Acer officially unveiled its new Liquid E2 Android smartphone, which is similar in specs to the E1 but steps up to a quad-core processor.

The new Acer Liquid E2 handset is the company's first quad-core smartphone with optional dual-SIM support. Having two SIM card slots means that users can enjoy the functionality of two mobile devices in one smartphone, making it easier to keep work apart from personal matters. The Liquid E2 will make its debut mid-May in the UK and Europe.

The Liquid E2 smartphone sports a 4.5-inch qHD IPS display powered by the MediaTek MT6589 platform. Under the hood, the handset packs a quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor clocked at 1.2Hz, PowerVR SGX544MP graphics and 1GB of RAM. The device has only 4GB of internal storage, but has a micro SD card slot for expandable memory. The 2,000 mAh battery should provide decent performance. The smartphone reportedly rocks Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Other specs of the Acer Liquid E2 include an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p and 30fps video recording and a 2-megapixel front shooter. In terms of connectivity, the smartphone offers HSPA+ support (up to 42Mbps HSDPA), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS with A-GPS and FM radio. The phone doesn't support 4G, but that's understandable for a cheap device. Audiophiles, meanwhile, will rejoice at the handset's stereo speakers and DTS sound enhancement.

"Targeted at [the] multimedia user, the Liquid E2 is the first Acer quad-core phone with optional dual SIM card slot, giving users all the convenience of having two mobiles in one and easily manage personal and business communications," reads the press release. "High-performance quad-core processor combined with an HSPA+ (up to 42 Mbps) data connection lets favorite apps react quickly and flow smoothly, while web pages and streaming media load very quickly. Everything responds instantly."

When it comes to pricing and availability, the Acer Liquid E2 smartphone will be available in Belgium, Netherlands, Ukraine and France, followed by Spain, the UK, Italy, Germany and Russia starting mid-May. Acer did not provide an exact launch date, but the suggested price for the smartphone is €229 (about $299). The Acer Liquid E2 will be available in two color options: Classic White and Rock Black.