Despite Acer’s relative lack of activity in the mobile segment throughout 2017, a recent FCC application reveals that the OEM is now developing a new Android tablet bearing the name of Iconia One 8. The device recently passed through the database of the regulatory agency carrying the model number A8001, and like the previous Iconia One 8 released back in 2015, it appears that the upcoming slate will fit in the lower-end market segment judging by several hardware characteristics.
The list of specs includes an 8-inch display as suggested by the moniker itself, and the panel will clock in at a resolution of 1280 x 800, just like the 2015 model. However while the previous tablet was powered by an Intel Atom processor, it appears that the new Iconia One 8 will make the switch to a processor manufactured by MediaTek, namely the MT8167A featuring four 64-bit ARM Cortex-A35 cores clocked at up to 1.5Ghz. The device still packs 1GB of RAM and carries 16GB of on-board memory which can be further expanded through a microSD card slot. The main camera residing on the back panel reportedly has a resolution of 5-megapixels, whereas the front-facing sensor has a resolution of 2MP. Connectivity-wise the device should offer Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, and finally, all the components should be powered by a 4,500mAh battery.
As yet there’s no telling when Acer will introduce this new Iconia One 8 tablet to the market, but given its recent visit to the FCC it’s possible that the slate might be ready for prime time within the next couple of months. Last year Acer also released a couple of 10-inch tablets powered by Android 7.0 Nougat bearing the “Iconia Tab” moniker so it remains to be seen whether the new 8-inch slate will be accompanied by larger models. In the meantime, the Android tablet market as a whole doesn’t really seem to have experienced any worthwhile growth in 2017, and on the most part, the budget-friendly segment where slates like the Amazon Fire series reside continues to be the more successful part of the business. Having said that, there may still be room for a new Acer Iconia One 8 on the market, though pricing will likely play a big part in how the slate will be received.
