Archos launches its first Android smartphones with the 35 Carbon, 50 Platinum and 53 Platinum-- unlocked 3G+ handsets with slim designs, IPS displays, Qualcomm CPUs and a dual-SIM option.
“The smartphone market is shifting, as SIM-free sales versus subsidised sales are increasing. ARCHOS is prepared to respond to this change as we can offer retail channels affordable, unlocked and feature-rich smartphones without the heavy price tag,” Archos CEO Loïc Poirier says.
The 3 smartphones range from 3.5- (35 Carbon) to 5.3-inch (53 Platinum) in size. The flagship device is the 5-inch 50 Platinum, featuring a full black IPS display, quad-core 1.2GHz CPU, 4GB internal storage (expandable to 64GB via Micro SD) and 8MP camera, offering what the company claims is "an experience similar to a Samsung Galaxy S3 for half the price."
The OS of choice for all devices is unskinned Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), while Archos media centre apps provide music and video access.
Archos should start shipping the 3 smartphones from May 2013.
