Just in case you had any doubts that the Acer Iconia B1 budget tablet was a real thing, Acer went ahead and made it official. As expected, it’s a 7 inch tablet with a 1.2 GHz Mediatek 8137T dual core processor and a 1024 x 600 pixel display.
But while I’d been hearing that the Iconia B1 would sell for around $99 and only be available in emerging markets, Acer now says it plans to sell the tablet in the US for under $150.
Update: ABC News reports some stores could sell the tablet for as little as $129 at launch.
That’s $50 less than the price of the cheapest Google Nexus 7 tablet and $9 less than the price of an entry-level Amazon Kindle Fire.
The Acer tablet doesn’t exactly have bleeding edge specs. It has a lower resolution display and a slower processor than either of those devices, for instance. But it does have a few things going for it including a microSD card slot.
Here’s an overview of the Iconia B1’s features:
- 1.2 GHz dual core CPU
- 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel capacitive touchscreen
- 8GB storage
- MicroSD card slot
- 802.11b/g/n WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS
- Headest jack and built-in speaker
- Front-facing VGA camera
- 2710 mAh battery
- MicroUSB port
- 7.8″ x 5.1″ x 0.4″
- 0.7 pounds
Acer is positioning the tablet as a low cost option that can be used as a second tablet, something you give to your kids, or a device primarily used for reading books or watching movies.
It’s a Google certified device, with support for the Google Play Store.
There’s still no word on a US launch date for the tablet.
Confused about their Article, it says – ” It also doesn’t have higher end dual- or quad-core processors from
Nvidia or Qualcomm. Instead, it has a MediaTek processor and just 512MB
of RAM.” Reads as though it doesn’t have a dual-core, since they conveniently left off that the MediaTek is a dual-core. Idunno, sounds like Joanna Stern either wasn’t impressed, ignorant, or a “fanboi” (yes I know she’s a girl).
2710 mAh battery ? That sucks. The Kindle has at least a 4400mAh.
No HDMI output? That would make it a bit more attractive.