Besides Iconia One 8 tablet which is intended for the
beginner, Acer also reveals a more 'serious' device at CES 2016. The device is
the Acer Aspire Switch 12 S, a 2-in-1 hybrid laptop that carries promising
features and specifications.
Acer Aspire Switch 12 S is essentially a tablet that's
equipped with a keyboard. Almost all components are embedded behind the
12.5-inch touch screen. The screen itself comes in two versions. The standard
version is packing a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, but if you have more
money, you can choose the 4K version - both are protected by Gorilla Glass 4.
Acer Aspire Switch 12 S is powered by Intel Core M processor
with Skylake architecture, 4GB or 8GB RAM, and 128 GB or 256 GB SSD. There is a
microSD card reader on the side, and a USB-C port that serves as charger plug
or to connect to other devices such as an external monitor via Thunderbolt 3
interface.
Is there only a single-USB-C port? No, on the left and right
sides of the keyboard you will also find a standard USB 3.0 port. Overall,
Switch 12 S has a weight of 1.4 kg and 17.3 mm thick body. The tablet itself
has a weight of 800 grams, with a thickness of about 7.85 mm.
Perhaps at first glance it may seem quite heavy, but
remember, all of this is packaged in an aluminum case and the battery endurance
is claimed to reach 8 hours on a single charge.
Acer Aspire Switch 12 S works like the Microsoft Surface
Book, it's relying on innovative hinge design so that the tablet will be easily
removed or installed. But the more interesting feature is its compatibility
with accessory named Graphics Dock, which basically brings a separate graphics
card to boost the performance of Switch 12 S when playing heavy games.
Another interesting feature is the placement of 3D Intel RealSense camera on behind - in
front there is only a standard 720p resolution webcam, perhaps this camera is
intended for the needs of three-dimensional scan for certain jobs, not for
Windows Hello feature.
According to the plan the Acer Aspire Switch 12 S will be
released at next February, with prices ranging from $ 1,000 for the most standard configurations.