Review Acer Iconia W4-820-2466 Tablet
For the original German review, see here.
Affordable, yet powerful? Acer's Iconia W4-820 technically relies on the same basics as the popular 10-inch Transformer Book T100TA from Asus. An Intel quad-core Z3740 powers the slim 8.1-inch tablet, and a 64 GB flash memory supplements it. The Transformer Book provided quite a decent application and processing performance. Now the potential buyer has to decide whether the smaller 8-inch device with the same Windows power would be enough because a Bluetooth keyboard can be purchased for little money.
The contenders in the form of purebred 8-inch Windows tablets are mainly Dell's Venue 8 Pro, Lenovo's Miix2, and Toshiba's Encore WT8-A-102. These tablets all have a price of around 300 Euros (~$417), and feature a Bay Trail Atom SoC. Users who prefer larger devices will be well served with HP's Omni 10 5600eg (F4W59EA), which is a 10-inch tablet. Somewhat more expensive but also more elegant is Lenovo's 8-inch ThinkPad 8 Tablet from the business division.
Case
Owing to the light plastic casing, the tablet's low weight of 417 grams (~0.9 pounds), and the brushed back cover are pleasant to hold. Unlike other tablets that exhibit streaks from moist fingers on their glossy backs and/or fronts with an edge-to-edge design, the W4 does not leave this impression. A slightly protruding rim on the front that lifts the screen contributes to that. The edge, and particularly the area around the Windows button, give the hands a place to hold the device.
We could only warp the device marginally using both hands. However, we ascertained streaky brightness changes when higher pressure was applied to the screen. This effect will not be noticed when the compact tablet is used in a normal manner, and inputs are performed with the usual light touch of a finger.
Connectivity
Interfaces are limited on the Iconia W4-820. There is only a sole micro-USB port, which must also be used for recharging the battery. Consequently, the W4 cannot be recharged when the included dongle, i.e. a USB stick, a hub or a mouse is connected. This is naturally not ideal for use on the desk with, for example, a Bluetooth keyboard and USB mouse. The W4 transmitted an immaculate image to an external FHD monitor via its micro-HDMI port.
Communication
Broadcom supplies the Wi-Fi module (802.11bgn SDIO adapter), which also integrates Bluetooth 4.0. The Wi-Fi adapter did not exhibit a first-rate performance, rather the opposite. Transmission broke down at a distance of 15 meters (~49 feet) outside the building, and Windows only displayed a signal strength of two of five bars. However, Internet browsing is still possible. We performed this test using the 100% transmission performance of a Fritz!Box routers in the tester's individual setting.
Maintenance
The user cannot open the tablet, and consequently the battery cannot be removed.
Accessories
What is in the box? Aside from a 10-Watt USB power supply, a type A micro-USB is revealed. A USB stick or another USB device can be connected to it. In addition to a quick start guide, we discovered the license key for Office 2013 Home and Student. Microsoft's license policy currently allows equipping many small, 11.6-inch devices with Office 2013. This is also the case in Toshiba's Encore WT8, Dell's Venue 8 Pro, and Lenovo's Miix 2.
Warranty
Acer includes a manufacturer warranty of only one year. Upgrading the Iconia's warranty to 3 years costs 60 Euros (~$83). Acer's Advantage program includes priority repair, free shipping in both directions, and a one-year International Traveler's Warranty.
Webcam
There are two cameras installed: The rear-facing camera with a resolution of 1920x2560 pixels, and the front-facing camera with 1080x1920 pixels. While the front camera is at most suitable for chatting due to noise and low details, the primary camera shoots good pictures. Almost immaculate compact camera photos result in daylight.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The touchscreen responds immediately, and identifies up to 10 fingers at the same time. In our opinion, the resolution of 1280x800 pixels is ideal. Desktop icons are not too tiny, and can be hit quickly with the finger. Inputs are quickly detected, and the accuracy is amazingly high. Inputs are accepted up into the outermost edges.
Touchpad
The virtual keyboard corresponds with the Windows 8 standard, and can be split. Owing to the resolution, a good part of the screen content can be seen even after fading in the keys. The Windows key below the TFT opens the home screen (Metro tiles).
