Archos' Android-based MID on track for July?

It hasn't been much of a secret that Archos has an Android-based tablet / MID in the works, but it looks like the company is now finally talking a bit more openly about it, and dropping a few choice details in its recent year-end results announcement. The key bit is that the company is apparently planning to release the device "at the start of Q3 2009," which is actually fairly specific as far as these announcements go, though no doubt still subject to change if Archos sees fit. Otherwise, the only word on the MID is that it will pack some telephony features and, of course, include all of Archos' usual multimedia applications.

[Via SlashGear]

[Johnny G @ Mar 26th 2009 12:46PM]

nice

[Tim @ Mar 26th 2009 12:49PM]

This looks pretty snazzy

[Michael @ Mar 26th 2009 12:52PM]

I'd most likely pick one of these up so long as there is wifi and replace my nokia tablet.

[sacapuntas @ Mar 26th 2009 12:56PM]

Also a capacitive touchscreen would be nice.., (and to those who love their stylus I have to introduce you to capacitive styli.)

[plavacek @ Mar 26th 2009 12:56PM]

Well at least this time the OS will be out of beta, sort of...

[CoffeeDragon @ Mar 26th 2009 1:00PM]

If they take the 3G 7 tablet, add a capacitive touchscreen and Android this will be a killer MID. Assuming they don't charge and arm and a leg for it, I might actually buy one.

[Ruben @ Mar 26th 2009 1:03PM]

I want it to have my children. Don't tell my imaginary girlfriend, she is an apple fangirl.

[Joseph Kim, MD, MPH @ Mar 26th 2009 1:04PM]

Android is the best OS out there for MIDs.

[EGGO @ Mar 26th 2009 1:59PM]

You people have your 16-32GB players. Let us people who need the large storage have a player that finally has one. It just sucks that the audio quality of this PMP isn't really up there. I didn't want such a huge bottleneck to my UE-11.

[electron @ Mar 26th 2009 1:10PM]

all I want is a flash memory based Archos...

[Félix @ Mar 26th 2009 1:22PM]

Why ?
you prefer 16Gb over 60-250 GB memory ?
This is nonsense, as long as it's 5inches large just stick to HDD and let us enjoy 100 Gb storage capacity !

[Jorvay @ Mar 26th 2009 1:48PM]

@Felix

For you maybe, but for others, the HD is a weak point. It arguably uses more power, and it is certainly more delicate. I've lost an iPod and a Zen Micro to impact-related HD failure. Considering both devices were in otherwise great condition, it was pretty frustrating to have the HD fail from very minor jaring. Meanwhile I beat the snot out of my Zen and my Acer Aspire One (with ssd) without any worries.

[DealGuru @ Mar 26th 2009 1:14PM]

what's the battery life? my current archos eats battery life like it's going out of style

[IdiotProof @ Mar 26th 2009 11:00PM]

No say yet on the battery life as far as I can tell. It will probably be about the same as the 5, if I were to guess.

[VooDooz0r @ Mar 26th 2009 1:27PM]

/me wants

[sacapuntas @ Mar 26th 2009 1:39PM]

you got that wrong-

Me wants/

there that is fixed now.

[trevor @ Mar 26th 2009 1:51PM]

-trevor's recession antidote-

who wants my G1 and 250gb archos 5?

[htowngator @ Mar 26th 2009 4:37PM]

I'll take that archos :)

[sacapuntas @ Mar 26th 2009 5:37PM]

g1 is good for me, and I will fight the other guy for the archos...

[Jamil @ Mar 26th 2009 1:56PM]

Funny I was expecting engadget to 'shop on an android screenshot instead

[lxuke @ Mar 26th 2009 1:58PM]

I do!

[EGGO @ Mar 26th 2009 1:59PM]

So far, I've had two HD players. One from 2003 and the other from 2005/6. I even jogged with the old one in the rain with no cover (I was a hardcore jogger and if the cover was off, I didn't care, I needed my fix). Both are still working strong. The only thing that needed replacing was the obvious Li-ion battery.

