Acer Iconia Tab A1-810 was, in fact, the first 8-inch Android tablet. In general, frankly low-quality devices do not linger on the mobile gadget market, especially when it comes to some design or assembly errors. All prices of this or that segment are kept at approximately the same level. That is, in order for an ordinary user to make a choice, it is enough to correlate the main characteristics of the gadget.
Each manufacturer has enough varieties of "stuffing", as well as the choice of the diagonal of devices. Here, it would seem, there should be a clear differentiation, because this is still a rather peculiar production and is constantly evolving. But when conducting a more thorough analysis of the modern mobile market, it begins to seem that the manufacturer cuts the displays as if it were a banal window glass. In this regard, despite the apparent diversity, only two main segments can be distinguished, as they say, dimensions - these are small 7-inch devices and large ones with a diagonal of 9 or 10 inches.
After the Acer A1-810 tablet appeared on the mobile gadget market, manythe owners suddenly realized that, it turns out, 8 inches is just what they need. It is convenient to hold it with one hand, because it is neither large nor small, and the picture on the screen seems quite decent, both for horizontal and vertical orientations. And this means that the user has access to full-fledged web surfing, any toys, books and work with documents.
So, the hero of our review is the Acer A1-810 tablet. Characteristics, features, advantages and disadvantages, as well as expert opinions, along with reviews from ordinary users of the gadget, will be discussed in detail in the article.
Package set
Despite its relatively average size, the gadget comes in a rather bulky box. The packaging is additionally reinforced with a double lid, and inside you can see something like a cassette tray made of high-quality and thick cardboard.
Inside the box you will see:
- self Acer Iconia A1-810;
- micro-USB cable for network charging and synchronization with PC;
- 2 amp charger (5.35V);
- plug for charger;
- manual in Russian.
The equipment can be called modest. There is nothing superfluous here, only everything you need, and therefore, if you are missing something, then you will have to buy it in a separate item. If you look at user reviews on specialized forums about the Acer A1-810 (w3bsit3-dns.com and the like), many people clearly lack a macro-USB-micro-USB male-to-male adapter. The tablet quite comfortably supports synchronization with peripherals (mouse, keyboard, etc.).so it’s better to worry about buying such an adapter right away. As for covers, films and other things, it is better to leave the purchase of such things at your own discretion, and not shift it to the shoulders of the manufacturer, because the taste and color…
Appearance
The Acer Iconia Tab A1-810 is not particularly impressive with its appearance. Yes, it's tidy, well built, without any extra design frills, and maybe a little fat. If we put similar gadgets in one row, like the same Nexus of the seventh series or iPad mini, then visually they are not much different, even though the latter have a diagonal of seven inches, while our respondent is an eight-inch representative of tablets.
Tangible ergonomic advantages are felt while working with the device. Many owners in their reviews note that the tablet seems to be made exactly for their dimensions (it is comfortable to read data, it is convenient to control the screen and it is pleasant to hold).
Dimensions
The dimensions of the Acer A1-810, in principle, correspond to the diagonal of the screen - 209x146x11 mm and weighs 410 grams. Visually, of course, it still looks a bit thick, and it weighs a little more than usual, so for some users this moment will be critical at the time of purchase. Nevertheless, it is very convenient to hold the device in the palm of your hand.
It is clear that in most cases the dimensions of the gadget are set by the screen diagonal, but if the case of our tablet would exactly repeat the aspect ratio of the display, then it would be much more square. Therefore, the manufacturerslightly extended the device, leaving frames around the screen with different thicknesses: horizontally - 2 cm, vertically - 1 cm. Plus, the gadget is additionally equipped with a small edging frame.
Actually speaking, the manufacturer made a pretty smart move with these frames. While working with Acer A1-810, the touchscreen is in the middle, and there are 2 cm of non-touch surface on the sides, so the user does not need to be afraid that his thumb will accidentally press the sensor.
There is a rather nice metal frame around the perimeter of the device, and if you look inside, you will see that almost all the main elements of the tablet, including the motherboard, are fixed on a solid plastic mounting surface that merges with the metal edging. The design turned out to be relatively light, and most importantly - reliable.
Cameras
The eye of the front camera is located exactly in the middle of the display frame, and in its short part, which means that the design of the Acer Iconia A1-810 is designed for the vertical position of the device during conversations on the same Skype. In general, with an aspect ratio of 4 to 3, it is very convenient to operate the device in a vertical orientation, there is no feeling of discomfort.
