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Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD Tablet Review

All-round entertainer. Being equipped with a Full HD screen and Dolby sound system, the 10-inch Android-based Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD is to ensure a breathtaking entertainment experience - according to the manufacturer. Our report reveals whether it is enough for this superlative.

For the original German review, see here.

Acer continues its line of well-configured yet affordable tablets with its Iconia Tab 10. After the 8-inch Iconia Tab 8, it is now the 10-inch versions' turn. Three models are to be launched in Germany: The Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20 (NT.L5DEE.003) with 16 GB of storage capacity and HD resolution for 200 Euros (~$248) followed by the Iconia Tab A3-A20 NT.L5EEE.004 with 32 GB of capacity for roughly 230 Euros (~$285). We are reviewing the Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20 (NT.L5FEE.003) top-of-the line model also with 32 GB of storage capacity, but it has an edge on its family members with a Full HD resolution of 1920x1200 pixels, and it had a price of approximately 240 Euros (~$297) in online shops at test time.

All three Iconia Tab 10 versions use the MediaTek MT8127 quad-core processor that clocks with 1.5 GHz rather than 1.3 GHz in our Full HD review sample. This is complemented with an ARM Mali-450 MP4 graphics chip, and 2 instead of 1 GB of RAM in the larger models. All Iconia Tab 10 tablets are powered by Android 4.4, have a slim height of 8.9 millimeters, weigh 510 grams, and they sport the same interfaces. Besides a micro-HDMI and micro-USB port, it also includes a micro-SDHC card reader, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0. 

Case

Acer's Iconia Tab 10 resembles Apple's iPad.
Acer's Iconia Tab 10 resembles Apple's iPad.

Like the smaller Iconia Tab 8 model, Acer's tablet not only looks like an Apple iPad but also convinces with a superb build. Despite its low height of only 8.9 millimeters, the casing of the Iconia Tab 10 is very rigid and can barely be warped or depressed even under higher pressure. An eye-catcher is the aluminum back cover that reinforces the overall high-quality impression. Acer's tablet is comfortable to hold owing to its low weight of 510 grams. A look at the comparison devices proves that a lighter and thinner build is also possible, though. While the dimensions and weight of LG's G Pad 10.1 V700 hardly differ from the Iconia Tab 10, the equally-sized 10-inch Sony Xperia Z2 is not only much lighter with 425 grams but also quite a bit slimmer with a height of 6.4 millimeters.

266 mm / 10.5 inch 172 mm / 6.77 inch 6.4 mm / 0.252 inch 425 g0.937 lbs260.9 mm / 10.3 inch 165.9 mm / 6.53 inch 8.95 mm / 0.3524 inch 512 g1.129 lbs256 mm / 10.1 inch 171 mm / 6.73 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 520 g1.146 lbs247.3 mm / 9.74 inch 177.3 mm / 6.98 inch 6.6 mm / 0.2598 inch 470 g1.036 lbs228.3 mm / 8.99 inch 153.7 mm / 6.05 inch 7.95 mm / 0.313 inch 422 g0.93 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

An ARM-based MediaTek MT8127 quad-core SoC works in Acer's Iconia Tab 10. Its processing cores are clocked with 1.5 GHz each. The ARM Mali-450 MP4 is used as the graphics unit. 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage complement that. The user has approximately 25.6 GB of storage available ex-factory. The internal storage can be expanded by up to 32 GB via the micro-SD slot.

Software

Acer preloads Android 4.4.2 on its Iconia Tab 10 and additionally ships the 10-inch tablet with an extensive collection of apps. Among them, multiple Google applications such as Maps, Drive, Google+, Chrome, and Gmail, Astro File Manager, a barcode scanner, McAfee's Mobile Security suite, Skype, and a link to Acer's cloud. Beyond that, users can select various apps and place them on the clearly arranged user interface.

GPS: outdoors
GPS: outdoors
GPS: indoors
GPS: indoors

Communication & GPS 

Acer's Iconia Tab 10 connects to wireless networks via Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. That functioned in the test with the expected speed and without connection interruptions or other interference. The integrated GPS module can use an existing Wi-Fi connection for determining positions and also provides a very accurate localization of up to only a few meters. On our over 10-kilometer bike test route with the Garmin Edge 500 navigation system for comparison, Acer's tablet did the expected good job and was able to always determine the current position very accurately. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any comparison pictures here because exporting the recorded route failed, and thus readers will have to simply rely on the tester's word.

