Acer Iconia A510-10k32u 10.1-Inch Tablet (Olympic Edition-Black)

by Acer

• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 1 GB SDRAM
• 10.1-inch screen
• 13 hour battery life
• 802.11bgn wireless

Product Description

Color: Black

Amazon.com

In celebration of the 2012 London Olympics, Acer unveils the Iconia Tab A510. This Special Edition Tablet carries the symbol of the iconic Olympic rings in its design - representing the strength, confidence and possibility that the Olympics stands for. Featuring NVIDIA® Quad-Core performance, the latest Android 4.0 OS and an amazing productivity suite, you can multitask at a new level and surf the web without waiting. Preloaded entertainment apps like Kindle, Netflix and Google Music keep your entertainment at your fingertips wherever you are. So whether you need to be productive on the go or just want to stay entertained, the Acer Iconia Tab A510 Olympic Edition will keep you at the top of your game.

Key Features

• 10.1” HD Multi-Touch Display: (1280 x 800) resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
• Android™ 4.0 Operating System (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• NVIDIA® Tegra™ 3 Quad Core Mobile Processor (1.3GHz) Super 4-PLUS-1™ Quad Core with Battery Saver Core
• 1GB DDR2 Memory
• Ultra Low Power (ULP) High Performance 12-core NVIDIA® GeForce® GPU
• 32GB internal storage
• MicroSD memory slot up to 32GB
• Dolby® Mobile 3 Technology
• Stereo Speakers
• Dual-Analog Microphone
• 802.11b/g/n Wireless
• Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR
• 1- Micro USB 2.0 Port
• 1- Micro-HDMI™ Out
• 5MP Rear-Facing Camera with Auto Focus
• 1MP Front-Facing HD Camera
• Sensors:G-Sensor, E-Compass, L Sensor, Gyro-meter
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion polymer Battery
• Up to 11-hours of Video Playback via Wi-fi(1)(1) Battery life varies depending on product specifications, tablet settings and applications or features launched.
• Up to 13-hours of Video Playback one system(2) (2) Battery life varies depending on product specifications, tablet settings and applications or features launched. Video Playback on system (Not streaming Wi-fi off)
• Color: Black

Learn More

Supercharge Your Entertainment

Acer pushes the boundaries of the conventional tablet experience with the launch of the Iconia Tab A510 Olympic Edition. Conquer the most demanding multimedia and productivity tasks with ease! It's perfect for watching movies, reading e-books, surfing the Web and playing games wherever your day takes you. Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is the lastest version of the Android platform for tablets. It builds on the things people love most about Android- easy multitasking, rich notifications, customizable home screens, resizable app widgets, and deep interactivity- and adds powerful new ways of communicating and sharing. NVIDIA® Tegra™ 3 Quad Core processor and Ultra-low Power (ULP) NVIDIA® GeForce® GPU features the world’s only 4-PLUS-1™ mobile quad-core CPU, so you get amazing performance for even the most demanding applications. Plus, it features a unique fifth battery-saver core for a longer battery life. The Tegra 3 processor uses this low-power core to handle your everyday apps, and then kicks into full quad-core mode for demanding apps like video editing and gaming. This means you can now take your mobile performance farther than ever before. Dolby® Mobile 3 is designed to deliver a full-impact audio experience for movies, videos, and music. For the first time, enjoy no-compromise multichannel audio that will rival anything heard before. Go the extra mile with up to 13-hours(2) of cable-free battery life, giving you the freedom to roam far from the nearest outlet- no worries here.

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Go the Distance in Olympic Style

The Acer Iconia A510 Olympic Edition Tablet is a celebration of the 2012 Olympic games. The mirrored ink Olympic logo etched on the cover represent achievements and aspirations of Olympic athletes in the past, present and future. Showcasing a beautiful 10.1" HD multi-touch display with crystal-clear resolution, the A510 features a slim curvy design with a textured back cover that is soft to the touch for comfortable handling and comes in two fun colors - Black and Silver. The unique interactive Acer Ring allows you to customize your tablet experience by selecting your most commonly used applications and keeping them in one spot. Launch the ring by tapping the double circle located in the system bar. It will open up a series of key apps, key settings, bookmarks, or contextual menu options - easy as that! Acer Clear.fi™ allows you to manage, store, share, and enjoy media between any Acer Clear.fi enabled devices, in any room throughout your home so the whole family can share & enjoy.

