Iconia W3 from Acer did not quite meet the high & crazy expectations set in the tablets market. The modest performance and the below average display did not help the sales of the tablet.

The next version from Acer, Iconia W4 (with Windows 8.1) seems to have fixed all the complaints we had with its predecessor. Also the price has dropped below $300, which makes it a good bargain.

Notably, Microsoft optimized Windows 8.1 for the form factor, owing to the competition in the 8 inches slate market.

Also over a period of time, the idea of buying smaller tablets moved solely from being something that is affordable to something that is portable, handy and packed with power.

The recent releases like the Toshiba Encore and the Lenovo Miix 2 (uses Windows 8.1) were not impressive enough but Acer Iconia W4 might just be different, reports Tech Spot.

Specifications & Features:

- W4 features an eight inches multi-touch IPS LCD display with 1,280 x 800 resolution display. It is powered by quad-core Intel "Bay Trail" Atom Z3740 SoC.

- The tablet has a 2GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage.

- It also houses a 5 MP rear facing camera, a 2 MP front camera, a Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and a Bluetooth 4.0.

- It's propelled by a 2-cell, 4,960mAh lithium polymer battery touted to give 8 hours of video playback.

- Iconia W4 has a plastic rear panel sporting a brushed aluminium look and curved edges.

- The tablet weighs 14.64 ounces (415 grams), and it is 10.16 mm thick.

- There is a lot of bezel space around the tablet.

- This tablet also houses a microSD card slot, a micro-HDMI port and a volume lever.

- There is a power button, a micro-USB connector, a 3.5mm headphone jack and dual speakers.

Price:

- Acer lists its 64GB unit for $349.99 on its website. But the same is discounted to $299.99 on Amazon.

- There is another model with 32GB of storage priced at $249.99.

Advantage:

- The Display: Although the display resolution could have been better, the viewing angles are great and the color reproduction is sound. The touch screen is smooth and responsive.

- Good performance (from Intel's Bay Trail SoC ) for the money.

- Long battery life.

Disadvantage:

- The camera and the speakers are not up to the mark.

- Display resolution is a letdown.

- Mundane & unimpressive design.

Is this Tablet Worth Buying?

Eight inches Windows 8.1 tablets are not the market leaders at the present time. But if your eyes are set on windows platform and the form factor, then W4 is not a bad option.