This is not a replacement, please see the many posts in the other thread, Why has the Alphabetic way of quick searching gone in 1.8?
In the filter box, typing “BA” to go to Bach shows you half of your library because it shows every album containing “b” and “a” in any position. (Entering more characters into the filter bar is particularly tedious on tablet in landscape, as the on-screen keyboard is big).
The filter is nice for other things, but not for this. (The letter popup when scrolling is also not a replacement).
The alphabetic search existed in 1.7 on tablet, please bring it back. The tablet has the editing features like the desktop has, as well. (If the idea is consistency on phones and tablets, add the alphabetic bar on phone, instead of taking it away on tablet)