Acer Iconia W4 Review: Versatile, Full Fledged Windows 8.1 Tablet

Acer Iconia W4 Review: Versatile, Full Fledged Windows 8.1 Tablet

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Meet the Acer Iconia W4!

One of the things that we hated with the first wave of diminutive Windows 8 tablets that were launched a few years ago was the fact that they sported the inferior RT version of Microsoft’s operating system. This meant that you could only use apps from the Windows marketplace on those devices, severely limiting their use. Thankfully, more and more pint sized tablets have come out sporting Windows 8.1 which allowed users to install programs much like the ones on their home PCs and notebooks. Acer’s Iconia W4 is the company’s 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet offering that does that and more, giving users who are either unwilling or unable to migrate to iOS or Android tablets a solid alternative.

Acer Iconia W4 specs

  • 1.33-GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3740 (with Intel Burst Technology up to 1.8-GHz)
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 8-inch 1280 x 800 resolution IPS wit Zero Air Gap Technology
  • 32GB eMMC
  • 5-megapixel main camera
  • 2-megapixel front camera
  • 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
  • MicroSD card reader
  • HDMI micro port with HDCP support
  • Comes with QWERTY Acer Wireless Bluetooth keyboard and leather case

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Simple, rugged design meant for everyday use

The overall design of the Iconia W4 isn’t going to turn heads, but it’s not ugly either. The mainly plastic body of the Iconia W4 has been treated with a brushed, metallic finish, which gives the tablet a more business-y look than its toy-like predecessor, the W3. The Iconia W4 is light enough and small enough to be used one handed, though the sheer size of the screen means that you’ll usually give up one handed operation and hold it with both hands when you try to do anything useful.

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On the bottom of the bezel lies the Windows button that you can press to get back to the Metro UI. On the right side of the tablet lies the volume rocker, micro HDMI port and the microSD slot, while the top of the tablet holds the power/lock button. On the bottom of the tablet lies the micro USB slot and the 3.5mm jack. Acer gives Iconia W4 buyers a US OTG cable that allows you to plug in USB peripherals into the device – things like keyboards, mice, printers and so on.

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The display of the Iconia W4 is an improvement over the dark, muddy display of its predecessor. The 8-inch, 1280 x 800 resolution display uses an IPS panel and built with Zero Air Gap Technology. ZAGT promises to improve the readability of the display under direct sunlight by removing air between the touch panel and the LCD module. It seems that the tech isn’t just fancy marketing – we did notice that the Iconia W4’s display was readable even under direct sunlight, and only exhibited glare under the harshest of conditions. The Iconia W4’s display was punchy, and had good color reproduction overall.

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The Iconia W4 comes with an included Bluetooth keyboard and a leather carrying case that also doubles as a stand.

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Can run most Windows apps, but has its limitations

Because the Iconia W4 runs the full version of Windows 8.1, it can run all programs that run on the x86 architecture. That’s good news for people who need a highly portable tablet yet can’t migrate to the iOS or Android ecosystem because they can’t or don’t want to. Fastone Image Resizer, for example, is our preferred program when it comes to automatically resizing and watermarking images that we take photos of that doesn’t have an iOS or Android equivalent.

Of course, the Iconia W4 still uses Intel’s quad-core Atom Z3740 processor, which means it has its limitations. While apps and games from the Windows store ran beautifully on the Iconia W4, you can forget about running intense PC games on the Iconia W4, as it simply does not have the CPU power (not to mention GPU) to run complex games. Simple indie games like Miami Hotline work well enough. You can do basic photo editing on the Iconia W4, but anything that needs major CPU power should be avoided, as the Intel Atom Z3740 processor and 2GB is simply not enough for intense tasks.

Even though you can install programs into the Iconia W4 like a normal PC, be warned that storage space on the device is at a premium. While the Iconia W4 ships with 32GB of storage, you’ll only be able to use roughly half of that (around 14.6GB) for your files.

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As far as everyday use is concerned, the Iconia W4 ran like a champ. Browsing the internet and viewing YouTube videos on HD wasn’t too much of a problem, although we did notice a bit of stuttering in HD YouTube videos here and there. Typing on the included wireless Bluetooth keyboard is a bit of a challenge though, especially since we’re so used to using full-sized keyboards. People with bigger than normal digits may find it difficult to type with the Iconia W4, as we found that we were hitting the wrong keys when we tried typing without looking at the keyboard.

One nice thing that mobile workers and even students will appreciate is that the Iconia W4 comes pre-loaded with MS Office 2013.

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Average camera

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The camera on the Iconia W4 isn’t really anything to write home about. The photos look dull, and exhibited a lot of noise. Taking photos with the Iconia W4 should be considered as a last resort.

All day battery life

We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Iconia W4 has extremely long legs for a Windows 8.1 tablet. We managed to get around 9 hours of useful battery life from the Iconia W4, mainly browsing, playing relatively light games and watching the second season of the House of Cards. If you manage your battery right, the Iconia W4 can go even longer with occasional use, which is good news for people on the go who needs a Windows 8.1 tablet that can go the distance.

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Verdict: Great Windows 8.1 tablet for students and mobile workers

Priced at only Php 18,900, Acer’s Iconia W4 has a great mix of price, performance and battery life for people on the go. It’s an extremely versatile machine and has good enough performance to get through most basic tasks. What’s even better is that Smart is offering the Acer Iconia W4 under their Gadget Bundle Plan Php 999. That comes with a pocket WiFi, 50 hours of internet surfing time and Smart’s Anti-Bill Shock Guarantee.

 

 

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