Archos won’t wait for IFA, reveals new Android and Windows Phone hardware now

By Andy Boxall Published August 28, 2014

Archos, in time-honored style, has sent out an early press release detailing its smartphone and tablet line-up all set to be revealed at this year’s IFA tech show. However, rather than be another Android-fest, Archos has a pair of devices running Google’s operating system, and for the first time, a pair running Microsoft’s OS too.

We’ll start with the Windows offerings. The first is a smartphone with Windows Phone 8.1 installed, and it’s the debut device of its type for the manufacturer. It’s not looking to compete with high-end hardware though, and is keeping both the spec and the price incredibly modest. It’s called the Archos 40 Cesium, and features a 4-inch touchscreen, a quad-core Snapdragon 200 chip, and a choice of colors.

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Related: Everything we know about Windows Phone 8.1

Archos hasn’t told us much else, so the camera and screen resolution are a mystery. However, if the spec sheet matches the similar Android-based 40b Titanium, it’ll be 480 x 800 and 5 megapixels respectively. We do know how much it’ll cost though, and it’s just £80, or around $130, putting it in the Lumia 530’s lucrative territory. The other Windows device is the 80 Cesium Tablet, which runs Windows 8.1, shown on an 8-inch, 720p IPS display. Inside is a quad-core Intel processor, and the price is set at £130, or $215.

The Archos 50b Platinum is an Android smartphone with a large, 5-inch IPS screen and a quad-core processor, plus an 8-megapixel camera on the rear. Archos has been a little more forthcoming with the specs on this one, adding it has a 2-megapixel selfie cam, and dual-SIM support. Android 4.4 KitKat will be installed, and the package will include an 8GB MicroSD card and three different colored rear panels.

Finally, Archos has revealed the 101 Oxygen, a 10.1-inch, 1080p Android tablet with a quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. The 50b Platinum smartphone will cost £120/$200, while a slightly smaller 4.5-inch version will be sold for £100/$165, and the 101 Oxygen tablet has been priced at £200/$330. Archos will put both the Windows Phone and the Android smartphone on sale in September, while the tablets will be out in October.

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Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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