Design:
As told above, this Iconia W3 will be the first 8 inches tablet that runs on the Windows 8 operating system. Another unique selling point of the tablet is that, the company is offering an optional keyboard dock with the tablet.
The full version of the Windows 8 operating system will not be suited to a touch screen. once you get past the flashy Start Screen, the icons are tiny and entering text can be laborious. That's why Acer will be selling an optional keyboard. But as the key board is “optional”, you will have no other go that buying/ purchasing it. It will not be free along with the package.
The keyboard dock is a Bluetooth device, which has a rubber grip that holds the tablet fairly tightly in either portrait or landscape mode. As it is connected via Bluetooth, you can use it without docking the key board with the tablet. The key board dock is as wide as a 13 inches atop key board. That means, there will not be any congestion between the keys.
One main advantage of this dock able key board is that the tablet can be clipped, keeping the screen facing down to the slot in the key board. This will give additional safety to the tablet and it will make it more comfortable to work on it. It is of course a good design for Iconia W3.
The clever part is that the tablet can be clipped, screen face down, into a slot on the back of the keyboard. This keeps the display safe and makes the pair into a single, easy to handle unit. It's a great design and it adds a lot to the W3.
Though the Iconia W3 is chiefly made of plastic, just like the other Iconia Tablets, the Iconia W3 does not feel cheap at all. The rear side of the tablet is finished with a brushed metal effect. The front bezel is black and the surrounding frame is matt white. Everything together gives the device an elegant look and feel.
As any other tablets, there is dual cameras. There is a front camera for video calling and a rear camera too. The volume controlling rocker is situated at the sides of the tablet and the power button is located at the top. These arrangements are suitable for both the portrait mode of the tablet and also the landscape mode. The volume controls are at the sides and the power button at the top, putting them in easy reach whether you plan on using the W3 portrait or landscape mode. A pair of stereo speakers are there at the bottom of the tablet. There is also a 3.5mm audio jack, proprietary power connector, a micro HDMI output for connecting the tablet to a TV or external display.
Display:
Technically speaking, the screen of the tablet is of 8.1 inches. It has a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. There is nothing unique or extra ordinary in the display of Iconia W3 tablet.
OS:
As mentioned earlier, the Iconia W3 tablet has the fully fledged Windows 8 Operating System.
CPU:
The Iconia W3 will be powered by a Clovertrail Intel Atom Z2760 processor, which will be running at 1.8GHz. The CPU will be accompanied by a RAM of 2GB. Though it is not a stunning RAM to be whooping about, it gives you a flawless, quick response.
Memory:
As we mentioned above, Acer Iconia W3 will be having a RAM of 2GB. Other than that, the device will be having an internal memory of 32 GB or 64 GB, depending up on the version. There is also a microSD card slot to expand the memory up to 64GB. That will be enough for an average user.
Camera:
The Iconia W3 has dual cameras. There is a 2 mega pixel front camera and a 2 mega pixel rear camera.
Internet and Connectivity:
Acer Iconia W3's connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB and Micro-HDMI.
Battery:
Though the company has not yet revealed the type of battery it will be using in the Iconia W3, they claimed that the battery will be giving the tablet a life of 8 hours, which is pretty good if it is true.
Price:
The Iconia W3 will be priced at 24270 Indian rupees for the 32GB version and 28000 Rupees for the 64GB version. But this we cannot take this as the final word on the price.
Verdict:
The Iconia W3 will be a trial tablet from the company as per the reports. The full Windows 8 OS on an 8 inch tablet is a very good thought worth taking the risk. The tablet is likely to have a strong hold over the business world, where the optimum utilization of the operating system will be exploited. It seems like we should give some time to the tablet to fix its foot and get a grip in the fast moving current of devices.
These are the key specifications of Acer Iconia W3 Tablet:
• 8.1-inch backlit LED display with 1280X800 pixels resolution.
• 1.8 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor.
• 2GB RAM.
• 32GB/ 64GB internal storage.
• Expandable by up to 32GB.
• 2 mega pixel rear camera.
• 2 mega pixel front facing camera.
• Eight hours of battery life.
• Windows 8 OS.
• Weight: 540 grams.
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n.
• Micro-USB, Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack.
• Price: 24270 rupees for 32GB version and 28000 rupees for 64GB version.
