
Posted on Friday, April 08 2011 @ 14:00 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Acer announced its first Android tablet in the US; the Android 3.0 based Iconia Tab A500. This 10.1" model offers the NVIDIA Tegra 250 1GHz dual-core SoC and can play back 720p video on the 1280 x 800 pixel display and 1080p via HDMI on external screens. There will be Adobe Flash 10.1 support (after a software update), a 5MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, and 16GB of integrated flash storage memory. The tablet is 0.52" thick and weighs 1.69 pounds, it offers up to eight hours of playback for casual games or HD video and up to ten hours of WiFi Internet browsing. Acer's Iconia Tab A500 will start shipping on April 24th, but starting April 8th you'll be able to pre-order it for $449.99.
Acer America today debuts the Acer
Iconia Tab A500 in the United States and announced that it is available
for pre-order online exclusively from Best Buy. The Acer Iconia Tab A500
is the company's first 10.1-inch tablet running Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
in the new Acer Iconia family of tablets for North America.
The new Acer Iconia Tab A500 tablet enables customers to interact with
and enjoy technology in ways that are both truly natural and exciting.
The 10.1-inch multi-touch screen provides accurate finger-tip control
for personal access to applications, games and entertainment. The tablet
provides an enhanced level of performance with its NVIDIA Tegra 250 1GHz
dual-core processor and integrated GeForce(tm) GPU that lets customers
enjoy HD gaming, 1080p video and faster browsing, as well as running
multiple applications and digital media playback at the same time.
Customers can take advantage of these capabilities with the new Android
3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system, which gives them the flexibility to
customize their experience to suit their interests.
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 was built for usability on-the go. Its slim and
modern aluminum design weighs only 1.69 pounds and measures only
0.52-inches thin. It also includes forward and rear-facing cameras for
capturing videos and photos as well as video conferencing.
A Best Buy exclusive, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 with WiFi is now
available for pre-order online at bestbuy.com and may be pre-ordered in
stores beginning April 14. The Acer Iconia Tab A500 with WiFi will be
available in stores and online beginning April 24. The Acer Iconia Tab
A500 has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $449.99.
"Staying connected and entertained are firmly embedded as a part of our
everyday lives - and the Acer Iconia Tab A500 does this and so much more
in a performance-minded, sleek and stylish design," said Sumit
Agnihotry, vice president of product marketing, Acer America. "This
tablet absolutely delivers on the expectation that customers can be
entertained, stay in touch with family, friends, colleagues and social
networks, as well as keep up on the world around them in a way that is
intuitive and fluid, and also incredibly enjoyable."
Best Buy's vice president of computing, Jason Bonfig, stated, "Tablets
are paving the way for people to enjoy a whole new form factor in
entertainment and connection. We're pleased to have Acer join our tablet
selection and to offer our customers an opportunity to try this tablet
out for themselves at any Best Buy store."
Extraordinary Mobile Entertainment and Fun; Two Great Games Included
Navigating through the interactive environment with the touch of a
finger-tip is incredibly natural. The 10.1-inch capacitive touch-screen
tablet delivers a remarkable degree of accuracy and responsiveness. The
high-resolution 1280x800 TFT WXGA display is crisp and clear, and
provides an 80-degree wide viewing angle to ensure an optimal viewing
experience. The large 10.1-inch size is ideal for comfortably accessing
and enjoying a number of applications - from movies and games to social
networks and scrolling through photos in the photo book application.
Designed for HD entertainment, the high-color contrast 10.1-inch
widescreen display allows customers to enjoy exhilarating HD 720p video
in a 16:10 aspect ratio. Customers can also use the Acer Iconia Tab A500
as their media hub and share full 1080p Blu-ray-quality video via the
built-in HDMI port with other devices, such as a high-definition big
screen TV or monitor. Dolby Mobile technology completes the
entertainment experience with heightened audio.
One of the tablet's most impressive features is its ability to run and
play premium HD arcade games and complex online games. The 10-point
touch display and six-axis motion sensing gyro meter control guarantees
an entertainment experience on par with the best game consoles. Plus,
the Acer Iconia Tab A500 comes with two full versions of leading games
already on it. "Need for Speed: Shift" gives customers a sense of
exhilarating speed and power as they "steer" the ultra-responsive tablet
to maneuver through courses with dynamic HD graphics. In "Let's Golf,"
customers choose their character and swing for a hole in one on a
variety of courses from around the word in vibrant color.
