Archos has announced today its new range of smartphones dubbed Platinum, which are mid-to high-end handsets for a budget price. The Platinum line is Google certified, which just means that the devices will ship with Google applications. Previously, Archos had shipped devices without the Google Play Store, etc. On top of the standard Google goodies, the Platinum line ships with a the stock Android experience, similar to Google’s Nexus devices. All three of the units will also have dual-SIM capability.
“The smartphone market is shifting, as SIM-free sales versus subsidized sales are increasing, and ARCHOS is prepared to respond, as we can offer retail channels affordable, unlocked and feature-rich smartphones without the need to subsidize,” says Loïc Poirier, CEO of ARCHOS. “Furthermore smartphones and tablets are interrelated markets that have quickly crossed over with the arrival of “phablets” – half-phone, half-tablet devices. It only makes sense that this should be our next phase of products as this would be a natural fit for our brand and long term growth.”
Archos is releasing three different handsets, that start at $99 and reach $249, and ranging in size from 3.5″ to 5.3″. Specs of the three devices follow below.
- Archos 50 Platinum – ($219.99) runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and sports a 5-inch IPS screen is powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of onboard storage expandable via microSD to 64GB, a 2000 mAh battery, a 8 MP rear facing camera and a 2 MP front facing camera.
- Archos 53 Platinum – ($249.99) runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and sports a 5.3-inch IPS screen and is powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of onboard storage expandable via microSD card to 64GB, a 2,800 mAh battery, a 8MP rear facing camera and a 2MP front facing camera.
- Archos 35 Carbon – ($99.99) runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and sports a 3.5-inch screen and is powered by a quad-core 1.0GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, 4GB of onboard storage expandable via microSD to 32GB, a 1,300 mAh battery, a VGA camera on the back as well as on the front.
The devices will be released in Europe in May. No word yet on which carriers the handsets will release on or stateside availability, but we will keep you updated.
[Via: Archos]