Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile

Archos now shipping 4.3- and 7-inch Android tablets

Geoff Duncan
By

The Android tablet market was supposed to heat up in time for the end-of-year holiday season…and that seems to be exactly what’s happening as portable media device maker Archos starts shipping its 4.3-inch and 7-inch Android tablets in the United States and Europe. Both devices run Android 2.2 “Froyo” and offer Wi-Fi but not 3G connectivity, so users will be restricted to tapping into the Internet from locations they can connect via Wi-Fi. But along with being free of contractual burdens for 3G service, the tablets are also free of the cost of 3G hardware: the Archos 43 starts at $249, while the Archos 70 will be available for $349—both significantly cheaper than Apple’s least expensive WiFi-only iPad.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Archos 43 Internet Tablet features a 4.3-inch 854 by 480-pixel TFT display, an ARM Cortex A8 processor running at 1 GHz, Android 2.2 “Froyo,” either 8 or 16 GB of built-in flash memory, and microSDHC removable storage that can handle up to 32 GB more data. Archos envisions the tablet as primarily a portable media player—hence the high-resolution screen and support for a very wide variety of audio and video formats—and the tablet sports HDMI output for connecting to a big screen for playing back high-definition content. The unit sports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a two megapixel video-capable camera, USB 2.0 connectivity, and both a built-in speaker and a built-in leg stand so the unit can easily be propped up for viewing. Of course, as an Android device, the tablet also offers full HTML Web browsing and access to the Android Market for apps to extend the device’s functionality—although without a GPS, location-based services aren’t everything they could be.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Archos 70 Internet Tablet brings similar specs, substituting an 800 by 480 7-inch TFT LCD display, an option for 8 GB of Flash memory along with a version sporting a 250 GB hard drive. The Archos 70 also drops the two megapixel camera in favor a front-facing VGA camera for video chat.

Recommended Videos

The two tablets represent just two entries in Archos’ line of Android-powered media players: the company will also be offering the Froyo-powered Archos 28 and Archos 32 with relatively tiny 2.8- and 3.2-inch screens, respectively, along with the Archos 10i Internet tablet with a 10.1-inch display.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
I found the perfect Android tablet to buy this year
Man holds Blackview Active 8 Pro rugged Android tablet in black color with a leather strap.

The iPad primarily dominates the market for tablets despite an exceptionally powerful battalion of great Android tablets. In the lower price ranges, however, Android dominates with countless offerings — often from lesser-known brands. With Google's reignited interest in the tablet segment, brands like OnePlus put up great competition -- even challenging the iPad -- in the sub-$500 segment. But as you go lower in price, you may find brands cutting costs to stay profitable in the competitive market.

The Blackview Active 8 Pro feels like an exception, with solid and reliable hardware, an everlasting battery, and a desktop-like experience that isn't seen on tablets higher up the price ladder. For just $360 (and potentially even cheaper during the holiday shopping season), this tablet feels appropriate whether you have an active lifestyle, are just looking for a secondary device to feed your appetite for sofa-tainment, or dedicate a device for your kids.

Read more
This is OnePlus’ next Android tablet — the OnePlus Pad Go
OnePlus Pad Go official imagery.

OnePlus Pad Go OnePlus

OnePlus started its journey making fast phones that didn't cost an outrageous amount of money — a strategy that soon trickled down to earbuds and subsequently made its way to the tablet segment. The OnePlus Pad arrived in April, serving a sleek slate with a high-resolution 144Hz screen and a top-tier chip for a price lower than Apple’s entry-level iPad.

Read more
I abandoned my iPad for an Android tablet and didn’t hate it
A person typing on a keyboard, connected to a Pixel Tablet.

Android tablets aren’t a patch on the Apple iPad, right? I mean, they don’t come close in app compatibility, performance, or versatility — making Android as an operating system good on phones, but disappointing on tablets. That’s the rule, and it’s one I have followed for some time.

At least, that was until I forced myself to live with and use the Google Pixel Tablet just like I do my iPad Pro. Would it change my mind? A bit, yes, but another Android tablet changed it more.
What does my tablet need to do?

Read more