The Acer Iconia Tab 8 bucks the trend as a snazzy and slim slate with a starting retail price of $199. The Acer Iconia Tab 8 has the design edge for budget slates, but you can find a faster performing tablet in the same price range.
To be fair, mediocre performance plagues most bargain tablets, and the Iconia Tab 8’s limitations should be expected. If you don’t mind spending a little extra, you can find a tablet with a sharper screen, faster performance, and better gaming capabilities. The HD connection is a rare sight on a tablet, and one of the few features that help the Iconia Tab 8 stand out in the crowd. On the left edge you’ll find a flap-less microSD card slot, expandable up to 32GB, and located on the right is the power and volume buttons.
Though a novice might appreciate the long list of preloaded apps, those who prefer more internal storage over bloatware will be disappointed. The Dell Venue 8 slightly edges out the Iconia Tab 8 in color range, but the difference isn’t noticeable unless doing a careful side-by-side comparison.
The screen isn’t incredibly bright and it lacks an ambient light sensor for automatic adjustments, but indoor viewing was never a problem.
Screen specs compared Tested spec Acer Iconia Tab 8 Dell Venue 8 Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 Asus MeMo Pad 8 Maximum brightness 326 cd/m2 368 cd/m2 337 cd/m2 389 cd/m2 Maximum black level .24 cd/m2 .34 cd/m2 0.34 cd/m2 .16 cd/m2 Contrast ratio 1,358:1 1,082:1 991:1 2431:1 Pixels-per-inch 283ppi 283ppi 189 ppi 189ppi Screen resolution 1,920×1,200 1,920×1,200 1,280×800 1,280×800 The similarly priced Asus Memo Pad 8 didn’t measure up as well with its gaming benchmarks, and Samsung’s latest midrange 8-inch tablet performed pathetically. Due to its limitations, I found the tablet best for general use, like surfing the Web or casual gaming, instead of more involved activities, like heavy-gaming or editing documents.
The good news is that the volume rocker conveniently switches function accordingly when shifting from portrait to landscape orientation. On the rear side of the tablet you’ll find a 5-megapixel camera that produces in-focus photos — with a steady hand. Photo quality isn’t very detailed at full resolution, but the camera does a good job at automatically adjusting the exposure and color balance. If you have no use for an HDMI connection and are willing to settle for a slate that doesn’t resemble an iPad, I suggest the similarly priced Dell Venue 8, which runs pure Android, or spending a little more for an upgraded model.
Offering faster performance and a sharper screen, the Amazon Fire HDX is a viable alternative.
Acer Iconia Tab 8 Price, Specifications, Features, Comparison
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 runs Android 4.4 and is powered by a 4600mAh non-removable battery. Acer Iconia Tab 8 is based on Android 4.4 and packs 16GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via microSD card.
Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1-840FHD
2 GB RAM Intel Atom Z3745 We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Acer Iconia One 8 (B1-850) Review
Yes, the $99.99 Acer Iconia One 8 (B1-850) has been around for a while, but we wanted to take a close look at this inexpensive Android tablet because there’s still a place for it, and there aren’t a lot of other affordable options from reliable brands available. If you’re more focused on music and video playback, though, we’d encourage you to look at the slightly less expensive Amazon Fire HD 8 .
Don’t expect faux-metal finishes like on the Posh Equal Max S900 ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . The B1-850 ($99.99 at Acer)(Opens in a new window) is white plastic, at 8.27 by 4.96 by 0.37 inches (HWD) and 12 ounces, with a textured back that makes it a bit grippy.
The screen has a big bezel around it, and the headphone jack, microSD slot, and micro USB port are all on the top edge. Even relatively simple, but fast-moving, games like Temple Run 2 stuttered while loading and showed lag in controls.
While Amazon’s tablet performed a bit better than Acer’s at 2.4GHz, the 5GHz option on the Iconia 8 meant better results overall in testing. On a complex track like M83’s “Midnight City,” the drums basically vanish under over-emphasized, keening synthesizers. On more vocal-heavy tracks, the voices punch far ahead of any instruments, with the Amazon tablet delivering a much richer, more balanced mix. The reality is that you’re not going to get a really good tablet for less than $100 without a subsidy, and if you go with a carrier, you’re going to pay monthly fees for cellular connectivity.
The Amazon Fire HD 8 is better for multimedia enjoyment and playback thanks to its screen coating and far better speakers, but if you want the rich array of third-party apps available in Google’s store, the Iconia 8 gets you there.
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