Acer Tempo DX900 review

Acer launched four Windows Mobile devices a few months back, but hasn't trumpeted them much since. These devices follow Acer's purchase of mobile-device specialist E-TEN. It seems that Acer is waiting to broadcast its entry into the smart phone market until its Windows Mobile 6.5-based devices start to appear towards the end of this year.

Acer may be missing a trick by keeping quiet about the Tempo DX900 though. It brings something unique to the UK: a Windows Mobile device that supports two SIM cards. It's available SIM-free (ironically) for around £400.

Design
The DX900 is a squat little smart phone, measuring 61 by 106 by 17mm. It's comfortable to hold and not too large for the pocket. It weighs 147g, which makes it heavier than your average Windows Mobile device, but not overly so.

The design is unremarkable. The shell is made from black plastic with a rubbery finish everywhere bar the screen surround, which is shiny. Shiny silver-coloured buttons sit beneath the screen. There are call and end buttons and, between them, a large navigation pad. All of the buttons are bordered by a white light when pressed -- a useful touch in low light or at night.

There's an array of slots and connectors around the edges of the DX900. On the left is a 2.5mm headset jack. Above this is a button that, with a long press, activates voice recording, and, with a short press, starts the voice-command software. Above this is a pair of volume rockers. The right edge has the main on/off switch, a microSD card slot and a camera button.

Acer's chunky, dual-SIM DX900 weighs 147g and runs Windows Mobile 6.1

The sharp, bright touchscreen measures 71mm (2.8 inches) across the diagonal and has a native VGA resolution of 480x640 pixels. Windows Mobile 6.1 is not particularly finger-friendly though, and you'll need to use the stylus for a good deal of activity. This lives in a housing on the back right bottom edge. The stylus is telescopic, extending to 90mm as you extract it from its slot, and extremely light.

The DX900 ships with a mains power charger, a USB PC cable, a stereo headset, a screen protector, a spare stylus, a protective pouch, a printed quick-start guide and two CDs. One of these contains the user manual, while the other contains Windows Mobile's PC synchronisation software.

Features
The DX900 runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. It comes with 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM. These are not generous specifications by current standards, and a fair amount of the storage memory can be used up by preinstalled extras (more on that later).

The DX900 has a 533MHz Samsung SC3 6400 processor. Responsiveness is good, but not great. This is a 3G device with HSDPA support, and it includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There's a GPS receiver built in, a front-facing camera for two-way video calling and a 3-megapixel main camera with LED flash and self-portrait mirror. The device supports TV out, but no cables are provided for this.

There is an accelerometer that you can enable if you are happy for the device to switch screen orientation as you turn it in your hand. This can be useful for things like Web browsing and photo viewing, which benefit from a wide-screen orientation. You can configure the DX900 with an exceptions list, telling it not to switch orientation when certain applications are running.

The most significant feature of the DX900 is its support for two SIMs, both of which are located beneath the battery.