The 7.9-inch Acer Iconia A1-830 may resemble an Apple iPad Mini, however, it's in a category of its own. It's a budget tablet with simple specs, yet it's fashionable and functional -- a rare sight.
Slim and sleek
Housing humble specs, the Acer Iconia A1-830 packs a microphone pinhole, Micro-USB port, and headphone jack on its top edge.
Compact with a side of expandable memory
The Acer tablet is ultra-slim and has an edge over the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX and Google Nexus 7, thanks to its expandable microSD card slot.
Comfortably compact
The A1-830 fits comfortably in one hand, even for folks with small hands (like me).
Low resolution and wide viewing angles
The 178-degree viewing angles are impressive for the $179 tablet, but its resolution isn't as high or sharp as today's top slates.
Thin bezels for a thin slate
The thin bezels looks great on the sleek A1-830, however the 4:3 aspect ratio display results in more letterboxing than I prefer.
Soft back
The tablet's loudest feature is its high-end design -- not the meek dual speakers. The solid, yet smooth, aluminum back give the tablet a durable feel.
A Crunch of color
You can buy Acer's Crunch case for the A1-830 tablet to add a layer of protection -- and color -- without adding bulk.
Acer Crunch case
The case for the A1-830 fits appropriately snug.
For your viewing pleasure
The cover works well for watching video or typing. It's sold separately, but it's an inexpensive way to protect your tablet without losing cool points.
Snap on, snap off
The Acer tablet easily snaps onto the case and its smart design makes the ports on the top and right edge easily accessible.