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Push the Boundaries of Productivity

Get more done on your Tablet with productivity aps! Polaris Office 3.5 allows users to read and edit documents in high-quality viewing while the Evernote app is like having your own personal assistant! Edit, organize and store documents easily on the cloud. Acer makes connecting easy, without wires! With Acer Print connect wirelessly to a variety of WiFi printers and print docs, photos and more with the push of a button. Enjoy hours of entertainment with friends, family, or own your own! Great preloaded apps like Kindle provides endless reading material while Netflix instantly delivers the latest movies to your tablet for entertainment anywhere. Google Music makes it easy to listen to your personal playlists on the go. Want to play a game? Go to the Anrdoid Market to choose from thousands to download. Thanks to the Micro-USB 2.0 Port and the Micro-SD Slot, the Iconia Tab gives you the ability to connect USB flash drives, USB media card readers and even a portable hard drive. The expansion opportunities are endless.

Product Description

Acer Iconia A510-10k32u Olympic Edition Tablet comes with these high level Specs: NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad Core Mobile Processor (1.3GHz) - Super 4-PLUS-1 Quad Core with 5th Battery Saver Core, Android 4.0 Operating System (Ice Cream Sandwich), 10.1" WXGA HD Multi-touch Display, Ultra Low Power (ULP) High Performance 12-Core NVIDIA GeForce GPU, 1024MB DDR2 Memory, 32GB internal storage, MicroSD Memory Slot (up to 32GB), Dolby Mobile 3 Technology (upgradable to Dolby Mobile 3+), 802.11b/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 5MP Rear facing Webcam with auto-focus & 2MP Front Facing HD Webcam, 1 - Micro USB 2.0 Port, 1 - Micro-HDMI Out (with support for 1080p & Dual Displays), Rechargeable Li-Polymer Battery (9800 mAh), Up to 13-hours Battery Life, Acer Clear.fi, Acer Sync, 1.54 lbs. | 0.685 kg (tablet only)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 75 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The way a tablet should work. April 24, 2012

By D. Ehlers

Color Name:Black

I have been researching tablets for a month. My brother has a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and my kids have a IPad 1. I played with the Samsung for about 3 hours one night, and it seemed decent. However, the Samsung was like the IPad..... only one "do all" port at the bottom, no expansion possibilities, and accessory dongles that you need to purchase for USB or HDMI. I liked the idea of the ASUS Transformer Prime, but was not going to fork over $499 for a non-op GPS (because of the aluminum body of the tablet, the signal can't get to the antenna). The regular Transcormer seemed OK, but I just was not sold for $399. Then, I kept coming close to buying the Motorola Xoom.... built very well, very well supported with OS upgrades etc, but the screen is a very basic TFT.... hard to justify even the closeout price of $399 for that. So, I PURCHASED the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet, since I have their regular Thinkpad laptops, the screen is an IPS, gorilla glass, and it was lots of ports and outputs. Had the Lenovo for two days before I returned it, here is why: Aside from the stellar build quality, the GPS stank, the speaker was HORRIBLE (I could not even hear the diatogue from my Netflix movie). I sat outside for an hour with the thinkpad two different times trying to acquire and lock onto satellites with a good GPS app, and it was able to find one, sometimes two satellites, and NEVER lock on. Unacceptable. Returned it. Went to a big box store and noticed a few of the new ASUS Transformer Pad 300's in the lower display case... but they would not sell me one until the 29th, even though the day I was there WAS the launch date!!! So, I decided that this Acer would be OK to try. Even though Amazon was priced $20 LESS (with free shipping) than the big box store, I still purchased it at the store.... so that I could have it today. It comes in nice retail packaging, included the USB host adapter and charge cord. All that I can say is that it FEELS like a premium product (has a rubberized feel on the backside, no flex), works like a premium product, looks like a premium product. The GPS found 16 satellites within 3 minutes with the same app that I installed on the Lenovo (INDOORS!!!). The speakers are plenty loud enough and clear. The IPS (yes it's IPS) screen is decent. I also confirmed that the A510 has Gorilla Glass. The A510 is a clean execution of the new processor and ICS. Mine DOES NOT heat up.... not sure I'm believing that nonsense reported by a few. Sure, the thing has a battery roughly twice the size of most tablets, so it must get a little warm during charging. I downloaded a widget that monitors battery temperature, and it runs at 84 degrees. It is just a nice machine, is fast and snappy. One note... the specs say that the camera can film 720p, but when you actually use it, there are 3 settings: FULL HD 1080p, HD 720p, and VGA. Maybe since the OS on this is really 4.0.3 and not 4.0.0, there could have been a camera update?? Or are the published specs just wrong or unclear? For the reviewer who had charging problems..... At first I thought I had a charging problem, but the way the charge cable is designed, it slides in 95% of the way, many people will think it's all the way in, because it does feel like it is, BUT you must push firmly for the "click", which is what is required to charge it. It is designed this way so that it won't fall out, unlike tablets like the Xoom which has a charging cable that loostens over time and falls out.

UPDATE***
After digging deep into Acer forums regarding the heat coming from the tablet's right side....... the consensus is to DISABLE McAfee Virus Scan app which runs processes full time..... so I did, and guess what...... now there is barely any sign of warmth, not to mention actual heat.

