Acer Iconia Tab A501 Unveiling Specs Prices Pros & Cons

Overview of the Acer Iconia Tab A501

The Acer Iconia Tab A501, released in 2011, was a remarkable addition to the world of tablets. Its introduction capitalized on the growing wave of tablet computing, offering users a balanced blend of performance, connectivity, and affordability. This piece will explore the A501 in depth, detailing its specifications, design, functionality, and overall user experience.

Design and Build

The Acer Iconia Tab A501 comes with dimensions of 260 x 177 x 13.3 mm, weighing approximately 777 grams. Its robust build provides a solid feel, making it fit comfortably in hand despite being somewhat heavier compared to other contemporary devices. The use of a Mini-SIM adds a touch of traditional mobile connectivity, enhancing its versatility beyond mere Wi-Fi usage.

Display

The A501 features a 10.1-inch LCD with 256K colors, delivering a resolution of 800 x 1280 pixels. This screen size and resolution, making up about 64.3% of the screen-to-body ratio, provide ample workspace for digital content consumption, web browsing, and casual gaming. The visual experience, while clear and crisp, is notably anchored by a pixel density of approximately 149 ppi, which sufficiently supports the viewing of multimedia content.

Performance

Under the hood, the Acer Iconia Tab A501 is powered by the Nvidia Tegra 2 T20 chipset, hosting a dual-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU and ULP GeForce GPU. This combination provides a capable performance for the day-to-day operations of Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which is upgradable to version 3.2. With 1GB of RAM, the device runs applications relatively smoothly, although heavy multitasking can occasionally cause performance lags.

Storage

Storage options for the A501 include 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB variants, each equipped with 1GB RAM. However, users are given the flexibility to expand storage capacity via the microSDHC card slot, allowing accommodation for additional apps, music, and videos.

Camera

The main camera on the Iconia Tab A501 is a 5 MP shooter, complete with autofocus and LED flash capabilities, which perform adequately in well-lit conditions. This rear camera can also record video, albeit not at high-definition resolutions. The front-facing camera is a modest 2 MP, provided for basic selfie captures or video calling.

Audio and Sound Options

In terms of sound, the tablet includes stereo speakers which offer a decent audio output, complemented by a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening experiences. The sound quality meets the typical expectations from its category and era, delivering audio well-suited for video playback and music streaming.

Connectivity

The Acer Iconia Tab A501 supports a wide range of connectivity options. WLAN capabilities include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, which enables hotspot functionality. Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR ensures easy pairing with wireless peripherals. The device supports GPS with A-GPS assistance, but does not feature FM Radio. USB connectivity is provided through both microUSB 2.0 and USB 2.0 ports, allowing for seamless data transfer and peripheral connections.

Sensors and Other Features

The Iconia Tab A501 is equipped with an array of sensors: accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass. These sensors significantly enhance the user experience, primarily in gaming and navigation applications. Its internet browser is capable of HTML and Adobe Flash, offering a reasonable web browsing experience given its mid-range specifications.

Battery Life

The device is powered by a non-removable 3260 mAh lithium-polymer battery, rated at 24.1Wh. Its battery life stands at approximately 8 hours of active use and can last up to 400 hours on standby. This performance is adequate for daily usage, including browsing, media consumption, and light productivity tasks.

Market Position and Conclusion

Originally launched at about 490 EUR, the Acer Iconia Tab A501 was positioned as a mid-range device catering to users seeking reliable mobile computing with additional telephony capabilities. Although it has since been discontinued, the A501 remains a testament to Acer's commitment to delivering versatile and accessible technology solutions. While newer tablets surpass it in terms of sheer performance and features, the Iconia Tab A501 paved the way for the evolution and enhancement of tablet device functionality.