Android's had a quiet showing here at Computex Taipei, but Acer just snuck out a new product that could well represent a breakthrough for the platform at large. The Iconia Tab A110 is at the company's booth without much fanfare, and on the face of it isn't particularly interesting — a 7-inch tablet with Android 4.0 that's powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor. However, we spoke to an Acer representative who said that the A110 would be positioned as the company's main low-end device when it's released in the third quarter of the year, and that it will cost less than $200. If true, the aggressive pricing means it could well be the first beneficiary of Nvidia's $199 Kai program, though the representative wasn't able to comment on this.
We've heard a lot of rumors about inexpensive Tegra 3 tablets since first laying eyes on Asus's Eee pad MeMO ME370T at CES, not least the one about a Google Nexus device in the same price and specification range as this new Acer slate. After using the A110 for a while, we'd say that you'd certainly get value for your money — its Ice Cream Sandwich skin is almost free of customization besides the green shortcuts dot next to the on-screen buttons, and it performed pretty well in a Quadrant benchmark with a score just short of the Asus Transformer Prime. It's a little thick at 11.4mm, and the screen's viewing angles aren't so impressive, but next to a Kindle Fire at the same price point we know which one we'd choose.
Next to the A110 at Acer's booth was the Iconia Tab A210, a similarly-specced and skinned device with a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 screen. It looks like it'll be released at around the same time as the A110, though it'll likely be more expensive. Both tablets feature 1GB RAM, a single front-facing camera, and a microSD card slot. The A210 has a full-sized USB port and the option for 3G connectivity, while the A110 gains an HDMI socket with dual-display support.
Comments
Awesome. At this price I’ll probably jump in to a tablet.
By Deckard Cain on 06.06.12 4:29am
You want to jump in to a tablet? :p
By Tysen on 06.06.12 6:43am
*on
By tomica on 06.06.12 7:40am
jumping on your tablet probably isn’t the best idea either
By Tuff on 06.06.12 8:06am
Or have the tablet jump in to you.
Could be pain killer tablets ; )
By Kangal on 06.06.12 9:25am
By willwillywilson on 06.06.12 10:15pm
Really excited to see where they are going with this :)
By wownt on 06.06.12 4:29am
So, roughly the same perfs as the Transformer Prime, but with a 200$ price point ? That sounds awesome !
I hope it is the fabled Google Tablet. I am very curious to see what will be revealed during i/o.
By Teovald on 06.06.12 5:45am
Google Tablet is Built by ASUS not Acer… just a heads up.
By Good_ole_Pinocchio on 06.06.12 12:51pm
With a crappy TFT panel instead of a Super IPS+ panel.
By WilliamF on 06.06.12 2:40pm
FYI: IPS are also TFT.
By jalexoid on 06.06.12 4:45pm
Whoops, I meant TN panel.
By WilliamF on 06.06.12 4:54pm
Dealbreaker: its Acer. no need to buy it
By Fayeznoor on 06.06.12 4:35am
Yup.
By WesleyShark on 06.06.12 4:38am
Such rigid thinking. Acer is one of the biggest in the world, so they can play. Certainly they should be commended for the latest products they presented, including this one. Something small and inexpensive with up to date software could be fun.
By VoxMediaUser704137 on 06.06.12 10:59am
I see Acer as a positive. You know your cheaper product is actually going to have quality and not just fall apart.
By Dustbin on 06.06.12 1:05pm
Thats odd, because that is exactly what my acer laptop did right after nuking its USB controller board.
By chrishind10 on 06.07.12 4:21am
$199.99 is technically sub $200, but come on now, just say $200.
By Stefan Constantinescu on 06.06.12 4:36am
Thank you…as if a penny REALLY makes a real difference (at that point, the numerical difference is just psychological trickery).
By Bobbo Swarley on 06.06.12 10:07am
Off Topic: In Canada we got rid of the penny! Everything rounds up to the nearest 5 cents. I believe this takes affect at the end of this year!
On Topic:: I would like to see this tablets move their way into the classroom. With most schools having tight budgets, having a low priced tablet with high-end software would be great!
By mikebio on 06.06.12 10:26am
Australia doesn’t have pennies either but products still get marked as .99
By Ruslan on 06.07.12 4:34am
and i can tell you as an australian that it is indeed annoying psychological trickery on the part of the business. most people are immune now though, and subconsciously round up >=.96 to the nearest dollar
By zenmaster24 on 06.08.12 8:38am
It’s not even effective psychological trickery anymore! I always see the next dollar up in my mind. I guess they are saving me tax on a penny eye roll
By beatsandmelody on 06.06.12 12:42pm
Says you. If shown near identical products one priced $199.99 and another priced $200.01 Most people will gravitate towards the 199.99 product. Logic may get you if it’s something you’re knowledgeable about it. But If my wife sent me shoe shopping and I saw two shoes that looked exactly the same to me one costing 199.99 the other 200 I’m going with the cheaper option.
By King Lo on 06.06.12 3:40pm
They really need to trim those borders yikes
By WesleyShark on 06.06.12 4:39am