At a sky high press conference atop the new World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, Acer unveiled a sky high lineup of goods – and placed a flag in the sand for the sagging PC industry.
“There are only four or five players in the PC industry, and all of us are survivors,” Jason Chen, CEO of Acer Corp, told an international group of reporters. “We will be the last man standing for the PC industry.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, every day Acer is selling more than 100,000 products. Every single day!”
Bold words, indeed.
Chen said the company grew its business PC marketshare 80 percent, though he did not mention the company’s overall PC sales.
“Ladies and gentlemen, every day Acer is selling more than 100,000 products. Every single day!”
Chen also promised a new focus on being first with new technology – and making products that look truly drool-worthy: “They have to be beautiful, they have to be sensational, you have to feel good about, so that people see our products and feel good about them,” Chen said.
Chromebook is the company’s fastest growing segment and Acer tripled its business in the U.S. market, Chen said, noting that the company has multiple products breaching the top 5 in sales and doubled its sales in the smartphone market. Going forward, the company aims to build upon that growth in PCs and smartphones, while expanding into connected cars, smart home, healthcare, and communication. The company even announced a new version of its Leap wearable, called the Liquid Leap Fit.
In the Windows sphere Acer began its announcements with the new Aspire R11, a new 2-in-1 device with a Dual-Torque Hinge that allows the screen to flip 360 degrees, converting a traditional laptop into a touchscreen. This is similar to the Lenovo Yoga line. Unlike the Yoga, though, the R11 will start as low as $250, the lowest price yet for a device with this style of hinge. Acer expects a July release.
The company also showed off a detachable screen device called the Switch 10. It comes in six different vibrant colors and boasts a 12 hour battery life, the company claims. It will have two versions, the Switch 10 E SW3-013, which starts at $280, and the more luxurious Switch 10 SW5-015, which will feature a Gorilla Glass 3 cover and full HD display. It’ll start at $400. The former will arrive in July while the latter will appear in August.
Next Acer showed off a new variant of its full-sized Chromebook 15, the CB3-531. Its standout feature is the price, which has been lowered to $200. That makes it one of the least expensive 15-inch notebooks on the market. It’s slated for a July release.
The aluminum finished Aspire V15 notebook uses a new material, Chen said. Nano-imprint lithography enables an etched pattern on the entertainment device, which carries Dolby Audio and a Full HD panel. It’ll start at $600, but won’t be available until August.
The Iconia Tab 10, meanwhile, is a new tablet targeting the education market. “We’ve removed a lot of the software preinstalled in the tablets” Acer said, and made it easier to get apps for education. It also includes Google Management console to let teachers manage students. And the Iconia One 8 tablet in a wide array of colors comes with an HD display and an anti-fingerprint coating. We’ll see how effective it is, of course.The 10-incher will come in May at $300, while the 8-inch tablet will appear in July at $150.
Joe Belfiore from Microsoft made an appearance in a video, touting Acer’s Skype certification and inclusion of precision touchpads, which offer a far more sensitive experience. He also mentioned Acer’s 2-in-1 laptops, and a new gaming portfolio that integrates Xbox gaming to Windows 10.
“Acer can truly deliver one experience across all these devices, enabling amazing Windows 10 experiences for Windows customers,” Belfiore said.
