Acer unveils Tempo smartphones at MWC

Four Windows Mobile handsets, including a dual-SIM model

The DX900 can take two SIMs for separate work and personal mobile accounts

Acer has unveiled a new line of smartphones with four models designed to appeal to different market segments, including a Qwerty handset focused on messaging and one capable of taking two separate SIM cards.

Announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Acer's first handsets in its Tempo range consist of the M900 aimed at mobile professionals, the F900 for mobile browsing, the X960 with more consumer-oriented features, and the dual-SIM DX900.

All are based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile, version 6.5 of which was released this week, and are set to be available by the end of March, according to Acer.

The M900 is created for mobile email access and features a 3.8in display, slide-out Qwerty keyboard and fingerprint sensor for access control. It supports HSDPA, GPS and has a 5-megapixel camera.

The F900 has a 3.8in touch-screen but no physical keyboard. It is designed to display as much information on screen as possible while browsing the web, and has HSDPA and Wi-Fi support, plus GPS.

With more of a consumer slant, the X960 provides quick access to a music player, world clock, weather, contacts, email and messages through a widget-based user interface. The screen is 2.8in with a second camera for video calls, and the handset also has built-in GPS.

The DX900 is claimed by Acer as the first dual-SIM smartphone, capable of connecting to two networks at the same time. The company suggested that this could be used to separate business and personal calls, or give frequent travellers separate SIMs for home network and when roaming. It has a 2.8in display and supports HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS, and is already listed for pre-orders on some websites at £395.

The new handsets follow Acer's acquisition of smartphone maker E-Ten in 2008, as part of an extension of the company's business beyond the more traditional computer products.

"The smartphone market is the natural direction of our long-term mobile strategy as our ambition is to offer compelling solutions to all the needs of mobile users," said Acer president and chief executive Gianfranco Lanci.