Acer Iconia W3 launched, world's first 8.1-inch Windows tablet

Acer has unveiled the first 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet today at Computex 2013. The Acer Iconia W3 priced at $379 was unveiled a day before the official start of the Taiwanese consumer trade show.

After a plethora of big slates running the Windows 8 OS, this is the first Windows 8 device that can actually fit in your hand. It is powered by an Intel Atom Z2760 processor with a 1.8GHz dual-core chip. The tablet comes with a 1280x800 pixel resolution LED-backlit display. It also has a 2-megapixel front facing camera and a 2-megapixel rear camera. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB and Micro-HDMI, lacking USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports seen on previous Windows tablets from Acer. The device weighs 540 grams and is 11.35mm thick. Acer promises around eight hours of battery life for the tablet which happens to be pretty good for its size.

The Acer Iconia W3 comes with a pre-installed copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013. The Iconia W3 will be priced at 329 Euros for 32GB and 379 Euros for 64GB storage variants. Acer US has confirmed that the tablet will arrive at $379 but hasn't confirmed the storage capacity of the device yet. With storage options of 32GB and 64GB, the device also includes a microSD card slot and will allow up to 32GB of external storage.

The tablet is made of plastic with a Windows button on the right edge. The Micro-USB port on the tablet can be used for sharing data and connecting to devices like phones, MP3 players, USB drives, or a mouse.

Acer has also introduced an optional keyboard with the device that is expected is cost around $90. The keyboard that allows Bluetooth connectivity with the tablet runs on AAA batteries. The keyboard dock hence does not power the tablet, but has a hollow space that fits the device. The look and functionality of the keyboard is said to be similar to the one seen on Acer's already existing Ultrabook line up.

The Iconia W3 is a smaller addition to the already existing large screen Windows tablets that Acer had introduced at Computex last year. With the Windows 8 segment facing tough competition from smaller Android tablets like the Nexus 7 and the iPad Mini, how a smaller Windows 8 tablet fairs in the market would be interesting to see.

Acer Iconia W3 key specifications

• 8.1-inch backlit LED display with 1280X800 pixels
• 1.8 GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2760 processor
• 32GB, 64GB internal storage, expandable by up to 32GB
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• 2-megapixel front facing camera
• Eight hours of battery
• Windows 8 OS
• Weight: 540 grams
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• Micro-USB, Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack