Archos hasn’t exactly been known as the king of Android tablets, and we haven’t heard much from them as of late. So it’s rather fitting that Archos announced the Elements line of tablets, and the first device in said line, the 97 Carbon. While we are disappointed surprised that Archos is still trying, the 97 Carbon isn’t going to blow anyone away right out of the gate. Or ever, for that matter. Despite the fact that the Carbon looks fairly nice, one look at the specs tells us that we won’t be hearing too much about the device beyond the initial launch. The 97 Carbon will hit stores with:
- 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 IPS display
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
- 1GHz single-core ARM Cortex A8 processor
- Full size USB port
- HDMI out port
- 2MP rear camera
- 0.3MP front-facing shooter
- 16GB of internal memory
- MicroSD card slot
- 1GB of RAM
- Fairly light at 21.8 ounces
- 0.45” thick
Archos has yet again released a device with specs that would’ve been impressive three years ago. Of course, the 97 Carbon is part of the new Elements line, so we may see other devices released that actually fit into the year 2012. Archos reportedly has plans to launch 7-inch and 8-inch tablets under the Elements name later this year, so there’s still a slight chance we could be impressed.
As for the 97 Carbon, Archos plans to release the device later this month, with a $230-$250 price tag. Given that Archos isn’t very well known in the U.S., we doubt that we’ll see an extravagant launch. The full press release can be found after the break. More on this as it develops.
So, do you think Archos should hang up its hat in the Android tablet world? Do low-end devices like this have a purpose in today’s market? Drop a comment below!
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DENVER, CO – (July 5, 2012) – ARCHOS, an award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, is pleased to introduce the ARCHOS 97 carbon, the first of its new tablet range called “ELEMENTS”, an entry-level line up of 7, 8, and 9.7 inch tablets that combine ARCHOS design and engineering with full access to Google PlayTM and a full suite of Google apps at an affordable price.
Equipped with the latest mobile technology and an elegant aluminum finish, the ARCHOS 97 Carbon is only 21.8 ounces and 0.45” thick. Its sharp and clear IPS multi-touch screen delivers amazing vivid colors and impressive wide viewing angles. For the smoothest interface experience, ARCHOS has powered this tablet with a fast 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM while running AndroidTM 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich”.
Combining very high performance hardware, intuitive software and affordability, this Google PlayTM supported device will be available starting in July 2012 for $229.99 – $249.99 SRP.
“We wanted to introduce a new series that not only combines affordability with a new slim design, but features the best that Google has to offer,” says Henri Crohas, ARCHOS Founder and CEO. “With the ELEMENTS series we have done just that. It’s the perfect balance of hardware, software optimization and content through the Google PlayTM ecosystem.”
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Source AndroidPolice
Errrrr… Justin I’m pretty let down by this, such a poor article!
You may want to do some research (if research is considered typing “archos g10” and “archos tablet history” into Google) about what you’re talking about. Archos have always been a low-to-mid range manufacturer and have done pretty well in Europe because of it, going somewhere between doubling and tripling their revenue in the last 2 years. You really shouldn’t be surprised they are still trying, and doing a pretty good job, too, the 101 G9 Turbo at £229 for instance, with optional 250gb hard drives, kick stands, usb dongles for 3g that are beautifully crafted so that they sit underneath the case unnoticed as options. They have a strong media-focussed tradition in their product history and should not be dismissed.
Later in the year they are planning to bring out some new devices, (again, 2 seconds on Google –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4ixn6h_gfg ) that will be their higher-end devices, and we should expect quad-core and 4.1 as standard on these devices!
Aaaand! They were also providing official ICS upgrades to some of those mid-range tablets back in Feb I believe – not bad for “budget” kit!
Yes, this particular product is confusing when their Arnova range has been out for ages with similar spec and price, but you’ve made me angry with your “why bother if it’s not top spec” attitude and lack of understanding about what the French company is about.
I also didn’t notice any tablet software on my earlier bought Archos tablet. Pretty strange for a tablet and poor after sales. Don’t buy this crap, I tell family and friends.
So the author is disappointed that the low-end Archos tabs are low end? Why does this article exist?
Ultimately I think this misses the boat. The subsidized tablets (Nexus, Fire, Nook) are going to be hard to compete against in the basic price niche. Adding more ports is definitely a smart counter-play. However, for something like a USB to be valuable you need enough pixels to make doing something like typing on a keyboard worthwhile.
The real question is whether there is a potential $300 price range that has dock/keyboard type capabilities, at least a 1280×800 display and sacrifices a bit on raw processing power.
If not, I think the Nexus/Fire/Nook will take over the $200-$300 price niche totally.