Acer CloudMobile S500 review: Out of the blue

Display

The 4.3” IPS LCD on the Acer CloudMobile S500’s front has a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, which adds up to a density of around 340 ppi. Quite an impressive number indeed and one that can make some high end smartphones like the Galaxy S III, iPhone 5 and Lumia 920 green with envy.

The screen produces good vibrant colors, thanks to its full RGB matrix and the IPS panel helps the impressively wide viewing angles. It’s not the brightest unit we’ve seen around the office but it’s definitely not too bad either.

The 4.3" 720p LCD of the Acer CloudMobile

We’ve prepared our display breakdown for you guys so you can judge the Acer CloudMobile S500’s screen on its own merits.

Display test	50% brightness			100% brightness
	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio
Acer CloudMobile S500	0.28	266	936	0.50	530	1063
HTC One X	0.15	200	1375	0.39	550	1410
Sony Xperia U	0.35	287	831	0.55	515	930
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160	0.24	225	921	0.59	500	843
Apple iPhone 5	0.13	200	1490	0.48	640	1320

Contrast ratio

• Nokia 808 PureView
  4.698
• Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
  3.419
• Samsung Omnia W
  3.301
• Samsung Galaxy S
  3.155
• Samsung Ativ S
  3.129
• Nokia N9
  3.069
• Samsung Galaxy Note
  2.970
• HTC One S
  2.901
• Samsung Galaxy S II
  2.832
• Huawei Ascend P1
  2.655
• Nokia Lumia 900
  2.562
• Apple iPhone 4S
  2.269
• HTC One X
  2.158
• Nokia N8
  2.144
• Apple iPhone 4
  2.016
• Sony Ericsson Xperia ray
  1.955
• Acer CloudMobile
  1.931
• HTC Desire X
  1.878
• HTC Windows Phone 8X
  1.873
• Sony Xperia U
  1.758
• LG Optimus G
  1.753
• LG Optimus 4X HD
  1.691
• HTC One V
  1.685
• LG Optimus Vu
  1.680
• HTC Desire V
  1.646
• LG Optimus 3D
  1.542
• Nokia Asha 302
  1.537
• Sony Xperia J
  1.494
• Nokia Lumia 610
  1.432
• Gigabyte GSmart G1355
  1.361
• Sony Xperia miro
  1.324
• HTC Desire C
  1.300
• LG Optimus L7
  1.269
• Meizu MX
  1.221
• Samsung Galaxy Pocket
  1.180
• Sony Xperia tipo
  1.166
• Samsung Galaxy mini 2
  1.114

You can find more about our screen testing procedures here.

Handling

Handling the Acer CloudMobile S500 is a breeze and we really enjoy the comforting feel of the rubberized back panel and side frame. Many will frown at the all-plastic construction but the smartphone is undoubtedly well made.

Handling the Acer S500

Holding the device in one hand still allows you to use the screen with your thumb, if you have medium or larger hands.

Overall, there’s plenty to like about the Acer CloudMobile S500 hardware. It has an interesting and easily distinguishable look and it offers some nice ergonomics.