Acer Working on Windows 8 Haswell-based Tablet

News
By Kevin Parrish
published

This sounds like a new version of the Acer Iconia W7.

German website Techblog.gr reports that Acer is gearing up to launch a Windows 8 Pro tablet sporting one of Intel's upcoming Haswell processors.

Currently using the codename "Bulgari," the unannounced tablet will reportedly feature a huge 11.6-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and an 8 MP camera on the back. The tablet is reportedly "almost ready" to launch, indicating that it could be one of the Haswell launch devices next month.

According to the report, the tablet will have a fourth-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and an SD card slot for additional storage. Unfortunately, that's it for details; no pricing and no actual launch date although it's slated for a June release. However, based on the specs alone, this "Bulgari" device seems to be the successor to Acer's current 11.6-inch Windows 8 tablet, the Iconia W7.

Starting at $799.99, the Iconia W7 series features an 11.6-inch screen and third-generation Intel Core processors. The cheapest model includes an Intel Core i3-3217U dual-core CPU clocked at 1.8 GHz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, a 64 GB SSD, Intel HD 4000 graphics, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wireless N. One of the more expensive models sports a dual core Intel Core i5-3337U CPU clocked at 1.8 GHz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128 GB SSD, Intel HD 4000 graphics, Wireless N and Bluetooth 4.0. There are seven models in all.

Just recently, Acer revealed an 8-inch tablet sporting Windows 8, the Iconia W3. It features a dual-core Atom Z2760 SoC from Intel, an 8.1-inch CrystalBrite LCD display with a 1280 x 800 resolution, integrated graphics with 64 MB of memory, 32 GB of internal storage, and 2 GB of RAM. Other features include Wireless-N networking connectivity, a 2 MP camera on the front and a 2 MP camera on the back (which again seems odd), and a two-cell 3,500 mAh battery.

Next month we expect to see this new "Bulgari" tablet provide the same range of configurations and possibly a similar price. Additional news will likely be made in a separate Acer announcement during Intel's official Haswell launch at COMPUTEX 2013.

Kevin Parrish
9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • spentshells
    super high res on such a small screen is a waste and will be no different than 1080 while using a bit more power it seems like a total waste but the haswell part sounds great.
    Reply
  • stevejnb
    Spent, yeah, that's screen fetish in action. I swear, people will be clamoring for ultra HD smart watches soon enough, despite the resolution difference being invisible to the human eye.

    The tablet itself sounds nice. I'm using Acer's earlier foray into the Windows 8 tablet area and I am very happy with it... Though, a bit of the old Acer garbage-hardware curse still persists in the form of needing a firmware update on the wireless card to get it to hold a solid internet connection. After that it has been very handy though.
    Reply
  • Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer
    I would have been much more surprised to learn that Acer was NOT working on a Haswell-based Windows 8 tablet...
    Reply
  • batkerson
    FYI, techblog.gr is a Greek website.
    Reply
  • halcyon
    The screen resolutions seems fine, the only 4GB of ram doesn't.
    Reply
  • bpdski
    Poor spec choices IMO. I would have gone with a lower resolution 1080p panel and 8GB RAM. In my experience, 4GB just doesn't cut it anymore and isn't future proof at all. I'm very interested in buying a Haswell tablet sometime in the next year, but 8GB is a requirement for me.
    Reply
  • EXel
    2560 x 1440 - 11.6-inch - facepalm. *(it seems without digitizer)
    Reply
  • eklipz330
    THANK YOU! at the very least the tom's hardware commenters seem to have LOADS of sense!
    some dude was complaining at the 720p screen announced on the new galaxy s4 mini, and how it's completely outdated. i can't even tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on 5 inch screens!!! i'd very much be willing to settle for a 720p screen with superior battery!
    Reply
  • Joshua Lieder
    This will be another dud on arrival. We need at least 128gb for some Windows sofware such as Logos Bible Software with all my books, decent fonts for ereading software like Kindle, cool to the touch, lightweight machines with detachable keyboards not exposed ones that flip over foolishly. Thanks.
    Reply