The Archos SmartPad is sort of a cross between a stereo system and an Android tablet. It runs Android 4.0 and features a 7 inch touchscreen display. But it’s not a tablet.
Instead, there are large speakers on the sides and a stand that make it look more like a funky clock radio than a tablet.
It’s also not quite as unique as I thought when I first learned about the SoundPad last week. It turns out the Archos may be slapping its name (and silver/gray color) on an existing product called the MA-107 Smart Box.
ArcTablet noticed that Wholesaler Sunsky is selling the MA-107 for less than $200 (with shipping), and you can also pick one up from PandaWill or AliExpress.
Since Archos is taking pre-orders in Europe for a little over $205, it doesn’t look like you’ll save much money by ordering an MA-107 instead. But the retail product listings do provide a few more details about the hardware.
The MA-107 Smart Box features a 1 GHz Rockchip RK2918 ARM Cortex-A8 processor with Vivante GC800 graphics. It has 512MB of RAM and 8GB of storage and runs Android 4.0.4.
It has a 1024 x 600 pixel TFT display with a capacitive touch panel and a 130 degree viewing angle, a 2MP front-facing camera, 802.11n WiFi, HDMI output, and an Ethernet jack. There’s also a mini USB port and a microSD card slot.
The MA-107 has a 2000mAh battery which is supposed to provide up to 5 hours of battery life — although I suspect this sort of machine is more likely to hang out on a desk, dresser, or kitchen counter and stay plugged into a wall than your average Android tablet.
Do you have to purchase codecs?
Ugh. Any chance this is a re-branded Archos and not the other way around? I think I just lost all interest in this device.