Matrix main camera has a scan of five megapixels and is capable of recording video in Full HD-format. The eye is located in the corner of the back cover, so you can take pictures and videos in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Judging by the reviews of the Acer A1-810 cameras, someor there are no problems for users during the shooting, the manufacturer has thought through a lot, so there are no critical remarks here.
Interfaces
Not far from the lens of the main camera, on the side face, there are mechanical buttons: in the horizontal part - the volume rocker, on the vertical - the power off button. The device does not have any other mechanical controls.
In a mirror position to the eye of the main camera is the only speaker Acer A1-810, covered with a decorative grille. Naturally, there is no need to talk about at least some kind of audio system, but for the built-in sound card, the power is quite enough for domestic needs. In any case, if the speaker capabilities are not enough for you, then you can always connect third-party audio peripherals to a 3.5 mm “mini-jack”. You can see a mini USB 2.0 interface near the audio jack.
The other part of the exits is located in the horizontal part of the butt. Next to the volume rocker there is a slot for an external SD card, a hole for a microphone, a hot reset button and - a little further - a micro-HDMI interface. There are not as many connectors as many would like, but you can fully work. Some owners in their reviews complain about the lack of a separate DC-in interface for a network adapter, and therefore they have to take up a very necessary USB port. In addition, if the gadget needs to be "reset" or change the basic settings when the Acer A1-810 does not turn on, then the "hot" reset button is so inconspicuous and hard to reach that you have touse a special tool.
Platform
At the time of the first launch, the owner will be unobtrusively asked to go through a series of official procedures. This may include entering your ID, and if there is none, then go through a simple registration on the company's website, after which the Acer tablet will give you access to the desktop.
The basic platform that comes from the manufacturer's assembly line is the "Android" version of Jelly Bean 4.2.2. Wallpaper on the desktop is clearly an amateur, but this is of little interest to us. In addition to the obligatory widgets from the "Google" mail and the "market", you can find very useful and interesting utilities from the "Acer" itself and its friendly companies. Be sure to pay attention to the convenient online catalog for multimedia 7Digital, the AcerCloud branded cloud service (similar to Apple), as well as the TuneIn online radio broadcaster and the pretty Zinio digital publications store are worthy of attention. In any case, if this is not enough for you, then the same Google Play always works for you.
Some users in their reviews complain that certain series of the gadget are equipped with a different version of Android, which is distinguished by an overabundance of all kinds of advertising widgets and other non-removable applications that will surely annoy Acer A1-810 owners. Firmware, or rather, its replacement - this is the only best option. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and opportunities for this procedure now.
Performance
We can say that the gadget is well balanced in terms of"fillings". The Acer Iconia A1-810 has an 8-inch (20 cm) display with an aspect ratio of 4 to 3 and a corresponding resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. The IPS-matrix has good viewing angles and gives a juicy picture at the output.
The hardware is built on a single-chip MT8125 chipset from Mediatek, a Taiwanese company. Responsible for performance processor "Cortex" from the A7 series, running on four cores with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. The graphical component fell not on the shoulders of a rather nimble PowerVR SGX544 series card.
In addition, the device fully supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless protocols, as well as the ability to work with 3G networks (variably).
Bench tests
In the popular Antutu benchmark, the Acer Iconia A1-810 device scored 12,881 points, leaving behind the Nexus of the seventh series and Transformer Prime from Asus. The gadget, of course, is far from the performance of the venerable Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z, but nevertheless, the result is very pleasing.
In a separate test for 3D visualization from the same Antutu, Acer A1-810 overtook its competitors by a good margin. If you look at the bare bench statistics, it is clearly noticeable that the manufacturer did not save on the "stuffing" and equipped his offspring with a worthy set of chipsets.
Work offline
When passing the battery efficiency test, the device showed shocking results. Note that this test for Antuta takes place in several stages at the maximum load of the gadget, and until the batterythe battery of the device will not drain up to 20% of its capacity.
So, the bench test lasted six hours! That is, the apparatus was loaded with everything possible and worked at the wear and tear of its forces for six whole hours. The test indicators exceeded the mark of 1000 points, and this is a kind of record among devices of this class. Usually, in such conditions, batteries even from venerable manufacturers could not withstand more than 4 hours, but here some Acer tablet lasted six.