Taking along hundreds of books and magazines is easy with the Acer
Iconia Tab A500. The tablet supports eReading and comes pre-installed
with Acer LumiRead and Google Books eReading apps for enjoying eBooks,
while Zinio is pre-installed for reading full-color digital magazines.
The technology in the Acer Iconia Tab A500 delivers a thrilling level of
performance. It features a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 250 Cortex A9 1GHz
processor, supported by the ultra-low power GeForce graphics and 1GB of
RAM for blazing mobile performance. It also supports flash.
The new tablet comes with an integrated 16GB of flash storage for
programs and apps to give customers incredibly fast access while
limiting weight and noise. The platform can support a larger storage
capacity of 32GB, which is planned for future models. The Micro-SD card
reader supports up to 32GB Micro-SD cards, so customers can access and
download their own digital content, including videos, movies and eBooks.
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 can be used in a range of environments thanks
to its ambient light sensor. The integrated accelerometer provides
auto-rotation between portrait and landscape modes for viewing movies,
websites, games and more.
Staying Connected and On-the-Go
Today's customers are connecting with their social networks in a
real-time way that brings more meaning and convenience to their lives.
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 connects to Wi-Fi networks with reliable Acer
InviLink Nplify 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED wireless technology at
home and on the go for updating social network apps, Twitter feeds and
accessing the Internet. Customers can also set up multiple email
addresses in the tablet and even open and view Microsoft Office
documents using the trial version of the "Docs to Go" app to boost their
productivity.
The two webcams boost customers' ability to stay in touch. The 5MP
rear-facing camera has a flash and is auto-focusing, so it captures
excellent video and images. The 2MP fixed-focused front-facing webcam is
ideal for video conferencing and recording HD video and comments for
YouTube and Facebook. Customers can utilize the built-in GPS with
various apps to enjoy navigation and location-searches while traveling
and driving. Plus, the integrated Bluetooth allows consumers to connect
the tablet to a variety of other devices, such as headsets and printers.
Customers will enjoy extra-long uptime with their Acer Iconia Tab A500.
The system's two 3260 mAh Li-polymer batteries provide up to eight hours
of playback for casual games, eight hours of HD video playback and 10
hours of WiFi Internet browsing.
Superior Mobile Browsing Experience with Android 3.0
The advances in Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) build on the leading-edge
performance in the Acer Iconia Tab A500 to deliver a mobile experience
unlike anything customers have experienced to date. Specifically
optimized for a tablet environment, Android 3.0 runs on the Acer Iconia
Tab A500 to deliver superb browsing with an array of features that make
online time rewarding and productive.
Plus, customers can get even more out of their Acer Iconia Tab A500 by
customizing it with Android apps of their choice from the Android Market
and other Android-based app sites.
Innovative Design Boosts Usability
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 will be used in a very personal way, so it was
designed with great attention to detail. Customers will enjoy using it
as a primary connection to their world from wherever they take it. The
design boasts an Alpine Silver brushed metal aluminum chassis that is
cool to the touch and comfortable to hold. The design's upscale look
and feel features a high-gloss finish decorated with engraved patterns
that create a subtle sophistication.
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 is incredibly easy to use and enjoy. It easily
fits in a purse, briefcase or book bag. It measures 10.24(w) x 6.97(d) x
0.52(h)-inches and weighs only 1.69 pounds.
Acer offers several options for customers to further personalize their
Acer Iconia Tab A500. They are:
* The full-sized dedicated keyboard connects to the tablet via
Bluetooth to boost productivity. MSRP is $69.99.
* The dock with IR remote securely holds the Acer Iconia Tab A500
into a secure position with two tilt angles. The dock charges the unit
and includes a connection for an external speaker or headphone. MSRP is
$79.99.
* The sleek protective case guards the tablet without adding
weight or bulk. It allows access to the connectors and ports, while also
propping it up in two positions while on a desk or nightstand. MSRP is
$39.99.
* The Americas power adapter set comes with the four connectors
used in North, Central and South America as well as the UK and Europe.
MSRP is $29.99.
clear.fi for Digital Media Sharing
Acer clear.fi is installed on the Acer Iconia Tab A500 to connect it
with any other DLNA-compliant device to quickly and easily share digital
media. Clear.fi automatically connects all Acer devices on a network
(smartphones, notebooks, desktops, HD media players and storage devices)
and then gathers and organizes media files by type (video, music, photo,
pre-recorded TV).