Display
The 8.1-inch screen (16:10) has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, and supports 10 finger multi-touch. The Chi-Mei CMN0802 TFT model is an IPS screen that innately includes good viewing angles alongside rich colors. The contenders do not feature a better resolution: The Venue 8 Pro, Miix 2 8, and Encore WT8-A-102 all have the same pixel density. An exception is the larger, 10-inch Omni 10 with 1920x1200 pixels.
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Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 417 cd/m²
Contrast: 907:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.59 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.87
ΔE Greyscale 6.96 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
Gamma: 2.79
| Acer Iconia W4-820-2466 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 64 GB eMMC Flash | Dell Venue 8 Pro HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Lenovo Miix 2 8 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Toshiba Encore WT8-A-102 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | HP Omni 10 5600eg (F4W59EA) HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3770, 32 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | |||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 65.8 | 45.26 | 45.73 | 44.5 | |
| sRGB Coverage | 80.4 | 66.9 | 67.4 | 66 | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 61.7 | 46.76 | 47.25 | 46.12 | |
| Screen | 5% | 7% | 1% | -2% | |
| Brightness middle | 417 | 380.2 -9% | 401 -4% | 335 -20% | 287 -31% |
| Brightness | 395 | 365 -8% | 389 -2% | 319 -19% | 292 -26% |
| Brightness Distribution | 90 | 86 -4% | 88 -2% | 85 -6% | 90 0% |
| Black Level * | 0.46 | 0.312 32% | 0.6 -30% | 0.5 -9% | 0.43 7% |
| Contrast | 907 | 1219 34% | 668 -26% | 670 -26% | 667 -26% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 6.59 | 7.03 -7% | 3.5 47% | 3.8 42% | 5 24% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.96 | 7.12 -2% | 2.42 65% | 3.64 48% | 4.18 40% |
| Gamma | 2.79 79% | 1.59 138% | 2.56 86% | 2.57 86% | 2.45 90% |
| CCT | 7414 88% | 6988 93% | 6422 101% | 6724 97% | 6594 99% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 53.88 | 43 | 43 | 42 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 5% /
5% | 7% /
7% | 1% /
1% | -2% /
-2% |
* ... smaller is better
The contrast of 907:1 is not exceptionally high, but is clearly above the average of its contenders. Dell's Venue 8 Pro is an exception with 1219:1. The high brightness of up to 417 cd/m² is distributed very evenly over the screen. We measured the grayscale and colors in the default state using the color spectrometer. Calibration failed because the X-Rite Profiler recurrently crashed (calibration sequence). This phenomenon simultaneously occurred in HP's Pavilion 11 Convertible, also a Bay Trail device.
The W4 has first-rate viewing angles: We see a razor-sharp and color stable image from every position. All contenders feature an IPS screen, and can keep up with this.
Performance
The Intel Atom Z3740 (Bay Trail, TDP: <4 Watts) is a quad-core SoC with a Turbo speed of 1.33 to 1.86 GHz. It is the same SoC as used in the contending Lenovo Miix 2 8 and Toshiba Encore WT8-A-102 mentioned here. HP's Omni 10 relies on the higher clocking Z3770, and Dell's Venue 8 Pro is powered by the Z3740D (different memory interface).
The memory configuration is poor: 2 GB of working memory (onboard) are not the maximum (4 GB in LPDDR3-1066) for the platform technically, but that has become standard for 32-bit systems. 64 GB solid-state memory in the form of an eMMC supplement the W4. A 32 GB version for 299 Euros (~$415) is also available. We would not recommend it though, because only about 36 GB are available in our 64 GB model's state of delivery.
Processor
Are there major differences in the computing performance of the contenders? The following chart compares 32-bit CPU benchmarks. The Bay Trail SoCs are all on par. Only Super Pi shows an advantage over Dell's Venue 8 Pro in a quick run. The performance advantage of 61% compared to the old Clover Trail Atom platform can be seen. The Turbo was used during the tests, and stably remained at 1.86 GHz even in battery mode.
