Acer's H7 is the world's first USB Type-C display
Add a Windows Phone, make a desktop PC.
You probably don't know Acer for its smartphones, but the company has nonetheless been pushing out handsets for years. Its latest is the Liquid Jade Primo, a Windows Phone teased a few months back, which arrives with a couple of tricks up its sleeve. Internally, it's virtually identical to Microsoft's own Lumia 950 and 950 XL, with a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 21-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front-facing camera. So far, so Windows Phone. Like the Lumias, it can connect to a monitor and turn into a "PC." But Acer's announcing a second product today that makes that transition much smoother.
The Acer H7 series is described as "the world's first" to support USB Type-C, the new smaller standard that's already started showing up in smartphones and Apple's MacBook. When connected to a compatible device -- like the Liquid Jade Primo -- the H7 acts not only as a display, but also as a charger and a USB hub of sorts. Its two additional, regular-sized USB ports let you connect a keyboard, mouse, or any other supported peripheral. It'll arrive in 25-inch and 27-inch sizes, both with the same 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, and additional slots for HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort devices.
The monitors will arrive in February with prices starting from $499.99 (we assume for the 25-inch model). As for the phone, there's no info on a US release, and it's likely you'll need to import it if you're desperate for an Acer Windows Phone. It'll be available in Europe and other international markets in February for €569 ($620).
