Across the pond in Europe the much ballyhooed Acer Liquid smartphone has begun shipping. What’s notable about this handset is not the assisted-GPS or the fact that it has an Android OS (no, it’s not 2.0, but rather version 1.6, the so-called Donut), but the fact that it is one of the first smartphones built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile processor. Snapdragon is one of the latest processors for mobile applications that house multiple cores in one chip, including a CPU, GPS, and the cellular modem (no mean feat, if you no anything about electrical engineering, multiple radios, and the ensuing headaches).

It’s got all the goods one would expect in a high-end smartphone, including a 3.5 inch touchscreen (a capacitive one), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5-inch headphone jack, 5 megapixel camera, etc. As for networks, it’s a quad-band GSM phone and uses 3G data networks (Category 8 HSDPA/HSUPA Category 5/UMTS). Acer’s previous forays into the smartphone market have underwhelmed, however, so it will be interesting to see the reception the Liquid gets. Notably, the interface is reportedly a straightforward Android interface with little customization.

Acer first unveiled the phone back in October, saying that it would ship in Europe in December, and here we are. The Acer Liquid Blog — yep, there’s already blogs (plural!) dedicated to this phone (but I guess that’s not really a new phenomenon at this point) — reports that brick and mortar retailers such as Expansys and Clove have it, and online retailers Amazon UK and Play.com are offering the Liquid as well. What would that set you back? Amazon UK lists the Liquid for more than three times the Magic Bus at 346.94 English pounds, which is about $563 and some odd change.

Sound a bit steep (even if you can get Google Mobile Maps for free)? If you’re not shopping for the holidays, then maybe you could hold out for a less gee-whiz Nokia that still offers navigation (remember U.S. kids, we’re talking about stuff available across the pond, as in the Atlantic Ocean).

Nokia announced this week that the 2710 Navigation Edition, what it says is its most affordable GPS-enabled phone with Nokia maps at €110 (roughly $162) is coming next spring. It will offer users the choice of straight line navigation with the assistance of a digital compass, as well as turn-by-turn driving navigation with full voice guidance.

Nokia didn’t offer any specs, but for that price, I wouldn’t expect a 5 megapixel camera and a media player. Incidentally, Nokia says that the 2710 can be used even when there is no Internet connection (like say, you don’t have an unlimited data plan), as maps are stored on the device itself.

Nokia E72 Lands in the United States

Speaking of Nokia, the company said that here in the United States, its E72 smartphone is now on store shelves. The E72 is a do-everything, business-oriented smartphone, featuring a full qwerty keyboard. A quad-band GSM phone with 3G data access (it can also use Wi-Fi to access the Web), it will play music and video, take photos with a 5 megapixel camera sensor, all the usual smartphone stuff. It also features assisted-GPS and Nokia Maps for turn-by-turn voice navigation.

All that doesn’t come cheap though; in Nokia’s online store the E72 is going for $469 (you can find it a little cheaper if you look around, but expect to pay a do-everything price); if you want worldwide maps you can spring for a one-year navigation license for Nokia Maps for $99.

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