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Ask the average mobile user to name a few tablet manufacturers and one name you’re not likely to hear is Archos.
Unfortunately for the company, it is not for lack of trying. In fact, Archos has been releasing Android-based “tablets” for a few years, but none of them has really taken off.
Yet, that record isn’t dissuading the company from trying again. And perhaps the new G10 XS series will help put Archos on the same playing field as other manufacturers.
Though not officially announced just yet, the new line of Android-powered devices is being teased in a YouTube video this week. With a form factor said to be only 7.6mm thick, the device could snatch the crown as thinnest tablet. Shown with a thin keyboard dock, the G10 XS could give the Transformer Prime a run for its money as well.
The Archos G10 XS reportedly includes “paper-thin” steel components as opposed to aluminum and should run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. According to sources, there will be 7-, 8-, and 10-inch versions of the tablet with prices ranging from 129 euros ($170) to 199 euros ($260).
Like the previous generation of Archos tablets, the G10 XS should include the full suite of Google apps and services. Assuming the rest of the specs are in line with recent Archos offerings, the new line could be a winner.
In a post-Kindle Fire era where 7-inch tablets are expected to cost $200 or less, Archos is positioned to do quite well with the G10 XS. Given the right amount of publicity and availability, we could be looking at a dark horse in the tablet race.
Early Archos tablets suffered because they did not offer access to the Android Market/Google Play store, and they were not advertised or marketed very heavily.