Cameras & Multimedia

According to the spec sheet of Acer's Iconia Tab 10, the primary camera shoots pictures with up to 5 megapixels and achieves a maximum webcam resolution of 2 megapixels. However, only 4 megapixels (2560x1440 pixels) and 1 megapixel (1280x720 pixels) are available in the camera menu. Neither would be a tragedy if Acer's tablet provided a decent image quality - which would actually also be expected in view of the very extensive settings. Virtually everything is installed that makes hobby photographers happy; starting with a multitude of picture modes like HDR, exposure latitude and panorama over ISO and white balance up to a timer and an integrated learn program. The settings proved to be more or less smoke and mirrors in the test. The pictures taken with the Iconia Tab 10 were downright disappointing. Both the primary camera and webcam only delivered blurry and noisy pictures even in ideal light conditions. Thus, the possibility of recording Full HD videos is not much of a comfort, either.

Acer Iconia Tab 10 - primary camera
Acer Iconia Tab 10 - primary camera
Acer Iconia Tab 10 - webcam
Acer Iconia Tab 10 - webcam
Reference: Canon IXUS 115HS
Reference: Canon IXUS 115HS
Acer Iconia Tab 10 - primary camera
Acer Iconia Tab 10 - primary camera
Acer Iconia Tab 10 - webcam
Acer Iconia Tab 10 - webcam
Reference: Canon IXUS 115HS
Reference: Canon IXUS 115HS


Accessories & Warranty

Acer's Iconia Tab 10 is shipped with a micro-USB cable, a modular power supply, and a quick-start guide. The tablet comes with a 12-month warranty. The manufacturer does not offer any accessories for the Iconia Tab 10.

Input Devices & Handling

Acer's Iconia Tab 10 convinces with very good handling. That starts with the interfaces that are all logically positioned and thus also easy to access when the 10-inch tablet is placed on a table. The tablet reaps in more handling plus points under Android 4.4.2. The review sample responded immediately to finger inputs on its 10-point LCD touchscreen directly after booting. We did not notice any delays or longer waiting times in apps or in the menu during the test. Although the Iconia Tab 10's screen surface area would be big enough, Acer omits an additional number row in the virtual QWERTY keyboard, which contributes to a clear arrangement. The keyboard takes up half of the screen in landscape mode, but the single keys have an agreeably big size that allows typing swiftly.

The virtual keyboard in landscape mode...
The virtual keyboard in landscape mode...
...and portrait mode.
...and portrait mode.

Display

Our review sample of Acer's Iconia Tab 10 has a screen resolution of 1920x1200 pixels, which results in a razor-sharp reproduction. However, the competition is on par - except for LG's G Pad 10.1 V700 that does not offer Full HD with 1280x800 pixels. While Sony's Xperia Z2 provides the same resolution as the Iconia Tab 10, HTC's Google Nexus 9 already features 2048x1526 pixels, and Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 10.5 even has 2560x1600 pixels.

The LCD screen in Acer's Iconia Tab 10 achieves an average brightness of 389 cd/m² that is distributed quite homogeneously over the screen (illumination: 86%). It is thus quite possible to use the tablet outdoors. The contenders reach similar rates that range from 314.0 cd/m² (Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5) up to 461.0 cd/m² (Sony Xperia Z2). The black level of 0.74 cd/m² and contrast ratio of 507:1 are also decent values.

349
cd/m²
336
cd/m²
341
cd/m²
357
cd/m²
375
cd/m²
347
cd/m²
360
cd/m²
389
cd/m²
362
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 389 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 357.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 375 cd/m²
Contrast: 507:1 (Black: 0.74 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.81 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.94 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.65
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
19%
1%
17%
31%
Brightness middle
375
430
15%
360
-4%
290
-23%
461
23%
Brightness
357
411
15%
331
-7%
291
-18%
437
22%
Brightness Distribution
86
92
7%
84
-2%
87
1%
89
3%
Black Level *
0.74
0.77
-4%
0.82
-11%
0.59
20%
Contrast
507
558
10%
439
-13%
781
54%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.81
3.17
45%
5.56
4%
2.37
59%
3.55
39%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.94
3.29
45%
3.59
40%
2.03
66%
2.58
57%
Gamma
2.65 83%
2.39 92%
2.02 109%
2.45 90%
2.78 79%
CCT
7270 89%
6746 96%
6483 100%
6521 100%
6342 102%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
62
100

* ... smaller is better

The screen of the Iconia Tab 10 exhibited minor shortcomings in the assessment using the X-spectral photometer X-Rite i1Pro 2 and CalMAN software. However, they are barely to not at all noticed subjectively. The red colors are too weak (DeltaE of 5.81), and the light gray hues are oversaturated so that image details might bloom (DeltaE of 5.94). The color temperature of 7270 K is also considerably higher than the ideal white point of 6500 K.

Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
Color Management
Color Management
Grayscale
Grayscale
ColorChecker
ColorChecker

The average brightness of 389 cd/m² allows using Acer's Iconia Tab 10 comfortably outdoors. However, the screen's highly reflective surface might thwart unlimited outdoor use - a problem that Acer has in common with virtually every other modern tablet.

The screen's content remains perfectly legible even in extreme angles. Colors are never distorted or inverted but at most look slightly darker.

Performance

Like the other Iconia Tab 10 tablets, the A3-A20FHD top-of-the-line model also uses the MediaTek MT8127 quad-core SoC but with a slightly higher clock of 1.5 GHz. An ARM Mali-450 MP4 GPU is integrated. Although this combination is sooner located in the entry level, the CPU and graphics chip achieve an impressive performance that is marginally higher than that of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 APQ8026 in LG's G Pad 10.1 V700. The synthetic benchmarks, however, already show that the review sample cannot compete with the performance of the comparison devices. The Google Nexus 9Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Sony's Xperia Z2 tablet are swifter.

3DMark - 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
5391 Points
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
26455 Points +391%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4552 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
13908 Points +158%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18806 Points +249%
Geekbench 3 - 32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
1343 Points
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
2892 Points +115%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1075 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2712 Points +102%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2327 Points +73%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 - 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
10.1 fps
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
57.8 fps +472%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5.8 fps -43%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
22.8 fps +126%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
27.6 fps +173%
Linpack Android / IOS - Multi Thread (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
210.8 MFLOPS
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
892 MFLOPS +323%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
242.3 MFLOPS +15%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
770 MFLOPS +265%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
600 MFLOPS +185%

The Google Nexus 9 outruns the contenders in both the Octane V2 and WebXPRT 2013 browser benchmarks. When the Google device is bracketed out, the performance of the other tablets are quite close. Acer's Iconia Tab 10 clearly lags behind in the SunSpider benchmark, though.

Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
2588 Points
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
8210 Points +217%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1810 Points -30%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4588 Points +77%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4127 Points +59%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
1408 ms *
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
919 ms * +35%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1137 ms * +19%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1112 ms * +21%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1047 ms * +26%
WebXPRT 2013 - Overall (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
231 Points
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
552 Points +139%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
153 Points -34%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
306 Points +32%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
283 Points +23%

* ... smaller is better

The same as in the browser benchmarks is seen in the read and write performance. The Google Nexus 9 takes the lead, and the other tablets follow all at more or less the same level. In contrast to the contenders, the Iconia Tab 10 has problems with 4 kb random write and only achieves a considerably lower data rate.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
90.2 MB/s
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
279.2 MB/s +210%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
112.7 MB/s +25%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
89.8 MB/s 0%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
63.3 MB/s -30%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
18.17 MB/s
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
75.5 MB/s +316%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
16.31 MB/s -10%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
15.72 MB/s -13%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
24.6 MB/s +35%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
12.29 MB/s
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
36.22 MB/s +195%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
15.5 MB/s +26%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
12.1 MB/s -2%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
11.9 MB/s -3%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
0.68 MB/s
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
14.49 MB/s +2031%
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1.7 MB/s +150%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1.56 MB/s +129%
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1.54 MB/s +126%

Games

Up-to-date Android games are not really a big challenge for the Iconia Tab 10. The tablet even deals with graphically more sophisticated titles like Shadowgun: Deadzone, Real Racing 3 or Asphalt 8 without problems, owing to the always immaculately functioning position and motion sensors. However, hardware-demanding games like Anomaly 2 can lead to an occasional stutter in maximum details.

Up-to-date Android games like Angry Birds Go...
Up-to-date Android games like Angry Birds Go...
...and Asphalt 8 run smoothly.
...and Asphalt 8 run smoothly.

