Archos has shocked gadget fans worldwide when it launched its android-powered Archos 5 Internet Tablet last week. The operating system, the sheer size of the device and the screen quality (800x480) have generated a wave of "buzz" unknown to Archos until now. The Archos 5 Internet Tablet, powered by Android, has a sleek design which is actually not so different, on the surface, than the non-Android Archos 5 PMP. As we often say: the value is in the software. With Android, Archos now has access to a stable, proven OS, and can tap into the vast amount of application of that platform to build on a foundation that will last. That sounds nice, but can the Archos 5 Internet Tablet live up to the hype?
Configuration
We have used a French version of the Android Archos 5 Tablet. This is a 32GB SSD version that would sell on the US market for about $380. There's a 8GB version that sells for $250. If you need more storage, you can find a 160GB one for $400 or a 500GB Archos 5 for $500 but the mechanical drive version adds almost 100g to the weight.Physical design (sleek)
Hardware (powerful)
The Archos 5 Internet Tablet is powered by an ARM Cortex A8 at 800Mhz. This is comparable to what's found in the iPhone 3GS (600Mhz), although the frequency is much higher. That gives you an idea of what the processing power is. On the graphics size, the Archos 5 has a more than twice the number of pixels (800x480 = 384000) to handle than the iPhone (480x320 = 153600).I'm not going to list *all* the specifications here, you can find them on this page (in French, sorry the U.S site is still being updated), but here are the highlights:
- 800x480 color display
- MicroSD port
- Video formats supported: Mpeg4, Mpeg4 asp@l5 dvd resolution, H.264, WMV (including DRM), M-Jpeg (Qvga), Mkv, Mpeg2, VOB. Most are supported for up to 720p resolution, except motion Jpeg (vga).
- Audio formats supported: MP3 320K, WMA, WMA DRM, WMA Pro 5.1, Wav, Ogg, Flac, AAC, AC3
- Direct Audio/Video recording (with optional dock)
- USB 2.0
- FM Receiver (RDS)/Transmitter
- Digital TV (TNT) support in Europe
- Integrated speaker and microphone
Display (Shock and awe)
HDTV: If you connect your Archos 5 to a TV, it will display everything (including the web browser) at a 720p resolution (1280x720).
Android (is Cool)
Performance (fast)
I expect the pure processing (numbers crunching) performance to be (30%?) higher than the iPhone 3GS, although we have to keep in mind that there is no proper way to compare both, and that ultimately, it's the user experience that makes the difference.
Connectivity (Wifi-N, Tethering)
It is also possible to use your internet-enabled mobile phone as a Bluetooth modem, but it's less practical and consumes more battery life on both devices. At least, it's *possible*, and frankly, I can't myself paying another wireless subscription, even if it is for a fancy tablet. Archos has made the right choice here.
Mobile TV (Little content)
GPS (Average)
It looks good, and I like the demo mode, but If I'm driving, I think that I would rather have a simple 2D (or 3D) map that scrolls at 10 or 20 frames per second than having a fancy satellite photo map that scrolls very slowly.
On the other hand, the satellite photo view can be very fun in pedestrian mode, when you actually have the time to look around and figure out which building is nearby. That's a matter of preferences, but now you have my opinion.
Web (good, but where's Flash?)
Reading news website on the Archos 5 is simply *great* (that's my main web activity with it). Just take a look at the NYTimes or CNN and you'll understand what I mean.
In the end, without in-browser Flash, we cannot say that it is a "full" web experience, even if what we have is quite good. We hope that Flash support will be added later.
Email (good, no exchange)
The only downside is that Microsoft Exchange is not supported out of the box, but I know that there's support out there for it on Android... (Exchange by Touchdown has a 2.5/5 star rating... hum...)
Music (very good)
Video (very good)
It is best to have a 720p video file to play, but YouTube movies look great too, thanks to the sheer size of the display. At this point, only a 1080p video output and an OLED screen could make things significantly better.
The speaker sound quality is decent and the speaker placement (above the screen) is better than the iPhone's (at the bottom next to the charging port), but I would recommend headphones to get the best quality audio.
Note: I tried to connect the Archos 5 Android to PlayOn via uPNP, but it unfortunately did not work. Apparently, the video Codec used by PlayOn is not supported/recognized. PlayOn bridges Hulu, YouTube, Amazon and many other services to uPNP devices on a local network.
Photos (good)
App Store (disappointing)
Beyond the slowness, the apps are not very well sorted and hard to browse. Because Archos' app store is new, there aren't many ratings either. Not being able to browse by "highest rating" or "most popular" feels like walking into the jungle. The good news is that things should get better overtime.
No Mac Support (Argh)
Archos says on its website that the Archos 5 Android can be connected to Windows XP, Vista or Linux. If you are a Mac user the device won't mount as a USB drive (I tried on Snow Leopard). I'm not sure why that is because it should just show up like any other USB Mass Storage device on the Mac. The fact is: right now, it simply won't mount. In theory, this is fixable, so we'll update this article if that happens.Battery life
Battery life varies dramatically depending on usage patterns, and we're still running some numbers at the moment. But we'll get back to you on that ASAP. After a full charge last night, I've been using the device for another 3 hours this morning and the battery seems to be at 60%-65%.Accessories (many)
Archos has been very prolific when it comes to accessories for its Archos 5. The Dock is probably a very popular accessory but you can also take a look at the Helmet camcorder and the various video cables that exists for this Tablet.Conclusion (good, but...)
I'm disappointed by the Archos App Store. It is extremely slow and at this time, I'd rather avoid going there altogether. If normal (smartphone) Android apps work, could Archos also leave the Android Market app in there? Right now, the regular Android Market place is out of reach.
The perceived responsiveness is mostly very good. The user interface is mostly snappy, but if there's a background task going on (network waiting, video buffer flush, thumbnails creation/download) things can get slow an unresponsive. Going back to the home screen while playing a video is a good example.
The Archos 5 Android Tablet is a very interesting product and I wonder if it will spark a new category of larger touch device. So far, the most successful ones are in the 3.5" category, but the larger screen makes the media experience much better - even if it makes the pocketable experience bulkier. What is the best compromise? Only time, and the market, will tell. At $250, the 8GB version seems to be a great entry price for a small Internet Tablet.
Availability (now)
The Archos has been available since Sep 16th in France and I believe that you can pre-order it in the U.S, although Archos seems to be out of stock at the moment. We covered the launch event from Paris, but review units have been shown to the press last week in NYC and SF. there are five models:- 08GB $250 (ssd) - not listed on the U.S site.
- 16GB $300 (ssd)
- 32GB $380 (ssd)
- 160GB $400 (hdd)
- 500GB $500 (hdd)
HDD Archos 5: 143,2 x 78,8 x 20 mm, 286g (10.08oz)
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