At Acer’s next@acer global press conference held at the 4 World Trade Center in New York, the company unveiled a full range of new devices designed for both work and play. The company presented the a full 1- to 100-inch product offering, new back-to-school season Windows products supported by Acer for free Windows 10 upgrade, the upgraded Aspire V 15 notebook and the 2-in-1 Aspire Switch 10 E. The company also unveils its gaming strategy across multiple form factors, including the first curved gaming monitor featuring NVIDIA G-SYNC technology and the new Acer Chromebook 15. Acer also announced that its Liquid M220 smartphone is coming in the U.S.

"We believe that asking questions leads to better products," said Jason Chen, Corporate President and CEO of Acer. "Because by doing so we will have a sound understanding of consumers and as a result, enable us to develop products and solutions that truly echo their needs."

New Switch 10 series

Acer expands its Switch 10 series 2-in-1 notebook line with two new 10.1-inch models featuring Intel Atom quad core processors in a flexible design for computing on the go. The company also announced that it will be refreshing its Switch 11 series with a new 11.6-inch model leveraging a new hinge design, improved ergonomics and more processing power.

The Switch 10 and Switch 11 notebooks are supported by Acer for the free upgrade to Windows 10.

The Aspire Switch 10 E (SW3-013) and Switch 10 (SW5-015) combine a full Microsoft Windows 8.1-based notebook and tablet in one device featuring a magnetic detachable design for latch-free docking and smooth transition between four modes. These include notebook for content creation and other productivity apps; pad for browsing the Internet, viewing movies, playing tablet games and taking notes; display for showcasing presentations; and tent for watching movies.

The Switch 10 E (SW3-013) features a second generation Acer Snap Hinge 2 with a guiding plane design. A low center of gravity combined with a keyboard dock can be elevated up to 5 degrees. Outfitted with a 30Wh battery, the Switch 10 E provides up to 12 hours of battery life on just one charge.

The Switch 10 E will be available in six colors. This model comes with dual 2MP cameras (front and rear) and a HD 1280 x 800 resolution display that supports 10-finger multi-touch. It also features the Acer VisionCare suite, which includes Acer BlueLightShield to reduce eye strain, and Acer LumiFlex, which optimizes the output of the display under sunlight to provide better visibility. On select configurations, Acer Switch Lock provides built-in hard drive protection to safeguard valuable data in the event the keyboard dock is lost or stolen.

The Switch 10 E measures 10.31– x 7.09- x .43-inches (262- x 180- x 10.95 millimeters) and weighs only 1.39 pounds (630 grams) in tablet mode.

The Switch 10 (SW5-015) features a FHD 1920 x 1200 resolution screen with Zero Air Gap technology reinforced with a white Gorilla Glass 3 back cover. In addition, Acer is offering the optional Acer Active Pen for this model, which supports both passive and active pen input without requiring a digitizer.
A 2.0MP front camera is capable of 1080p FHD audio/video recording. Outfitted with a 22Whr battery, it provides up to 7 hours of video playback.

As a tablet, it measures only 10.29- x 6.97- x .35-inches (261.6- x 177.1- x 8.9- millimeters) and weighs just 1.31 pounds (0.6 kilograms). In notebook mode, it measures 10.29- x 6.97- x .93-inches (261.6- x 177.1 x 23.8 millimeters) and weighs 2.64 pounds (1.21 kilograms) with the keyboard dock that includes an optional hard drive.

Both Switch 10 models are powered by an Intel Atom quad core processor and 2GB DDR3L memory. They also feature two USB 2.0 ports – one full sized and the other micro and a micro HDMI port. Wireless connectivity is provided by Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11a/b/g/n.

The Switch 10 series comes with up to 64GB eMMC local storage and keyboard docks with optional hard drives supporting up to 1TB.

These models are pre-loaded with Windows 8.1 along with Microsoft Office 365 Personal at no additional expense.

