Archos has announced the Archos 50 Cesium, the company's first mobile handset that will run on Windows 10. It is paired with an Android counterpart that the company has dubbed Archos 50e Helium.
While the devices differ in OS, they nonetheless share a number of identical features. These include a five-inch IPS LCD display with HD resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor of 1 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage that can be expanded up to 32 GB using microSD card support, 8 MP rear camera with LED and autofocus, 2 MP selfie camera, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-SIM support, a 2100 mAh battery and 4G LTE connectivity.
Although Archos indicated the handset's weight as TBC (to be confirmed), it did say that it has dimensions of 147 by 72.5 by 8.5 millimeters (5.8 by 2.9 by 0.33 inches). Other features include Adreno 304 GPU, Audio and Video Playback, loudspeaker, microphone, G-sensor and a 3.5-millimeter (0.14 inches) jack for audio.
"By providing a choice between two almost identical hardware models, we allow the customer to focus on what they like on the inside: the user interface. Android and Windows are both fantastic and provide varied software experiences," says CEO Loic Poirier of Archos.
Not only are the handsets identical in most specs, they also have an identical price point. The new handsets will retail at around $150 (£99 in the UK and $215 in Australia). They will initially be available in the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and France in November, while an international release is yet to be disclosed.
This is not the first time that Archos has released a budget-friendly smartphone. In 2014, the company launched Archos 40 Cesium, a Windows-run phone that retailed at a mere $102 (€89). The handset enjoyed a laudable sales record, probably mostly due to its affordability.
For users who are looking for more RAM, a bigger camera and battery and more storage on their devices, Archos has got them covered as well. Apparently, the company will release a third handset that will feature a 5-inch display with touch-sensitivity and Gorilla Glass technology.
Dubbed Archos Diamond S, the handset's other purported features include a 16 MP rear camera, 8 MP front camera, RAM of 2 GB, expandable storage of 16 GB, 2300 mAh battery and octa-core MediaTek MT6753 CPU of 1.5 GHz. It has the familiar dual-SIM functionality found in the above-mentioned Archos devices, along with the same 4G LTE support.
Running on Android 5.1 Lollipop, the Diamond S measures 147 by 72.5 by 8.5 millimeters (same as the Archos 50 Cesium and Archos 50e Helium) and tips the scale at 118 grams.
The price of the Diamond S model will be at around $248 (£159.99), and it will be available beginning in November this year. Archos will unveil all of its upcoming smartphones at the IFA in Berlin.
