ARCHOS announces five Android Tablets, starting at £99

Archos has announced five new Android tablets starting at £99 and rising to £299. It seems the low-cost tablets are coming thick and fast.

The models in full (the model number relates to screen size, so 28 = 2.8-inch, 101 = 10.1-inch)

All five models come with Android 2.2 (FroYo)

ARCHOS 28 internet tablet
Available in September: £99 – 4GB and £109 – 8GB

ARCHOS 32 internet tablet
Available in September: £129 – 8GB

ARCHOS 43 internet tablet
Available in September: £199 – 16GB

ARCHOS 70 internet tablet
Available in October: £229 – 8GB and £269 – 250GB (HDD)

ARCHOS 101 internet tablet
Available in October: £269 – 8GB and £299 – 16GB.

The flagship product is the 10.1-inch ARCHOS 101, with the largest screen size yet on any Android device, while the ARCHOS 28 and 32 are designed more for video/music playback.

According to Archos, a new construction process “uses an over-moulded PVD stainless steel structure” to enable the company to redefine the tablet form, making smaller, thinner and lighter devices. This means the ARCHOS 101 is just 12mm thick and weighs only 480g.

The specs are equally impressive. It has a capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz processor, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Adobe Flash 10.1. The tablet also has an adjustable leg stand, allowing you to easily position it for typing an email, watching a movie or even using it as a digital photo frame. There’s also an integrated webcam for video calling, while video playback is enhanced with 720p HD-playback and HDMI out.

In addition to Google apps, Archos has also created a range of dedicated applications for music, video and photos. More will be available via the Archos AppsLib store, which might rule out access to the usual Android Market – the only thing to disappoint if true (although we’re certain it won’t take long for such restrictions to be removed with some hacking).

The ARCHOS 32 also includes a camcorder for recording video and taking pictures, which can be shared online or uploaded to a PC.

As stated above, the devices will ship between September and October.

We can’t help but feel that we’re going to see many more tablets in the coming months…

More information: www.archos.com