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Review: Acer Iconia One 8 (Iconia B1-810)

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Acer may be better known for their laptops in the recent years, but that hasn’t stopped them from dabbling in the world of phones and tablets. In fact, Acer seem to have perfected the art of 2-in-1 tablets, and while the Iconia One 8 is a different beast, it shows that Acer is on the right track.

The Iconia One 8 isn’t the first one to be called so, in fact there was one of the same name last year. This time, as is often the case, better. Hence my mention of the actual model number in the article title!

Featuring a beautiful touch screen, Android 5.0, and precision touch, and priced at around £120, this packs it all in at a budget price.

Quick look at the specs

  • Android™ Lollipop 5.0
  • Intel Atom Z3735G Quad-core 1.33 GHz
  • 20.3 cm (8″) WXGA (1280 x 800)
  • Wi-Fi
  • 1 GB
  • 16 GB Flash Memory – MicroSD card slot
  • 0.3MP (Front Camera)
  • 4420 mAh battery
  • 8.5 x 130.3 x 215.3 mm, 340 g
  • Features: micro USB with OTG option to read USB files, Zero Air Gap screen for clarity, Anti-fingerprint screen, Precision touch allowing you to create amazing sketches, using devices such as pencils.

Look and feel

The basic look of the device is not unlike any other 8 inch tablet you will see, and the design is not that far off from the original Nexus 7. It features the screen and the camera on front, with the Acer logo at the bottom. On the right are buttons for power and volume, while the top features the ports for micro USB and headset.

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The left side has the micro SD slot.

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The back has a textured, almost ceramic feel to it, with the Acer logo and Intel Inside proudly displayed. The number of holes at the bottom of the back indicate that the speaker is located there.

Better than the Acer phones

Okay, this may sound bit of a silly point to make, but this tablet is way better than any Acer smartphone I have tried. This kind of says the same thing I said above. Acer have perfected the art of making tablets, and unlike other big players, they seem to take priority rather than the smartphones. For example, this runs Android 5.0, while no phone is released with that. Yes you will get a better processor and camera etc on the phone, but the overall experience on the tablet works so much better.

Now that we have got that out of the way, lets look at this in more detail.

Performance

A beautiful screen is matched with a good and responsive hardware. It works, and it works well. While there is a skin of sorts, it is mostly basic Android, and the experience is unhindered.

Overall the experience is highly responsive and no noticeable lags were evident.

Acer Software

Much like most Acer hardware I have tested, this does come with a whole suite of apps that are there, and not all of them can be deleted.

However, the software adds some extras to your device. For example, there is the option to double tap to wake the device up, something that isn’t that common in tablets, floating windows allow you to use basic apps such as emails etc, and quirky features such as three finger pinch will take screen shots for you.

EZ tasking allows you to have multiple window operation, and EZ note lets you take notes, including draw and sketch.

Draw me like one of your french tablets… 

Oh yes. If you like to draw, this is probably one of the better devices out there. Yeah, you can use a clever stylus or something similar, but the precision touch capability on this device exceeds other. More so, a special protective layer on the screen allows you to use pointed devices. Do you draw with a pencil? By all means, have a go on the screen and be amazed. Just remember not to use that Sharpie!

More information

More information on the Acer Iconia One 8 can be found on their website:

http://www.acer.co.uk/ac/en/GB/content/series/iconiaone8

It is available in 6 colours, and links to buy it are on their website. It retails for around the £120 mark.

Verdict

It is hard to stand out in an ever growing tablet market these days, and Acer has a mighty good go at it. At £120, this packs in all I would ask from a tablet. Well done, Acer!

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