Acer significantly bolstered its tablet offering today at IFA 2014, announcing two new Android tablets and a Windows 8.1 slate. Known respectively as the Iconia Tab 10, Iconia One 8 and Iconia Tab 8W, the devices offer solid mid to low-range specs and design, with prices to match.
Iconia Tab 10
The Iconia Tab 10 is a low-cost device, but that doesn’t stop it packing the latest 4.4 KitKat flavor of Android. The slate is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad core MediaTek processor, packs 2 GB RAM, and features a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,080 display, giving it 218 pixels per inch (PPI).
The tablet features stereo speakers, microSD and microHDMI ports, and weighs in at 510 g (1.1 lb). At 8.9 mm, the Tab 10 isn’t the thinnest device out there, but it doesn’t feel particularly bulky. The tablet will be available with up to 32 GB internal storage.
The Iconia Tab 10 will be available as of this month for US$199 and up.
Iconia One 8
Acer’s new 8-inch slate is one of the more colorful devices we’ve seen recently in the tablet space, available in 10 different, and very bright colors. The back of the tablet has a textured finish that feels good in the hand. It weighs in at 340 g (0.7 lb) with a thickness of 8.5 mm.
The device’s weakest point is its screen, which packs a resolution of 1,280 x 800 over 8 inches, giving it 189 pixels per inch (PPI). Like the Tab 10, the One 8 runs on Android 4.4 KitKat.
There’s a quad core Intel Atom chip to keeps things running smoothly, backed up by 1 GB RAM. You’ll find a 5 MP shooter on the rear of the device, but the front-facing offering packs a decidedly low-end 0.3 MP. The tablet will be available with up to 16 GB internal storage, but there’s a microSD card slot for expandability up to 64 GB.
Acer hasn’t announced any plans to bring the Iconia One 8 to the US, but the tablet will hit Europe in October, with prices starting at €149 (about $195).
Iconia Tab 8 W
Unlike the Tab 10 and One 8, the Tab 8 W runs on Windows 8.1. Having a desktop operating system on a tablet makes it great for productivity (Acer is even bundling in one year’s Office 365 subscription), but as the software isn’t fully designed for touch input, user experience can suffer a little.
The Windows slate packs the same 1,280 x 800 resolution over its 8 inches as the Iconia One 8, giving it the same 189 PPI. The tablet is powered by a quad core Intel Atom CPU, with 1 GB RAM and 32 GB internal storage. There is a microSD card reader on board, but it only allows for an extra 32 GB of expandability.
The tablet is fairly light in the hand at 370 g (0.8 lb), and will reportedly run for eight hours on a single charge. Perhaps the most compelling thing about the Tab 8 W is its price, with the tablet shipping in November for just $150.
Source: Acer
