Archos Puts Android On A TabletArchos Puts Android On A Tablet

Google's open source Android operating system is currently only available in the T-Mobile G1, but many companies are expected to release handsets this year. Archos will be one of those companies, as it said Monday it would be bringing out an Android-powered tablet that could handle a user's communication and entertainment needs.

While there is no official product name yet, Archos said it will be combining Android's telephony stack with its own multimedia framework from its line of portable media players. There will be a high-resolution 5-inch touch screen that will have full-width page viewing and high-definition playback. The device will probably have a similar design to its current line of Internet media tablets, but the Android-powered version will only be 0.39 inches thick.

The tablet will have Texas Instruments' OMAP 3440 processor based on the ARM Cortex microprocessor, which the companies said will provide "laptop-like performance." The Android-powered tablet will be able to connect via Wi-Fi or through a 3G data network. It's expected to have a full HTML browser that has Flash and Flash Video support, even for full-screen video.

"Support for an Android-based device represents a historical opportunity for Archos to combine all the best of our Internet media tablets with a phone in a single device delivering high-quality video and a full Web experience in true mobility," said Henri Crohas, CEO of Archos, in a statement.

The Android tablet should be a strong multimedia machine that's capable of playing various audio and video codecs. The device will be able to record television shows when hooked up, and it will have up to 500 GB of storage. Archos said the battery life will be robust and will be capable of 7 hours of video playback.

Archos said it will release the Android-powered device in the third quarter of this year, but there's no word on pricing or regional availability.