In a public release to investors over the weekend, Archos revealed company plans to release an Android-powered internet tablet by the start of Q3 2009.
In light of a difficult year financially, the French-based company intends to 'integrate telephony' in the device in order to jump into the fray of the communications/media single-player gadget market.
According to the release, Archos intends to improve its new lineup of media players in four ways: Increased availability of mobile TV (through WiFi and 3G networks), better mobile web services, direct media content through the Archos Media Club download service, and by adding a phone 'communication' feature.
Presumably, all aspects will be improved with the use of the Android OS. Having reviewed the latest version of the Archos players, I think a flexible OS and sleeker browser UI are obvious places in need of improvement. But the continuing focus on content from the Archos Media Club is disappointing, since I found the current version to be mainly composed of overpriced crapware.
The addition of a phone is the latest move for a company looking to quickly diversify its product line.
Back at CES, Archos announced it was getting into the netbook arena with a mostly unimpressive (and basically re-packaged) laptop hardware. Then, a couple of months ago, an Archos executive said the company was looking into integrating vibrant OLED screens into their players if it improved the experience.
At the time, we noted that while the latest Archos players are already excellent video and music media players, browsing the net was a slow, crippling experience in comparison to the iPhone.
Adding phone functionality to an Archos tablet seems like a no-brainer, since the company has likely lost business to companies offering all-in-one media experiences.
Last year, Archos posted a loss of $24 million (on a gross margin of $13.7 million), or about half the amount it made in 2007. This was despite a line-up of products that were mostly of high quality, though they did tend to skew toward the expensive.
There is currently no word on exactly how much the Android internet tablet/phone will cost or whether it will follow the aesthetic design of the most recent players. But the release does mention the price may go all the way up to 500 Euros or more than $650.
