At a busy event in New York, Acer has revealed its own entry into the ridiculously large phone/tablet genre, the IconiaTab 7, and teased the forthcoming arrival of a new smartphone, complete with a wristband included in the pack. Details are slim on both at the moment, but here’s what we know.
Acer’s smartphone is named the Liquid Jade, and the projected launch date is sometime in July. What makes the Jade interesting, is Acer will bundle the device with a wearable wristband named the Liquid Leap. Described as a “companion device,” Acer has spoken about a desire to break into wearable tech for a while. It also said the Leap won’t be just another smartwatch. We’re intrigued to know what it has come up with here, but sadly, it didn’t share much information at the event.
According to Acer, the Liquid Jade will be sold in all its usual markets, and that it’s exploring a U.S. release. If it’s successful, it’ll be the first time an Acer smartphone will officially be put on sale in America.
Moving on to the tablet, we been introduced to the IconiaTab 7, Acer’s first Android tablet to come with a quad-core processor, and the option of making voice calls using a 3G SIM card. The IPS LCD screen will measure 7-inches, and have an HD resolution, which we’re guessing will be 1280 x 800 pixels or similar, but it has yet to be confirmed. Tablets with the option of making a call aren’t new, and we’ve recently seen Huawei come out with the MediaPad X1, a high-end, sleek slate that looks silly when held next to your face. Acer also revealed the Iconia One 7, a budget Android tablet with a dual-core processor, a pair of cameras, and a 7-inch HD IPS screen.
The event was hosted by new CEO Jason Chen, who began by saying he was excited to “turn Acer around,” and that job number one was listening to customers. Apparently, we should now expect new products to be announced twice a year, and for them to hit store shelves a month later.
Updated at 10:15am by Jeffrey Van Camp: We’ve learned that the wristband will be called the Liquid Leap. The article has been updated accordingly.
