Acer’s Jade Primo Adds Some Class to Windows 10 Phones

Right now, you can count the number of phones running Windows 10 on a single hand. And even though Microsoft's mobile flagship, the Lumia 950 XL, looks kind of cool with its hard edges and blocky body, there's something to be said about sleek, elegant curves that lure you in so you never want to let go.

That's where Acer's Jade Primo steps in, providing a sleek and sexier Windows 10 mobile experience, with similar specs to the 950 XL and Microsoft's desktop-like Continuum environment. Acer hasn't announced a price tag for the phone, which will be available during the first three months of 2016.

A strip of aluminum runs around the edge of the phone, and holds together the 5.5-inch full HD AMOLED screen and 8-megapixel camera in front, and the monstrous 21-MP camera and speaker found behind. The plastic backplate has the same crisscross pattern seen on other Jade phones from Acer, except this time is been polished for a smooth, more premium feel; it's enhanced by a subtle curve that makes the 0.33-inch thick phone feel even thinner.

MORE: Lumia 950 Review: Windows 10 Phone Meets PC

Then we get to the price. Despite Acer's reluctance to cite a firm number, the company says its committed to offering a bundle that includes both the phone and a desktop cradle for less than the $649 asking price of a Lumia 950 XL.

Inside, the Jade Primo features a hexacore Qualcomm 808 CPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard storage and a USB Type-C port for charging or connecting the phone to an external display. While the Jade Primo's plastic back isn't removable like on the Lumia 950 XL, you can still expand storage using the microSD tray found on the right side of the phone.

When I got my hands on the phone at CES 2016, I found that Acer's 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass screen also adds an extra layer of class and thinness to the Primo. Unfortunately, I'm not quite sure about the rear-mounted speaker, which not only didn't impress, but projected sound away from my ears instead of toward them.

Thankfully, the AMOLED screen offers an enthralling visual experience, especially when checking out the deep saturated blues of the Windows 10 Mobile home screen. It's displays like this that make it harder and harder to go back to standard LCDs, no matter how bright they are.

So if you're a business user looking for a phone that can double as a desktop, you can now get a classy frock on your work-centric device thanks to Acer. You'll just have to wait until late Q1 for it to arrive.

Source: Acer's Jade Primo Adds Some Class to Windows 10 Phones