CES 2013: Archos hopes Titanium line of Android tablets is budget buyers' choice

The French mobile device maker keeps trying to break through in the Android market, this time with a line of tablets that includes an 8-inch iPad mini competitor for $169.

 Archos 97 Titanium HD, a 9.7-inch Android tablet that has a Retina Display-like resolution of 2,048x1,536. The French company has launched its entire Titanium line, which includes three additional tablets.


Notable among the other slates is the 80 Titanium, which is a rare 8-inch model (a.k.a. iPad mini size) that will cost $169. It joins the 7-inch 70 Titanium at $119 and the 10-inch 101 Titanium for $199. All four tablets use IPS displays, include a 1.6GHz dual-core CPU and quad-core GPU, and run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. We now have a price for the 97 Titanium, which will cost $249 -- or $150 less than the Google Nexus 10 with a 2,560x1,600 display.

In addition to a lower-res screen, the 97 Titanium probably doesn't have the build quality of the Nexus 10, as Engadget's hands-on report details its "cheap-feeling plastic" rear casing. Then again, you're compromising something for a much cheaper price. Ironically, Engadget says the 8-inch and 10-inch Titaniums feel more solid in the hand. 

While it was good of Archos to provide pricing details on the Titanium lineup, the company still hasn't disclosed when any of the tablets would be available. Will the low prices be worth the wait? 

Article from: zdnet.com by Sean Portnoy