Archos Unveils Low-Cost iPad Alternatives

Do you find the Apple iPad just a little too expensive? With prices for the third-generation iPad starting around $500, there's still lots of room in the tablet market for budget-priced slate devices.

Over the past year that gap has been partly filled with the release of Google's Nexus 7 device and Apple's own iPad Mini. But French consumer electronics company Archos believes there's still lots of room for low-cost slates.

Archos Unveils "Platinum" Line of Tablet Devices

That's why the company has unveiled three new devices which together comprise a new "Platinum" line of tablet computers. Each of the devices will feature high-definition displays, 1.2GHz quad-core processors, microSD ports, and 2GB of RAM.

The devices also come equipped with front- and back-mounted cameras and a mini-HDMI port. (Source: bgr.com)

They'll also run Google's popular Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" operating system, which can be found on the Nexus 7. That will give buyers of the Archos tablets access to more than 700,000 different applications.

Archos Tablets Priced Much Lower Than iPad, iPad Mini

Archos' upcoming tablets come in three distinct sizes, each with a unique resolution setting and price. First, the 8-inch "Archos 80 Platinum" tablet features a 1024 x 768 resolution display and will cost consumers $199.

Meanwhile, the company's 9.7-inch "Archos 97 Platinum" tablet, which insiders say heavily resembles the standard iPad, comes equipped with a 2048 x 1536 resolution display. It costs $299.

Finally, a much larger 11.6-inch "Archos 116 Platinum" tablet, which Archos says is "unlike anything currently on the market," features a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen and will retail for $349. (Source: techradar.com)

Archos plans on staggering the release dates for each of these devices. The Archos 80 will be available starting in February, the Archos 97 in March, and the Archos 116 in April, 2013.

Archos says it will give the media a closer look at its Platinum range of tablet computers at the upcoming CeBIT conference in Germany.