Acer is hoping that its NewTouch handset will be a Windows Phone that appeals to both businesspeople and ordinary users alike. 

The IT manufacturer has filled its smartphone with hardware and software that should make it fast and easy-to-use.  But will the 1 GHz Qualcomm processor be able to keep up with version 6.5 of Microsoft's Windows Mobile, an OS which doesn't exactly enjoy a reputation for being fast?  And will Acer suceed in adding an extra software layer to make using the phone simple and fun?



Sensitive exterior


Although the size and shape make the New Touch, which is not as thick as it might have been, make the phone easy to get hold of, it's a lot more frustrating when you look a little closer.  Made entirely of glossy black plastic, the whole thing looks cheap, and as elegant as it be, Acer hasn't chosen its materials wisely.  Worse, the back of the phone is (very) quickly covered in not just greasy fingerprints, which we'd expect, but more irritatingly, lots of little scratches.  We'd advise you don't leave it to get knocked about at the bottom of a bag without some extra protection, which Acer doesn't supply.


When it came to using the phone, we were glad to see that the audio jack was on the top, next to the slot for the stylus, which is tricky to get in and out.  Once you have the New Touch in your pocket, the headphone cable won't get in your way.  The handful of touch-sensitive buttons at the bottom of the screen (for accepting and rejecting calls and returning to the main menu) are easy to use and responsive.  Perhaps a little too responsive, actually: we sometimes found ourselves pressing one by accident.


The touchsreen uses resistive technology, which means you need to apply a small amount of pressure, rather than just brushing your finger across it like with a capacitative display.  Measuring 3.8'', it has a reasonable resolution of 480 x 800 pixels and has good contrast.  You will, however, suffer from reflections on its glossy surface.  When we were trying it out, we found that it was accurate, and even though some of the icons are too small to use with your finger, every command is registered correctly when you manage to hit it.  Don't expect to use multitouch gestures, as the New Touch doesn't support them.

A simple interface and slow navigation

Acer's interface includes a very simple home screen--and just one, unlike recent smartphones, which offer an average of three customisable options.  Users can add up to six of their favourite apps, with the first three--calls, messages and contacts--fixed in place.  A simple tap gives access to the Microsoft menu.  Once again, you can also adjust the apps there to fit the order you like.  We're perfectly prepared to admit that the interface is very neat, which makes it is nays to use, but it's nothing like the Sense interface designed by HTC for its Windows Phone, the HD2, which is much more sophisticated and attractive.  Less work has gone into the New Touch's interface, and you end up in the basic Windows Mobile menus all too often.


One example is the SMS app, which is very far removed from what you find on an iPhone or the Motorala Milestone, to cite just two other handsets.  Aside from not being particularly attractive, the messaging tool is really not very easy to use.  Writing a new message takes no fewer than four clicks before you can even start typing.  Then you get bogged down in the not particularly accurate virtual keyboard, especially in portrait mode where using the stylus is compulsory.  It's a little bit better in landscape, but we still made plenty of mistakes.

Despite having a processor that's more powerful than those found on the majority of smartphones, the New Touch still hangs while navigating through the menus.  It's sometimes a little tricky to scroll through the main menu or some web pages.  Don't expect it to respond fluidly to every request.  Opening apps is pretty quick, though.  In short, the New Touch is a lot better than a TG01, but that much slower than the HTC HD2, which is, of course, more expensive.

The New Touch claims to give access to common social networking services, but we've already seen other phones that are much better at this, including the Motorola Dext.

Multimedia

The New Touch includes the features we'd expect from this kind of handset, and allows you to surf the web, take photos and record video.  Let's take a look at each in turn.


Internet Explorer is a relatively efficient way to browse the web, and the majority of pages laod quickly enough.  We still prefer Opera, Chrome Portable and Safari Mobile, though, all of which render pages better.  Once again, scrolling through pages can slow the handset down a little.

You can use this phone to take photos, but the quality can't match that of the best handsets, especially Nokia's.  Here, you can't choose where you'd like to focus onscreen: you can only autofocus by half-pressing the camera button.  Video recording is reasonable if you have nothing better on hand.

Audio quality is average and perfectly acceptable.  Unfortunately, you'll have to make to with Windows Media Player, whose interface still requires a lot of work.  One day, maybe …

You can rely on getting a good day of reasonable use out of the New Touch before the battery runs out.  It doesn't, however, have a universal micro USB port, but instead a mini USB charger, so make sure you don't forget it.