IFA: Acer launches Aspire R 13 and 14 convertibles and budget Windows Iconia tablet

The company's next wave of hardware looks to combine entertainment, productivity and affordable prices

Acer has announced a plethora of new products at IFA 2014 in Berlin, introducing a new smartphone and expanding its range of hybrid tablets, two-in-one notebooks, and laptops.

Liquid Z500
Acer's latest addition to the smartphone market features a 5in high-definition 1280x720 IPS screen, 8MP camera with F2.0 aperture for low-light picture shooting. It is 8.65mm thick.

Powering the Z500 is a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM, and 32GB storage. The Liquid Z500 will be available in the UK in September. Acer remained quiet on prices but revealed that the handset will come in a choice of three colours: Titanium Black, Sandy Silver and Aquamarine Green.

Iconia Tab series
Three new models have been added to the Iconia Tab series. The Iconia 8W sports an 8in display and runs Windows 8.1 with Office 365 support. The tablet's 1280x800 HD display is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom processor. The 8W will be available from November for £119.99.

The Iconia 8W is joined by the Iconia One 8, which shares identical specifications but runs on Android 4.4 instead. Available in October, the One 8 will also cost £119.99.

The Iconia 10 offers a 10in full HD IPS display and features Dolby cinema sound, to create a surround-sound experience by converting stereo audio into 5.1 surround sound for headphones. Starting at £139.99, the tablet will be available in October.

Aspire Switch 10 and 11
Expanding its two-in-one notebook line, which merges tablets with keyboard docks, Acer announced the addition of the Aspire Switch 11 to its range of hybrid devices.

The Aspire Switch 11 comes in two versions. The Aspire Switch SW5-171, which features a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage via a SATA hard drive - peripheral connectivity is provided by full-sized USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports.

The Aspire Switch SW5-111 is the lesser brother, and sports a 1366x768 display powered by an Intel Atom Z3745 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of flash storage.

Two USB 2.0 ports provide connectivity, and a 2MP front-facing camera can be used for 1080p video-conferencing image capture. Both models will come with Windows 8.1 and sport a micro HDMI and Micro SD ports. Wireless connectivity comes courtesy of Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11n. Available in October, prices start at £329.99.

Acer also added another model to its Aspire Switch 10 series. The SW5-012 offers either a 10.1 inch Corning Gorilla Glass display, in either full HD or 1280x800 resolutions.

Power comes courtesy of an Intel Atom Quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, while storage goes up to 64GB. The hybrid also comes with a forward-facing 2MP camera capable of recording video in 1080p full HD. The Switch 10 is available now from £279.99.

Aspire R 13 and 14
Two new models have been added to the Aspire R series of convertible laptops, which use a hinge to flip the device between laptop and notebook operation.

The Aspire R 13 (pictured) feature either full HD resolutions or 2560x1440 super high-resolution displays, powered by Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and up to 8GB or RAM. Storage comes courtesy of up to a 1TB solid-state drive. Available in October, prices start from £699.

The R 14 offers a 14in 1366x768 display and a range of Intel processors, from entry-level Pentiums through to i7 chips. Some models feature Nvidia GeForce 820M graphics to provide additional performance for gaming. Prices start from £429 with the tablets available in October.

Aspire V13 and E series
Finally Acer will expand its Aspire range in September. The Aspire V13 has a lightweight design, weighing 1.5kg and a little over 19mm thick, though it manages to pack in a USB 3.0 port.

Fourth-generation Intel Core processors power the V13s, which can be specified with up to 16GB of RAM and an optional solid-state hard drive.

By using Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater technology and a Skype-certified digital microphone, Acer hope to make listening and recording audio a differentiating feature for the V13. The V13 will start at £399.

Acer also announced an overhaul of its Aspire E series, which will come with Windows 8.1 and be powered by Intel Pentium or Celeron processors and 8GB of RAM.

The E series will also support eight Windows 8 TouchPad gestures, designed to ape touchscreen gestures in terms of smoothness. Screen sizes will range from 11in up to 17in, and prices start at £179.

V3 is at IFA 2014 throughout the duration of the event, so check back for more news on the latest announcements.