Emissions

Temperature

No matter what scenario we used, Acer's Iconia Tab 10 did not go beyond lukewarm. A maximum of 38.4 °C was measured in full load and at most 37.8 °C in idle. The comparison devices remain equally cool and reach a maximum temperature of 40.0 °C (LG G Pad 10.1 V700).

Max. Load
 33 °C
91 F
29.4 °C
85 F
27 °C
81 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
29.3 °C
85 F
28 °C
82 F
 
 35.2 °C
95 F
38.4 °C
101 F
35.1 °C
95 F
 
Maximum: 38.4 °C = 101 F
Average: 32.1 °C = 90 F
28 °C
82 F
31 °C
88 F
33.1 °C
92 F
28.7 °C
84 F
29.2 °C
85 F
32.7 °C
91 F
29.9 °C
86 F
31.3 °C
88 F
32.4 °C
90 F
Maximum: 33.1 °C = 92 F
Average: 30.7 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  42.2 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-350
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.1 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.4 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.8 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

The stereo speakers located on the back cover's long side produce a decent sound and do not overdrive even in maximum volume. As typical for the category, they lack mids not to mention basses. However, Acer treats the Iconia Tab 10 to a Dolby sound feature that supplies an audibly better and surprisingly rich stereo sound compared with the default settings. The Iconia Tab 10 thus meets the manufacturer's entertainment system claim.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The non-removable, 22-Wh lithium-polymer battery in the Iconia Tab 10 has a capacity of 5700 mAh. The tablet consumes a maximum of 4.7 watts when idling. Our Voltcraft measuring device recorded 6.9 watts in full load. Those are very good rates compared with the competition, and the maximum power consumption is even the lowest by far, which lets us hope for a long battery life. Only Sony's Xperia Z2 has an identically low consumption of 7.2 watts, while Samsung's Galaxy Tab S 10.5 consumes 10.4 watts during full load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.2 / 4.6 / 4.7 Watt
Load midlight 6.3 / 6.9 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Despite its low power consumption, the Iconia Tab 10's battery runtimes are disappointing. The tablet only lasted for 10:59 hours in idle mode, and all comparison devices clearly outperform it. However, the real-world Wi-Fi test using a screen brightness of 150 cd/m², enabled energy-saving features, and a script that opens websites every 40 seconds looks better. The Iconia Tab 10 achieved a good battery runtime of 7:40 hours but is still defeated by its contenders. They manage a considerably longer runtime - starting with the Google Nexus 9 (9:34 hours) up to LG's G Pad 10.1 V700 (12:51 hours).

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
10h 59min
WiFi Surfing
7h 40min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 08min
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD
Mali-450 MP4, MT8127, 32 GB SSD
Google Nexus 9
GeForce ULP K1 (Tegra K1 Kepler GPU), K1 (Denver), 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Adreno 305, 400 APQ8026, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Mali-T628 MP6, 5420 Octa, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Adreno 330, 801 APQ8074AB, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
8%
74%
32%
18%
WiFi
460
574
25%
771
68%
600
30%
590
28%
Load
248
224
-10%
444
79%
333
34%
268
8%
H.264
597
777
395
875

Verdict

Although we did not discover the breathtaking entertainment qualities that Acer promises for its Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD, it does not lessen the good overall impression. Equipped with a Full HD screen, Dolby sound system, and the MediaTek MT8127 quad-core SoC alongside 32 GB of storage, the tablet caters quite well to the entertainment sector and is indeed very suitable for multimedia activities. Google's relatively new Android 4.4.2 OS and a stylish appearance adorned with haptic treats, such as an aluminum back cover, complement that. The low price of approximately 240 Euros (~$297) also speaks for the Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD.

However, enthusiastic gamers should avoid the tablet. Although up-to-date games run smoothly, the combination of a MediaTek and ARM Mali-450 GPU obviously finds its limits in maximum details. The performance reserves will hardly suffice for future games. The two poor cameras are a real drawback; despite the multitude of settings, they only manage a relatively feasible image quality in the best case.

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In review: Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD. Review sample courtesy of Acer Germany.
In review: Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD. Review sample courtesy of Acer Germany.

