Archos, already riding high on the wave of buzz generated by the recent announcement of its Gamepad Android tablet, has added another four slates to its 2013 line-up. Only this time they’re far more traditional machines, and unusually for a four-device range, there are very few differences between all of them.
The Archos Titanium Android tablets all feature a high definition IPS touchscreen, a dual-core 1.6GHz processor with a quad-core graphics chip, plus Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as the operating system, complete with access to the Google Play store. Each of the four models are differentiated by their individual screen size, where the firm has taken a page out of Samsung’s book and made sure all options are covered.
We start with the Archos 70 Titanium which has a 7-inch screen, then move on to the Archos 80 Titanium which has an 8-inch screen, while the 101 Titanium has a 10.1-inch screen. These three have the aforementioned “high definition” display, however Archos is being coy as to the exact resolution.
Archos challenges the iPad
The final model is the 97 Titanium HD, and guess what? It has a 9.7-inch screen boasting a 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. We’re going to guess that as Archos’ press release doesn’t mention this spec in relation to the other Titanium models, they don’t share the iPad Retina-matching pixel count. According to Archos’ website, the top-of-the-range 97 HD has a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel video call lens too.
At first we thought Archos had left no doubt as to the Titanium’s pricing, having provided each tablet with a cost in dollars, pounds and euros; however, its own website differs from the press release. According to the official documentation, the 70 Titanium cracks the £100 barrier in the UK with a retail cost of £100, or $120 in the U.S. For the 80 Titanium you’ll need $170 or £149 in your pocket, and the 101 Titanium is yours for $200 or £170. The 97 Titanium HD is the most expensive of the four, coming in at $250 or £200. The euro price matches the dollar cost for each tablet. Worryingly, when you try to buy the 97 Titanium HD from Archos, it wants £250 or 300 euros – more than the price featured in the press release. We know which one needs to be right for it to tempt buyers away from the iPad Mini.
Archos hasn’t provided a release date for any of its new Titanium range, and the 97 HD is the only one to appear on its website at the time of writing.
