Acer Switch 3 Tablet: Elegance and Performance

Not so long ago, Acer introduced its new creation - a 12-inch tablet Switch 3. Considering the characteristics of the gadget, it is easily suitable for both office and home purposes. The pros and cons of the new planet, consider below.

Brief information

Acer Switch 3 is a twelve-inch tablet that has a rather stylish appearance and is designed to work at home, as well as in the office.Representatives of this line are considered universal tablets, and their performance and functionality of all components are constantly updated. Switch 3 is equipped with quite acceptable hardware, including a powerful Intel pentium n4200 processor, 4 GB DDR3 RAM, and 64 GB of internal memory. A small handy addition to the device is that it can be connected to the portable keyboard that comes with the kit, and then used as a laptop.

A tablet with this configuration has a cost of around $450.

There is also another version of the model, which differs only in a different processor. As it became known, another configuration includes the presence of an Intel celeron n3350 processor, and other differences, considering RAM and data storage, were not noticed.

Design and dimensions

From the design side, the developers approached very elegantly and created a truly memorable pattern. All details are made very thinly and gracefully. The body of the structure is covered with a slightly silvery color with titanium tint impurities, this appearance looks stylish.

The rigidity of the structure is acceptable, but some drawbacks are still noticeable. With a little effort, you can subject the case to mechanical deformations, so you should use a protective cover during operation. The keyboard joint, which acts overnight as a display stand, has a black surface with a hint of roughness. At first it looks convincing and beautiful, but later it becomes clear that this is a place for accumulation of dust, which is quite difficult to clean.

Size and communications

Manufacturers have made a relatively compact tablet that does not look bulky, despite the display diagonal. Its length is 29.5 centimeters, and its width is 20.1 cm. The body of the device has a special metal stand, thanks to which the gadget can be placed in any desired place and in any position. This design is especially convenient when the tablet will work as a laptop.

All the necessary gadget connectors are located on the left side of the case. Given that the metal stand takes up quite a lot of space, it proved to be a challenge to fit all the communication ports into the remaining space.

As befits tablets, this representative has a standard usb type-c connector, as well as a usb 3.0 port. The device is equipped with a special slot for external memory, with its help the volume of the device can be increased by 64 GB.

The main communication node of the tablet is the 2-band Intel ac7265 wireless module, thanks to which the device can also support Bluetooth technology version 4.0. During testing for the speed of data reception, the device showed very impressive results - 565 MB per second. In general, while working on the Internet, the tablet presents good performance. Wi-Fi system functions stably, no failures were noticed. Also, the tablet has the ability to connect to a personal computer using a usb adapter.

Keyboard and touch input

Acer switch 3 has the ability to dock with an additional keyboard. This happens thanks to special magnetic hinges, which are located at the bottom of the case. Once connected, the device functions like a compact laptop.The additional keyboard is equipped with a good backlight. It is remarkable that it works clearly and creates a comfortable feeling for the fingers. The short key travel and balanced pressure point are great for typing when pressing the buttons. The keys are pressed softly and do not create much noise. The only downside of the keyboard is the space bar, which is slightly unbalanced and springy.

The touch input is in a standard location, it functions quite well, does not knock or creak, but loud clicks are sometimes heard when pressed hard.

An additional input is the twelve-inch screen of the tablet itself. Input performance is top notch, fingertip response is instantaneous, and the display surface is smooth and pleasant to the touch. For more precise work and focused input, you can use the active acer stylus, which is conveniently located on the right side of the additional keyboard.

Screen

The twelve-inch IPS display has a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels, which makes this combination standard. The surface of the display and its color saturation are rather mediocre, as it is difficult to work with the screen in poor lighting conditions, and the image is distorted. This effect is not entirely clear, because on average the brightness level borders within 340 cd / m2.

The dark tones are in the range of 0.25, and the contrast level is average quality, its ratio is 774 to 1. Screen testing showed that the brightness is not correctly distributed around the perimeter and has 85 percent distortion. The screen is also cloudy.

