Acer has seemingly confirmed plans to launch a new wearable at MWC 2017 next week. The company’s EMEA President, Emmanuel Fromont, has confirmed as much in a recent interview with Tbreak Media. However, that was not all. As in addition to the new wearable, the company exec also confirmed that Acer will be launching two new Android-powered smartphones at the annual event. Interestingly, this is almost the exact same teasing which happened two years ago and just ahead of MWC 2015.
Historically Acer has shied away from high-end smartphones, so it does seem likely the company plans to launch two budget-friendly models. Unfortunately, the exec didn’t say much about the releases so what they will offer or where they will be positioned remains unknown. During the conversation however, Fromont did explain that while Acer has no “market share ambition” for smartphones, it is keen on having a lineup that is “well positioned in terms of price.” Regarding the wearable, the exec couldn’t provide much detail on this front either. Fromont simply stated that the device will offer a “good experience.” It’s unknown what the exec meant by this exactly, but considering the improved experience that Android Wear 2.0 offers, the comments may have been a subtle hint regarding the OS. Nonetheless, there is also still the possibility that the exec was referring to a new fitness wearable, or any other kind of wearable in general – as the options are relatively endless for the wearables market.
Considering Acer’s presence at MWC has never been that prominent, the fact that the company has confirmed plans to announce two smartphones and a new wearable at the event could also mean the company will capitalize on the publicity and announced improvements to its laptop lineup, as well as news regarding its upcoming VR headset that’s expected to support Windows 10. In either case, recent data and reports that have come though, have suggested that the company has so far failed to ship impressive volumes, at least in terms of its smartphone products. So it will be interesting to see if the new arriving smartphones can offer something different and a reason for its shipment volume to improve. With MWC 2017 scheduled to begin in a matter of days, it shouldn’t be too long before the devices are unveiled and what they are offering, known.