Archos has unveiled its new Helium range, which includes three handsets each aimed at different price points but focusing on the budget side.
The cheaper of the three is the Archos 50f Helium, which will be demonstrated next week at IFA 2016. In terms of design, it has a plastic body with metal trim around the edges. For a ‘legacy’ product, it actually looks more attractive than the more expensive handsets they’ve announced alongside. It has a Snapdragon 210 and 2GB RAM, with a 5-inch 720p display. There’s also a fingerprint sensor on the rear, which is unusual for a budget device. The rear camera is 8 megapixels, while the front shooter is 2 megapixels. Internal storage is 32GB and can be further expanded via microSD up to 128GB. Battery life is a low but acceptable 2,000mAh.
Moving up the ladder is the Archos 55 Helium range, which is comprised of a further two handsets. From the outside, they both look identical. A mix of removable plastics and different colour options helps them to stand out, but we have a feeling some people will miss the metal. That said, the fact that Archos has made the battery accessible is quite a big deal. The Lite model includes a MediaTek MT6737 processor and 1GB RAM. Storage is 16GB and it comes in a Pearl White finish. There’s an 8 megapixel shooter on the rear and 2 megapixel camera up front, plus a decently sized 2,700mAh battery.
At the top of the list we have the Archos 55 Helium Ultra, which has the same MediaTek MT6737 chipset, though far more RAM at 3GB. All other specifications are identical to the Helium Lite, aside from internal storage which gets bumped up to 32GB.
All handsets will run on stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which means you’ll getting a pure experience. Pricing for the 50f Helium is £79.99, while the Helium 55 Lite will sell for £89.00 and the Ultra for £119.00. The handsets will begin shipping from September, starting with the Lite version.
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