Acer Iconia W510 – Screen, Performance, Value and Conclusion

Acer Iconia W510 Screen and Speakers

As with almost every other mid-range Windows 8 tablet – convertible or otherwise – the Iconia W510 sports a 10-inch IPS screen with a 1,366 x 768 resolution. Now before you dismiss this out of hand, keep in mind that until recently this res was perfectly acceptable on 14-inch laptops, and it’s plenty high enough to make usage enjoyable – though we’re really not that fond of a 16:9 aspect ratio on tablets. Viewing angles, contrast, and backlight performance are all in line with what you would expect.

We didn’t get a good impression of the audio capabilities of the W510 in the noisy show environment, but stereo lovers will be glad to note that there’s one on either side, discreetly tucked into the sides along with the connectivity.

Acer Iconia W510 Specs and Performance

Just like with its screen, there are no surprises in the W510’s specs. It runs the same Intel dual-core Atom Z2760 ‘Clover Trail’ 1.8GHz processor as its rivals, which will certainly play nice with Windows 8 and apps from the Windows App market, but may struggle with heavy ‘traditional’ desktop use.

It’s backed by 2GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB for storage (expandable through microSD), which again is standard on these affordable hybrid devices. Graphics are apparently handled by an HD 3650, meaning that even those 3D games the Atom chip can handle from the CPU perspective might not be very playable. Again, the app store is your friend.

Acer Iconia W510 Battery Life

Again, battery life for Acer’s Iconia Windows 8 tablet is comparable to that of the Asus Vivo Tab and Samsung Ativ Smart PC, with up to nine hours promised for the tablet alone, doubling to 18hrs with its keyboard dock.

Acer Iconia W510 Price and Value

Acer’s little Windows 8 convertible tablet is already available to pre-order for around £500 for the 32GB edition or £550 for the 64GB model, both including keyboard dock. While this may seem rather expensive compared to the $500 US price, it’s a lot cheaper than Vivo Tab and Samsung Ativ Smart PC, which are appearing closer to the £700 mark.

These models go some way towards justifying their higher price by offering a pressure-sensitive Wacom stylus and of course larger 11.6-inch screens along with superior keyboards and connectivity, but they’re also heavier, quoted battery life is not as good, and they lack the W510’s unique 360 degree hinge mechanism. As such, for those who don’t want a stylus Acer has produced a bit of a bargain.

Final Thoughts

The Iconia W510 is a great first entrant in the affordable Windows 8 convertible tablet laptop arena for Acer. It’s an attractive, well-built device that sets itself apart from rivals by being smaller and lighter, as well as offering a unique swivelling hinge for its keyboard dock. Combined with a low price of around £500, it looks like it will be a great choice, though we’ll let you know our definitive verdict in the full review.