Best Buy $139.99 Acer Iconia Tab 8 is a Very Good Deal

Best Buy and device maker Acer are teaming up for a deal so great that it may just be the best promotion available on a Windows 8 2-in-1 device yet. As of right now, Best Buy shoppers can pick up the Acer Iconia Tab 8 for just $139.99 at Best Buy. When they do, they’ll also get a $40 Best Buy Gift Card.

Acer and Best Buy revealed the upcoming deal and a new marketing campaign for the Acer Iconia Tab 8 this past weekend. While supplies last, anyone who purchases the tablet online at Best Buy’s website or in person at their local Best Buy store will get the $40 gift card, provided that they make their purchase while supplies last. If you count that gift card, shoppers are effectively getting a decent Android tablet for just $100. Best Buy gift cards can be used to purchase accessories, extras for the Iconia Tab 8 or other electronics. Of course, re-gifting the included gift card is possible too.

Android tablets come cheaper, but those cheaper devices aren’t as well equipped as the Acer Iconia Tab 8. Officially called the Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1-840-131U, the device comes equipped with all the necessary Android tablet extras. Built-in is Android KitKat, the same version of android that’s likely running on the Android smartphone in your pocket. An 8-inch display dominates the Iconia Tab 8’s front. Around that display is a solid white border. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are both included. There’s also a MicroSD card slot for charging and transferring files.

Usually, around the $100 market, there’s a huge drop off in quality for Android tablets. Tablets priced that low usually have a slower processor or aren’t cleared to download apps from the Google Play Store. The Iconia Tab 8 includes a robust Intel Atom quad-core processor. 16GB of storage is where buyers of the Acer Iconia Tab 8 keep apps, pictures, music and video.

What’s nice is that the Iconia Tab 8 includes the basics and offers a bit more. There’s only 16GB of storage included, but users can add more with the build-in MicroSD card slot. A MicroHDMI out port makes watching videos and listening to music easier, provided your television has HDMI input. GPS isn’t exactly something you find a lot in this space. The Icnoia Tab 8 has GPS built-in so finding your way with or without an internet connection is easy.

Before running out to buy the Iconia Tab 8, shoppers should know that there are definitely some trade-offs. First, the Iconia Tab 8 comes with two cameras. One is a front-facing 2 megapixel camera for video chatting and taking self-portraits. The other is a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera for taking pictures and capturing video. Acer says that the front facing camera is capable of producing pictures with a 2592 x 1944 resolution. Even still, don’t expect amazing photos form the Iconia Tab 8. The Iconia Tab 8 doesn’t include flash for low-light picture taking.

Second, Android 4.4 KitKat maybe the version of Android that’s on most smartphones today, but it’s not the very latest version. That title is held by Android 5.0 Lollipop. Lollipop includes a new design, better notification options, easier multitasking. A guest mode allows users to lend their Android tablet to others without giving them access to their personal information. Once a guest is done, the original owner can delete the guest account like nothing ever happened.  It’s unclear when the Iconia Tab 8 will get an upgrade to the latest version of Android and pick up these features.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SogJCSNF-1k&feature=youtu.be

Acer has a big media campaign featuring out of work elves, running until the deal concludes on December 23rd.