Unveiled to the world at CES, the Acer Iconia B1 is Acer’s play at hitting the budget tablet space. While not offering bleeding edge specs, the B1 does offer a stock Jelly Bean experience on a 7 inch tablet, which, in the UK, goes for just £99. At CES we were told to expect launch in stores at the end of January, and true to their word that seems to be the case.
The Iconia B1 has been spotted already for sale by British supermarkets, ASDA and Sainsbury’s, both at that magic £99 price point. Appealing to the casual consumer at a price point that is bordering on impulse buy could prove successful for Acer, especially over the traditional ‘no-name’ cheap tablets we’ve seen for so long at this kind of price. The Kindle Fire is a big supermarket tablet line in the UK, so it will be interesting to see how the Iconia B1 fares. It under cuts the cheapest Kindle Fire by £30 while offering a more traditional tablet experience.
Our hands on at CES showed a little lag, and a distinctly plasticky design, but also expandable memory and that Jelly Bean experience. But it all comes down to the price, and the Iconia B1 is the first tablet from a recognizable brand to hit that magic sub-£100 price point that makes it a compelling purchase for first time tablet buyers. If you’ve picked one up, or thinking of doing so, be sure to jump into the comments below and share your experience.
via Eurodroid