Archos releases 'iPad beating' tablet range

Archos's new Titanium range promises to stick it to the incumbent tablets by offering high power at a low, low price at CES 2013.

The range consists of four new tablets, dubbed the Archos 70 Titanium, the Archos 80 Titanium, the Archos 101 Titanium and the Archos 97 Titanium. In keeping with recent monikers, the number correspond with screen sizes, ranging from 7-to 10.1-inch IPS displays.

All four tablets feature the same processor, namely a dual core 1.6GHz processor with quad core GPU and run Android Jelly Bean in a 4.1 flavour. Unlike Archos' tablets in years gone by, there's the full Android overlay on offer here, meaning you can access all of Google's apps when you need to.

Mystery machines

Other specs are very much thin on the ground – the 70 Titanium will feature a 1024x600 resolution screen, 8GB of memory with microSD expanstion and an aluminum casing that's 8.6mm thick.

We assume the rest of the range is similar, with the exception of the 97 Titanium HD which comes with a 2048 x 1536 res screen in its quest to take on the new iPad.

The interesting thing about these tablet, apart from the fact they're Archos-powered and can therefore pretty much play every video codec under the sun, is the price: starting at £99 / $119 (about AUS $150), the Archos 70 Titanium looks like a pretty bargain buy.

Cheap at twice the price

Following that is the 80 Titanium, which Archos reckons "has been designed to offer similar user experience as the iPad mini, for a fraction of the price", coming in at £149 / $169 (about AUS $225).

Then we have the 101 Titanium, which rings up at £169 / $199 (about AUS $255), and finally the 97 Titanium, flouncing in at £199 / $249 (about AUS $300) which 'aims to be an alternative to the new iPad for half the price,' according to bullish French firm.

We're feverishly awaiting news of release dates for these new tablets, not least because they appear to offer superb value for money…however, let's wait to see what our hands on reviews reckon when we nab some time with them on the show floor.