Acer announces tablet, smartphone to compete with Apple, Samsung
By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-12-05 17:06:15 | Word Count: 664
Acer is not necessarily the top PC technology maker, but techies are excited about the announcement of two tablets and a smartphone that will run on Google’s Android operating systems. The devices boast amazing screen resolution quality, unparalleled gaming capabilities and high definition cameras, which may leave their competition scrambling to keep up.
Acer’s 7-inch tablet beats Samsung’s Galaxy tablet in screen resolution, producing a beautiful 1280 by 800 screen display (the Samsung’s display is a mere 1024 by 600). It also has a front facing HD camera, Flash 10.1 compatibility and a dual core processor, making it a powerful competitor in the fierce tablet market.
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The 10.1-inch tablet employs Nvidia’s Terga 2 processor providing users with the ability to play more involved games and demand more of their tablet’s processing system. It also has 3D games and 1080p video capabilities.
Both models will be 3G and Wi-Fi compatible, and will include HDMI outputs for high quality viewing on larger screens.
The devices go on sale in April of 2011, although there has been no word yet on price. Its competitors – like Samsung’s Galaxy tablet and the iPad – range from $400 to $600.
Acer also announced a 4.8-inch smartphone tablet hybrid device that will compete with the Dell Streak. It has a 1048 by 480 screen resolution, which is extremely impressive for a device that’s essentially a cell phone. It will also come packed with an 8 MP phone, complete with an LED flash for taking great pictures on the go. Did you ever imagine getting an image you could blow up to an 8 by 10 print or larger from your cell phone?
Although it remains unnamed so far, this device is also reported to be available in April of 2011.
All three devices are set to run on Googles Android system, although it’s unclear which one. Users were hoping the devices will run on Honeycomb (which would be Android 3.0), the latest Android system, but Acer may not wait for that update to be available, so that they can compete with Samsung’s tablet. In the event the Honeycomb system is not ready in April, the devices will most likely run on the latest Android system, Gingerbread (currently Android 2.3).
At any rate, those considering buying a tablet this holiday season may want to wait. Between the rumors of an iPad 2 release, and Acer’s latest announcement, the technology available today might be outdated by the end of the first quarter of 2011.
