Archos 32 Internet "Tablet" hits the FCC, pictures and manual in tow
By Sean Hollister 
posted August 11th 2010 6:12AM
posted August 11th 2010 6:12AM
It was just last week the Android-powered Archos 32 spontaneously burst into existence with a premature sale, and thanks to the FCC we can say today that we also know what it looks like. As you can see in the picture above, the "minidroid" appears to be a completely capacitive affair, with dedicated buttons and directional controls surrounding that 3.2-inch screen. The full filing also reveals built-in GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack and Archos' trademark kickstand alongside Bluetooth and WiFi. While it does have a microphone as originally reported, there's strangely no mention of a camera in the user's manual, which actually suggests that circle on the back of the device may be the integrated speaker. (Here's hoping we're proven wrong.) On the connectivity front, ARCHOS seems to have the usual host of accessories planned including a 720p-capable DVR dock, but frustratingly the unit also requires a proprietary connector to transfer data and charge. Should the original leak be accurate, expect to see this one at e-tailers in the coming months for a penny under $150, an excellent price should the build quality equal the company's codec support.
Looks nice but isnt 3.2" a bit small for an internet based tablet?
@Forphucsake
Basically an iPod touch competitor.
Not, as the headline suggests, a 32 inch tablet? Bummer.
/s
@Forphucsake
It's not a tablet; it's a low-res PMP that can run some Android apps.
The FCC photos show no memory expansion slot, no dock connector, and no video out. You're limited to 8GB onboard.
@fais
Hardly a Touch competitor. By the time this appears, the Touch will have 960x640, which is 6.4x the resolution of the Archos.
@Forphucsake
I already have one, his name is htc hero, he boasts to be an European and unlocked, fuck!! i love all these guys.. :)
BTW, the manual is a draft version as stated at the top of each page. The latter portions are from the current Archos 5 IT manuals (check the pics). There is no dock connector other than the USB, so there can't be any docks.
@d00b Archos 32 is going to be much cheaper than 960x640 ipod touch.
@Forphucsake
Funny how it's just fine for Apple to have all proprietary connections, but when anyone else has one, for an accessory no less, it's "frustrating." No, no bias there, eh Engadget?
@Endrowid It's cool man, you could've used an "a" in front of European.
@Spectrality When other companies use prorietary connectors, they use different connectors between different models and different products. Look at all the sony connectors. They basically come out with a new connector every year. Archos isn't much better. Apple's proprietary ipod connector is the same since day 1. Although it's technically proprietary, most people probably have more ipod cables than micro-usb cables, which is an open standard.
Idk why but I've always been insecure looking at Archos tablet products.. I love Android.. but not even that can help them influence me to buy their tablets. I feel more comfortable looking at Samsungs tablet coming this fall..
@jahkamren
I agree. right now Samsung is the only company releasing an Android tablet worth talking about.
@Plazmic Flame Because Samsung's YP-MB2 is $249 and the 7" Galaxy Tab probably to cost $500, that are the only ones worth talking about?
@Charbax No, because the other ones are s!@# compared to those...
ZuneHD?
That's a standard Micro-USB AB connector, not a proprietary one.
@illogict Yeah, this is normal USB connector that does bost standard USB slave recognized like a USB stick on any Windows, Mac and Linux computers. And it also can be used as USB host to connect an external USB storage to it, including also digital cameras to transfer pictures to it.
The video output happens on the mini-jack audio output connector, you just need to connect a mini-jack to composite cable in there.
I hope those buttons work for the music player while the screen is off. I hate the fact that we have to turn on the screen to skip songs in most modern smartphones/touchscreen mp3 players.
@emceephi
That defeats the purpose of having lock screens/buttons
For the price this is actually a very good player (dependant on sound/video quality of course) but if it hasn't got access to the official Marketplace, less so.
@Tes It will have access to the Google Marketplace. Either pre-installed or by simply installing Google Marketplace .apk file just as any other Android .apk application by double clicking on the .apk through the file manager.
@Charbax - you're talking about hack, like ones installable on Archos 5 Android tablets, right? Which ARE hacks, work for some users, but break tablets for others.
