Taiwanese multinational electronics manufacturer, Acer, best known in the States for producing computers (especially after its 2007 acquisition of Gateway and Packard Bell) has clarified its plans to release an Acer-branded smartphone in the 1st quarter of 2009.

After completing its acquisition of Taiwan smartphone maker E-Ten Information Systems in September, speculation continued to grow about when it would release its first Acer-branded smartphone, until today. Acer has officially clarified its intention to launch a self-branded smartphone in the first-quarter of 2009, but did not specify any particular region.

With no other substantive information to go on, let’s go out on a limb and call this vaporware work-in-progress the aPhone.  Acer is in a wonderful position to learn from its fellow computer-company-turned-handset-maker; design AND functionality matter.  Plus, another couple months gives Acer a chance to better incorporate Android (presumably) into its aPhone, thereby giving this theoretical name even more impact.

What do you think?  What will an Acer smartphone look like? Will it run Android? Compete with the iPhone? Go after the BlackBerry? Hit us up in the comments with your thoughts.

[via DigiTimes]