[transws6am @ Mar 26th 2009 2:12PM]

Great.... another half-ass product shoved out the door, by this company. This company makes nothing but rushed crap, and then 24 months later, nothing is still fixed. AVOID THIS COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE.

[lalith @ Mar 26th 2009 3:11PM]

archos customer service is non existent. its better to buy from a company who respects thier customers. the archos that i have freezes almost every time i play internet video on it. buggy s/w n no support

[weef @ Mar 26th 2009 3:35PM]

well it runs android so they don't have to make any software to bug up I don't think. I just really wish it had a real keyboard :(

[Nicholas @ Mar 26th 2009 5:02PM]

Is there any way to make one of these talk with a PS3? That could be a cool remote/text input device.

[Shank @ Mar 26th 2009 6:14PM]

No iPod touchkiller here,. Touch approx $220 archos $600. Seriously what worrld are they living in., who in their Right mind would buy over touch.,?

[Treefingers @ Mar 26th 2009 7:09PM]

Because its a phone too?

[Treefingers @ Mar 26th 2009 7:13PM]

oh, and its not made by Apple.

[Charbax @ Mar 26th 2009 8:13PM]

Archos is always better value than Apple products at the same prices. in fact Archos is announcing products ranging from 50€ to 500€. So if you want something at $220 price point, there most certainly is an Archos alternative that is a much better value than any Apple product.

Not everyone will need the full 500GB Android 4.8" OLED and HSDPA version. Some people may be satisfied with a 30GB 4.3" WiFi LCD Android model. I am just guessing here, I don't know what the next Archos will cost, but I know what the current Archos cost. You can get the 605 WiFi 4GB at $99 in Blockbuster (sometimes), you can get the 605 WiFi 30GB below $200 and you can get the Archos 5 60GB at towards $290.

[FILA @ Mar 26th 2009 8:09PM]

ooooh my, im still excited for this and havent forgot!!!

[JustinM @ Mar 26th 2009 8:22PM]

no one will ever take the Archos player seriously until they move to flash. I use my touch for several hours each day and can't imagine holding a hard drive for more than an hour without feeling the pain.

[Charbax @ Mar 26th 2009 8:27PM]

Archos has already done Flash based products. The Archos 605 WiFi 4GB flash with SDHC slot is available sometimes at $99 or at least below $150 if you look around. The hard drive based Archos devices are just 10x more popular, cause people don't want 4GB or 16GB in their portable 5" media players, people want 250GB or 500GB for just about the same form factor and nearly about the same prices.

Look around, 2.5" 250GB and 500GB hard drives aren't expensive at all. For example, a 250GB 2.5" hard drive is about $40, it makes absolutely no sense not to use it, and yup you guessed right, a 2.5" hard drive fits well in a product with a 4.8" screen.

[Friend or Foe? @ Mar 26th 2009 9:17PM]

Ignore what the Archos cheerleader Charbax is saying.

Archos has horrible customer service and just released the High-Def plugin for the Archos 5 that was promised during it's release in September 2008.

Yes, you read that correctly. Archos took 6 months to deliver something that was promised upon release.

Archos has yet to release a High-Def plugin for the Archos 605 which was released years ago.

This company is a joke and will probably be out of business within a year so avoid them like the plague.

[therammer @ Mar 26th 2009 10:44PM]

Archos will F this up just like everything else. They will probably lock down the player so you can't install any cool apps or put an old version of flash on it. Oh, and another favorite thing they do every new generation is change every single connector so none of your Previous gen accessories work. Money grubbing.

[EGGO @ Mar 26th 2009 10:55PM]

Reading all the comments here, it's a shame the only people really willing to give us over 16-32GB of space has such horrible after-service and proprietary EVERYTHING.

Demmit, it seems that in the world of PMP and DAPs, people try way too hard to add their own bells and whistles.