
Unfortunately, this feature was not added much more, but perhaps this is what
Acer plans to build on with later versions.
Conclusion
Acer
can provide Android phones worthy of your money spent.
If it feels like we have concealed our
enthusiasm throughout this review, it is true that we have. Not surprisingly, a
phone we saw back in February did not provide the impressive specs on November.
However, there are a few times when excitement levels reach the red. For
instance, the screen is interesting to look at, and some changes to Android are
fine enough so that we'll miss them when they return to our daily phones. In
short, it is a phone that keeps you calm down.
Most importantly, Acer has created a device
that has its own position before a large number of fairly big competitors. It
is just as with Google's Nexus 4 that has recently been sold for about $75 less
SIM-free; it's hard to find a reason to choose this phone over the other. If
there is any consolation that Acer can draw from this, it is that it is one of
the challenges that other Android phone manufacturers might face in the coming
months. It is worth mentioning here is that Acer can provide Android phones
worthy of your money spent - it just accelerates the launching cycle.
Info
·
Product name: Acer CloudMobile (S500)
·
Price: $ 460
Advantages
·
The great screen
·
The useful software additions
·
The excellent performance
The
great screen
Disadvantages
·
The front-facing camera is weak.
·
The Cloud service is very inflexible.
Verdict
·
Acer's CloudMobile is a stable smartphone that
will serve most of regular Android users and prove to be full of promise for
the future devices from this brand.
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Acer
CloudMobile (S500) specifications
·
Thickness: 0.39 inches
·
Form factor: Slab
·
Color: Gray
·
Screen size (diagonal): 4.3 inches
·
Resolution (Y): 1280 px
·
Resolution (X): 720 px
·
PPI: 342
·
Rear camera: Flash LED
·
Operating system: Android
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