The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) was a budget-friendly tablet released in 2015, targeting consumers looking for an affordable device for basic tasks and entertainment. It was positioned as a contender in the highly competitive tablet market, aiming to provide value for money without compromising on essential features.
This comprehensive review will delve into the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) in detail, covering its design, specifications, performance, battery life, and overall user experience. We'll also conduct benchmark tests to assess its capabilities objectively. By the end, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of what this tablet has to offer and whether it's the right choice for your needs.
Design and Build
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) boasts a sleek and minimalist design, featuring a solid plastic construction that gives it a sturdy feel despite its budget-friendly price tag. Its smooth, matte finish is aesthetically pleasing and helps to minimize fingerprints.
The tablet's front is dominated by its 8-inch display, with thin bezels surrounding it, creating a decent screen-to-body ratio. The power button and volume rocker are located on the right edge, while the micro-USB port, headphone jack, and microSD card slot reside on the top.
The tablet's overall dimensions are 8.23 inches in length, 4.94 inches in width, and 0.37 inches in thickness. It weighs 320 grams, making it lightweight and easy to hold and carry around.
Display
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) features an 8-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. This provides a decent pixel density of 189 pixels per inch (PPI), resulting in crisp and sharp visuals.
The display offers vibrant colors, good contrast, and wide viewing angles. While it doesn't boast the high refresh rates found in more premium tablets, it's still perfectly adequate for browsing the web, watching videos, and playing casual games.
The display also supports multi-touch functionality, allowing for intuitive navigation and interaction with apps.
Hardware and Performance
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT8127 processor clocked at 1.3 GHz. It comes equipped with 1GB of RAM, which is somewhat limited for modern Android devices.
The tablet's internal storage is 16GB, with the option to expand storage via microSD card up to 32GB. While this provides enough space for basic tasks and apps, it's worth noting that the 1GB of RAM can lead to performance hiccups and occasional app slowdowns, especially when multitasking or running resource-intensive applications.
Operating System and Software
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) runs on Android 4.4 KitKat, which was a fairly outdated operating system at the time of its release. While the tablet has received an update to Android 5.1 Lollipop, it hasn't received any further software updates. This means that the tablet misses out on newer features and security patches found in more recent Android versions.
The tablet comes with Acer's proprietary interface overlay, which adds some customization options and pre-installed apps. However, the overall software experience can be considered a bit dated compared to more modern Android tablets.
Camera
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) comes equipped with a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. While these cameras are sufficient for basic photography and video calls, they don't produce high-quality images or videos.
The rear camera struggles in low-light conditions and lacks the sharpness and detail found in higher-end tablets. The front camera is adequate for video calls, but it may not be ideal for taking selfies.
Battery Life
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) is powered by a 4800 mAh battery. This battery provides decent battery life for basic tasks, such as web browsing and light gaming.
On average, the tablet can last for about 7-8 hours of mixed usage, which is reasonable for a budget-friendly tablet. However, intensive tasks such as gaming or video streaming will drain the battery faster.
Connectivity
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) offers a range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and a micro-USB port. It also supports microSD card expansion, allowing users to add more storage for media files and applications.
Audio
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) features a pair of stereo speakers located on the back of the tablet. While the audio output is decent for casual listening, it lacks the depth and richness found in higher-end tablets.
The speakers are adequate for watching videos and playing games, but audiophiles may find them lacking.
Benchmarks
To objectively evaluate the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015)'s performance, we conducted a series of benchmark tests using industry-standard tools:
Antutu Benchmark: This benchmark tests the overall performance of the tablet's processor, graphics, and memory. The tablet scored approximately 26,000 points, which is in line with other budget-friendly tablets in its class.
Geekbench 3: This benchmark tests the CPU performance of the tablet. The tablet scored around 450 in the single-core test and 1200 in the multi-core test, indicating a decent level of processing power for basic tasks.
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited: This benchmark tests the tablet's graphics performance. The tablet scored around 8,000 points, which is sufficient for casual gaming but may not be ideal for demanding 3D games.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable price point
- Sleek and minimalist design
- Good display quality
- Decent battery life
- Expandable storage via microSD card
Cons:
- Limited RAM (1GB) can lead to performance issues
- Outdated operating system (Android 4.4 KitKat)
- No further software updates available
- Cameras are of average quality
- Speakers lack depth and richness
Conclusion
The Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) is a budget-friendly tablet that offers a decent overall user experience for basic tasks and entertainment. Its sleek design, good display quality, and reasonable battery life make it a good option for casual users who don't need a high-performance tablet.
However, its limited RAM, outdated operating system, and lack of software updates can be drawbacks. The cameras and speakers also lack the quality found in more premium tablets.
Overall, the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) is a decent option for budget-conscious consumers looking for a basic tablet for everyday use. However, if you need a tablet for more demanding tasks, there are better options available in the market.
FAQs
Q: Can the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) be used for gaming?
A: Yes, but only for casual games that don't require high-performance graphics. The limited RAM and processor may struggle with demanding 3D games.
Q: What is the maximum expandable storage supported by the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015)?
A: The tablet supports microSD card expansion up to 32GB.
Q: Does the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) have a front-facing camera?
A: Yes, it has a 2-megapixel front-facing camera that is suitable for video calls.
Q: What is the battery capacity of the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015)?
A: It has a 4800 mAh battery, which provides decent battery life for basic tasks.
Q: Is the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1 (2015) still receiving software updates?
A: No, the tablet has received an update to Android 5.1 Lollipop but hasn't received any further software updates.