Acer Iconia B1-A71 vs. Kindle Fire vs. Nexus 7: Spec showdown

By Simon Hill January 7, 2013

Competition in the 7-inch Android tablet space is fierce and Acer’s latest release, the Iconia B1-A71, is a budget entry that’s looking to grab your attention. We examine what it has to offer when compared with Amazon’s revamped Kindle Fire and Google’s market leading Nexus 7. While the Nexus 7 is the clear winner in terms of raw power and quality, it will cost you at least $50 more. The Acer Iconia B1-A71 manages to come in significantly cheaper than the Kindle Fire, but the competition is far from clear cut. Check out the specs for yourself.

	Acer Iconia B1-A71 Image used with permission by copyright holder	Kindle Fire Image used with permission by copyright holder	Nexus 7 Image used with permission by copyright holder
Size	197.4 x 128.5 x 11.3 (mm)	189 x 120 x 11.5 (mm)	198.5 x 120 x 10.45 (mm)
Weight	320g	400g	340g
Screen	7-inch	7-inch	7-inch
Resolution	1024×600 pixels	1024×600 pixels	1280×800 pixels
OS	Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)	Android 4.0 (ICS) with Amazon overlay	Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
Storage	8GB	8GB	16GB/32GB
SD Card Slot	Yes	No	No
Processor	1.2GHz Dual-core Mediatek	1.2GHz Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9	1.3GHz Quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3
RAM	512MB	1GB	1GB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi, HSPA+
Camera	Front 0.3MP	None	Front 1.2MP
Bluetooth	Yes	No	Yes
Battery	2710mAh	4400mAh	4325mAh
Marketplace	Google Play Store	Amazon App Store	Google Play Store
Price	Under $150	$160/$175	$200/$250/$300

The Nexus 7 is the clear leader, but for people on a really tight budget the fight comes down to the Acer Iconia B1-A71 and the Kindle Fire. There’s very little to separate the two. The Acer Iconia has the advantage of running stock Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), whereas the Kindle Fire sports the older Android 4.0 (ICS) with an Amazon overlay which also limits it to the Amazon App Store. You’ll have a bigger choice of content on the Acer. It also has a microSD card slot, Bluetooth 4.0 support, and a front-facing camera for Skype calls. The Kindle Fire has more RAM and a bigger battery, but is that realistically enough to tempt you in Amazon’s direction?

Though the small amount of RAM has us moderately worried, we think the Acer Iconia B1-A71 is a credible budget choice.

Topics

Acer
Amazon

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…

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