Toshiba has announced their first 8-inch Windows tablet at IFA 2013, the Encore, which manages to beat Acer's Iconia Tab W3-810 in both the price and specifications department. A standout feature of this tablet is the inclusion of a brand new Intel 'Bay Trail' Atom processor, which signals the beginning of the tablet market finally shifting away from the aging 'Clover Trail' CPU.
Intel hasn't formally unveiled their Bay Trail CPUs yet - that's expected to occur at the Intel Developer Forum next week - but we're expecting a quad-core Silvermont-based CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz or above, alongside a seventh-generation Intel GPU based on the tech seen in their Ivy Bridge chips. All of this will be packed onto the one die, produced using the 22nm process.
As well as the Bay Trail CPU, the Encore includes a 1280 x 800 display, which is standard for this tablet size but not overly impressive, as well as 32 GB of built-in storage expandable through a microSD card slot. Connectivity wise the tablet is packed with dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS, Bluetooth, and a micro-HDMI port.
Toshiba has reportedly worked closely with Microsoft in producing the Encore, to make sure its dual microphones and 2-megapixel front camera are Skype-certified. There's also an 8-megapixel rear camera on the Encore, and the entire device is 10.68mm thick, weighing 479 grams.
The Toshiba Encore will come loaded with Windows 8.1 and a full copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 when it ships in November for $330.