Acer Iconia Tab A700 Android tablet (preview)

Most Android tablets languish a long way behind the iPad when it comes to display quality, but Acer seems intent on changing that with its latest release. The Iconia Tab A700's killer feature is an impressive 10.1in screen with a resolution of 1920x1200, significantly higher than almost every other Android tablet on the market.
Up until now, almost all 10in Android tablets (with the exception of the upcoming ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T) have a resolution of 1280x800. The Acer Iconia Tab A700's much higher resolution gives it a pixels per inch (ppi) rating of 224ppi, only slightly behind the new iPad's 264ppi. This should mean crisper and sharper text and much higher levels of detail than we've seen on Android tablets to date. The Iconia Tab A700's display also has a 16:10 aspect ratio, a contrast ratio of 800:1 and a 178 degree viewing angle.


Screen aside, the Acer Iconia Tab A700 has pretty impressive specifications. It runs the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, has 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a microSD card for memory expansion. The memory expansion makes it a far more flexible alternative to the iPad, even though we wish Acer kept the full-sized SD card used on its original Iconia tablet.

The Iconia Tab A700's range of ports is also impressive. There's a micro HDMI port that allows users to connect the tablet to a high definition television and the unit can be charged via a standard micro-USB port. This is a far more convenient solution than the proprietary connector often seen on other devices.

Physically, the Acer Iconia Tab A700 appears to look very similar to the company's Iconia A510. There's nothing too flashy about this styling, which will be available in black or silver colours. The A700 weighs a relatively hefty 667g though and it's slightly thicker than the iPad. In a world where light and thin is in, we feel that many potential users could opt to overlook the A700 for thinner, lighter and more attractive alternatives.

Other features of the Acer Iconia Tab A700 include the Dolby Mobile 3 audio profile and the now standard combination of GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. There are dual-cameras on board, a front-facing 1-megapixel camera for third-party video apps and a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera for still photos and 720p HD video recording.

Acer says the Iconia Tab A700's 9800mAh battery will provide up to 10 and a half hours of video playback before needing a recharge.

Acer hasn't confirmed if or when the Iconia Tab A700 will be released in Australia, but the tablet is available in the US for $449.99 USD.