Hands-on: Acer Iconia W3 Windows 8 tablet

For those you who wants to be a get a little more acquainted with Acer’s recently announced Windows 8 tablet – the Iconia W3, we’ve prepared short introduction piece, as well as a hands-on video.

What makes the Iconia W3 interesting, to us, is the fact that it’s the first truly pocket-able (back pocket that is) tablet running on full version of Windows 8 and not the Really Terrible (RT) build. This means that users have access to full Windows Experience, as well as tons of apps from both Microsoft Store and traditional software.

As far as the design is concerned, we think that the W3 is a decent looking device, though its mostly made of plastic. It’s actually a rare feat for a plastic-made tablet as most of them give a rather cheap feel. The device is light and very comfortable in the hands.

The real estate at the front is mainly occupied by the tablets 8-inch IPS display which is accompanied by a pair of components, a 2MP camera up top and physical Windows button on the right. The other camera, which also has a 2MP resolution, is located at the back portion, along with a pair of speaker situated on each side.

The side panel is peppered with buttons, slots, and ports which includes voume rocker and a slot for micro-SD card up top. Meanwhile, the Power button is placed on the left side panel, along with a pair of ports for the micro-HDMI and micro-USB and a SIM card tray. Lastly, there’s the tablet’s twin speakers alongside the 3.5mm audio jack.

Acer Iconia W3 specs:
8.1-inch LCD @ 1280×800 pixels
Intel Atom Z2760 1.8GHz dual-core processor
2GB DDR2 RAM
32GB and 64GB internal storage
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
2MP rear camera
2MP front-facing camera
micro-HDMI port
micro-USB 2.0 port
Bluetooth 4.0
Windows 8

The combination of Intel Atom processor and 2GB of RAM felt snappy, at least on basic tasks that is. It also did kinda well on the multitasking part, but there’s still some lag when transitioning from an to another. Load time was relatively faster considering its rather modest configuration.

Unlike usual hybrid tablets, the Iconia W3 is paired with a slightly larger keyboard which can be purchased separately for USD90. Another thing about this combo is that there’s actually no physical connection between the two components. Instead, the tablet is paired to the keyboard via Bluetooth and there’s just a carved portion on the latter that acts as a cradle that holds tablet in place.

The 8GB version of the Acer Iconia W3 is slated to be retailed for USD427 and 65 more will get you the 64GB one. But since Windows 8 may take up most of the storage, we highly suggest to get this with 32GB micro-SD so you’ll still have room for your files.