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Acer’s launch of a wide range of notebooks, tablets, Chrome OS computers and even a flagship smartphone at CES 2016 raises its profile and stakes in several markets.
In a series of Jan. 4 announcements at the Las Vegas show, Acer unveiled the Aspire Switch 12 S 2 two-in-one notebook, Chromebase 24 desktop, the Acer Chromebook 11 portable and the Acer Liquid Jade Primo flagship smartphone. Also announced were the Iconia One 8 tablet, the Aspire V Nitro notebook and the TravelMate P648 notebook.
The Aspire Switch 12 S includes a 12.5-inch display with options for 4K or Full HD screens, an anodized aluminum chassis, a choice of sixth-generation Intel Core M processors and a USB 3.1 Type-C Thunderbolt 3 connector. The machines will be available in the United States in February starting at $999.99. The machines will be available with 4GB to 8GB of memory and either 128GB or 256GB of solid-state drive (SSD) storage. The Acer Switch 12 S runs on Windows 10 and includes a 12.5-inch display and can be used in four modes—notebook, tablet, display and tent.
The Acer Chromebase 24 is the company’s first Chromebase all-in-one desktop that includes an Intel Core processor. The machine includes a 23.8-inch Full HD (1,920 by 1,080) display, up to 8GB of DDR3L memory, and 802.11ac wireless and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. The Chromebase 24 incorporates four digital microphones with noise-cancelling technology to make it suitable for professional video conferencing. Prices and availability dates will be announced later.
The Acer Chromebook 11 (pictured) is a new model in the company’s Chromebook line, featuring a more durable design for commercial and education customers. The machines will be available in the United States in February starting at $179.99. The Chromebook 11 offers a choice of Intel Celeron quad-core processors, 2GB or 4GB of memory, and 16GB or 32GB of eMMC storage. The Chromebook 11 has an 11.6-inch non-glare display, a high-dynamic range (HDR) camera, stereo speakers and an integrated microphone.
The Acer Liquid Jade Primo smartphone runs Windows 10 Mobile and includes Microsoft’s Continuum features, which allow it to be connected to a USB-C monitor or display docking kit as well as to a mouse, keyboard and monitor, giving the phone PC-like capabilities. The phone will be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in February.
The Liquid Jade Primo includes a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of memory, 32GB of internal storage, a 21MP f/2.2 auto-focus rear camera with dual LED flash and support for up to 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording, and an 8MP f/2.2 front-facing camera. Pricing and availability dates for the smartphone will be announced later.
The Iconia One 8 tablet is an Android tablet with an 8-inch HD In-Plane Switching (IPS) display. It runs on Android 5.1 and includes a MediaTek quad-core processor, a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. The Iconia One 8 will be available in February in North America for $99.99.
The Aspire V Nitro Black Edition gaming notebook offers enhanced 2D and 3D image quality, optional 15-inch or 17-inch displays, Intel RealSense cameras and is available with sixth-generation Intel Core processors. The devices support Nvidia GeForce GTX960M graphics with up to 4GB GDDR5 graphics RAM, and fast NVMe PCIe SSDs. The machines will be available in North America in February starting at $1,099.
The Acer TravelMate P648 commercial notebooks are built for enterprise workers who require powerful machines on the road. The TravelMate P648 has a 14-inch Full HD display, runs on Windows 10 and can be configured with Intel sixth-generation Core i3, i5 or i7 processors. The machines, which also feature tri-band 802.11ad wireless capabilities, will be available in North America in April with prices starting at $799.99.