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Android Tablet Around April 19, 2012

By bradhaak

Color Name:Black|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've bought or used virtually every Honeycomb/ICS tablet made and based on three hours of use, this one is the best of the bunch.

I also considered the Asus Transformer Pad 300, but after the problems I had with the absolutely terrible Transformer Prime and the sketchy ICS upgrade for my original Transformer, I decided to give the new Asus a pass for now.

My A510 came in today and I drove home during lunch to pick it up.

The first thing I noticed is how fast and responsive the A510 is.

The screen is great. The colors are warmer than the A200 and it is very bright. The touch is very sensitive. And unlike any other tablet except for the Acer A200, you can adjust the screen sensitivity from the Display settings screen.

I immediately went outside to test the GPS. After the Transformer Prime, this was a nice surprise. It locked onto 12 satellites in a couple of minutes and located me to less than twenty feet. May have gotten better if I'd hung around, but I learned what I needed.

The WiFi is very fast. Speedtest gave me numbers in the 20 mbit/sec range on download. I've never seen a download speed this fast on a tablet before.

It is VERY fast. It downloaded and installed 71 apps in less than ten minutes.

I ran the AnTuTu Benchmark test and it edged the Transformer Prime.

On the downside, I don't see a way to simultaneously charge it and use the USB connection--not a big deal to me, but it will be to some people.

It does get warm while charging. It isn't hot, just warm. Having the batteries heat up is normal and I don't much care but I have seen a few people mention it online.

Did I mention that it is fast?

I also like the thickness. A little thinner than the a500 or a200, but not too thin like the Transformer prime or iPad 2/3. Seriously, I find the REALLY thin devices to be uncomfortable to hold, but the a500 was just a bit too thick. We are definitely moving into the Goldilocks area of just right for my hands.

And finally, it's pretty darn fast.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars This is one hot tablet April 20, 2012

By Wayne VINE™ VOICE

Color Name:Black|Amazon Verified Purchase

And unfortunately, in more ways than one, which I'll go into more detail shortly. I should note that I'll be comparing this to my ASUS Transformer Prime TF201 Tablet that I've been using for about 3 weeks now; although I will be focusing on the A510. The TF201 is a great device, but it's not exactly perfect. And I'm always looking for something better! So I was hoping to give the Acer Iconia Tab A510 a try, now that there is finally another Tegra 3 device to play with.

I'll also be adding some pictures to go along with this review.

OS & Performance:

Compared to the TF201, there is really no difference in speed or performance. Both are very quick devices and have excellent graphic performance. They have the same version of ICS (4.0.3) and neither have any drastic customizations. Acer does have their short-cut app that gives you quick access to certain features such as bookmarks, camera, and volume. It looks neat, but nothing too crazy here.

I performed Quantum and Antutu benchmarks and found them to be nearly identical, with the A510 getting a slight edge in Antutu (about 11k vs 10.6k) and virtually no difference with Quantum. This of course isn't noticeable in real-world use, but worth noting for those interested. Browsing, playing games, checking e-mail, all work as expected. The built-in browser could be better. But if you don't like it, there are plenty of other options (ie. Chrome, Dolphin, Opera, etc).

Display:

When I first played with the A510, the only issue I had was with the "grid effect." I've heard other folks mention this with previous Acer tablets, but never owned one myself. So what is the "grid effect?" Imagine looking through a screen door or very close to an old tube television, except to a much lesser extent. It's something that's always present with this device and you can easily see it if you look close enough (ie. 6" or so); especially on a lighter colored image.

Unfortunately, these things tend to be quite noticeable to me, and I can even see it when using it at a "normal" usage distance. I can see it on the red Netflix icon, while surfing the web, looking at the sky background of a random picture I have, etc. You get the idea. Although do keep in mind this is very minor and most folks may not notice and/or care. But regardless, it's there.

Grid's aside, the screen does look pretty darn good. It has a very cool color tint compared to the TF201, which is much warmer. In fact, it's really a night/day difference. After watching hours of videos and looking at countless pictures with these two devices side-by-side, I actually kind of prefer the tone on the A510. The white's just look whiter, which is nice.

For a better idea of what I'm talking about, just hop into your TV's picture settings and change the color tint. For a cooler tone, think almost bluish. And for a warmer tone, a bit redder tint. Given a choice, I'd really prefer something more neutral between the two. Of course it's a tablet, not a professional monitor, and a lot of this is personal preference.

However, at the end of the day, it's hard to compete with the IPS+ display of the TF201. Even in normal IPS mode (not IPS+ Daylight mode), it's quite obvious the image is crisper and more detailed. If you didn't have this to compare it to, I'm almost positive you'd never notice and be perfectly happy with the A510's LCD. But I think it's worth throwing out there.

