Acer to Launch Android Handset in September

Acer, one of the largest personal computer vendors in the world, is reported to be planning on coming up to the market in September with a mobile phone that would be powered by Google's Android operating system, a handset that comes under the codename A1.

The September launch of the Android-based Acer mobile phone has been announced by BusinessMirror, which quotes an official at the Taiwanese company. In addition to this handset, which should feature touchscreen capabilities, it seems that the computer maker also intends to come to the market with other four devices, all slated for launch in September. The Taipei-based Acer declined to comment on the expected launch of the Android device, and so did Marsha Wang, a spokesperson at Google in Beijing.

Google's Android platform has been already adopted by HTC Corp, which launched on the market the HTC Dream handset powered by the OS and also announced the HTC Magic, which should become available in the near future sporting the same platform. At the same time, the company was recently rumored to be planning on releasing at least two more handsets featuring the Google mobile platform.

Other mobile phone makers such as Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and Motorola Inc. also announced plans to come up with similar devices. According to an estimation made by CLSA Ltd., around 5 percent of the smartphones available all around the world by next year are expected to run under the Android operating system.

Acer announced recently the release of four new mobile phones that are running under the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 platform, which should become available on the market starting with the end of this month and the beginning of the next one. The computer vendor also stated last year that smartphones should account for 10 percent of sales by 2011.