Unveiling Acer X960 Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview of Acer X960

The Acer X960 is a discontinued smartphone that was initially announced in February 2009 and subsequently released in April of the same year. Despite being discontinued now, it caught attention at its launch due to its comprehensive features tailored for professional users, particularly those who appreciated Windows Mobile OS functionality on a mobile device.

Design and Build

Crafted to prioritize both function and form, the Acer X960 sports dimensions of 106.4 x 59 x 13.7 mm, making it a compact device suitable for single-handed use. Weighing 131.5 g, it offers a substantial feel without being overly cumbersome. The device uses a Mini-SIM format, which was the norm at the time of its release.

Display

The Acer X960 is fitted with a 2.8-inch TFT resistive touchscreen capable of displaying 65K colors. With a resolution of 480 x 640 pixels and a 4:3 aspect ratio, the display delivered a pixel density of approximately 286 ppi, which ensured reasonably sharp images and text, with the screen-to-body ratio standing at about 38.7%.

Platform and Performance

Running on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the Acer X960 was a device catered towards users who needed enterprise features on-the-go. At the heart of the device resides a 533 MHz Samsung S3C 6410 CPU, which was standard for devices in that class during its release. This allowed for relatively smooth performance for typical mobile applications of its time.

Memory and Storage

The device offers 128MB of RAM and 256MB of ROM, providing adequate capacity for the operating system and essential applications. For users needing more storage, the phone includes a dedicated microSDHC slot, enabling the expansion of storage capacity to accommodate more apps, files, and multimedia.

Camera

The Acer X960 features a single 3.15 MP main camera with autofocus and an LED flash, which was quite modest by today's standards but adequate for basic photography needs during that period. Users can also capture video with the main camera. For selfies and video calls, a VGA front camera is provided.

Sound and Multimedia

The phone includes an integrated loudspeaker for audio playback; however, it lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, which may require users to find alternative solutions for private listening. The audio quality was sufficient for typical user requirements, particularly for voice calls, which were a primary function of mobile devices back then.

Connectivity

The Acer X960 offers a variety of connectivity options. It supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, providing wireless internet connectivity essential for on-the-go browsing. Additionally, the phone includes Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and EDR for wireless file transfer and peripheral connectivity. Positioning is made possible via the GPS supported by the SiRF Star III chipset, a useful feature for navigation, although it lacks built-in radio. The device connects to computers and chargers via a miniUSB port.

Battery Life

Powering the Acer X960 is a removable Li-Po 1530 mAh battery. In terms of endurance, the phone could last up to 245 hours on stand-by with a talk time capacity of up to 4 hours and 40 minutes. This was reasonably competitive at the time of release, providing sufficient power for a day's moderate use without frequent recharges.

Additional Features

Featuring an HTML browser, the Acer X960 allowed users to access the internet and view web pages from nearly anywhere. The phone's black exterior color provided a classic and professional appearance. With a SAR EU value of 1.32 W/kg for head exposure, the phone adhered to health and safety standards regarding radiation exposure.

Conclusion

Although the Acer X960 is now a discontinued model, it provides an insightful glimpse into the early years of smartphone development, particularly in the way manufacturers tackled the integration of professional and multimedia features. While it lacks modern specifications such as high-resolution cameras or large storage and RAM capacity, it still presented a balanced set of functionalities that served the needs of its contemporaneous user base. At a release price of around 270 EUR, it positioned itself as an accessible choice for many professionals at the time, offering connectivity and performance in a reasonably compact form.