A new breed of smaller Windows 8 tablets is something that has been rumoured since the launch of Windows 8 and the first tablet, the Microsoft Surface. Now it seems those rumours are coming true, as images of an 8-inch Windows 8 tablet known as the Acer Iconia W3 have leaked.
It was thought that Microsoft would be the first to introduce a smaller tablet with Windows 8, as it did with the Surface, but now it looks as though Acer could beat them to the punch. Images of the 8-incher have leaked via Minimachines.net; a French gadget site, which show the device alongside two case-type accessories.
If you’ve spotted one of Acer’s cheaper Android tablets like the Iconia B1 then this new tablet will look familiar. It doesn’t look like a flagship device and is neither thin nor especially stylish, but it does look rather comfy to hold, with rounded edges and corners all over.
Pictured with the Iconia W3 are two different accessories; one an iPad Smart Cover-style case that appears to cover front and back and folds up to form a stand, and the other a full-sized QWERTY keyboard dock.
We’re told that the little tablet will feature a dual-core Intel Atom processor that’s clocked at a healthy 1.8GHz and 2GB of RAM, which when paired together should make for a very capable and portable gadget. There’s also said to be dual cameras, dual speakers and micro USB for charge and sync.
Microsoft hinted earlier this week that smaller touch-enabled Windows 8 devices will be coming along shortly, so perhaps this new Acer is one of the first wave of mini tabs to run the latest software from Microsoft.