The Acer beTouch E101 is being released alongside three other phones. These four Windows Mobile touch screen phones all varied in range and function (with the exception of the E101 and the E100), as they target different markets. The neoTouch, originally the Acer F1, is the high tier device with amazing hardware features and a proportionally hefty price tag.
The beTouch series are three mobile phones designed for the general market. The only difference between the E100 and E101 is that the E101 is a dedicated GSM device while the other is a 3G mobile phone. Both the E101 and E100 share the same specifications and is the runt of the litter. They possess the lowest specifications but are also the cheapest. While the E100 is scraping bottom in the 3G food chain, the E101 is a top device amongst GSM phones.
Good Phone, Bad Touch Screen
There are plenty of criticisms for resistive touch screen phones. The difference really is not all that bad; but in some cases, the old stylus-based nature of the resistive touch screen makes its capabilities and potential quite limited as compared to the functionality of the capacitive touch screen found in most devices today. The real deal with the little difference in technology does not rely on the fact that resistive touch screens are old technology, but due to the fact that capacitive touch screens are fast becoming the norm.
By choosing to use the old technology, the E101 feels more like an old stubborn mobile phone refusing to change for the better. Capacitive touch screens are the new standard; with multi touch at the immediate horizon of touch screen technology, resistive touch screens are fast becoming obsolete.
The beTouch E101 Specifications
Being a GSM device, the E101 has pretty impressive specifications. With its internal 256MB of RAM and 512 MB of ROM, the device sports more than enough memory to run Windows Mobile 6.5 and other applications. All software will be run by a Qualcomm MSM 7225 528 MHz processor. That is impressive technology, for a GSM. If you are 3G smart phone and you find yourself yawning at these specifications, you are not alone. Most people take for granted how far the functionalities of 3G phones are over GSM models, even new ones.
The beTouch E101 also has A-GPS capabilities so expect some navigation oriented applications. It supports Bluetooth accessories such as wireless headsets. Since the E101 runs Windows Mobile 6.5 it has both Pocket Office and Outlook Mobile for both documents and emails. The lack of wireless LAN restricts high speed net access, but you can still use GPRS and EDGE networks. The lack of 3G HSDPA is the most noticeable difference since 3G technology allows you to stay connected all the time.
Just in Time for Windows Mobile 6.5.1
With Windows Mobile 7 still remaining in the shadows of Microsoft’s development laboratories, we can expect that Windows Mobile 6.5.1 will be seeing a few more additions down the line. Most of us are compelled to believe that the beTouch and neoTouch were initially meant for the launch of Windows Mobile 7.
Since Mircosoft is showing no signs of releasing the new OS anytime soon, Acer may have opted to just use Windows Mobile 6.5. Still, there is hope, if the four units that Acer just made are Windows Mobile 7 compatible, then all users will need to do is upgrade their existing Windows Mobile device and get version 7. The biggest concern then would be that the E100 and E101 will not be fully capable of running Windows Mobile 7 properly.
Acer beTouch E101 Links:
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