The Acer Liquid A1 apparently is on track for an Eclair update, according to a French Web site. Currently, the A1, which does not have carrier support in the U.S. but has been seen at the FCC, is running the Android 1.6 operating system. The upgrade would bring it to Android 2.0. The upgrade would be free, though there is no timetable listed. [Mobinaute via Phone Arena]

Those of us waiting for Spotify -- an online streaming music service that currently as available in Europe -- to arrive in the U.S. may get a pleasant surprise this week. Maybe.

Techcrunch patriarch Michael Arrington writes this morning that Spotify has reached deals with U.S. record labels -- as well as Google -- and could launch with the Nexus One.

Google wanted Spotify badly enough that they were willing to cover the label costs for every user of $3 – $4 per month. Spotify would add advertising on top of it, as they do with the free version in Europe, to make additional revenue. Without Google paying those label fees there was no way Spotify could handle the costs of the user flow that 2.1 would provide. Currently, European users must pay for Spotify Premium to use the mobile versions of the service.

Arrington later hedges his bets, saying he hasn't heard whether the deal actually was made, and that it "has likely gone cold." At which point the word "linkbait" starts floating through our un-caffeinated minds. But even if we don't see Spotify launch in the U.S. this week, we could well see it in the coming future. And that'll have to be good enough for now.

We're going to interrupt our CES prep on Tuesday for the Google press event, at which we expect the launch of the Nexus One. Join us!

According to NetApplications, mobile web browsing is now responsible for 1.3% of all internet browsing. 1.3% may seem like an insignificant number but it's nothing to laugh at. In the beginning of 2009, we saw mobile browsing only at around .5% which means we've nearly doubled mobile browsing in a year. How did this happen? Well we can thank Android for one.

Android mobile browsing spiked an impressive +54.8% in December (when compared to the previous month). We're guessing that one little Droid has something to do with it and finally being on a big-time, very reliable carrier like Verizon doesn't hurt at all either. With more Android phones in the world now, we're sure that Android mobile browsing will continue to grow. After all, 2010 is the year of Android.

How much time do you guys spend browsing the web on your Android phone as opposed to your computer?

[via electronista]

We guess Verizon finally realized their original method of fixing the faulty Motorola Droid battery cover wasn't going to cut it. After all, it was just a band-aid! This time around, they're actually offering new Droid battery covers to fix the issue, hopefully this set locks in better than what came with our Droids. It's currently out of stock, but hopefully they'll re-stock it soon since the battery cover has been the biggest design flaw in an otherwise wonderfully styled phone.

So who put in their order in time? We know a lot of you from the forums have!

big thanks to zandroid in our forums!

Last week was a good one as usual for SPE, but next week we'll be blowing the walls out for CES: expect plenty of CES coverage from all of our sites. This year we'll have our biggest team ever at the show and are pumped up. All that CES coverage means we'll be taking the week off from the Smartphone Round Robin (excepting another group podcast on The Cell Phone Junkie, stay tuned!).

From the Forums is a great way for you, our readers, to see the hottest topics being discussed. But you must be a registered member and becoming a member is a simple process. So if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now!

• If you picked up a Sprint HTC Hero this holiday season and want to learn more about it, look no further than the Hero FAQ that one of our moderators, 8notime, has started. You will find a ton of useful information.
• Lately all of the buzz has been surrounding a particular HTC device, so why not join in on the good conversation going on in the HTC Nexus One forum.
• Lets face it, the Android Facebook application leaves a lot to be desired. The big question seems to be when will we get a much improved Facebook application?
• After the last HTC Droid Eris update some of our forum members reported some touchscreen issues, if you have been one of these unlucky few feel free to chime in on the conversation.

See you on the forums!

The oh so lucky guys at the Nexus One Blog got their hands on the Nexus One and one-upped the other hands-on that came out today with a full review. They go through the Nexus One in full detail and come out pretty darn impressed at the device. To summarize:

• The display screen on this phone is simply incredible. There has yet to be any device out on the market to date that looks as crisp and clear as the Nexus One.
• Responsiveness to touch on the screen is definitely on par with the iPhone. There are no delays when touching apps and moving from screen to screen.
• Photos and video are just average, and very similar to all of the rest of HTC’s devices in the market as well as the Motorola Droid.
• The phones speed is simply amazing. Navigating through the phone, installing applications, and surfing the web is blazingly fast.

It looks like everyone that has actually gone hands-on with the Nexus One has walked away mighty impressed with the device. It's looking like a foregone conclusion that this will be the Android phone to get once released. We can't wait to get our own grubby hands and prying eyes on it!

Guess this really makes the Nexus One from Google as unofficially official as something can get: Engadget has a device in hand (more so than even Gizmodo did) and is giving it the what-for, along with a hands-on video. The long and the short: It's fast, it's sleek, it feels good in the hand, but it's not revolutionary for an Android device, though it gives the Motorola Droid a run for its money.

And the specs are as we've seen thus far: a 3.7-inch 480x800 display, 512MB RAM/512MB ROM, 4GB microSD card, animated wallpapers and the like. The apps drawer has given way to a sort of Rolodex of apps, which is a nice change, and there's a bit of a card metaphor going on. (Don't tell our friends at PreCentral.)

Needless to say, we'll be seeing lots more of the Nexus One before the expected Jan. 5 launch. Stay tuned. [Engadget]

File this under "Don't know ... Could be ... Who knows ... Take with a grain of salt ... Maybe ..." and any other number of qualifiers, but the Boy Genius Report says it's heard that there may be a second unlocked version of the Nexus One, and that it would sport support for AT&T's 3G (that's the 850 and 1900 MHz bands, if you're playing at home). That's it for now. Could just be rampant speculation, could be more. We'll find out something in three days.