Acer have been a little quiet on new releases recently but they have come back with some new ranges. The budget Z series is aimed at new and novice smartphone users but could also find favour with those looking for a cheap secondary or temporary handset that still has smart features. The E series is right in the middle tier of today’s offerings with large screens and dual core processors. Acer’s current phones all come with Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean even in the budget Z series, with very little in the way of customisation, so you get all the benefits of Google’s Project Butter for a slick and streamlined experience.

Liquid E1

The Liquid E1 features a 4.5 inch qHD (560×920) screen, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 32 GB microSD card slot and 5MP camera. The E1 also has twin speakers mounted on the top and bottom of the handset’s front side, much like the HTC One, so sound quality is greatly improved over other similarly priced phones. Designed with rounded corners and tapered edges, the E1 also has a grooves inlaid in the back cover to aid grip. Priced at £162.49 ex VAT, you can order yours HERE

Liquid Z2

The Liquid Z2 is very much a budget device but that doesn’t mean it skimps on any of the expected functionality of a smartphone. The raw specs may not impress – 3.5 inch 320×480 LCD, 1GHz processor, 512MB  RAM and 3MP camera – but at only £91 ex VAT the Z1 is built incredibly well and runs Android 4.1.1 without a hitch. For novice smartphone users, children or as a secondary device for when your primary is not available (perhaps away for repair) the Z2 is perfect. It could also find favour with those wanting to smart features like photo sharing, where they don’t want to risk a more expensive unit, think attending festivals in the Summer! The Z2 can be ordered HERE