We're used to refreshes, but it's fairly rare that word of a revamp comes so soon after a device is released, especially when it sprouts from a company source.
According to Dutch site Tweakers.net (via The Verge), Acer is planning to retool the Iconia W3, the very first 8.1-inch Windows 8 tablet, though certainly not the last.
The site looks to have it on the authority of Acer spokesperson Sterre Swank that a W3 2 (or whatever we want to call the slate's successor) is being developed.
The new W3 will be "thinner and lighter" than the original Iconia W3, trimming down on the considerable bulkiness of the current model. Acer will keep selling the tablet, Swank said, but retailers won't have stocks replenished.
Improvements welcome
Outed in June during Computex, the Iconia W3 is attractive in size, but not much else aesthetically.
The display is, to put it delicately, awful, and while there's no hint from Swank or Tweakers that the new model will have an improved screen, we can't imagine Acer leaving it as is.
As for size, the device certainly has a lot of heft and a thickness that feels as though you're carrying a slab of lunch meat around. The machine has its charms, but would definitely benefit from a trim and a screen shine.
We've contacted Acer about the Tweakers story but were told that the company doesn't comment on future product plans.
- Speaking of refreshes, apparently the iPad mini is in for one before the iPad mini 2 comes out.
