Face off: Archos 80 Titanium VS Acer Iconia A1
With the 8-inch iPad mini a raging success, it was only a matter of time before Android tablet makers followed suit. We ask if the differences are merely black and white
While both diminutive tablets are an attempt at aping the pricier iPad mini, Apple's effort is a mere 7.2mm slim, and the Acer and Archos manage 11.1mm and 9.9mm, respectively. There's a bulk issue, too, with the Iconia A1 weighing in at 410g and the 80 Titanium at 434g. Neither compares to the iPad mini's paltry 312g, though both are light enough to hold in one hand. Judged on looks alone, Archos impresses most. Its titanium-effect metallic back panel looks far more stylish than the plastic used on the Acer's rear. While Archos uses a white border, Acer has gone for sleek black.
The displays found on the Acer and Archos are near identical; the former is 7.9 inches diagonally, the latter exactly 8 inches, though both use an LED-backlit LCD touch screen with a 1024x768 resolution. Those numbers denote a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is much narrower than a widescreen TV. While not perfect for watching films, that shape is more comfortable for reading and browsing the web.
While both tablets have a front-facing camera, the Acer triumphs on photography. Its rear-facing camera is capable of five megapixel quality images, while the Archos manages just two megapixels. The Acer can film video in 1080p HD quality at 30 frames per second.