MWC: Acer launches R1999 tablet

Acer startled visitors to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week with the lowest prices yet for a name-brand tablet. The Iconia B1 will cost just under R2 000 in South Africa.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, Acer announced pricing on the most affordable name-brand tablets yet. It also announced the expansion of the Iconia B1-A71 tablet, first announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. The 8GB tablet, targeted at young or new users or families looking for an additional tablet for their children, has been joined by a 16GB version.

The devices will start at R1999 in South Africa.

At 7″ (the size of a standard book page), the display is comfortable for e-reading, web browsing, playing games and watching videos.

A triangular corner grip on the lower left side further improves single-hand usage. It’s also easy to tote around in a bag or jacket at a feather-light 320 grams, making it one of the lightest 7-inch tablets in the market.

The B1 combines a 1.2GHz dual-core processor for smooth gaming, web browsing and video watching and Android’s latest Jelly Bean operating system. A VoiceSearch option means the user can hear a spoken answer through a search engine .

Over 500 free online magazines and top web sites are available at a click thanks to Google Currents. The recently updated smart mobile app allows the user to discover, read, and share news outlets, blogs and online magazine on the WSVGA (1,024 x 600) capacitive display. Gamers have access to more than 700,000 games and apps from the Google Play store.

The Iconia B1 comes with a front-facing camera to engage in live chats. The camera is located at the top right corner and works optimally in landscape mode, allowing group chats with friends or between study groups.

Available as 8GB and 16GB version with the option to expand via microSD slot, the Iconia B1 is an easy companion for tablet newbies or children.

Acer Iconia B1-A71 features and specs:

-Android Jelly Bean operating system

– Mediatek dual-core 1.2GHz processor (MTK 8317T)

-7-inch diagonal WSVGA capacitive multitouch screen with 1,024 x 600 resolution display

-8GB/16GB(2) of internal storage

-Wireless connectivity:

-Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

-Bluetooth® wireless technology 4.0

-GPS

-3.5mm headset/headphone/microphone jack

-internal speaker

-microSD‚Ñ¢ expansion slot with up to 32GB support

-front-facing 0.3-megapixel webcam

-Rechargeable 2,710 mAh battery

-micro-USB (charging and PC connect) with USB 2.0

-Dimensions: 197.4 mm x 128.5 mm x 11.3 mm

-Weight: 320 g

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