Acer kicked off this year’s IFA as it does every year, with Jason Chen (Acer CEO) taking to the stage to unveil a lineup of exciting new tech to an auditorium packed with invited press. His message was simple: sustainability, innovation, and rebirth – three ideas that would echo throughout the keynote and, as I would soon discover, the wider Acer strategy.

While there was plenty of glossy new hardware to come during the livestreamed keynote, it took less than five minutes for Chen to invite Valerie Piau, Acer EMEA Vice President and Tech It Easy VP, onto the stage to unveil one of the company’s more unexpected announcements: the rebirth of Packard Bell.

The revival of Packard Bell was just one part of a broader story at this year’s IFA. From new gaming handhelds and flexible form factors to more sustainable and repairable PCs, Acer appears to be looking beyond the traditional laptop and desktop market as it considers what the next 50 years could look like.

Following the keynote, I sat down with Valerie to discuss some of the biggest announcements from the show. We covered three areas in particular: the return of Packard Bell, Acer’s growing focus on gaming handhelds, and how the company plans to evolve over the next 50 years.

Packard Bell could become a major part of Acer’s future

Packard Bell was perhaps the most interesting part of Acer’s keynote at IFA. The brand, which now uses the motto ‘Tech It Easy’, is being repositioned as something broader than simply another PC manufacturer – with product lines now including speakers, headphones, keyboards and even a turntable.

Interestingly, Acer says the aforementioned turntable was actually considered before the PC when it began thinking about relaunching Packard Bell – a nod to the brand’s radio lineup back in the late 1920s.

“When we thought about relaunching Packard Bell, we first thought about this turntable before the PC,” Valerie told us when we asked what areas of tech would be as important as their PC lineup in the next 50 years. “So I hope that Packard Bell will become as important.”

That approach could see Packard Bell occupy a very different position from Acer and Predator, with the brand aimed at consumers looking for more straightforward technology and lifestyle products. Valerie also stressed that Acer can use the infrastructure and experience it has built over the past five decades to support Packard Bell. “Packard Bell is a brand which is part of Acer Group. So we’re also leveraging Acer’s strengths: Acer supply chain, Acer suppliers, Acer repair centers.”

The newly announced Packard Bell PC is therefore deliberately uncomplicated, with Valerie describing it as a machine for people who simply need a computer for everyday tasks such as email and general use – an ever-growing demographic when we factor in how important tech is becoming in everyone’s day-to-day. “You need a PC, then here you go, the simplest,” she said.

Acer is embracing more flexible PC form factors

Another major theme from Acer’s latest announcements is its expansion into more portable, user-friendly laptop/handheld designs. The company showed off everything from gaming handhelds to extremely lightweight laptops, smartphones that can become PCs and compact machines designed to function as AI workstations.

According to Valerie, this isn’t simply a case of Acer experimenting with hardware – the company is responding to changing consumer behaviour. I asked whether Acer’s movement towards flexibility and versatility was a deliberate direction for them, to which she replied, “The market is also going towards different form factors,” she explained. “We’re also observing the end user, and that’s why we’re coming with different form factors. So we’re just trying to answer to the needs of our customers.”

Acer unveiled a few concept products at this year’s event, including Project Dual Mini (see below) – reinforcing the comments surrounding form factors above.

She concluded this question by saying, “We are listening to you, we’re listening to the consumer, and we’re trying to adapt.” This was later proven after the company showcased its 8-inch handheld at Computex, where early feedback from media focused on the lack of TMR joysticks. Acer subsequently introduced TMR hardware to both the 8-inch and 7-inch models shortly after.

What will define Acer’s next 50 years?

The only thing left to ask was what the next 50 years would look like, and what product – if any – we would look back on in the next 5 years and realize was the start of a bigger trend? In this instance, Valerie gave several answers.

The Atlas 7 could be one, particularly as portable gaming continues to develop. She also hopes the Packard Bell turntable can become the beginning of a wider story for the brand. But Vero appears to hold the most personal significance. “I would love for the future of my kids that Vero would set up the trend,” Valerie said.

That perhaps sums up Acer’s wider direction better than any single product announcement. The company isn’t abandoning PCs. Instead, it is attempting to build on its existing expertise while expanding into new form factors, new product categories and new approaches to sustainability. And with 35% of Acer’s revenue already coming from outside its traditional PC business, the next 50 years could see the company become considerably more than the PC manufacturer it has historically been known for.

About the Author

Charlie Noon

Charlie is the Affiliate manager for PC Guide. He has a vast understanding of most PC hardware and consumer essentials, using his knowledge to provide the best products and the biggest deals.