Acer has boosted its Liquid range of smartphones with its first handset to boast touch-to-pay NFC capabilities.

The Acer Liquid Express is a mid-range blower that comes with an 800MHz processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. There's a 3.5in touchscreen and a 5Mp camera, as well as a 2GB Micro SD card included in the box.

But it's the Near Field Communications tech that the company is highlighting here, introducing NFC for the first time in an Acer handset. While the technology can already be found in dozens of rival phones, NFC is yet to truly find its feet, so it's unlikely that Acer will lose sleep over its late arrival to the party.

The Acer Liquid Express is available now on Orange and T-Mobile for around £200, or from free on 18-24 month contracts. ®