Archos to release first Android-based Internet Media Tablet

Android is a pretty versatile platform. Besides the flagship T-Mobile G1, we've seen a bunch of other devices people have hacked the software onto, from other smartphones to laptops. Now we've got word from media player manufacturer Archos, which just announced a new "Internet Media Tablet" that caught our eye for being both one of the first Android-based media players announced, as well as Archos' first tablet with cellular voice call support.

Archos already has some pretty advanced media players in its IMT line; the company tries to differentiate itself from other music-and-video-only players with support for web browsing, similar in functionality to the iPod touch. While most of the players just had WiFi support, the Archos 5 modelincluded a cellular modem for getting online with a 3.5G connection. For this next-generation Android device, it makes sense that Archos is expanding that data support to include voice calls; since the tablet would already have a cellular chipset, and will be running an operating system that includes the necessary software, why wouldn't it connect the dots?

We don't expect the Archos tablet to replace your existing phone, though. If the upcoming model looks anything like existing Archos IMTs, it probably won't have the best form-factor for use as a handset. You'll probably get the most use out of the cell modem for data connections, but it will be nice to know the voice support is there if you ever need it.

From what specs Archos has made available, the player will sport a five-inch screen and support drives up to 500 GB. Archos will be using a high-performance Texas Instruments processor, which it says will help power HD playback and handle full-screen Adobe Flash video. All of this it expects to cram into a tablet under 0.4 inches thick. We have to admit: we're intrigued. Hopefully we'll be learning a little more about the device before its scheduled release, sometime in Q3 2009.

Source..