The Acer Aspire Switch 10 E (SW3-013) will be available in North America in mid-July with prices starting at US$279, in EMEA in May with prices starting at €299, and in China in April with prices starting at ¥2,499.

The Acer Aspire Switch 10 (SW5-015) will be available in North America in August with prices starting at US$399 and in EMEA in June with prices starting at €449.

Acer did not provide details and pricing on the new Switch 11, which will be available later this quarter.

Aspire R 11, Aspire V 15, Aspire E and ES Series Notebooks

Acer's smallest addition to its convertible notebook lineup is the Aspire R 11 with 11.6-inch display. This compact notebook has a 360-degree hinge that allows it to convert between four modes for creating and sharing. It is available in sky blue or cloud white, with a crisp and 11.6-inch HD touch screen featuring Zero Air Gap technology and Corning Gorilla Glass.

Powered by an Intel Pentium processor and Intel HD graphics, the Aspire R 11 can be configured with up to 8GB of DDR3L system memory and up to 1TB hard drive. It has an Acer Crystal Eye HD webcam, built-in SD Card reader, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, and full sized HDMI and VGA ports. The Aspire R 11 ships with Windows 8.1 and is supported by Acer for the free upgrade to Windows 10.

The Acer Aspire R 11 will be available in North America in July with prices starting at US$249, in EMEA in June with prices starting at €349, and in China in June with prices starting at ¥2,799.

Acer's new notebooks are the Aspire V 15, Aspire E and ES Series. All ship with Windows 8.1 and are supported by Acer for the free upgrade to Windows 10.

The Aspire V 15 is adorned with an aluminum top cover. It is built with 5th generation Intel Core processors and the latest NVIDIA GeForce 940M series graphics chips, has up to 16 GB of memory and 2TB of hard drive storage or an 1TB Solid State Hybrid Drive (SSHD).

The notebook has a full HD display, Dolby Digital Plus sound and a DVD-RW drive with M-Disc support.

The Acer Aspire V 15 will be available in North America in August with prices starting at US$ 599, in EMEA in July with prices starting at €699, and in China in June with prices starting at ¥4,699.

The new Aspire E Series notebooks come in a variety of color options in 14-inch, 15.6-inch, and 17.3-inch displays. They pack the latest Intel processors, NVIDIA GeForce 940M series graphics with dedicated DDR3 VRAM or AMD Radeon R8 and R6 dual graphics, up to 16GB RAM and 2TB HDD/ 1TB SSHD storage options.

The Aspire E Series will be available in North America in July with prices starting at US$379 for 14-inch models, in EMEA in May with prices starting at €349 for 14-inch models, and in China in April with prices starting at ¥4,199 for 14-inch models.

The Aspire ES Series is available in five screen size options ranging in size from 11.6-inch to 17.3-inches. It includes the power-efficient Intel Pentium/Celeron processors, up to 8GB RAM, 1TB of hard drive storage and an optional DVD-RW drive.

The E Series supports up to three times faster 802.11ac wireless speeds with Qualcomm’s MU-MIMO technology, which enables multiple users to simultaneously access the same channel by providing spatial degrees of freedom.

All of the new notebooks support 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet.

The new Acer Aspire ES Series will be available in North America in July with prices starting at US$229 for 11-inch models, in EMEA in June with prices starting at €249 for 11-inch models, and in China in April with prices starting at ¥2,299 for 11-inch models.

Acer CB3-531 Chromebook

The Acer CB3-531 is a 15.6-inch Chromebook available at a wallet-friendly price of $199.99. The new Acer Chromebook 15 features 11.5 hours of battery life, the longest in the industry’s 15-inch Chromebook segment.

It has a 15.6-inch LED-backlit TFT LCD display (HD 1366x768 resolution), two full-sized upward facing speakers, a web cam that supports High Dynamic Range imaging and it is powered by the Intel Celeron N2830dual-core processor with Intel HD Graphics.

