Acer Liquid Jade Z – Hardware Review
Thanks to Acer we have had the chance to try out several of their Liquid series of smartphones, with the Acer Liquid Jade being the last one. We agreed that the Jade was a great device with high performance for its quite low price. It has been several months, but now Acer released their follow up version, namely the Liquid Jade Z. Even though this one is marked as a better device, we’re not fully convinced.
Design
Just like the original Jade, the Jade Z still has elegance in mind when it comes to the overall design. Nonetheless, this successor seems to have a few more rugged features, which some users will certainly appreciate, as Acer tries to bring something original to the equation again.
The frame is kept to a minimum and nearly the entire front of the device consists out of the 5 inch screen. Thanks to the small ‘frame’ surrounding the screen, you’ll still be able to enjoy a reasonably compact device. The slimness of the Jade Z makes it easier to store in your pockets and the only ‘thicker’ part of the device is the protrusive camera lens.
Whilst the Jade has a very smooth case, the Jade Z tries a rough gridded design on its plastic. This makes the device look a bit more ‘old school’ and may remind one of the feel of a pair of jeans. A fun and distinct feature that is quite original and gives the Jade Z an original appearance.
Comfort
Like its predecessor, the Jade Z aimed for the same weight thus making sure that the device would be very light. With a weight of around 110 grams, you’ll have a very comfortable experience when playing games for longer periods of time or when storing it in a pocket when walking around.
Acer aimed for a rounded off design, removing all the rough edges other devices usually have. Thanks to this, the smartphone feels quite pleasant when holding it. You’ll also notice the rugged texture, providing more grip. That being said, due to the rugged texture the case feels a bit more like a ‘piece of plastic’.
The device only has two exterior buttons, one serving as the power/unlock/lock button, the other to arrange audio profiles and volume settings. Both buttons feel a bit more flimsy compared to the original Jade, but they do the trick.
A remarkable change compared to the previous change is that the screen’s edges are not rounded off anymore. You’ll feel the transition from monitor to frame quite easily and in some ways a bit too much.
Specs
- 5” HD Display (1280 x 720)
- 8 GB ROM
- 1 GB RAM
- Quad core 1.5 GHz
- 13 MP camera (back)
- 8 MP camera (front)
- Option to choose between dual SIM or SIM + mini SD
Overview
You’ll be treated to a 5” monitor, giving you just the right size to use the device both for work and media purposes. As the monitor is coated with corning Gorilla Glass 3, you’ll have to do an effort to actually scratch the surface.
Just like with every other new release in the Liquid series, the processing speed is amped up a little bit again. The Jade Z has a 1.5 GHz quad core processor, ensuring smooth sailing when browsing through the menus, surfing the web or playing (heavier) games. Even though the device works with Android 4.4, which is not the latest version, you’ll still be up-to-date with most functionalities.
Of course, gaming is important for us and Acer’s Liquid Jade Z holds its ground very well in that department. Even though the device does not have the heaviest specs available on the market, it is well capable of playing heavier games and run them smoothly. Heating up is not a real issue either but try to take a break once in awhile as you’ll feel the temperature rising after longer gaming sessions. Even though the device has a better battery than its predecessor, gaming tends to be very consuming for your remaining battery life (just like on any other device).
If you’re intent on playing several games or store a lot of media on the device, you’ll find 8 GB of storage space perhaps a bit too limited, whilst this is nonetheless a decent quantity of room. You’ll be able to expand your memory with a mini SD card for more storage if necessary. If you’d rather use the device as a work related smartphone you can use the extra SD slot as a slot to insert a second SIM.
Snapping photos is done with a 13 MP camera, allowing for rather crisp photos. There is a bit of delay on getting a sharper image, which you’ll sometimes only receive when pressing the screen. After that, pictures are taken with a decent precision and thanks to this you’ll always have a decent camera at hand. Of course there’s a front cam as well for all the selfie lovers among us. Whilst the front cam is less qualitative as the normal camera, you’ll still get reasonably good pictures.
As we also tested the original Liquid Jade, we feel that both devices are actually quite on par with each other, thus not adding that much extra value to this device. In some tests the original Jade proved to respond faster than this so-called improved model. Nonetheless, we were quite satisfied, keeping the retail price in mind.
Conclusion
Acer’s Liquid Jade Z is a decent addition to the already great Liquid series. The Jade Z proves to be affordable, yet it offers specs that other brands often provide at a higher price. You’ll find that the device will be suited for both entertainment and work purposes. Nonetheless we are slightly confused why this device is marketed as ‘much better’ as its predecessor. That being said, the device is well worth the money.
Acer Liquid Jade Z - Hardware Review,
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