Low-cost phones are selling very well and many manufacturers have already announced their own lines of affordable phones, but sometimes they do come sort when it comes to customization or battery life. France-based Archos aims to solve both of these problems with its new Cobalt and Power range of smartphones.
Announced at CES 2016, both the Cobalt and Power phones will each feature two variants with different specifications.
The Cobalt range is aimed at users who want a little color on their smartphones. With two varieties, the 5-inch Archos 50 Cobalt and the 5.5-inch Archos 55 Plus Cobalt, the range will also come with quad-core processors, a IPS HD display, expandable memory and 4G/LTE compatibility.
| Archos 50 Cobalt | Archos 55 Cobalt+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Android version | Android 5.1 Lollipop | |
| CPU | MT6535P ARM Cortex A-53 at 1.0GHz x 4 | |
| GPU | Mali T720 MP3 | |
| Screen | 5-inch 1280×720 HD | 5.5-inch 1280×720 HD |
| RAM | 1GB | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 8GB | 16GB |
| Expandable Storage | MicroSD card, up to 64GB | |
| Camera | 2MP front / 8MP Autofocus + Flash LED back | 2MP front / 13MP Autofocus + Flash LED back |
| Connectivity | LTE: 800 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz 3G: 900 / 2100 MHz Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hot Spot GPS / FM Radio POP / IMAP / Exchange Active Sync / SMTP / Push Mail | |
| Battery | 2,000mAh | 2,700mAh |
| Price | US$99 | US$139 |
Specifications are subject to change and may vary depending on the market.
The Power range features phones with a powerful, long-life battery, with Archos claiming a life of up to two days under “regular usage conditions”. The two phones, the 4-inch Archos 40 Power and the 5-inch Archos 50 Power, is aimed at “on-the-go light users” who rely on battery life moreso than more premium features or specs.
| Archos 40 Power | Archos 50 Power | |
|---|---|---|
| Android version | Android 5.1 Lollipop | |
| CPU | SC7731C Cortex A7 at 1.2GHz x 4 | MTK6735 Quad Core |
| GPU | Mali 400 MP4 | Mali T720 |
| Screen | 4-inch 480×800 WVGA | 5-inch 1280×720 HD |
| RAM | 512MB | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 8GB | 16GB |
| Expandable Storage | MicroSD card, up to 64GB | |
| Camera | 2MP front /5MP Flash LED back | 3MP front / 13MP Autofocus + Flash LED back |
| Connectivity | GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz 3G: 900 / 2100 MHz Bluetooth Ready Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hot Spot GPS / FM Radio POP / IMAP / Exchange Active Sync / SMTP / Push Mail | |
| Battery | 1,900mAh | 4,000mAh |
| Price | US$49 | US$119 |
Specifications are subject to change and may vary depending on the market.
The Cobalt range will be available in April this year, while the Power range arrives a month later in May.
Once well-known for their MP3 players, Archos have responded to the growing affordable phone trend with two new ranges that look good on paper. What do you think, has Archos got it right on focusing on battery life and color customization? Voice it out in the comments below.
