Acer’s new Android tablets have OLED displays from $320, but an absolutely bizarre spec choice

Ben Schoon | Sep 3 2025 - 2:00 am PT

Acer is launching a pair of new Android tablets at IFA 2025 this week that have OLED displays for a super affordable price – but some super weird chipsets – starting at just $320.

Acer probably isn’t the first name you think of in Android tablets, but the company has a relatively compelling new pair of releases in the Iconia X12 and Iconia X14. At least, at face value.

Both of these new tablets including AMOLED displays, the X12 at 12.6-inches (2560×1600) and the X14 at 14-inch (1920×1200). They’ve got some capable specs too, with up to 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, both with 8,000 mAh batteries, Android 15, and microSD card support.

The bizarre thing here is just in the chipsets.

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The Acer Iconia X12 is pretty run-of-the-mill. It pairs that OLED display with a MediaTek Helio G99 chip. That 6nm chipset was released in 2022 and has appeared in countless affordable Android devices. It’s nothing impressive, but it’s capable enough to get the job done, though it probably means Android updates won’t be coming to this tablet for very long. Acer will also be offering keyboard and stylus accessories for this model.

Rather, it’s the Acer Iconia X14 that’s got me scratching my head.

This 14-inch tablet, again, has an OLED display, but it pairs that with an “Allwinner A733” chipset. From what I can tell, this chip was released just last year, but it’s built on an ancient 12nm process. “Allwinner” chips appear to be used most in TV products rather than tablets, and there’s an obvious reason why. That very old and much less efficient manufacturing process means that battery life is rough. Where Acer estimates 16 hours from the X12, it only estimates 10 hours from the X14, a difference that cannot be attributed to screen size alone.

A choice like this might make sense if the tablet is aimed just at TV and movie viewing, but the battery life hit is significant. It’s also worth noting that Acer directly says that its Iconia tablets are “crafted to support both productivity and entertainment” while emphasizing that the chipset includes an NPU for AI tasks.

The OLED displays alone would make Acer’s new Iconia X tablets compelling at their price points, especially combined with their designs. But the X14’s chip is definitely reason for pause. Acer Iconia X12 and X14 launch in North America, Europe, and other markets in November for $320 and $340, respectively.

Alongside these OLED-equipped tablets, Acer is also launching two Iconia A series tablets with the same bizarre “Allwinner A733” chipset and very similar specs, but IPS displays. One is a 14-inch FHD model while the other has a 16-inch FHD display. Acer Iconia A14 launches in November for $300 while A16 arrives in January for $340.

Meanwhile, Acer will also be launching an updated Chromebook Plus Spin 514 this month from $699. The hardware is reasonably similar, but the big change is the addition of a MediaTek Kompanio Ultra chipset. This is the same chip used in the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14.