When you think of Acer, tablets might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But with the Acer Iconia Tab iM10-22, it makes a run at the highly competitive and price-sensitive sub-Rs 20,000 Android tablet market.
The Iconia Tab iM10-22 starts at Rs 17,990 and promises a big screen, long battery life, 4G LTE connectivity, along with a a surprisingly solid multimedia experience. But does it live up to its spec sheet, or is it another case of overpromising and underdelivering? I spent a couple of weeks with it as my go-to e-book reader and for leisure viewing to find out.
Design and Build: Sleek, Simple, and Surprisingly Premium
The Iconia Tab iM10-22 makes a good first impression right out of the box. It’s not often that budget Android tablets include extras in the box, but Acer bundles a decent-quality TPU back cover, a pre-applied matte screen protector and a pair of wired earphones, all of which is a rare and welcome move.
Interestingly, there’s a pogo pin connector at the bottom for accessories, which might make this a useful productivity tool with the right add-ons. But what those accessories are, is something that the brand has been notably quiet about. It’s been months since this tablet was released, and Acer should have made stylus or keyboard docks available by now. If you visit the Acer website, you’ll find just one available accessory, the smart flip cover.
Nonetheless, the Iconia Tab iM10-22 has a metal design with a matte texture in rose gold colour and it feels more premium than its price suggests. There is a a subtle Acer logo at the back, a slight camera bump on the corner, and clean edges with a functional port layout.
Overall, it has a solid build, the 475g weight feels balanced in hand, and it fits snugly into most sling bags or pouches, something that students and on-the-go users will appreciate.
Display: Crisp and Sharp, But Lacks Punch
The Iconia Tab iM10-22 features a nice 10.36-inch IPS display that offers a 2K resolution (2000 × 1200 pixels) and is sharp enough for this price range. Text and images look crisp, and videos play smoothly up to 1440p, which makes it a solid choice for reading, browsing the web, or enjoying YouTube videos.
The brightness tops out at about 450 nits, which is adequate for indoors, though you might struggle in bright sunlight. I noticed the pre-applied matte screen protector does a good job cutting down glare, but it somewhat mutes the colours and vibrancy of what you’re watching.
Overall, I found the colour reproduction a bit lacking. The tones look somewhat washed out unless you dig into the settings menu for adjustments, and while that’s something I can overlook at this price point, it definitely takes away some of the visual impact when watching movies or playing games.
Another small nitpick is the chunky bezels and a white Acer logo planted right at the bottom centre of the front face. It’s not enough to make me avoid recommending the tablet, but it does pull your attention away when you’re trying to get lost in whatever’s on screen.
While the display does a good enough job for everyday tasks like reading and viewing, don’t expect it to blow you away.
Audio & Multimedia: Loud, Clear, and Surprisingly Good
The Iconia Tab iM10-22 has a quad-speaker setup with Acer’s PureVoice tuning, which I was genuinely surprised to see as it delivers sound that’s punching well above its price class. The speakers get plenty loud and keep things mostly clear when watching shows or just playing my playlists in the background. The speaker is tuned for a bass-heavy signature which works for most users though it might not please audio purists but considering its price, I am not complaining.
What purists will like, though, is that Acer didn’t ditch the headphone jack. Having that 3.5mm port alongside OTG support through the Type-C connection gives you plenty of options for your entertainment needs. It’s these little touches that make the Iconia tablet feel more versatile than its price tag suggests.
Performance: Enough for Basic Daily Use
The Iconia Tab iM10-22 tablet is powered by MediaTek’s Helio G99 processor, with a choice of 6GB or 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage that you can expand with a microSD card of upto 1 TB.
In my day-to-day use, flipping through e-books, streaming shows and movies or joining a meeting, this tablet handles everything without breaking a sweat. Apps open quickly, switching between them feels snappy, but I noticed occasional hiccups when I pushed it by juggling too many heavy apps at once.
