Archos 5 Android Internet Tablet Review: Disappointing

I wasn’t too impressed when I took a look at the Archos 5 and the guys at T3 are of the same mindset. The Archos 5 is good as a PMP, but Android “concept just doesn’t add up”.

The hardware on the Archos 5 is “well built” and “very pocketable,” says T3. But it really comes down to the fact that the Archos 5 uses a mobile operating system, but doesn’t have the ingredients of a mobile phone, including 3G. They were able to tether a phone to the device, but we all know that’s usually more annoying than screaming kids on an aeroplane.

The second major downer is the missing Marketplace. Because it doesn’t have a camera or compass, Google wouldn’t approve it being included and Archos had to come up with its very own App Labs. While it comes with a few preloaded applications (including Twitroid, ebuddy and Craigsphone), it just doesn’t have the same volume as the official Android store. Good news for Archos is that they should be able to fix these two major issues with the phone they have planned to release in early 2010. [T3]