| Acer Iconia W4-820-2466 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 64 GB eMMC Flash | Acer Iconia-W3-810-27602G03nsw SGX545, Z2760, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Dell Venue 8 Pro HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Lenovo Miix 2 8 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Toshiba Encore WT8-A-102 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R10 | -43% | -2% | 1% | 1% | |
| Rendering Single 32Bit | 963 | 609 -37% | 961 0% | 971 1% | 963 0% |
| Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit | 3352 | 1705 -49% | 3219 -4% | 3384 1% | 3390 1% |
| Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M | |||||
| 32M * | 2128 | 2863 -35% | 2106 1% | ||
| Super Pi mod 1.5 XS 1M | |||||
| 1M * | 22 | 48.44 -120% | 45.14 -105% | ||
| Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit | -44% | 1% | -0% | ||
| Total Score | 2589 | 1425 -45% | 2607 1% | 2594 0% | |
| Floating Point | 2598 | 1409 -46% | 2619 1% | 2621 1% | |
| Stream | 2299 | 1276 -44% | 2317 1% | 2295 0% | |
| Memory | 2103 | 1234 -41% | 2083 -1% | 2071 -2% | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -61% /
-52% | -35% /
-27% | 1% /
1% | 1% /
0% |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
"Edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs anywhere! The Iconia W4 comes with Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2013 Edition to go with brand-new Windows 8.1. Plus, more than 125,000 apps and games are available on Windows Store." Reading that, you might think you are facing a full-blown Office PC and not a 400-gram (0.9 lb) tablet. PCMark 7 first checks whether the application performance is really any use in everyday life with a row of sub-tests. Surprisingly, our test system is a touch superior to the other Bay Trail SoCs in Computation. Except for the Venue 8 Pro, all devices are again on par in Productivity (and Gaming Performance). Only Dell's device lags behind by 10% in the total score.
Regardless of the synthetic scores, we experienced speedy load and boot times, fast switching between apps, and swift copying (except when using an external medium, USB hard drive/stick). Interestingly, HP's 250 low-budget Office laptop with a Bay Trail Pentium N3510 (TDP: 7:5 watts) and hard drive only accomplishes 1600 points in PCMark 7. Why?
| Acer Iconia W4-820-2466 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 64 GB eMMC Flash | Acer Iconia-W3-810-27602G03nsw SGX545, Z2760, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Dell Venue 8 Pro HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Lenovo Miix 2 8 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Toshiba Encore WT8-A-102 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCMark 7 | -45% | -10% | -3% | -1% | |
| Score | 2484 | 1367 -45% | 2317 -7% | 2505 1% | 2497 1% |
| Productivity | 1068 | 608 -43% | 982 -8% | 1072 0% | 1080 1% |
| Computation | 6191 | 3273 -47% | 5355 -14% | 5575 -10% | 5896 -5% |
| PCMark 7 Score | 2484 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
The small SSD in the form of an eMMC storage makes the difference to HP's 250 Office laptop. The latter lags behind due to its slower, conventional hard drive as can be clearly seen in System Storage (HP 250: 1407 points). The hard drive is 60% worse in total. Compared with the tablet contenders, the W4's storage is in the midfield. Lenovo's Miix 2 8 stands out here (+20%).
| Acer Iconia W4-820-2466 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 64 GB eMMC Flash | Acer Iconia-W3-810-27602G03nsw SGX545, Z2760, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Dell Venue 8 Pro HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740D, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Lenovo Miix 2 8 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Toshiba Encore WT8-A-102 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCMark 7 | |||||
| System Storage | 3698 | 2630 -29% | 3297 -11% | 3825 3% | 3806 3% |
| CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | -50% | 7% | 36% | ||
| Read Seq | 160 | 81.6 -49% | 53.8 -66% | 86.6 -46% | |
| Write Seq | 46.92 | 30.14 -36% | 40.15 -14% | 50.3 7% | |
| Read 4k | 11.66 | 9.024 -23% | 8.043 -31% | 10.14 -13% | |
| Write 4k | 5.159 | 1.944 -62% | 8.888 72% | 11.19 117% | |
| Read 4k QD32 | 26.98 | 10.24 -62% | 28.75 7% | 29.01 8% | |
| Write 4k QD32 | 6.24 | 1.893 -70% | 10.65 71% | 14.99 140% | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -40% /
-47% | -2% /
4% | 20% /
31% | 3% /
3% |
Graphics Card
The HD Graphics (Bay Trail) is integrated in the SoC. It takes care of video acceleration, DirectX 11 support, and rendering on high-resolution screens (max. 2560x1600 pixels). The performance is low with an approximate level of an HD 8180 (A4-1200).
