Acer moves into mobile phones.

Acer moves into mobile phones.

Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Acer recently announced a foray into the mobile phone market, unveiling a range of high-end handsets at an industry event in Barcelona. The group, best known for its laptops, plans to put four handsets on sale worldwide in March or April with the initial range ultimately set to number 10. the touch screen phones, mostly in back with a design that resembles the top-selling Apple iPhone, will connect to the internet via a wi-fi connection and high-speed mobile networks. The move illustrates two trends in the mobile phone industry: the growing attractiveness of the high-end market for “smart phones” and the arrival of traditional laptop computer markers in this segment. Laptop maker Toshiba already manufactures handsets and rumors abound that US rival Dell is preparing to launch a range of sophisticated smart phones enabling users to surf the internet, send emails or watch videos, sales of mobile handsets are set to fall this year for the first time according to market research group Gartner, but demand for high-end phones is set to increase. The first Acer models will be called DX900, X960, M900 and F900.