Wireless:

Wireless performance is excellent. Next to the TF201, the A510 normally had an extra bar or a faster connection speed as noted in the Wi-Fi settings of the tablet. Bluetooth works just as it should, pairing up to my BT headphones without an issue.

GPS is also excellent. I didn't even have to go outside and I already had 12 satellites detected as noted by the GPS Test application. Which I'm afraid the TF201 can't say the same, as is currently has 0. Yes, zero. If I go outside, the TF201 might pick up 3-4, but good luck getting a lock. This is a horse that's been beaten to death on other forums, and there is a work-around (not a fix) for the TF201 that adds an external dongle.

So I won't spend much more time on that topic. But if you like to use GPS, it's something to keep in mind.

Speakers:

There isn't a lot to say about the speakers, but they sound so darn good I felt they deserved their own section. :) There are 2 speakers located at the bottom of the device and they sound fantastic (for a tablet). Compared to the single speaker located on the right/back of the TF201, the A510 blows it away. There are also some Dolby specific settings which adds some EQ and sound profiles to play with and make them sound even better.

The only concern is how this will work with certain cases that let you use the tablet in "stand" mode, as they would be blocked. Hopefully case designers take this into consideration, because it would be a shame to block such nice sounding speakers.

Too bad they couldn't put them front facing as they are on the Blackberry Playbook, which also has great speakers.

Hardware:

The physical build quality is excellent. It has a very solid feel and all the buttons and inputs you'd want. You have your standard front/rear cameras where they normally are. Volume rocker is at the top along with a rotation hold switch. Power is at the left directly above the headphone jack. To the right is the MicroHDMI port. Below this on the right is a flimsy flap covering the MicroSD port and what looks like a dead/blank spot for a SIM card (maybe on a future model). I can already see this flap falling off and/or breaking in the future. Stereo speakers are located on the bottom.

Also on the bottom is the MicroUSB port which also doubles as a proprietary power charger for the device. There is also an included MicroUSB -> USB adapter that lets you connect normal USB devices such as keyboards, mice, game controllers, or even a good `ol USB Flash Drive. Unfortunately due to the higher power requirements of tablets, you can't charge it with your PC USB port or your average MicroUSB power adapters that come with smart phones.

As expected from the spec sheet, the A510 itself is noticeably thicker and heavier than the TF201. But it's not enough to deter you from buying it. In fact, because of its soft-touch backing and added thickness, I found it nicer to hold for extended periods of time. At least until you notice that the right-side of the device is becoming unusually warm.

Problems:

This brings us to both the title and the reason why this device only gets a 2-star review; in particular after so many relatively positive comments for the previous 2 pages. I noticed after only a few minutes or surfing the web, that the right-side of the device was becoming uncomfortably warm. I had to set it down as my hand was starting to sweat. I then picked up my TF201 and used it for a while, thinking maybe I never noticed. Nope, it's nice and cool.

So thinking it was defective, I exchanged it through Amazon and got a brand new replacement the next day. Same issue. Except this new one also has touch-screen input issues. Similar to what another reviewer posted a video for, but to a lesser extent. Basically the screen just randomly ignores input or registers an input that's off by an inch or so. Yep, it's just as annoying as it sounds. But at least I know that would be fixed with an exchange.

I measured the back of both A510's with an infrared thermometer and have seen temps as high as 106 degrees (see pictures). Ran benchmarks and performed identical tasks on all 3 devices, and they were all the same. The A510 consistently ran over 100 degrees on the right side and the TF201 never got past 85, anywhere. Unfortunately, that's a deal breaker for me.

So let's wrap this up with some Pro's and Con's.

Pros:
+ Nice screen with "cool" tint and better white balance.
+ Excellent Dolby stereo speakers
+ Super Fast (hey, it's a Tegra 3)
+ Micro USB Port (and full size USB adapter)
+ Solid feel and build quality
+ Plenty of easy to use buttons, ergonomic
+ Wi-Fi and even GPS work extremely well.
+ You can actually get one NOW if you want it. :)

Cons:
- LCD not quite as crisp or bright as the TF201's IPS+ Display
- Faint "grid" effect noticeable on certain images (minor, up close, but it's there)
- Quite noticeably heavier and much thicker than the TF201.
- No Flash for Camera
- Way too hot.

Conclusion:

Overall, I think if it weren't for the "grid effect," and more importantly, the heat issue, this could easily be a 5 star device and wouldn't be hard to replace the TF201 for me. The A510 is still $50 cheaper, feels nicer to hold, has internal GPS that works, better Wi-Fi, and yes, I love those speakers. Heck, if it were down to $400, it would be a no brainer. And this could all change when a cheaper Tegra 3's hit the market in the next few months.

Could I have gotten two defective devices in a row that have the exact same heat issue? Would a case help minimize the heat issue? Could a software update cool things down? Anything is possible, but I'm not going for a third.