The Chromebook also includes fast MIMO 2x2Wifi 802.11ac wireless connectivity and its case can withstand up to 60kg of force. It weighs 2.0kg (4.41 pounds) and measures 383w x 256d x 24.2h mm (15.08w x 10.08d x 0.95h inches).

The new Acer Chromebook 15 CB3-531 will be available with 16GB of internal storage and 2GB RAM. It will be available in North America starting in July at prices starting at $199.99. It will also be available in EMEA starting in June 2015 at prices starting at €249.

Acer Iconia Tab 8 and Iconia One 10 tablets

The new Acer Iconia Tab 10 for Education is an Android 5.0 tablet that enables digital education in schools. Designed with the classroom environment in mind, the Acer Iconia Tab 10 has a durable design, a 10-inch full HD Gorilla Glass 4 display, and Acer Precision Plus make learning mobile and enjoyable. Acer is working with Google to join the Google Education ecosystem.

The tablet's 10.1-inch display (1920x1200 resolution) is more durable thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass 4 that is damage- and scratch-resistant. The anti-fingerprint coating keeps the display clean and reduces smudges. Also, when it’s time for reading, students can put their Iconia Tab 10 in Reading Mode to reduce the harmful blue light emission by up to 60 percent for less eye strain.

The Iconia Tab 10 weighs 540 grams (1.19 pounds) and measures 260w x 176d x 9.7h mm (10.26w x 6.93d x 0.38h inches). It has NFC built in with setup and sharing capabilities. Teachers or IT administrations can set up a whole classroom of tablets in minutes by tapping them together. It features Acer’s Iconia Suite of creativity and touch tools that let students simplify tasks and get quick access to frequently-used apps with touch gestures.

The Acer Iconia Tab 10 delivers up to 7.5 hours of battery life. It is powered by an Intel Atom quad core processor, features 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of on-board storage. The tablet can be connected to share video and to other peripherals via USB 2.0, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. The SD card reader supports up to 64GB memory cards to access and transfer files.

The Acer Iconia Tab 10 will be available in North America in May with prices starting at US$299, and in selected countries in EMEA in May with prices starting at €299.

Acer has also added touch capabilities to its line of Iconia One 8 tablets with the new Iconia One 8 B1-820.

In addition to its 8-inch HD display (1280 x 800) with Zero Air Gap and IPS technology, it includes an Intel Atom quad core processor, 16GB or 32GB of storage and the latest version of Android 5.0 (Lollipop).

Weighing 355 grams (12.5 ounces) and 9.5 mm thin, the Iconia One 8 is available in ten.

The Iconia One 8 B1-820 offers up to 8.5 hours of battery life, it includes a 0.3MP front camera and a 5MP rear camera; the rear camera also supports 88 degree wide angle captures, allowing more people and/or scenery to be included in shots.

The Acer Iconia One 8 will be available in North America in July with prices starting at US$149, and in EMEA in April with prices starting at €179.

34-inch curved monitor with Nvidia G-Sync

Acer also unveiled a 34-inch curved gaming monitor featuring NVIDIA G-SYNC technology - XR341CKA, and a LED projector with an intelligent ambient light sensor - K138ST.

The 34-inch curved 21:9 ultra-wide Acer XR341CKA monitor with NVIDIA G-SYNC provides a great gaming experience with minimal stutters and screen tears. It offers DTS sound, 2x7W speakers, a zero-frame design with a futuristic aluminum base.

The Acer XR341CKA features a curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440 x 1440) resolution IPS display panel with a 178-degree viewing angle. It supports 100% of the sRGB color gamut.

For gamers, the XR341CKA supports multiple features that allow them to fine tune the monitor’s performance, including 6-axis color adjustment enabled by NVIDIA G-SYNC, on-screen display of refresh rate, and three different aim-point icons to choose from. Users can identify when G-SYNC mode is on through a red ambient light at the lower edge of the monitor, of which intensity changes according to the instantaneous monitor refresh rate.

