Archos announces budget Arnova tablets

The Gadget Show  Monday 28 February 2011

An affordable tablet for the masses

Just last week we wrote about the Archos Arnova bedside radio, and now we have a range of budget-busting tablets from the French gadget maker bearing the same name.

The Android-powered Arnova comes in three screen sizes – 7in, 8in and 10in – and all three models come with a choice of resistive or capacitive touchscreens depending on how much you’re willing to spend.

And it’s a cost-cutting ploy that works, too, as the entry-level resistive 7in Arnova has been tagged with a price tag of just €99 (£84).

The mid-range 8in model features a 4:3 aspect ratio screen, but also has 720p video playback on board, so you’ll need to put up with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen if you’re watching HD movies.

The 10in model, meanwhile, also has 720p playback, as well as a full-size USB connector for hooking up an external keyboard and mouse, or plugging in a USB storage device.

Unsurprisingly given the low price, it’s not Android Honeycomb doing duty on board, but rather the older Android 2.2 Froyo. And speaking of price, aside from the €99 base model, the 8in Arnova is priced from €149 (£127), while the cheaper resistive 10in option will set you back €199 (£169).