Archos unveils 3G media player

 

Gallery

By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 20 Aug 2008 at 12:26

Archos has unveiled its new range of portable media players, boasting 3G connectivity for wireless internet browsing on the move.

The Archos 5 and 7 models will boast 5in and 7in touchscreens respectively, both with resolutions of 800 by 480 pixels. Neither of these models will support 3G, but both come with Wi-Fi adapters built-in.

HDMI outputs will allow users to hook the players up to an HDTV, and 720 playback is supported. Storage capacities rise to a maximum of 250GB on the 5 and 320GB on the 7.

The most interesting model, though, is the Archos 5g, which is essentially the same as the 5, but with a SIM slot and 3G support. No 3G subscription is provided with the player, and must be sourced from a third party supplier.

The Archos 5 will be released in September, at £280 for the 60GB version, £320 for 120GB and £360 for 250GB. The Archos 7 will follow on in October, costing £360 for 160GB and a staggering £440 for 320GB.

No news has emerged yet on the pricing of the 5g model, but it will presumably be higher than the standard 5. Once a 3G subscription is added to this, then it is unlikely that it will be able to compete with Apple's iPhone, which has the added advantage of voice and SMS services.