Android OS is one of the least demanding operating systems made for smartphones. Most devices shipped with Android OS v1.5 can be updated to 1.6 or even 2.1, those shipped with 2.1 can be updated to 2.2 and some shipped with 2.2 can be updated to 2.3. This is the point where the situation changes. Android OS 2.3 already requires a 1GHz processor and a lot of RAM to run at an acceptable speed. The upcoming Android OS 3.0 Honeycomb will need even more processing power.

According to reliable sources in China Android Honeycomb will run only on processors with at least 1.2GHz frequency and two cores. This is bad news for all smartphone owners who have just purchased a 1GHz Android phone for HD video recording. On the other hand these greater requirements make sense, because industry leading ARM processors have already challenged Intel Atom processors from the netbook sector, which of course are able to run a full version of Windows 7 with decent multi-tasking performance. The minimum screen resolution for Android 3.0 will be 1280 x 720, much bigger than smartphones have today, 480 x 800.

Samsung Acclaim unfortunately has an even smaller resolution screen, only 320 x 480, which disqualifies it from major future OS upgrades. The only rational solution for all single core and slightly lower resolution smartphones is for Google to continue the development of Android 2.x version operating systems, without exceeding the average hardware configuration of devices sold at least in 2010.

For now Samsung Acclaim comes with Android OS v2.1, and there’s no possibility to upgrade yet. According to PDADB.NET it has 256MB RAM and 512MB ROM. It’s unknown how many Megabytes of internal storage are available for the user, however the CPU speed seems to be working at 800MHz frequency.

The practicality of this phone is based on its compatibility (only) with certain service providers. This is unfair from the user’s point of view, because there aren’t enough choices in such cases. The only situation in which the poor selection is understandable is when all phones are offered for free with a 1-2 year service plan. That’s how certain carriers manage to convince clients to use phones from manufacturers with whom the carrier has preferential contracts. In my country (somewhere in Europe) the cheapest service provider uses really cheap Huawei or ZTE 3G phones (not smartphones) and broadband modems, but absolutely free. With a 2EURO service plan you get the free Huawei or ZTE phone and unlimited minutes in the biggest national fixed phone networks.

Soon these average Android smartphones (like the Samsung Acclaim) will most likely suffer the same fate. There won’t be any technical reason why a customer will choose it, so the carrier will have to offer it for free. At the moment Samsung Acclaim still has three major strong points. One is the Wi-fi B/G connectivity, which means high-speed Internet for no extra cost. The second attractive feature is easy to use GPS software, while the third one addresses the largest crowd, I’m talking about the decent battery life of course. Samsung Acclaim Android phone can stay in stand-by mode for up to 450 hours or provide up to 8 hours of talk time exactly when you need it. Not many people talk for more than 8 hours a day, so by recharging each day you are pretty much covered by the 1500 mAh battery pack.

On eBay it can be found with very low bids, but in theory a new Samsung Acclaim should be sold for at least $150, although it cannot be used in any network.11

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