Acer Switch 3 Specs, Features and Comparison

The Acer Switch 3 is a new 12-inch Windows 10 tablet. It’s one of the most interesting competitors to cheap tablets with Intel Atom processors. Inside the Switch 3 runs Intel’s latest Kaby Lake generation. You can also get it with a keyboard cover and stylus.

Acer Switch 3 Highlights

• 12-inch full HD screen at an affordable price
• Intel’s Kaby Lake chipset instead of old Atom
• Kickstand and keyboard cover are included
• Active pen support – the stylus is optional though

Read now: Our full Acer Switch 3 review

Acer Switch 3 Design

The Acer Switch 3 looks very similar to its bigger brother, the Switch 5. While the bezel is made out of plastic, the back is actually aluminum. I tried it at Computex already and it doesn’t feel super high-end. That’s fine at this price point though.

On the back, there is a U shaped kickstand. It works similar to the one from the Surface Pro series. There’s a 5-megapixel camera on the back as well.

The front facing camera has a resolution of just 2-megapixel. We’re also getting one USB type C port, one USB 3.0 connector, and a microSD card slot.

In case you wondered, the Switch 3 is not very thin at 9.95 millimeters. At the same time, it is not the lightest. It weighs 1250 grams.

As you expect from a tablet like this, Acer is shipping it with a keyboard cover. The keyboard connects magnetically and is full size. You can even angle the keyboard a bit thanks to a magnetic bar on the tablet.

Acer Switch 3 Display and Hardware

The Acer Switch 3 has a 12.1-inch display. So its size is similar to a Surface Pro. But since the price is much lower the resolution is much lower as well. We’re getting a full HD screen here with 1920 x 1080 pixels. That’s fine though. Obviously, it’s an IPS panel.

You don’t have to use your fingers with the touchscreen. Acer is also offering an active pen with 1024 pressure points. That’s not as precise as the Surface Pen from Microsoft.

Underneath runs an Intel Pentium N4200. That’s a quad-core chip with four cores clocked at 1.1GHz. They can boost up to 2.5GHz though. How well does it perform? Well, it is much faster than an Intel Atom. At the same time, it’s not as fast as a Core m3 either.

Other specs include 4GB of RAM and an internal storage with a capacity of 64GB. According to Acer, the 4670 mAh battery will last you up to 8 hours.

Full Specifications

Acer Switch 3 Reviews and Videos

I’m currently working on my Acer Switch 3 review. But you can check out my hands on video from Computex 2017 in the mean time:

Alternatives: A Comparison

There are a couple of interesting alternatives to the Acer Switch 3.

If you’re looking for more performance you can check out the Acer Switch 5. Very high-end competitors are the Microsoft Surface Pro and ASUS Transformer Pro T304.

Are you looking for a very cheap Windows tablet? It’s hard to find cheaper ones with a 12-inch screen. But there are a couple of 10-inch ones out there. Take a look at the Lenovo MIIX 320 and ASUS Transformer Mini T103. Both offer a lower end Intel Atom x5 processor but are a bit cheaper.

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Acer Switch 3

Read now: Our Acer Switch 3 Review

Considering the price, the Acer Switch 3 is a pretty good Windows tablet and a lot cheaper alternative to the Surface Pro. It has a good build quality, a nice display and a excellent keyboard. But, the battery life is too short.

Positive

• Good hardware for its price
• Almost excellent keyboard cover
• Decent performance
• Optional pen/stylus

Negative

• Display could be brighter
• Short battery life

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Articles about this tablet

• Acer Switch 3 Review: The Best Cheap Surface Pro Competitor?