Archos 64 Xenon phablet ready for launch at MWC
Archos is preparing to launch its first true phablet handset at next week's Mobile World Congress show
Not content to arrive at next week’s Mobile World Congress show with ‘just’ its fastest smartphone to date and one of the cheapest 4G tablets ever, Archos will also be introducing a new phablet handset: the 6.4in 64 Xenon.
That giant 6.4in display has a 1,280×720 resolution IPS panel underneath for expanded viewing angles. Underneath, a Mediatek MT6582 quad-core processor runs at 1.3GHz and is paired with 1GB of RAM. A Mali 400MP2 GPU should be able to manage 3D gaming. Archos has sensibly paired the huge screen with an equally large battery; the 2,800mAh capacity cell should be able to keep the phone in juice for at least a day between charges.
At the rear, it has the same backside illuminated (BSI) 8-megapixel camera sensor as the 50c Oxygen smartphone, with autofocus and LED flash for low-light shooting. It will also be capable of 1080p video recording, while a 2-megapixel front webcam is available for video chat. Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi and A-GPS positioning will also be included.
Out of the box the 64 Xenon will run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, but Archos hasn’t said whether customers can expect a swift upgrade to 4.4 KitKat. The company never skins its smartphones and tablets with a custom user interface, which will hopefully speed up the upgrade process.
Archos expects the 64 Xenon to go on sale in the UK from £199.99, but has yet to confirm an exact release date. We’ll be sure to ask around at MWC next week to see when we can expect it to arrive.
