Iconia B1 marks Acer’s entry into the competitive market of tablets. This budget friendly tab is generically designed, the only exception being its blue border tone that pleasantly sets it apart from the rest of the dull-looking tab crowd.
Weighing just under 320g and measuring 11.33mm in depth, the Iconia B1 is light and slim. Its rectangular screen display of 7.0 inch (600 x 1024 pixels) is decent enough to view videos, play games, and run other apps. The B1 runs on a 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor with 512 MB of RAM and 8GB internal storage and operates on Android Jelly Bean (4.1). While other functions of the tab runs pretty smoothly, the 512 MB RAM falters when games with high graphics or full HD videos are played. As for the display, Yantrick experienced no problem with viewing regular video files, but as soon as high resolution videos were played, colours seemed to saturate.
Another disappointing element is the forward facing VGA camera which is average at best. The camera produces weak and grainy images and to makes things worse, there is no rear camera. So if you want a tab that can substitute as a camera, look elsewhere.
The B1’s audio player fares better though. It is not the loudest, but the quality is much better than average speakers. You might want to invest in a pair of earphones as it does not come with the set.
Unlike other tablets, the Iconia B1 has a micro USB port located at the bottom while the power/sleep button is on the upper end of the right side. There is also a Micro SD slot which can be used as an external hard drive to store data.
For internet connectivity, only Wi-Fi is available. While 3G users will have a bone to pick over this, the tab is otherwise well equipped with a variety of options for connectivity. There is Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP and USB for PC interfacing and charging, GPS for location based applications like Google Maps and Foursquare. Along with all the standard applications found in handheld devices these days, Acer has added a Cloud app, which is used as a backup for this device.
The battery can sustain six to eight hours of use so you don’t have to worry about running to the switch board after every hour.
Yantrick’s Verdict: The Iconia B1 leaves a lot to be desired, but for Rs 15,900 it is a better buy than more expensive products in the market.
Display: 7-inch TFT display with 1024x600p resolution and 170ppi pixel density
Operating system: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Processor and RAM: 1.2GHz processor, 512MB RAM
Storage: 8 and 16GB internal memory, 32GB microSD support
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0
Camera: VGA front camera
Battery: 2,710mAh