Specifications

Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD (Iconia Tab 10 Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT8127 4 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A7
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
10.00 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1200 pixel, WUXGA, LCD, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB SSD, 32 GB 
, 25.6 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm stereo jack, Card Reader: micro-SD max. capacity 32 GB, Sensors: motion sensor, gyroscope, GPS
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.9 x 256 x 171 ( = 0.35 x 10.08 x 6.73 in)
Battery
22 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 5700 mAh
Operating System
Android 4.4 KitKat
Camera
Webcam: primary camera: 4 MP (2560 x 1440 pixels); webcam: 1 MP (1280 x 720 pixels)
Additional features
Speakers: rear-facing stereo speakers, Keyboard: virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, micro-USB cord, modular power supply, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
520 g ( = 18.34 oz / 1.15 pounds), Power Supply: 25 g ( = 0.88 oz / 0.06 pounds)
Price
250 Euro

 

The 10-inch Acer Iconia Tab 10 has a Full HD resolution of 1920x1200 pixels.
The 10-inch Acer Iconia Tab 10 has a Full HD resolution of 1920x1200 pixels.
The back cover is made of aluminum.
The back cover is made of aluminum.
A maximum resolution of 1 MP (1280x720 pixels) can be set for the webcam.
A maximum resolution of 1 MP (1280x720 pixels) can be set for the webcam.
It is in fact just 4 MP (2560x1440 pixels) for the primary camera with a nominal resolution of 5 MP.
It is in fact just 4 MP (2560x1440 pixels) for the primary camera with a nominal resolution of 5 MP.
Acer treats the Iconia Tab 10 to a Dolby sound system.
Acer treats the Iconia Tab 10 to a Dolby sound system.
The speakers are located on the back cover's left and right edges.
The speakers are located on the back cover's left and right edges.
The box of the Iconia Tab 10 contains...
The box of the Iconia Tab 10 contains...
...a micro-USB cord, a modular power supply, and a quick-start guide.
...a micro-USB cord, a modular power supply, and a quick-start guide.
Clearly arranged: the home screen of the Iconia Tab 10.
Clearly arranged: the home screen of the Iconia Tab 10.
Multiple preloaded apps.
Multiple preloaded apps.
A bit more than 25 GB of the nominal 32 GB storage is available.
A bit more than 25 GB of the nominal 32 GB storage is available.
Benchmarks like Smartbench 2012 testify to the Acer tablet's good performance.
Benchmarks like Smartbench 2012 testify to the Acer tablet's good performance.
The write and read performance are within a typical range for tablets.
The write and read performance are within a typical range for tablets.
The integrated Dolby sound system provides an audibly enhanced stereo sound.
The integrated Dolby sound system provides an audibly enhanced stereo sound.
The tablet lasted for 7:40 hours in the real-world Wi-Fi test.
The tablet lasted for 7:40 hours in the real-world Wi-Fi test.

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Pros

+Aluminum back cover
+High-quality build
+Latest Android OS (4.4.2)
+Good image quality
+Full HD resolution
+Up-to-date games run smoothly
+Decent Dolby stereo sound
+Low temperature development
+Low price
 

Cons

-Micro-SD cards w/ max. 32 GB only
-Abysmal camera modules
-Non-removable battery
-Below-average battery life

Shortcut

What we like

The 10-inch tablet's high-quality build. Also, the short response times under Android 4.4.2 and decent image quality in conjunction with the high-detail reproduction.

What we'd like to see

Better cameras because Acer has not done itself a favor with the units installed in the chassis. The battery life could also be a bit longer.

What surprises us

Some compromises have to be expected in an entry-level tablet from the 200 to 250 Euros (~$248 to ~$309) range. These concessions are kept within fairly tight limits in Acer's tablet and the overall bundle is thus quite appealing.

The competition

HTC Google Nexus 9
LG G Pad 10.1 V700
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5
Sony Xperia Z2

Rating

Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD - 12/03/2014 v4(old)
Manuel Masiero

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
77 / 80 → 96%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
43 / 65 → 66%
Weight
83 / 40-88 → 90%
Battery
91%
Display
81%
Games Performance
55 / 68 → 81%
Application Performance
29 / 76 → 38%
Temperature
89%
Noise
100%
Audio
73 / 91 → 80%
Camera
54 / 85 → 64%
Average
73%
85%
Tablet - Weighted Average
Manuel Masiero, 2014-12-11 (Update: 2018-05-15)