Acer has been gunning after the budget tablet market for a while now and the company is set to kickstart 2014 with a new line of affordable tablets. In fact, the company didn't need to wait for 2014 the International CES to start as it has already unveiled a total of three new tablets, including a Windows 8.1 tablet and two new Android tablets. All three devices will be available, though, for viewing at the CES 2014 in Las Vegas.
The new devices all sport small screen sizes and bang-for-your-buck specs that may lure away more budget-minded consumers from the big three of tablet manufacturing - Apple, Google and Samsung.
The first in line is the Acer Iconia A1-830, a 7.9-inch tablet that runs on Android Jelly Bean. This new Iconia tab comes with 1GB of RAM, a 1.6 GHz Clover Trail Processor and a battery that can run for 7.5 hours. While these may seem like fairly average specs, it would be hard to fault the new tablet with a price tag of a mere $149. On the plus side, the Iconia A1-830 does come with an IPS display which makes it easy to use under a wide variety of circumstances due to the wide viewing angles. The A1-830's body is made of aluminum, a rarity in budget-friendly devices.
"Our fundamental goal when creating the Acer Iconia A1-830 was to provide our customers with an optimized Android tablet that stands out from other devices," said Jerry Kao, associate vice president of Acer Mobile Consumer Business Unit. "Consumers expect more than ever from value-oriented products, and the Acer Iconia A1-830 tablet delivers much more than tablets in this class with its vibrant IPS display, premium aluminum metal finish and great performance and sound."
The second tablet in Acer's new lineup is the Iconia B1. Like the A1-830, the B1 is an Android tablet, albeit with less impressive specs. The B1 comes with a 1.3 GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. It has a slightly smaller 7-inch screen and lacks the A1-830's aluminum body. However, the B1 is more affordable at $129.
Last comes Acer's new Windows 8.1 tablet, the Iconia W4. This is the largest tablet of the bunch with its 8.1-inch screen. Like the A1-830, the W4 also comes with an IPS display for an ultra wide 170-degree viewing angle. Additionally, the W4 comes equipped with an Intel Atom 1.8 GHz processor. The W4 comes in 2 flavors, a 64GB variant for those who value storage space and a 32GB variant for those who value price over storage. The 64GB W4 is priced at $380 while the 32GB version comes with a $330 price tag.
All the three tablets will be showcased at Pepcom's Digital Experience! media event in Las Vegas on Jan. 6 as well as at 2014 International CES, which kicks off on Jan. 7.
