ARCHOS announces new Gen10 XS tablet, set to land in the US in November

What do we have here? A tablet by ARCHOS that looks pretty intriguing if you ask us. Back in early August a teaser video came out from ARCHOS that showed a little glimpse at a new tablet they have been working on. It showed a keyboard dock of sorts and a super slim looking design. At that time they said it would be revealed in all its glory in 3 weeks. It has been almost 3 weeks and here it is. The new ARCHOS Gen10 XS tablet.

Before we get to the really cool and unique aspect of the Gen10, let’s go over the official specs of the tablet. On board there is 1.5 GHz dual-core OMAP 4470 CPU with PowerVR SGX544 GPU and 1 GB of RAM. Internally you will get 16GB of storage with available micro SD card slot that supports up to a 64B card. It also has a 720p front facing camera but no rear camera. Side ports offer the usual mini HDMI out, USB Host and Micro USB charging port. Screen wise you are looking at a 10.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800. They make sure to mention that the screen uses MVA technology to offer up the deepest blacks and best colors along with wide viewing angels. That is always important, no one wants to hold their tablet just ‘right’ to fully see the screen. The new Gen10 weighs in at 21 oz and is only 0.31 – inches thick with out the cover on and 0.51 – inches with the cover on.

On the software side of things ARCHOS has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich pre-installed and ready to rock, but they will have a Jelly Bean update out for it shortly after the device launches in November. Along for the ride will be all your usual Google apps and access to the Play Store.

On to the what makes this tablet so cool in our book. The magnetic cover/keyboard dock. That is kind of a mouth full isn’t it. Taking a page right out of ASUS’s design book, ARCHOS has created a magnetic cover that will securely cover and protect your tablets screen. Rotate it open and then place your tablet on the flip kickstand to have access and use of the keyboard. OF course what good would that be if the dock didn’t also charge you tablet. It does. It also has a charging port on it to charge tablet without having to dangle the cord from the side of the tablet. Take a look.

  We are kinda liking this little guy. ARCHOS plans to release the new Gen10 XS for purchase sometime in November with a retail price tag of $399.99. We were hoping for something closer to the $250 or $300 range, but $399 isn’t to terrible. If you take into account that you can buy a ASUS Transformer TF300T for $379.99 and then need to purchase the dock for $129. That puts you spending over $500 for the combo. The ARCHOS Gen10 is all-inclusive for $399, meaning you get the cover/keyboard at no charge.

So, what do you think? Take a minute to check out the full press release below for a little more information and be sure to head over to ARCHOS.com for more photos and more spec details.

ARCHOS Unveils Gen10 XS Tablet Line Redefining the TabletÂ

ARCHOS’ new Gen10 XS tablet line offers super-fast web-browsing, an extra slim design, and a unique magnetic Coverboard for protection, docking and easy typing Denver, CO – (August 22, 2012) - ARCHOS, an award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, is pleased to announce the unveiling of its Gen10 XS tablet line. The ARCHOS 101 XS, a 10.1-inch tablet that weighs only 21 ounces and measures 0.31 of an inch thin, will be the first of this new line of extra slim Androidâ„¢ tablets to debut mid-September followed by the release of the ARCHOS 97 XS and ARCHOS 80 XS later in 2012. In addition to creating a new standard of thin for tablets, ARCHOS continues to push the technological boundaries with the innovative Coverboard, a unique magnetic keyboard conceived for each tablet model that will offer protection, a kickstand, docking and easy typing. The Coverboard is included in the box with each tablet. The entire Gen10 XS line is Googleâ„¢ certified, features Android 4.0 and allows full access toGoogle Playâ„¢ featuring over 600,000 apps. The range will be upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in Q4 2012. “As the pioneer in the Android tablet market, we strive to continually push the technological boundaries of tablets and user experience,” says Henri Crohas, ARCHOS Founder and CEO. “We are taking our tablets to the next level by releasing an entirely new design that will redefine thin while providing more functionality and a better price than any current Android tablet in the market.” Magnetic Coverboard: 4 Steps Ahead The ultra-thin magnetic Coverboard included with all Gen10 tablets enables users to protect, stand and dock the tablet as well as type with a full-size QWERTY keyboard. Protect The 0.2” thick protective cover is secured to the tablet with magnets. To open, the Coverboard simply twists to separate and reveal the full keyboard and magnetic kickstand.

Stands The magnetically guided docking system enables perfect alignment on the keyboard, eliminating the need for clips or stands. The integrated magnetic kickstand holds the tablet to the Coverboard as one solid unit, allowing users to sit back and enjoy their music and movies comfortably.

Docks When docked the Coverboard is powered by the tablet providing hours of productivity. The Coverboard also has a DC in, so when it’s plugged into a power outlet the keyboard functions like a dock and charges the tablet.Types The Gen10 XS series come fully equipped with a chicklet-style QWERTY keyboard and a complete version of OfficeSuite Pro 6, a $14.99 value. This critically acclaimed application allows you to view, create, edit, print and share Word, Excel and PowerPoint files as well as open attachments and read PDF files. Combine that with a full QWERTY keyboard that also has integrated Android shortcut keys for direct access to main tablet functions for the ultimate in productivity.

Play Anything and Share Wirelessly with the ARCHOS Media CenterARCHOS Gen10 XS tablets come with tailor-made Media Center apps for full HD video, complete codec and format support, jackets & meta-data for your music, videos and wireless sharing over your home network. In addition, each tablet features a Video Carousel for a video library experience like no other including automatic jacket download and an easy to use search tool for finding title, series, actor, subtitle or other information.  Other media center functions include:•    Wireless streaming, home file sharing and read media from external storage •    ARCHOS remote control appÂ

Pure Android experienceCertified by Google, ARCHOS Gen10 tablets include full access to Google Playâ„¢, including DRM support for downloading books, music and movies.•    Play Apps and Games: Over 600,000 apps and games •    Play Music: Access millions of tracks and artists •    Play Books: Over 4 million books to choose from •    Play Movies & TV: Thousands of movies including HD titles, new releases, award-winning films or your favorite classics.Powered by an unskinned version of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, ARCHOS Gen10 tablets deliver a pure Androidâ„¢ experience and will be upgradable to Android’s next OS, Android 4.1 or Jelly Bean. Additional features include: •    1.5 GHz smart multi-core processor and 1GB of RAM •    Google’s suite of mobile applications including Gmailâ„¢, Google Talkâ„¢, YouTubeâ„¢ and Google+â„¢. •    Google Mapsâ„¢ with Street View and Navigation •    Google Drive™ with  5GB of free cloud storage

Availability

The first tablet in the Gen10 series to be released will be the ARCHOS 101 XS. The 101 XS tablet, which is 15 percent thinner than the new iPad3, weighs only 21 ounces and measures 0.31 of an inch thin and will be in stores and online in North America starting in November with a suggested retail price of $399.99.

Additional specs for the ARCHOS 101 XS include:

•    OMAP 4470 CPU with PowerVR SGX544 GPU
•    10.1-inch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution
•    16GB Flash Memory
•    Micro USB, MicroSD (SDXC up to 64 GB), Mini HDMI
•    WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 

For more information about the ARCHOS Gen10 XS tablet series and accessories, visit www.ARCHOS.com.