First look at the Archos 70b IT (TI OMAP 3 1.2 Ghz, 512 MB RAM, Android 3.2)

The Archos 70b Internet Tablet (IT), a product refresh of the Archos 70 IT was demoed at the CES 2012 and is now hitting the market. It is available on Archos Store and should selling at major retailers in the coming days. The Archos 70b IT has a TI OMAP 3 processor is clocked at 1.2 GHz, 512 MB RAM, a 7 inches capacitive screen offering 1024×600 pixels resolution and is updated to run Android 3.1 Honeycomb.

When looking at the tablet casing, there does not seem to be notable difference between the 70 IT and the 70b IT, we just noted the power connector has disparead, the tablet is now being charged thru the USB connector

Archos_70IT_vs_70b_back_IMG_20120120_141412

Operating system

Like all the Archos Gen8 devices, the Archos 70b IT was initially released with Android 2.2 Froyo.
Thanks to the 512 Mb of RAM, it can also run Android 3 Honeycomb.
Archos currently supplies both firmwares in Android 2.2 Froyo and Android 3.21 (Honeycomb)

The Froyo firmware does not contain any Android Market, that can still be installed thru ArcTools application.
When Android 3.21 firmware is installed, the device gets access to Android Market.

Performance

Thanks to Jbmm.fr we have some benchmark information on the tablet.

	Archos 70b Internet Tablet 1.2 GHz	Archos 70 Internet Tablet 1 GHz
Product	G8A70IT2	A70S
CPU GPU	TI OMAP 3630 es1.2 PowerVR SGX530 1024 x 600 pixels	TI OMAP 3630 es1.1 PowerVR SGX530 800 x 480 pixels
Firmware	3.2.79	2.4.81
CPU Cores	1
RAM	512 Mo	256 Mo
Android	3.2.1	2.2.1
NenaMark2 (fps) Different screen resolution !	13.3	17.7 (nenamark1)
GPUBench	Absolute 19989 Relative 15246	Absolute 20288 Relative 14498
Quadrant	1119	1254
CF-Bench	Native score: 4065 Java score: 1426 Overall score: 2442	Native score: 2741 Java score: 961 Overall score: 1673
Vellamo	639	348
Antutu	2766	2334
Multipoint	2 Points

ARCHOS 70b Internet Tablet 8 Gb Android Honeycomb	HMV UK	"3-5 days"	£ 249
	AMAZON USA	Usually ships in 24 hours	$ 159.62
	AMAZON UK	Usually dispatched within 24 hours	£ 161.57
	AMAZON DE	Gewöhnlich versandfertig in 24 Stunden	202.91 EUR
	AMAZON FR	Habituellement expédié sous 24 h	173.81 EUR
	FNAC FR	En Stock	149.87 EUR

Full device specifications

Tech Specs
Capacity	* 8 GB* Flash Memory + Micro SD Slot (SDHC compatible)
Display characteristics	* High resolution screen,(WSVGA) 1024 x 600 pixel, TFT LCD, 16 million colors * 7â€ Capacitive multitouch screen
Application Framework	* Androidâ„¢ 3.2 Honeycomb
Processor	* ARM cortex A8 1.2 GHz * DSP * 3D Open GL (ES 2.0)
Video Playback¹	* MPEG-4² HD (up to 720p, 30 fps@6Mbps) * MPEG-4² (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution, 30 fps@8Mbps) * H.264 HD (HP@L3.1 up to 720p, 30 fps@5Mbps) * M-JPEG (Motion JPEG Video) in VGA resolution With optional plug-in (downloadable on www.archos.com): * Cinema: MPEG-2 (up to DVD resolution MP/D1, 30 fps@10 Mbps)/ AC3 for videos using AC3 audio codec With the above codecs, the device can play video files with the following extensions: AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF
Audio Playback¹	* MP3 CBR & VBR * WAV (PCM/ADPCM) * AAC, AAC+ 5.1³ * OGG Vorbis * FLAC With optional software plug-in: * AC3 5.1
Photo viewer⁴	* JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Subtitles	* srt, .ssa, .smi, .sub formats supported
Frontcam	Yes
Interfaces	* USB slave 2.0: Mobile Transfer Protocol (MTP) * Micro SD (SDHC compatible) * USB Host: Mass Storage Class (MSC) (adapter micro B/A sold separately) * HDMI output⁵ (Mini HDMI / HDMI cable sold separately)
Communication protocols	* WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) * Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR
Miscellaneous	* Built-in speakers * G-sensor * Built-in leg stand * Built-in Microphone
Power source	* Internal: Lithium Polymer battery * External: Power adapter/charger
Scalability⁶	* Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated * Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com
Dimensions & weight	* 201 mm x 115 mm x 11.5 mm â€“ (7.91â€ x 4.52â€ x 0.46â€) * 330 g (11.2 oz)
Minimum system requirements	* MicrosoftÂ® WindowsÂ® 7, Vista, XP, or higher and Windows Media Player 11 * Mac OS. X with Transfer Files application (not included) * Linux with android MTP tool (not included) * USB 2.0 interface
Package includes	* ARCHOS 70b internet tablet, USB cable, USB Power adapter, Quick Start Guide (QSG), legal and safety notice.
* 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity is less. 1/ Certain bitrates, resolutions, and/or file variations may not be compatible. 2/ MPEG-4 ASP@L5 AVI (MPEG-4: ISO standard by Moving Picture Experts Group; AVI: audio/video file container by Microsoft) without GMC and Quarter. 3/ Does not read AAC protected files. 4/ Certain resolutions and file sizes may not be compatible. 5/ External video output disabled for MacrovisionÂ®-protected contents. 6/ Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Test run with low backlight. 7/ Fetches data from TMDb. 8/ Available in Android Market, AppsLib and downloadable from Archos.com.

Pictures Jbmm.fr

ARCHOS 70b Internet Tablet 8 Gb Android Honeycomb	HMV UK	“3-5 days”	£ 249
	AMAZON USA	Usually ships in 24 hours	$ 159.62
	AMAZON UK	Usually dispatched within 24 hours	£ 161.57
	AMAZON DE	Gewöhnlich versandfertig in 24 Stunden	202.91 EUR
	AMAZON FR	Habituellement expédié sous 24 h	173.81 EUR
	FNAC FR	En Stock	149.87 EUR