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 1810 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
Though the performance is on a low level, the upgrade from Clover Trail to Bay Trail adds a clear plus (80-90%). The Pavilion 11-h000sg, which is an 11.6-inch Windows tablet with a Pentium N3510, is only marginally faster by 14%. Current games are in no way an option. Users would have to fall back on very old games from 2005 for smooth game play, at least in medium details. However, there are exceptions like the FIFA series.
| Acer Iconia W4-820-2466 HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 64 GB eMMC Flash | HP Pavilion 11-h000sg HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3510, 64 GB SSD | Asus Transformer Book T100TA-C1-GR HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3740, 32 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung ATIV Smart PC XE500T1C-A02DE SGX545, Z2760, 64 GB SSD | HP Envy x2 11-g000eg SGX545, Z2760, 64 GB SSD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anno 2070 | |||||
| 1024x768 Low Preset | 16.8 | 19.7 17% | 2.1 -87% | ||
| Risen | |||||
| 800x600 all off/low AF:0x | 26.2 | 28.8 10% | 23.1 -12% | 4.4 -83% | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 14% /
14% | -12% /
-12% | -83% /
-83% | -87% /
-87% |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risen (2009) | 26.2 | 10.4 | ||
| Anno 2070 (2011) | 16.8 | 7.2 |
Emissions
System Noise
The Iconia W4 operates silently because it does not sport a fan or movable parts.
Temperature
The slim casing cools the components passively, and thus the surface temperatures clearly increase during load. The hot spot is found in the upper right where we measured 53 °C (127.4 °F). This is a temperature difference of 20 °C between idle and the stress test. The idle temperatures are low with an average of 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 °F) on the front and 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 °F) on the back. Lenovo's Miix 2 8 and Toshiba's Encore WT8-A-102 contenders are 15 to 18% cooler despite the casing's equal dimension. The load hot spot here is only 43 and 40 degrees Celsius (109.4 and 104 °F).
We check the maximum waste heat load and CPU clock rates in the stress test comprised of Prime95 (CPU) and FurMark (GPU). The test started with 1.86, and the processor's temperature quickly increased significantly and caused throttling. The clock dropped to 1199 MHz, and fluctuated up to 1333 MHz during permanent load (47 - 49%). That was no different after an hour. This behavior was not observed in the prior performance tests, and thus the Iconia W4 achieved the typical scores in the CPU benchmarks.
The W4 achieved the same scores as in a cold start in 3DMark 2006 performed directly after the stress test. The thermal load is quickly cooled down, and the CPU then again enables the higher clock rate (1.86 GHz).
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 45.1 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 53.6 °C / 128 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
The speakers are located on the tablet's lower edge. Their sound overemphasizes the mids, and both high and low ranges are neglected. The maximum volume is fairly high, but useless because the tiny speakers screech and distort at this level. Music can only be enjoyed with headphones, which are also connected at the bottom.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The power consumption is slightly higher than in the contenders, and also higher than the Iconia W3-810 predecessor. Particularly in the idle minimum, Lenovo's Miix 2 8 (1.2 Watts) and Encore WT8-A-102 (1.3 Watts) are more energy efficient. The maximum power consumption has increased in comparison with Clover Trail (on a low level of tablet). The small, 10-Watt power supply needs 3 hours to recharge the battery.
| Off / Standby |   0.2 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  2.2 / 2.8 / 3.8 Watt |
| Load |
8.3 / 11.3 Watt |
    
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Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 960 | |
Battery Runtime
The battery runtime is in the midfield. The manufacturer states a runtime of up to 8 hours for the 19 Wh lithium-polymer battery (Sanyo AC13F3L, 2 cells). This proved true because our Wi-Fi browsing test ran for exactly eight hours. The idle test with no activity, and minimum brightness was almost 16 hours. The contenders run just as long here.
Verdict
The buyer gets a Windows tablet (Windows 8.1, 32-bit) for 349 Euros (~$485) that can perform all common entertainment (except standard PC games) and Office programs at a decent speed. That is probably why Office Home & Student 2013 is included. Acer's Iconia W4-820 64 GB proves to be a rounded bundle with only a few drawbacks. We think its biggest shortcoming is the sole micro-USB port. It is not possible to recharge the tablet when a USB stick is inserted. That is adverse when the W4 is to be used on the desk with external input devices and an external TFT. That is certainly an option in view of the acceptable MS Office performance (compared with entry-level MS Office laptops).