In the CPU throttling test, the Iconia Tab was able to run up to 92% of its maximum potential which means that it can handle daily tasks with ease.
Although gaming is where it hits a ceiling. While titles like Subway Surfers and Asphalt run well, expect reduced frame rates on heavier games like Call of Duty: Mobile or BGMI, especially at high graphics settings. Stick to low and balanced graphic settings, and you’ll get a playable experience.
What really impressed me was the software experience. The tablet ships with Android 14 right out of the box, and Acer has thankfully kept things clean with a nearly stock interface and zero bloatware cluttering things up. The face unlock works surprisingly well even in dim lighting, though I mostly unlocked it using the fingerprint scanner, which is built right into the power button. It’s quick and rarely misses. Acer promises two OS updates and three years of security patches, which is just decent and nothing to write home about.
Connectivity is where this tablet really earns its keep, though. I was pleasantly surprised by the dual 4G VoLTE support, which gives you both a dedicated SIM slot and a hybrid slot (for either a second SIM or microSD expansion).
Camera: Remains an afterthought
As with most tablets, camera quality isn’t the focus here. Still, we get a 16MP camera with autofocus and flash on the back, paired with an 8MP front-facing camera that handles face unlock and video calling duties.
I found the rear camera takes serviceable pictures when there’s plenty of light, but it struggles with HDR scenes. Let’s be honest, you’re not going to use it to capture moments. Instead, if you’re looking for things like document scanning, it does the job quite well. The selfie camera is decent for quick video calls and meetings but again, the image processing doesn’t make the pictures look pleasing so most of you will resort to your phone cameras for selfies.
Battery Life: Good, But Not Great
The 7,400mAh battery inside the Iconia Tab has been pretty reliable during my testing. In average use, which includes streaming a couple of episodes on Netflix, watching videos on YouTube, catching up on some reading and bouncing between Twitter and Instagram, the Iconia tab made it through a full day without hunting for a charger. Those who use their tablets occasionally for watching or reading might stretch the battery life to the second day, if you enable the in-built battery optimisations and keep the internet disabled when not in use.
In the box, you’ll find an 18W fast charger that takes the tablet from 0-100% in around 1 hour 50 minutes which is average when you compare it to other tablets like the Realme Pad 2 that offers faster charging speeds.
Verdict
The Acer Iconia Tab iM10-22 isn’t trying to blow anyone away with cutting-edge specs, but it nails the essentials that most people actually care about: a crisp, detailed display that’s easy on the eyes, surprisingly good audio that makes movie nights enjoyable, enough horsepower to handle daily tasks without frustration, and solid connectivity that keeps you online wherever you go. The clean, bloat-free Android experience is refreshing, and I appreciate that Acer includes accessories that other brands often sell separately.
It’s not perfect, though. The cameras are functional at best, fine for a quick video call, but not something you’d rely on for capturing memories. And while the battery easily gets me through a day, it doesn’t particularly outshine what competitors are offering at similar price points, especially the charging speed.
For someone who mainly wants a tablet for watching films and shows, browsing the web or playing the occasional game, I think the Iconia Tab iM10-22 is a solid pick that won’t leave you with buyer’s remorse. Currently, this tablet retails starting at Rs 17,990 for the 6GB+128GB variant and Rs 19,990 for the 8GB+256GB option, which is towards the higher side, especially since it launched starting at Rs 14,990. During sales, you can get it for as low as Rs 12,990, so if you can wait, my recommendation would be to keep an eye out.
Acer Iconia Tab iM10-22 Key Specs, Price and Launch Date
| Release Date: | 09 Sep, 2024 |
| Market Status: | Launched |
Key Specifications
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Siddharth Chauhan
Siddharth reports on gadgets, technology and you will occasionally find him testing the latest smartphones at Digit. However, his love affair with tech and futurism extends way beyond, at the intersection of technology and culture. View Full Profile
