Acer Iconia A1-810

We have seen several low-cost tablets in the lab. All sizes, all brands, preferably Chinese, are often disappointing, sometimes very good. This Iconia A1 would have gone unnoticed if it was not a major originality in its favor: its 4:3 screen, identical to that of the Apple iPad Mini. We therefore tested with some curiosity. Here are our conclusions.

Less than 190 euros, it is hard to find better than this tablet Iconia A1. Firstly, because Acer was smart to take the forms of the iPad Mini, with 8 inch screen with a display surface far superior to that of a classic 7-inch tablet at the 16: 9. We gain in ease of use in any type of activity, especially web browsing.

Some kinks...

While this screen is not perfect, however. The colors it displays are covered with a brownish haze not really flattering, and its brightness is not high enough for outdoor use (240 cd / m²). And its definition remains low. However, the latter is identical to that of the iPad Mini. On the other hand, the lack of physical buttons means the appearance of the damn bar Android function: a true ergonomic heresy that monopolizes much of the screen (4.7% of the display surface portrait mode, 6.25% in landscape mode) to display only three virtual buttons that you will not fail to press by mistake!

But... no complaints at all!

Remain honest, the rest of this tablet is difficult to criticize. The Iconia is very slight, although a bit thick. And for the price, its finishes are very satisfactory, despite a plastic not very graceful. The good point is that the slate is powerful. Almost as much as the Google Nexus 7 and Tegra 3 processor. The chip of the A1 (quad Cortex A7, PowerVR SGX544 graphics chip) is sufficient to obtain smooth and fast animations in all circumstances, even in 3D games like GTA Vice City. Similarly, the interface of the Android 4.2.2 system is very smooth and responsive, like scrolling Web pages. The battery life is among the best entry-level shelves: nearly 7 hours of video playback and web browsing.

Good videos

Forget the photo with the Iconia A1! The sensor of the tablet does not even offer autofocus. However, slate records video in Full HD fluids and acceptable quality. A good surprise.

Conclusion

The Iconia A1 therefore works amazingly well for an entry-level tablet. She gave us very quickly forget its competitors, and has become the current best solution in this price range, especially with its "iPad Mini" (4:3) format and the speed of your system. For its few flaws, one answer: 189 euros.