The contrast ratio of 774:1 indicates that the color gamut is rather dull and pale. Dimmed colors have a gray tint, although ideally black colors should predominate. This is especially noticeable during the daytime. On the other hand, the acer switch 3 has a privilege with many tablets in terms of color space coverage. The data is:

1. 91 percent sRGB
2. 59 percent AdobeRGB

In the daytime, with strong sunlight, it is quite difficult to work with the display. Even hiding in the shadows, the image on the screen is very dull and faded, and the reason for everything is a strong reflection. Unfortunately, the brightness level of 340 cd / m2 does not save the situation and does not smooth out the reflection.

According to the standard configuration, the device is equipped with an Intel Pentium n4200 central processor, an integrated Intel hd 505 graphics card, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. Such characteristics make the tablet a good representative for office and everyday tasks.

Iron

The central processor Intel Pentium n4200 has four cores and has a clock speed of 1.2 - 2.5 GHz. As a rule, the effective clock frequency always interacts with the cooling system and depends on it. Compared to other representatives of this line, this tablet has an average level of performance. In any case, he will perfectly cope with his main tasks - office work and surfing the Internet.

The central processor always copes with the tasks, even during the strongest load.

Operating system

The device is running Windows 10.This makes it possible to install a wide range of applications not only from the official windows store, but also many standard programs. The operating system works in the same way as on a laptop or personal computer. The only difference is the presence of some functions for touch screens. This will be convenient if you suddenly need to disconnect the additional keyboard from the device and use it like a regular tablet.

Specifications

Device memory

Acer switch 3 is equipped with a memory slot from the manufacturer Hynix, which has 64 gigabytes. If we take into account the volume that goes into maintaining the installed operating system and all the necessary software, then approximately 30-odd gigabytes remain for pure use. The disadvantage is the speed of information transfer in flash memory; it would be better if the video in 4K format was read faster. During the work, periodic freezes, friezes, etc. appear.

video card

The Intel hd 505 video processor is a dubious choice for installation in this device. It has a relatively weak clock frequency of 750 MHz, and the video card does not carry its own memory, but borrows it from the DDR3 RAM slots. It is also worth noting that only passive cooling is built into the video card, and this further aggravates the situation.But the advantage is the quiet operation of the card, due to the lack of fan blades, there is no noise.

Temperature

It is interesting to observe that despite the absence of active cooling, the internal system practically does not heat up. Apparently, the radiator is made with high quality and absorbs all the accumulated heat. Under moderate loads, the tablet gives out only 39 degrees, which makes you wonder. Thanks to this quality approach, users will not have problems with the device lying on their laps.

During testing of the device, when the system was loaded to the maximum, the central processor worked at a maximum frequency of 2.4 GHz and warmed up to a temperature of 73 degrees. In such a stressful state, the tablet stayed for an hour and coped with its task.

Sound system

At the top of the panel of the device are several audio speakers. There were practically no problems with the volume, and the voices during the conversation were heard well. However, with raised tones there is some kind of muting and the sound is slightly distorted. The same effect is observed when watching videos or listening to music. It is best to connect an additional sound system in such a situation; for this, the necessary connector is located in the panel.

Battery operation

The battery in the device is rather weak. Testing suggests that with Wi-Fi on, balanced power mode and a brightness level reduced by six units, the tablet lasts approximately 5-6 hours of operation. This figure leaves much to be desired. Taking into account the fact that this gadget is designed for office work and surfing the net, it will definitely not live up to its expectations.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Additional keyboard and the presence of a stylus;
• Good design and case material;
• Stable processor and sufficient performance;
• Ease and convenience in use.

• Terrible display;
• Weak integrated video card;
• Small amount of memory.

Conclusion

First of all, it is worth saying that the Acer Switch 3 is a very stylish and elegant tablet. The appearance and all external components look good enough to call the device a business device. The Intel Pentium n4200 CPU does an excellent job, although it is not particularly productive. The chip functions well with all system components and is suitable for office environments. Unfortunately, a tablet of this level can hardly be called a full-fledged business representative, since it lacks many features that ensure complete data security. It can be noted that the tablet comes with an additional stylus, which makes the work more convenient and will help in the creative plan.

Of course, it cannot be without jambs, and in this case it is worth paying attention to the display. In this regard, almost everything is a disadvantage: Poor display due to the glossy surface, poor contrast, but a high level of brightness. Such a screen makes it difficult to work in conditions of strong illumination. It is also bad that the amount of memory is only 64 gigabytes, although with the conditions of office and home work, it should be at least 128 GB.