The Acer Iconia B1 is set to become a reality for the $99 tablet market, but it might not debut in the United States.
According to a recent report in the New York Times , a ” person with direct knowledge of the project” says the new Google Android tablet will debut in early 2013.
The 7-inch tablet is expected to ship with 1,024 x 600 pixels of resolution and sport a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, similar features to the Kindle Fire and Nook Color.
Unfortunately, the snoop says Acer is looking to sell the Iconia B1 in China and has not entertained a US release at this time. Android tablets are far more popular in China than in the United States where heavy iPad competition has given Apple the edge.
However, the $99 tablet has made its way to the FCC for approval, a sign that it could be allowed for sale in the United States at some point in the future.
The device has allegedly shown up in photo form on a Serbian forum (pictured above and below) and sources claim the photos are real.
This is not the first we have heard of $99 tablets. Last week a source in Taiwan claimed that Google would release its own 7-inch $99 tablet in 2013.
The $99 tablet price would be a first for Acer , which last year released the Iconia A110 for just $230. The Iconia A110 debuted with Google Android 4.1 and received decent reviews for its class type.
Would you buy a lower-end 7-inch Android tablet for the reasonable cost of just $99?