One of the most interesting exhibits at the Consumer Electronics Show 2013 was the range of new Elements tablets from the French electronics manufacturer Archos: the Titanium 70, 80 and 101 series and the Platinum 80 and the 97 Platinum HD. Archos has been on a spree of diversification, launching tablets for kids and for gamers; and now with the launch of this particular range, they have stepped into the high end arena too. Of course, the Platinum tablets are the higher end ones, with 8 and 9.7 inch screens respectively, with the 97 Platinum being the most expensive.
With the introduction of these tablets, Archos has ensured that they have not left any screen size segment uncovered! Starting from 7 inches, up to 10, they now have a tablet of every size. Let us take a quick look at the specifications of the 97 Platinum from Archos:
• 9.7 inch screen with IPS display and native resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels (almost like Apple’s Retina display)
• A31 ARM Cortex-A7 1.2 GHz Quad core CPU
• 2 GB RAM, 8 GB storage
• 8 core Graphics chip
• Front and rear facing 2 MP cameras.
• USB and MicroSD slots (memory expansion capability is up to 64 GB)
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Android 4.1 Jelly bean operating system
• Starting price $ 329, expected to appear on retailers’ shelves in US and Europe by April 2013.
The 97 Platinum, weighing in at 1.4 pounds, is light, and feels good in the hand. The tablet is slim and has a silver aluminum back casing that gives it a sleek and elegant look. As for the screen, its high definition capability and amazing pixel density is excellent for viewing hi res images; the viewing angles are also great, and the colors are brilliant, with ample depth. This tablet is great for reading or watching videos while you are lounging or lying down, thanks to the IPS functionality.
This tablet is also certified by Google, which is impressive since most tablets in this price range do not receive this certification.
It is a pure Android experience, with the company refraining from tweaking thE operating system to give it a unique feel and look like most Tablet manufacturers are doing these days. Navigating the interface is quick and hassle free. Going from one application to the next is pretty smooth and quick. So far the downside is only the power button, which seems to have a mind of its own, and functions only when it feels like it!
There is already some controversy stirring about the looks of the Platinum 97 and 80 models. Many industry experts feel that they look too much like the iPad for comfort, and that the software giant may decide to take some kind of legal action when the tablets are released in a couple of month. After all, the case filed against Samsung and the subsequent victory for Apple is still pretty fresh in everyone’s minds. We will have to wait and watch how it goes, when the tablet is officially released in the Spring.
About the Author: Jena Branch of buycox.com, a site that offers savings and current information on unlimited phone calls and about cox service .
