ARCHOS Challenging Premium Android Tablet Makers with 3 New Devices

ARCHOS wants to get away from their reputation as a “budget” Android tablet maker. They took their shot at the pivot when they released 3 new white devices this week intended to try to go “head to head” with premium Android tablet makers like the Google Nexus line and Samsung’s Galaxy line of Android devices.

The company released three devices, the ARCHOS 97b Platinum HD, ARCHOS 101 Platinum and ARCHOS 80b Platinum. The Platinum name, they hope, will make users think of high-end devices instead of the lower end low-cost tablets that ARCHOS started with on Android. Yet they still say that these tablets will come “at a price competitive to current market options” coming this month. Looking at the specs below shows something short of higher quality devices. Until we see them in the wild, we can’t say if they will compare in real-world use.

Their CEO, Loic Poirier, claimed the tablets compare to “the iPad 4 and Galaxy Tabs at a better price.” They put Quad-core CPUs in the tablets using an A9 processor running at 1.6GHz and 1GB of Ram on the 80b and 2GB of RAM on the 101 and 97b. They also claim the battery will last “longer.” They don’t say longer than what.

Each ARCHOS tablet uses an IPS screen with an 8-inch a 1024×768 screen on the 80b, 9.7-inch display on the 97b with 2048 x 1536 resolution and a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 resolution screen on the 101. The resolutions of the 80b and 101 lag behind current high-end tablets.

The tablets will run Android 4.2, a real disappointment since Google released 4.3 a while back and hinted at 4.4 coming soon. We don’t think anyone can call their device Premium or high-end without the latest release of the OS available on the date of release. With Kit Kat coming soon, the best tablets should release right now with at least 4.3.

Each of the three tablets will come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. They come with 8GB of memory, a micro-SD card slot, mini-HDMI and micro-USB 2.0 ports. There’s a stereo 3.5mm jack too.

The 80b and 101 will come with a .3MP front camera. The 97b has a 2MP front camera. All three offer only a 2MP rear camera.

Where ARCHOS shines is price. The tablets will cost $199.99 for the 80b, $269.99 for the 101 and the 97b will cost $299.99.

Despite claims of competing as a high-end tablet, none of these three look like premium tablets with high-end specs, but they do come in very competitive prices. Get more details to judge if they look high end.