Acer is back again at CES, and as always, the company brought along a plethora of products for the upcoming year. Some of the new additions included new notebooks and Chrome OS-based devices. However, there was also room for a new tablet, as well as the implementation of a new camera on select notebooks. It should be noted that few specs were available for each product; the full specification data will be available when the products launch on Acer’s website.
Notebooks
The company’s 2-in-1 category of Aspire Switch devices grew larger with the introduction of what Acer considers to be the new flagship product for the series. The Aspire Switch 12 S still has the same 12.5-inch display as its predecessor, but it received a wealth of upgrades. In addition to a 1920x1080 resolution, there’s an option to upgrade to a 4K (3840x2160) screen. Another major addition comes in the form of a USB 3.1 Type-C port, which also functions as a Thunderbolt 3 port. It will ship with Windows 10 when it comes out in February with a starting price of $999.99.
For the professionals, there’s the new TravelMate P648 notebook. At 3.5 pounds, the notebook also includes 802.11ad, which Acer said can deliver speeds up to 4.6 Gbps, or ten times faster than the traditional 802.11ac connection. Like the Aspire Switch 12 S, the notebook also includes a USB 3.1 Type-C port, and you can also purchase an optional ProDock from Acer that includes two USB 3.0 ports, DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, VGA inputs and gigabit Ethernet.
Security features include Acer ProShield Manager (a combination suite of security and management tools); Acer Office Manager, which allows IT professional to add security measures and schedule tasks; and a biometric fingerprint scanner. The Travelmate P648 notebook starts at $799.99 and will release in North America in April.
| Acer Notebooks | Aspire Switch 12 S | TravelMate P648 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 6th-generation Intel Core M CPU (Skylake) | 6th-generation Intel Core i3, i5, i7 CPUs (Skylake) |
| GPU | unknown | Can be upgraded up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 940M (2 GB VRAM) |
| RAM | 4 GB (can be upgraded to 8 GB) | 4 GB DDR4 (can be upgraded up to 20 GB) |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD (can be upgraded to 256 GB) | Can be upgraded up to 1 TB HDD or 512 GB SSD |
| Connectivity | 802.11b/g/n 2x2 MU-MIMO | 802.11ad (also supports 802.11ac with MU-MIMO) |
| I/O | USB 3.1 Type-C (Thunderbolt 3), 2 x USB 3.0, Micro HDMI, Micro SD card reader, heaphone/speaker jack | USB 3.1 Type-C, 3 x USB 3.0, |
| Screen Resolution | 12.5-inch screen, 1920 x 1080 (can be upgraded to 3840 x 2160) | 14-inch screen, can be upgraded up to 1920 x 1080 with IPS |
| Camera | 1280 x 720 webcam | HDR HD webcam |
Chrome OS Devices
With the continued success of cheap notebooks and Chromebooks, it makes sense that Acer continues to manufacture Chromebooks for its customers. The latest model is called the Chromebook 11 CB3-131, and in addition to its portability (it weighs only 2.42 pounds), the company claimed it has a battery life of nine hours. It will be available in February for $179.99.
On the desktop side, Acer has only one Chrome OS desktop: the DC (although it comes with different configurations). However, it’s about to get some company with the larger Chromebase 24. The company touted it as the first Chromebase on the market to use Intel Core processors (the DC uses a Tegra K1 quad-core CPU, and LG’s Chromebase 22 utilizes an Intel Celeron dual-core processor). In addition, its 23.8-inch screen (1920x1080 resolution) makes it the largest screen on the Chrome OS device market. No release date or price was provided.
| Acer Chrome OS Devices | Chromebook 11 (CB3-131) | Chromebase 24 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Celeron CPU (quad-core) | Intel Core i3, i5, i7 CPUs |
| RAM | 2 GB (can be upgraded to 4 GB) | up to 8 GB DDR3L |
| Storage | 16 GB eMMC (can be upgraded to 32 GB) | unknown |
| Connectivity | 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | 802.11ac, Gigabit Ethernet |
| I/O | USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, SD card reader | unknown |
| Screen Resolution | 11.6-inch screen, 1366 x 768 | 23.8-inch IPS screen, 1920 x 1080 |
A Tablet For The Family
The new Iconia One 8 tablet is Acer’s latest push to release more products that are considered family-friendly. To that end, the device includes an app called Kids Center. Not only does the app provide a child-friend UI and content appropriate for children, but parents can use it to control various tablet settings such as the ability to block additional content and set a daily time limit for tablet use. It runs on Android 5.1 (Lollipop), boasts a nine-hour battery life, and includes two cameras (5MP in the rear, 2MP at the front). It comes out in February for $99.99.
| Acer Tablets | Iconia One 8 Tablet |
|---|---|
| CPU | MediaTek quad-core CPU |
| RAM | 1 GB DDR3L |
| Storage | 16 GB (can be expanded to 128 GB with MicroSD card) |
| Camera | 2 MP front camera, 5 MP back camera |
| OS | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) |
A Camera Upgrade
Aside from its Predator gaming series, Acer also has the Aspire V Nitro gaming notebooks. Specifically, the Black Edition is the premier tier of the Aspire V Nitro series, as it sports the sixth-generation Intel Core CPUs and Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 960M GPU. However, it will get another upgrade: Intel’s RealSense Camera, which will be available on the 15- and 17-inch models. As a regular 2D camera, it can display at HD resolution and 60 frames per second. However, you can use its 3D capabilities to scan objects and use the models for 3D printing. Also, the camera works with Windows Hello, so it can look at your face and automatically log you in without you typing out a password. The new notebooks come out in February with a starting price of $1,099.
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