Computex 2013: Acer shows off Iconia W3 tablet and Liquid S1 smartphone

Computex 2013 kicked off the morning with some of the biggest brands in personal technology present. Among them was Acer, who brought along their new ultrabook tablet…with a less than stellar response.

Their new 8.1″ Windows 8 tablet is called Iconia W3. Dubbed as “one-handed” tablet by the makers, it is basically a really small laptop. It connects to a small keyboard that can be used with one hand if the owner chooses to do so.

It may seem like a simplistic explanation, but it is accurate. The entire tablet was designed with the same Atom Z2760 processor of other Acer products, but only 2GB of RAM and either a 32GB or 64 GB storage option. It has a 1280×800 resolution on its miniature screen, and a decent integrated Intel Media Accelerator 3650 graphics card. The screen was made to show off the new Windows 8 with its updated interface and new, tablet friendly features.

This year at Computex, Acer also showed off their new mobile device, a 5.7″ smartphone called the Liquid S1. They are dubbing this the “phablet”, a combination of the two styles that some would argue is completely unnecessary. Aimed at the business world as the replacement for the classic palm pilots, it is larger with a day’s worth of battery life.

People at this event watching the unveiling seemed less than excited about the new products. Already there are questions being asked about the need for them to have been created at all. The Iconia W3 is portable like any tablet, but becomes less so when paired with the keyboard that is its main selling feature.

As for the Liquid S1, there is a reason that mobile phones have had a tendency to get smaller over the years. Even smartphones, which have to have a fairly larger screen to accommodate their features and the improved graphics capabilities, remain small enough for convenience. Having a device not quite a smartphone but not quite a tablet seems like a completely unneeded intermediary between what is already covered with two specific products.

Add in the fact that the Iconia W3 is already being priced at €329 ($426.48) and you have to wonder if it will really have any appeal. It doesn’t seem like it would match any demographic directly enough to justify the price, when the same could be spent on a regular tablet that also has optional keyboard attachments available.

No word yet on the price of the Liquid S1.

Source: The Inquirer