Skip to main content

Acer brings its Liquid Jade Z and Liquid Z410 budget phones to the U.S.

Acer Liquid Jade Z
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Acer usually stays clear of the United States, considering its main markets have always been in Southeast Asia. However, it seems that Acer may be looking to make waves in the U.S. at the lower-end of the spectrum. Acer announced that two of its smartphones will hit the States in September. The Liquid Jade Z and Liquid Z410 will both arrive unlocked, after a few months of sale in Asia.

The Liquid Jade Z is the star of the show, with a 5-inch HD (1,280 x 720 pixels) display, 13-megapixel camera, and a thin light design. Internally, a quad-core MediaTek processor powers the smartphone, alongside your choice of either 16GB of onboard storage with 1GB of RAM, or 16GB of onboard storage with 2GB of RAM.

The Liquid Z410 is a little less impressive, with a 4.5-inch qHD (540 x 960 pixels) display. It runs on a lower performance MediaTek processor, but with either 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM, or 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. Acer lowered the camera resolution to 5-megapixels on the Liquid Z410, and the device is 40 grams heavier than the Liquid Jade Z.

Both smartphones run on Android KitKat 4.4, which is outdated now that Android Marshmallow 6.0 is on the way. Acer has not confirmed whether the devices will receive Android Lollipop 5.0 or will skip to Android Marshmallow when they get an update.

The entry-level Liquid Jade Z will be available unlocked for $230, but it’ll cost you $250 for the 16GB/2GB configuration. The Liquid Z410 will be much more affordable, priced at $130 or $150, depending on the configuration. Both devices are unlocked and work on all 4 carriers in the United States.

The Liquid Z410 does strike a market that is lacking in decent low-end smartphones, but Acer’s Liquid Jade Z is treading into the same market that the Wileyfox Swift and Storm, and the Obi Worldphone SF1 and SJ1.5 are competing. All of these other budget devices are higher calibre smartphones. In addition, there’s the new Moto G from Motorola, which costs a mere $180 and offers many of the same specs as the Jade Z, as well as customization options and waterproofing.

Editors' Recommendations

David Curry
Former Digital Trends Contributor
David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…
Best Apple deals: Save on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, MacBook
Apple MacBook Air M1 open, on a table.

Apple has been a big player in the tech space for a long time, and it has pioneered some of the technology we use today, such as best wireless earbuds and the best smartwatches. If that wasn't enough, it even makes some of the best best laptops and best tablets on the market, so pretty much whatever tech you're looking for, Apple has an excellent version of it. Not only that, but Apple's ecosystem is also easily one of the best available, with only Samsung really competing in that space, and if you're already in the Apple ecosystem, then it makes sense to continue buying stuff from Apple.

Of course, Apple tech can be quite pricey, which is why we've gone out and searched through various big retailers to find you some of the best deals we can find. That includes everything from the MacBook deals, AirPods deals, Apple TV deals and Apple Watch deals to the AirTag, so hopefully, you can find the perfect deal that fits your needs and budget.
Apple AirTag (4-Pack) -- $80, was $99

Read more
This is the iPhone concept of my dreams
iPhone concept mimicking iPad Pro desgn.

It’s an odd day to be talking about iPhone design. Yesterday, Apple delivered what can be called the pinnacle of tablet aesthetics with the 2024 iPad Pro, which is even slimmer than the iPod Nano. Today, Bloomberg reports that Duncan Kerr -- a design executive from the legendary Jony Ive group and was a key figure behind the iPhone, iPad, and Mac products since 1999 -- is leaving the company.

It’s a great loss for Apple and disheartening news for iPhone enthusiasts. Apple almost seems obsessed with the design language it introduced with the iPhone 11 series. And if recent leaks are any indication, we are going back to the iPhone X days with the non-Pro iPhone 16 models later this year.

Read more
I spent five days wearing an Apple Watch clone, and now I’m angry
A person wearing the Huawei Watch Fit 3.

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 really makes me angry. Not because of the way it works or anything it does, but because of its lazy design, which makes it look like an Apple Watch.

It’s not a passing resemblance, it’s not subtle, and no one will need the similarities pointed out to get what I’m talking about. It’s a straight clone, and it’s extremely disappointing. What makes it worse is that the Huawei Watch Fit 3 is actually a very good smartwatch underneath — assuming you can get past its Apple Watch "inspiration."
An undeniable Apple Watch clone
Apple Watch Series 9 (left) and Huawei Watch Fit 3 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more