Acer used IFA 2026 to push beyond its traditional PC territory, unveiling portable displays, tablets, a smart projector and, most interestingly for frequent travellers, new 5G connectivity hardware.

The common thread is mobility. Acer is betting that “working anywhere” now means adding screens when needed, moving between fixed broadband and cellular networks, and keeping productivity hardware flexible enough to travel.

That makes the new Acer Connect D5P 5G dongle and Connect X6ES router particularly notable, but they sit inside a broader line-up that also includes the EP130K ePaper monitor, PD163Q P3 triple-screen extender, C350e projector and four refreshed Iconia tablets.

More screen, less desk

The Acer EP130K is one of the more unusual announcements. The 13.3-inch ePaper portable monitor is aimed at people who spend long periods reading, writing or working outdoors. It supports touch and stylus input, offers black-and-white and colour modes, and reaches up to 3200 x 2400 resolution in monochrome mode.

Its appeal is the ePaper experience itself: reduced glare, low power consumption and an image that can remain visible even when power is removed. At €749 in EMEA, however, it is a specialist device. Designers or video-heavy users will still want a conventional OLED or IPS portable display.

Acer is also going in the opposite direction with the PD163Q P3. This foldable extender adds three 15.6-inch Full HD IPS panels to a laptop and can create a four-display setup once the laptop screen is included. One USB-C connection links it to the host device, while the panels can operate in extended or cloned modes.

ASUS, for example, sells its ZenScreen Duo OLED with two 14-inch OLED panels and a foldable design. Acer’s answer prioritises sheer workspace: three extra panels rather than two. The trade-off is obvious—this is portable in the hybrid-work sense, not something most travellers will carry every day.

Tablets get bigger

Acer’s refreshed Iconia range also leans into larger screens.

The Iconia X16 and X14 use OLED displays at 1920 x 1200, run Android 16 and are powered by MediaTek Helio G80 chips. Both include two USB-C ports, with one supporting video input, plus screen casting and Acer’s tripod-style kickstand. Optional stylus and keyboard accessories broaden their study and light-work appeal.

The more affordable Iconia A16 and A14 use IPS displays but retain the Helio G80 platform and dual USB-C ports.

Size is the differentiator here, but performance may be the question. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 line, by comparison, combines AMOLED displays with a more premium hardware proposition, including 5G variants and integrated eSIM support. Acer is therefore competing less directly with flagship tablets and more on screen size, flexibility and value.

AI joins the projector

The C350e is Acer’s attempt to make the portable projector useful even when it is not projecting.

It delivers Full HD resolution, 350 ANSI lumens and a 30,000-hour LED light source, while a swivel stand provides 360-degree rotation and up to 120 degrees of tilt. Autofocus, keystone correction and four-corner adjustment are designed to reduce setup friction.

The more distinctive feature is Acer’s detachable “AI Badge”. It can display photos and widgets, act as the projector’s remote and provide Google Gemini-powered interactions. At €199 in EMEA, it is priced aggressively, though serious home-theatre buyers will still be looking higher up the market.

5G becomes part of the PC kit

For Alertify readers, the connectivity launches are the real story.

The Acer Connect X6ES is a 5G CPE router with Wi-Fi 6E, 4×4 MIMO, dual Gigabit Ethernet and both 5G and WAN connectivity. Intelligent failover allows it to prioritise the best available connection, making it relevant as both a broadband alternative and a resilience tool for small businesses and remote workers.

The smaller Connect D5P takes a more personal approach. The USB-C dongle supports eSIM, nano-SIM and vSIM, ships with a preloaded eSIM profile and offers claimed download speeds of up to 3.27 Gbps in 5G Standalone mode and 2.77 Gbps on NSA networks.

That SIM flexibility matters. Mobile connectivity hardware is moving away from a single physical SIM or operator relationship. NETGEAR’s Nighthawk M7, for example, already combines 5G, Wi-Fi 7, physical SIM support and downloadable eSIM plans for use across more than 140 countries. Acer’s D5P follows the same direction, but in a simpler dongle format built around a laptop rather than a standalone hotspot.

Availability

Acer says the EP130K and PD163Q P3 will arrive in Q1 2027, starting at €749 and €349 respectively in EMEA. The C350e is also planned for Q1 2027 at €199.

The Iconia X and A tablets are due in North America and EMEA in Q4 2026. The Connect X6ES router is scheduled for EMEA in Q1 2027 at €299, while the Connect D5P will start at $299.99 in North America in December 2026 and €249 in EMEA in Q1 2027.

The bigger shift

Acer’s IFA launch makes more sense as an ecosystem than as a collection of separate devices. Portable computing is becoming modular: a laptop can gain three displays, a tablet can double as a second screen, a 5G dongle can bring its own eSIM options, and a router can switch between fixed and cellular access when one connection fails.

Acer does not necessarily beat every specialist on specifications. ASUS is pushing sophisticated portable OLED displays, Samsung remains stronger at the premium end of Android tablets, and NETGEAR is already turning eSIM into a core feature of mobile hotspots.

What Acer does well here is connect the dots. The D5P in particular shows how quickly eSIM is moving beyond phones and travel apps into mainstream computing hardware. If that trend continues, “always connected” may stop being a premium laptop feature and become something users simply expect from the accessories around it.