Earlier today in New York City, Acer unveiled a series of new products. One of them, the Iconia A1, introduces the electronics manufacturer into the new 8-inch mini tablet competition. The newest of the mini tablets is very promising, particularly with its insanely competitive price point, which sits comfortably at about half the price, if not more, than its biggest competitors, the iPad Mini and the Galaxy Note 8. So let’s see how the three gadgets stack up against each other:
|
Acer Iconia A1 |
iPad Mini  |
Galaxy Note 8  |
|
| Price |
$170-$200 | $330-$530 | $400 |
| OS | Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean | iOS 6 | Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean |
| Processor | 1.2GHz MediaTek quad-core | Apple A5 dual-core | 1.6GHz A9 quad-core |
| RAM | 1GB | 512MB | 2GB |
| Display | 7.9 inches | 7.9 inches | 8 inches |
| Resolution | 1024×768 | 1024×768 | 1280×800 |
| Weight | 14.4 ounces | 11 ounces | 11.7 ounces |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, 3G | Wi-Fi, 4G LTE | Wi-Fi, 3G |
| Marketplace | Google Play Store | App Store | Google Play Store |
| Front Camera | VGA (.3 megapixels) | 1.2 megapixels | 1.3 megapixels |
| Back Camera | 5 megapixels | 5 megapixels | 5 megapixels |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 4.0 | Yes, 4.0 | Yes, 4.0 |
| Internal storage | 8/16GB | 16/32/64GB | 16/32GB |
| SD card slot | Yes | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | 3,250mAh (7 hours) | 10 hours | 4,600mAh (8-9 hours) |
From the specs alone, the Aspire P3 is a little heavier than its competitors and slightly bulkier, but holds its ground. Though it’s battery life doesn’t appear to match up to either the Note 8.0 or iPad Mini, it costs roughly half (or even less) than either of its major competitors. Though we didn’t compare it here, the Google Nexus 7 may end up being the strongest competition for this budget tablet, though it’s screen is noticeably smaller. The Iconia A1 should hit the shelves in the U.S. sometime this upcoming June.
What do you think? Which of the three above would you be most likely to invest in?
