The Archos 97 Carbon has been unveiled, and will be the first in the company’s new Elements line. This new range from the French consumer electronics manufacturer will eventually have entry-level 7-, 8- and 9.7-inch tablets. As the name suggests, the tablet in question has a 4:3 aspect ratio, 9.7-inch 5x multi-touch screen with IPS technology and 1024 x 768 HD screen resolution, and has been optimized for Google Play.
It runs the Ice Cream Sandwich platform and is powered by a 1GHz Arm Cortex A8 processor, with 1GB of RAM present to give a good backing. Pushed as a ‘complete media device,’ the 97 Carbon is said to be capable of decoding full 1080p HD video, while via its HDMI-out port, it can apparently send 1080p video to an HDTV.
16GB worth of internal flash memory has been provided, which can be expanded up to 32GB via a microSDHC slot. Not too long ago, one of the company’s other Android tablets got an Ice Cream Sandwich update. We also saw the Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 theme adorn the Child Pad ICS tablet.
“We wanted to introduce a new series that not only combines affordability with a new slim design, but features the best that Google has to offer,” remarked Henri Crohas, Archos Founder and CEO, giving his insights. “With the Elements series we have done just that. It’s the perfect balance of hardware, software optimization and content through the Google Play ecosystem.”
In addition to a 0.3MP front-facing camera and a 2.0MP rear camera, the Archos 97 Carbon features a mic, a G-sensor and 2 built-in speakers. The company claims that the device will last 8 hours and 20 hours, respectively on a single charge, for video and audio playback. Coming in an elegant aluminum finish, it weighs 21.8 ounces and is 0.45 inches thick.
The Archos 97 Carbon price is listed as $249.99. It is expected to become available sometime this month.