Skip to main content

Archos announces the affordable and stylish Cobalt and Power smartphones at CES

archos cobalt power smartphone news
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you’re looking for a new smartphone that won’t break the bank, than look no further than the Archos Cobalt and Archos Power devices. Announced today at CES, these Android phones won’t blow you away in the specs department, but their prices will.

Leave the charger at home

The Power (pictured above) is all about battery life, which is two days according to Archos. The Archos 40 Power is the entry-level model and it features a 4-inch WVGA display with a resolution of 800 x 480. While that would have been a hit in 2009, unfortunately, not so much today.

The 40 Power is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Spreadtrum SC7731C processor, and it has 512MB of RAM along with 8GB of internal storage. The included MicroSD slot means you can add up to an additional 64GB.

The rear camera is 5 megapixels and it sports an LED flash. The front-facer comes in at 2 megapixels.

The battery is 1,900mAh, which doesn’t sound like much. However, when you consider the display resolution and processing power, it will more than get the job done.

The 50 Power gets a a larger 5-inch 720p display with a resolution of 1,280 x 720. The processor, RAM, and internal storage all get bumped up to a quad-core MediaTek MTK6735, 2GB, and 16GB respectively.

The rear camera gets a large bump as well. It shoots up to 13 megapixels and has auto focus and an LED flash. The front-facer gets a minor bump to 3 megapixels. Finally, the battery gets a huge bump to 4,000mAh, which truly is incredible. Sadly, both phones are only 3G compatible.

The Archos 40 Power and Archos 50 Power will go on sale in May for only $50 and $120 respectively.

Get the look you want

ARCHOS-Cobalt
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Archos says the Cobalt comes in colors for every taste, but unfortunately there are only two choices: cobalt blue or dark grey.

The Archos 50 Cobalt has a 5-inch 720p display with a resolution of 1,280 x 720. It’s powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6535P processor and it has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The included MicroSD slot means that you can add up to an additional 64GB.

The rear camera is 8 megapixels and it includes auto focus and LED flash, while the front-facer comes in at 2 megapixels. The battery is 2,000mAh, which won’t provide the same kind of life as the Power, but it should easily get you through the day.

You can also opt for the Archos 55 Cobalt, which gives you a larger 5.5-inch display with the same resolution as the 50 Cobalt. The processor gets a minor bump to a quad-core MediaTek MT6735P, and the RAM and internal storage grow to 2GB and 16GB respectively.

The rear camera gets a boost to 13 megapixels with the same auto focus and LED flash, while the front-facer stays the same at 2 megapixels. Finally, the battery gets a bump to 2,700mAh, which should also get you through the day.

Both phones offer LTE connectivity, which is astounding for the price. You can grab the 50 Cobalt for $100 or the 55 Cobalt for $140. They will both be available starting in April.

Editors' Recommendations

Robert Nazarian
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
How to tell if someone has blocked you on Snapchat
Snapchat on iPhone.

Not everyone will like the content you post on Snapchat. In some cases, some users may even choose to block you, for whatever reason. Although Snapchat doesn’t offer an “official” way to determine whether someone has blocked you on the social network, it is possible.

Read more
5 smartwatches you should buy instead of the Google Pixel Watch 2
The main workout screen on the Google Pixel Watch 2.

It's no secret that we weren't fans of the first Google Pixel Watch. However, Google heard all the criticism of its smartwatch debut and made amends, coming back with the Google Pixel Watch 2. Its second attempt was much better, adding strong performance, exceptional comfort, and a solid battery life to the fitness tracking of Fitbit. While it still has some issues, it's now a product we can recommend buying.

But just because it's now good doesn't mean there aren't alternatives to be had. There are a number of smartwatches that are better suited for those looking for a longer battery life, a focus on fitness, or a simpler experience. Some are just flat-out better. If you're considering buying a Google smartwatch, you need to know about these five smartwatches you should buy instead of the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Read more
I compared Google and Samsung’s AI photo-editing tools. It’s not even close
A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Google Pixel 8 Pro.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (left) and Google Pixel 8 Pro Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Most phones nowadays are equipped with dual lens or triple lens camera systems and have powerful photo-editing tools baked natively into the software. This means most people have a compact photo-editing suite in their pocket every day.

Read more