The bare numbers of the reputable Antutu benchmark may not have impressed someone, but field tests have confirmed the unique capabilities of the model's battery. For testing in real conditions, high-resolution audio and video samples (1080p, 360 Kbps) were compiled, that is, a set of tools was provided that tests things more serious than tablets (TVs, media players). The result fully met expectations: with all this entourage, the device lasted a little more than 9 hours, which is quite impressive.
But there is one fly in the ointment at this moment. The thing is that the battery capacity of 4960 mAh is indicated on the official Internet resource of the company, about the same we see on most other trading platforms of the World Wide Web ("Yandex. Market", "Svyaznoy", "Citylink", etc..d.). Some stores even indicate a capacity of 3250 mAh. As for the cost of Acer A1-810, its price is mostly unchanged.
Judging by the feedback from the owners of the gadget, it is clear that someone got a device with a less capacious battery, for example, 3250mAh, and someone pulled out, as they say, a lucky ticket - the inscription 5020 mAh flaunts on the battery. What this is connected with is not entirely clear. Maybe the manufacturer equipped some of its models with a good battery for "priming", and installed an average battery in the rest, but maybe there is some other reason that Asus representatives don't want to name for some reason.
In any case, before you give your hard-earned money to the cashier of a mobile equipment store, it will obviously not be superfluous to look under the cover of the device and ask about the capacity of the battery. If the figure does not suit you, then, thank God, there are plenty of such points of sale, so the seeker will find it.
GPS protocols
Field tests were carried out in an urban environment in the fresh air. GPS satellites were found immediately, when you first turned on the gadget. If there is such a need, then you can install some additional mapping applications and use the tablet as a navigator.
The basic set of programs and utilities includes "Google" navigation applications and standard maps. For everyday life, they may still fit, but for car navigation you need to look for something more serious.
Summing up
The brand decided to beat its main competitors with a new gadget. A very comfortable eight-inch model with powerful hardware and a very aggressive price tag was able to outsell the now popular seventh series Nexus and almost caught up with the Apple iPad mini. A set of chipsets easily allows you to runeven the most “heavy” gaming applications, albeit at medium settings, but without any lags, subsidence in FPS and other brakes. The operation of the interface also does not cause any complaints: the desktops react smoothly, beautifully and without twitching.
In addition, for those who like to chat everywhere and always, a front camera is provided, which has shown itself well in many instant messengers, including Skype. Therefore, users should not have communication problems. The capabilities of the rear camera are more modest than most venerable phablets, but it will do just fine for creating simple panoramas and ordinary photo and video materials.
In general, the company turned out to be a very good device with attractive external and internal characteristics, as well as excellent battery life. Our respondent's closest competitors are Apple's iPad mini and the seventh Nexus. The first one is lighter and thinner than the Acer, and other characteristics like the platform and the filling are only speculatively comparable. As for the Nexus, it slightly wins in the screen resolution - 1280 by 800 pixels, but loses in the diagonal (7 to 8 inches), so this is also a matter of taste.
Naturally, with all its advantages, the Acer Iconia Tab A1-810 model has some disadvantages. The weakest point of the device is the display. Modest, by modern standards, a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels can scare away potential buyers. In addition, the maximum display brightness could be higher, which means that it is comfortable to work in brightsunny day will not work. Despite the modest screen specifications, this has an even greater positive effect on battery life, because a small scan and average brightness require much less energy.
As for the price, a model with 8 GB of internal memory will cost you about 7,000 rubles, and a variable device with 16 GB will cost a thousand more. The same "Nexus" costs a little less, but many users complain about some kind of buggy platform, while the "apple" mini-representative has no problems with this, but the price bites (10-13 thousand rubles).
Model benefits:
- powerful set of chipsets compared to similar devices in this segment;
- a successful version of the Android platform without unnecessary advertising "garbage";
- capable of working with external SD media up to 64 GB;
- presence of a modern micro-HDMI output;
- excellent battery life;
- presence of front and rear cameras;
- work on 3G protocols (variable).
Flaws:
- for someone insufficient screen resolution (1024 by 768 pixels);
- low maximum brightness;
- too heavy and thick for its diagonal;
- mediocre speakers, so the only way to comfortably spend leisure time is with a third-party headset.
If you are ready to put up with a low screen resolution, you will get a wonderful device on the Android platform in many respects. If we add to all its advantages a veryaffordable price tag, you get an excellent tablet with an almost perfect value for money.
Verdict - recommended for purchase.
The estimated price on popular Internet sites is about 7,000 rubles for the basic model.
