Acer Aspire Switch 12S: Back to tablet and keyboard dock
Many companies use CES as the moment to introduce a lot of new products to the public, but there are also companies that take it a bit easier. Acer introduced only three models in Las Vegas: an all-in-one with ChromeOS, a laptop with ChromeOS and a new convertible. The Taiwanese giant was therefore not at the fair itself, but in a hotel a little further away. There we were able to take a first look at the new hardware, with our attention mainly focused on the new convertible: the Switch 12S.
Acer Aspire Switch 12S
The name Switch 12S suggests that we are dealing with an improved version of the Switch 12, which went on sale about a year ago. However, quite a bit has changed and apart from the 12.5″ screen size, the two convertibles have little in common. The Switch 12 was a striking appearance of a tablet with a built-in kickstand and a detachable keyboard that could be used in different ways Apparently that modular design was not a success, because with the Switch 12S, Acer is back to the classic design of a detachable tablet on a keyboard dock, which we know from the Switch 10 and 11.
That similar design does not make the Switch 12 a Switch 11 with a somewhat larger screen diagonal; Acer has made other material choices. Plastic can only be found on the keys of the keyboard, because the tablet and dock are made entirely of metal, probably aluminum. The front of the tablet is covered with a glass plate over the entire surface, behind which the laminated Full HD IPS panel is pasted, with openings for the speakers at the bottom, which face forward.
Due to the use of only metal and glass, the tablet feels sturdy, firmer than the Switch 12 with a plastic housing. In addition, more connections are available. On the tablet itself, the micro HDMI connection still offers the option of connecting an external screen, but there is now also a USB-C connection available, which also supports thunderbolt. The thunderbolt connector can be used to connect the Acer Graphics Dock. Although Acer has not yet revealed the Graphics Dock, the name suggests that this is a dock with an external video card.
The USB-C connection is not used to charge the tablet. On the one hand, that is a miss that in turn produces a separate power connection, on the other hand, the USB-C connection can therefore be used freely while you charge the tablet. What stands out on the outside is the Intel Realsense camera. It is located at the back, so logging in using Windows Hello, such as on the Surface Pro 4, is not possible and the camera is therefore really intended to make 3D images.
Keyboard dock
Those who want to use normal USB-A connections can turn to the keyboard dock, on which a USB connection is placed on the left and right. In order not to disturb the lines of the rounded design, a kind of cover has been used, behind which the connections are partly hidden.
The way in which the communication with the tablet proceeds is striking. This is usually done via Bluetooth or manufacturers use their own connector. With the Switch 12S, Acer has chosen to use the gold-colored ‘legs’ in the hinge not only to keep the tablet in place, but also to let the communication between the keyboard dock and the tablet run through it. How exactly that works and whether it can also use the full speed of the USB connections, we will have to test in an extensive review. According to the Acer employee present, the speed is in any case not a problem.
The tablet is also held firmly in place by a magnet and the legs. In addition, the tablet will wobble slightly forward and backward, but that cannot be prevented with these types of constructions. It is a pity that the low weight of the keyboard dock means that the dock can ‘float’ when you unfold the hinge to the maximum. The same problem already existed with the Aspire Switch 10 .
Conclusion
With its 12S, Acer seems to have come back from the daring design of the Switch 12 and gives the new model a ‘normal’ look with a keyboard dock. A lot of use has been made of metal and glass, so that the 12S not only looks good, but also feels sturdy. The keyboard dock offers two normal USB connections, in addition to the USB-C connection on the tablet itself, so that you can also use the 12S as a normal laptop. The only drawback that we could discover during this hand-on is that the dock does not stay neatly flat when you open the laptop completely.
The Switch 12S that we were allowed to try was equipped with a full-HD screen, a Core m3 6y30 processor and 4GB of memory. However, versions will also appear with a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels and 8GB memory, while SSDs of 128 or 256GB will become available. The 12S will be a lot more expensive than the regular Switch 12 and will be available in February for a price from 1200 euros.