@Charbax - about a year ago, after reading your enthusiastic messages on Google Wave I bought A5A. It turned out it had resistive display and installation of a Market hack made it unusable: it crashed all the time. Reverting back to a stock OS helped. I was then happy to sell it on ebay for a good piece.
But this tiny and cheap device is said to have a capacitive screen; for a music player like this, I think, not having Android Market is not really important. If it would provide a good sound (A5A did have a good sound) it may actually worth buying. Android OS is significantly better, more intuitive than Zune HD OS, and this device is significantly cheaper than either Zune HD or iPod.
@vkelman It's been perfectly stable with the Google Marketplace since January or so. In the beginning it had trouble keeping RAM available when many apps were opened but they fixed that long ago in a firmware update. It's not really a hack, the Google Marketplace and Google Apps just do take up some space in RAM.
Why is everyone so desperate to come out with a tablet pc now?
@neojubei Archos has been releasing embedded tablets for years before Apple did it.
@neojubei
This is more like a tablette or teenytab..... Calling it a tablet seems weird.
@neojubei
This is supply meeting demand.
Beware the manual provided is in part false. The beginning speaks well of the Archos 32. But everything else is on the Archos 5 IT.
According to my information, if there is an accelerometer and a camera, but there is no GPS.
Similarly, there is no proprietary connector. It is a simple mini-USB port.
Again, the manual is wrong, because it talks about the Archos 5 IT on this part.
Don't we buy modern smartphones to eliminate carrying things like this?
@Waltah How much are you paying for your modern smart phone? $529 unlocked or $2500 with a 2-year contract? This is a $149 alternative Android experience to that.
WHO CARES! Archos is a company that cannot get out of its own way. They continually make crap and just cannot get it together in terms of anything related to quality. Look what they did with the Archos 9. They could have literally beat EVERYBODY to market with the first WIndows-based tablet and they cheap-out on components and float yet another turd. Good job Archos! Idiots.
I'm more interested in what the music and video player apps are going to be like, and when we're going to be able to see them ripped and available on XDA-devs for the rest of the Android community...
Add a 5+ megapixel camera, GSM module (I don't need 3G), keep the "premium" at $70 and I'm sold.
Sheesh--make a phone already Archos, this almost seems like a downgrade from the likes of the Archos 7 and 8. I get the idea that this is supposed to be more portable and 'pocket-friendly' than their home tablets, but it just seems like they are beating around the bush here.
I really think that Archos could greatly expand their market presence by making phones to be distributed by Verizon or smaller regional carriers. It would make their investors happy and go a long way toward their bottom line.
@Ivan0310 OMG!! NO!! Please DO NOT make a phone!!!
@cpd5c45 What's wrong with market-diversification? No one said you had to buy it...
I understand if your concern is that it might make their tablet business falter--but if a business is properly grown, then both parts can thrive.
@Ivan0310 Well, you misunderstand my 'concern', for one. Archos makes pure crap. Why would anyone want them to make a phone?
Potential to be a great toy for my kids!
They should try marketing it to this type of audience!
From the user manual on the FCC link:
"Your product features a built-in GPS receiver.Visit www.archos.com to purchase a GPS license and activate the GPSon your product. The supplied GPSmaps & software DVD will allow you to install the GPS software and maps of your choice on your product."
Is it normal to charge extra to activate a piece of hardware already installed in something like this?
I'm happy with my A5IT 500GB. A nice PDA, Android, and more storage than is practical :D
I'm glad I got a Galaxy S "no-contract" for $350. Spend a little extra and get a 4" SAMOLED screen with full marketplace access, Wolfson Audio DAC processor, HD 720p recording, DIVX playback,etc...
Guys, check your ATT & Costco stores.Some places are still selling the Captivate for $350 no contract.
If the price is right I am all over this. I don't want a big tablet but I do want Android. I would love a little device I can develop/Hack and really bring out its potential. Based on the previous Archos Android tablets (all of which i thought were ok), this thing should be pretty easy to modify with the real android experience. Cant wait for this to come out!!!