14 DAY TRIAL // Acer has lifted the veil off its 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet back in October, but later failed to provide any date for when we’re going to see the device appear on the market.
Now new information coming from Slashgear claims that according to some early listings of the device, the new tablet will probably see the light of day at the end of January 2014. The previously announced price was $330 / €242, but the new report beefs it up a little to reach $379 / €278.
Apparently, that’s what the 64GB version is going to cost, so the 32GB model should come with a smaller price tag.
The device was recently teased in a promo clip, showing the tablet will ship with Microsoft Office Home & Student out of the box. In the ad, Acer highlights the Zero air gap technology, which means there's no space between the touch-glass and the screen, a tweak that improves overall user experience by reducing reflection and boosting readability in sunlight.
The commercial also shows some nifty accessories for the tablet, like the colorful Crunch device covers. What’s cool about them is that they can actually be crunched and transformed into a stand. A keyboard folio/stand will also be made available with the tablet.
Let’s take a look at what the Iconia will pack on the inside. The tablet has an LED-backlit IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and Wide Viewing Angle. On the inside, there’s a 4th generation Intel Atom Z3740 Bay Trail processor clocked at 1.8GHz coupled with 2GB of RAM.
There’s two cameras on board (2MP in front and 5MP on the back), Wi-Fi, microHDMI to connect the tablet to an HDTV, microUSB and microSD card slot. Users can easily hold the W4 with one hand, as the device weighs just 0.91 pounds / 0.41 kg.
So we’re not getting the device for holidays, but with a bit a luck, the Iconia W4 might pop up at the CES 2014.