The XR341CKA can be tilted from -5° to 35° and adjusted vertically up to 130 mm. It supports DisplayPort and HDMI inputs, and has a built-in USB 3.0 hub which supports high-speed charging of smartphones and other devices.

The Acer XR341CKA monitor will be available in North America in September with prices starting at US$1,299, in EMEA in August with prices starting at €1,399, and in China in September with prices starting at ¥8,999.

New portable projectors

Acer's three new projectors are the K138ST which is the first LED projector with an intelligent ambient light sensor, the ultra-short throw U5320W, and the 1080P Full HD P5515 with enhanced keystone correction.

Capable of projecting a 100-inch image with only 1.7m distance to the projection surface, the Acer K138ST is an ultra-portable short throw LED projector with all the essential entertainment features enabling people to enjoy cinema on the go. Smaller than a sheet of A4 or letter-sized paper, and weighing just 0.75kg (1.7lbs), the K138ST has built-in DTS sound audio. The Acer LumiSense+ enabled K138ST is the first LED projector equipped with an intelligent ambient light sensor. This allows the projector to optimize image brightness and color saturation based on ambient lighting conditions. The projected image has a 100,000:1 contrast at WXGA resolution, while built-in Bluetooth audio connectivity allows it to wirelessly stream audio to a nearby Bluetooth speaker or home theater.

The Acer K138ST projector will be available in North America in June with prices starting at US$999, in EMEA in June with prices starting at €699, and in China in June with prices starting at ¥9,999.

The Acer U5320W is an ultra-short throw projector that can be placed as close as 23cm (9.1-inches) from the projection surface, and the ability to can project up to 100-inch images at a distance of 50cm (19.7-inches). It has a WXGA resolution and 3,000 lumens brightness, 2x10W speakers.

The Acer U5320W projector will be available in EMEA in June with prices starting at €1,199, and in China in June with prices starting at ¥39,999.

The P5515 is capable of projecting 1080P Full HD high-resolution images at up to a 4,000 lumens brightness. It has built-in 2x10W speakers and supports both vertical and horizontal keystone correction of image distortions up to 30 degrees. It also supports 4 Corner Correction, enabling users to adjust distortions from any corner, so that images can be projected on sloped or asymmetric surfaces.

With an optional wireless dongle, all of the new projectors support wireless projection enabling users to break free from wired inconveniences. Paired with the wireless dongle, the projectors support direct screen projection (through Miracast) from devices with Windows 8.1 or Android 4.2.2 and above. The Acer eDisplayPro solution allows up to four devices to display content on the screen simultaneously.

The Acer P5515 projector will be available in EMEA in May with prices starting at €999, and in China in March with prices starting at ¥29,999.

The Acer Liquid M220 Smartphone Coming To Microsoft Stores

Acer is also expanding its smartphone business to the United States for the first time by bringing its Liquid M220 smartphone to Microsoft Stores.

The Liquid M220 is the first Liquid smartphone to run on the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system and is supported by Acer for the free Windows Phone 10 upgrade.

The Liquid M220 has a 4-inch 233 pixels per inch (PPI) WVGA (480×800) display, a 5MP auto-focus rear camera with LED flash and an 89-degree wide-angle lens and a 2MP fixed-focus front camera.

The phone measures 4.9- x 2.5-x .38-inches and weighs 4.2 ounces. The user interface is and easy to customize and fully supports Microsoft applications and services such as OneDrive, Skype, Office and the Cortana digital assistant.

The Liquid M220 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor with dual core CPUs at speeds of up to 1.2GHz, 1GB memory and a replaceable 1300mAh battery that provides up to 3 hours talk time and up to 200 hours in standby on a single charge. It provides room for archiving photos and videos with 8GB storage capacity(5) that can be expanded with a Micro SD card.

The Liquid M220 smartphone will be available at Microsoft Stores and MicrosoftStore.com in the United States in Mystic Black and Pure White for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $79.99 in June.