Acer unveils the 8-inch Iconia W3 Windows 8 tablet
Little over four weeks ago, during an earnings conference call, departing Microsoft CFO Peter Klein revealed the software giant is working with OEMs on smaller and cheaper Windows tablets. The new fondleslabs are expected to be available in the coming months, but Acer decided to give itself a head start.
On its Finnish website, Acer unveiled the new Iconia W3 which is touted by the company as the first 8-inch Windows 8-based tablet. The device is powered by Intel's Atom Z2760 processor (codenamed "Clover Trail") and Graphics Media Accelerator 3650 GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The Iconia W3 sports an 8-inch multitouch WXGA display and runs Windows 8 Pro.
The tablet also comes with 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage (eMMC) and a 2 MP front-facing camera. Other specs include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 as well as microHDMI and microUSB 2.0 ports.
There is no word on the size of the internal battery, however Acer says that it delivers eight hours of 720p video playback. This suggests that the Iconia W3 can be used for a similar period of time to perform mundane tasks such as web browsing or writing emails.
Acer also offers an optional full-size keyboard dock for the Iconia W3 (pictured above), which is designed to hold the tablet at a comfortable viewing angle and increase productivity for road warriors.
Acer has not provided any details concerning the availability or the price of the Iconia W3.