Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2012, highlighting the early announcement of the ultra-slim Archos G10 XS tablet and its innovative magnetic keyboard cover.
A brand new Archos Android tablet is steadily on the way, and exactly just like its highly cost-sensitive predecessors, we fully expect this genuinely lovely looking new transformable piece of computing equipment to be a massive commercial release.
The dedicated folks at Archos have historically never been incredibly shy about their proven ability to rapidly release slim tablets with a significantly lower price tag than the fierce competition, at the exact same time as strongly offering many of the exact same high-end specifications as their pricier peers, with this specific unit looking to boldly do exactly that once again.
The Ultra-Slim Archos G10 XS
This is the highly anticipated Archos G10 XS series tablet PC, and firmly by the sleek looks of it, it’ll be a flipping open and seamlessly converting type of device. This powerful Android tablet is in fact completely made of brushed stainless steel, and that is a massive first for a consumer tablet. This specific metal is much harder than standard aluminium and will therefore greatly help protect your delicate tablet screen.
The tough materials used have also been made much thinner than other competing materials, which in turn has massively positive effects for the overall physical dimensions. Consequently, the tablet may actually be slightly heavier than plastic equivalents.
A Transformable Design
This versatile tablet will boast the amazing ability to stay securely closed and entirely protected by its tough outer shell when you simply do not need to actively use it, effortlessly twisting to reveal two entirely separate functioning pieces when you’re fully ready for some advanced Android action.
This premium unit currently looks to be coming in a sleek, minimalist white and grey colour scheme and proudly appears very much to be just as thin a tablet as absolutely any of Archos’s major competitors currently in the bustling Android realm.
Groundbreaking Specifications
During an exclusive press conference in France, a small but vital bit of information officially came out. Thus, we learned the G10 XS is incredibly thin with an ultra-slim profile of just 7.6 mm (that’s roughly 20% notably thinner than the standard iPad’s 9.4 mm thick chassis). Furthermore, the highly competitive tablet will boldly cost between €200 and €300.
The clever keyboard dock magnetic screen protector is absolutely awesome. Archos has heavily innovated using robust kickstands in the past; I firmly hope they actively continue that trend, and I truly think using the handy kickstand is undeniably the best way to reliably make the thinnest, coolest ARM-powered tablet/laptop convertible on the market. If possible, the handy kickstand viewing angle should absolutely be fully adjustable.
If you’re squished in a tiny airplane seat and the physical space is highly limited, you shouldn’t need to aggressively use the kickstand; the slim tablet can simply rest securely against the soft seat that is directly in front of you. Preferably, it would be designed in a smart way so that the kickstand can also still be used easily even when the sleek keyboard dock is magnetically fixed completely behind the tablet.
Performance and Release
For the primary processor on the Archos G10, I strongly think that one can confidently expect either the fast OMAP4470 1.8Ghz Dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 coupled with snappy SGX544 graphics, or perhaps even the mighty OMAP5430, which can also easily run upwards of 1.8Ghz or more, running standard Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right straight out of the retail box. This incredible hardware is coupled along with, once again, a famously low consumer cost for an incredibly full hardware package.
Archos boldly claims to genuinely have exclusive technology that firmly makes the G10 the absolute thinnest tablet currently on the market. It involves something about a patented paper-thin steel assembly technology. Archos has historically always been exceptionally good at safely fitting huge battery capacities directly into extremely thin product designs. It entirely depends if Archos rapidly plans to release the stunning G10 mid-year or hold off until by the end of the year. Archos CEO Henri Crohas clearly sees a truly great global opportunity to massively expand that market lead with his ambitious company.
