Hands-on with the Acer Iconia A1-810

The [[artnid:463195|Acer Iconia A1-810]] is a low-cost, 7.9in Android tablet with a very competitive price tag. It could prove to be a good alternative to the iPad mini if you're on a budget. Let's take a look!

The Acer Iconia A1-810 Australian retail packaging. It's quite a large box for a small tablet.
The specifications are listed on the back of the box. We reviewed the 16GB Wi-Fi model.
The side of the box shows the Iconia A1 being used single-handedly.
Unpacking the Iconia A1-810.
In the box you'll find a USB to micro-USB cable and an AC adapter. There's no headphones included in the sales package.
Documentation consists of a product and safety information booklet, along with a quick guide.
Here's the Iconia A1-810 in the flesh. It's heavier (410g) and thicker (11.5mm) than the iPad mini. The thickness isn't an issue but the extra 100g of weight is definitely noticeable if you compare.
The back of the Iconia A1 is finished in a smooth, matte white plastic. It doesn't feel as sturdy as the iPad mini's aluminium back but it's comfortable to hold and doesn't easily slip out of your grasp.
On the right side you'll find a volume rocker and a microSD card slot. Unlike many other devices, it's not concealed with a plastic flap. There's also a built-in microphone here.
A mini-HDMI port on the right side, towards the bottom, allows you to connect the Iconia A1-810 to a TV. However, you'll need to purchase a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable.
The micro-USB port for charging and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack are oddly positioned on the bottom of the tablet, towards the right side.
There's no ports or buttons on the left side of the Iconia A1-810. This also gives you an idea of how thick the tablet is.
On the back is a single speaker. It pumps out reasonably loud sound, though sound quality is poor.
The tablet has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera that captures full HD 1080p video at 30fps.
Acer branding is printed on the back of the device.
The Iconia A1-810 is a Wi-Fi only tablet, with no 3G or 4G models available in Australia.
The Iconia A1-810 has a 7.9in LED-backlit IPS screen with the same 1024x768 display resolution as the iPad mini.
The screen displays good colours and has reasonable viewing angles, though text isn't as crisp or clear as more expensive devices, such as the full sized iPad or the Google Nexus 10.
A front facing VGA camera handles video calls.
The Iconia A1-810 runs the 4.2 Jelly Bean version of Google's Android operating system without too many changes to the interface.
One useful addition is Acer's 'Touch WakeApp' feature. Pressing five fingers onto the screen unlocks the screen and opens an app of your choice, and tapping both thumbs on the screen will again unlock it and launch another app of your choice.
[[artnid:463213|The Acer A1-810 is available now for $249]] through Acer's online store and through selected Australian retailers. We'll have a full review of the device in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

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