Archos 101 G9

[Updated 19/03/2012]: This update to the Archos 101 G9 review addresses the recent switch to the Android 4.0 operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. Prior to the switch, the Archos 101 G9’s OS, Android 3.2 Honeycomb, tended to slow down internal navigation and generally complicate things for the device, which had insufficient RAM to properly handle Honeycomb. Has this improved since the switch to ICS? This update also affects the Archos 80 G9, which is the same as the 101 in everything except screen size. It is worth noting, however, that we did find slightly fewer latency issues on the 101 G9 than on the 80 G9. For our take on the Ice Cream Sandwich switch for the 101 G9, please refer to the 80 G9 review.

Archos - still leader for Android tablets - is beginning to release its much-anticipated new generation with the 101 G9, a 10.1-inch running on Android Honeycomb 3.2. Archos had announced that the 9 generation would mark a technical turning point, with the use of components that were at least on a par with the competition while still maintaining its competitive pricing policy of bringing its tablets in at 30 to 40% cheaper than the competition (in the Android OS camp).


However, although Archos had promised a last cry, dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, TI's production delays on mass production of the new chip and the fact that Archos was unwilling to push back its own release date, meant that the go-ahead was given for a model clocked at 1 GHz, with another model coming out at the end of the autumn which will have a 1.5 Ghz processor (and cost around £40 more).

Except that now, the official G9 page is talking a 1.2 GHz model with availability of the 1.5 GHz version now slated for the beginning of 2012. It looks very much as if the release of Archos products remains problematic...

All the same, the 101 G9 has nothing to be ashamed of in comparison with the supposed stars of the high-end tablet offer. Apart from the dual-core 1 GHz processor, there's 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, a micro SD slot to extend the storage capacity, a micro USB port, a mini-HDMI out and a 3.5 mm headphones socket. Under a cover at the back, you'll also find the USB slot for the optional 3G key.
There's been a little revolution in terms of the screen too, at least on this model, with Archos going for an MVA panel instead of a TN. This doesn't necessarily mean you'll get mind blowing quality but at least the viewing angles are wider.

The Archos 101 G9 tablet is on sale for around £230. A 16 GB version is also on the market for an extra £30. A model with a hard drive will be launched before the end of October 2011, with a capacity of 250 GB for £285.

Note also that Archos will be milking those users who want to use 3G - £45 for your unlocked key with 48 hours of unlimited mobile Internet. After that it's over to you to buy your hours from your provider. You can also slot your own mobile SIM in (except if you have an iPhone 4 with a micro SIM).

Design & Handling

Archos has put in some work on the design of this new generation. From the slimline, aluminium and plastic of the Internet Tablets it has moved to a more substantial, all-plastic look, more along the lines of the Arnova (entry-level special). This makes for a tablet that is at least consistent in terms of its use of materials. It's just a shame that it's plastic and very poor quality plastic at that.

Although the upper and lower borders are thin, the side borders are a good deal wider and make the 101 G9 one of the widest 10.1-inch tablets on the market. The product weighs almost 650 grammes and the weight is well distributed, making the G9 nicely balanced and a pleasure to handle.

At the back (and nobody else has yet stolen this neat idea from Archos) you'll find the Archos prop. It allows you to put the tablet pretty much anywhere and enjoy your videos, ebooks or the Internet. It's great for train and plane trips and you won't need to strain your wrists holding it up! Once again, it's a shame that the crutch is also in plastic as this is sure to affect its solidity.

While the 3G key is perfectly moulded into the shape of the tablet, it's a real nightmare getting it to slide in. You'll really have to work it!

Once it's in however, you won't notice it anymore, which is after all the main thing. As for compatibility with computers, the key is installed automatically on both PC and Mac. You'll also have to choose which network to link the SIM up to to get connected.
 

Note that standard usage of the tablet with the 3G key quickly puts a strain on the casing joints - you'll hear a bit of creaking! Once again, Archos has disappointed us slightly with the quality of the finish. Several details, such as the positioning of the speakers (see below) or the volume control button (which falls ineluctably under your right hand) remain somewhat annoying.

Moreover, the 101 G9 is one of the worst tablets when it comes to temperature - the left side, where the battery is, heats up a good deal.

Screen

We can only congratulate Archos for moving over to MVA panels in place of the TN screens of the past - decent viewing angles at last! However does this give us the sort of image quality you get on high-end tablets? Definitely not. With an average contrast ratio of 291:1, the 101 G9 does even worse than the 101 IT!
When it comes to viewing angles, they aren't as good as on IPS (Apple iPad / iPad2, Asus Transformer / Slider, Motorola Xoom or Sony S), PLS (Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1), or even PVA models (Acer Iconia Tab A500 and Packard Bell Liberty Tab). Nevertheless, they're good enough and much more open than on the old Archos models.

The colour accuracy is poor, with an average delta E of 9.6 (0 represents perfect accuracy). Only the cyan is accurate, while the other colours are out of hand.
The brightness is lower than average, with a maximum of 260 cd/m².
All these results combined don't make the 101 G9 the best tablet for outside usage.
The average ghosting is 32 ms, making the readings rather TN-like overall.

Interface & Navigation

Archos has hardly changed anything on the Google tablet OS, with Honeycomb appearing in its standard state with its nice dynamic widgets - still as few as ever - and five desktops with 3D scrolling panels. The only graphical additions from Archos are the video and audio player widgets, which are displayed in the form of carousels (album covers or thumbnails) - you can set the scrolling direction.


There are the various in-house media players, then, an application to turn the tablet into a photo frame, a 3G connection manager and a relay for the Archos Remote application (for controlling Archos products using your mobile).
The settings menu has been rearranged slightly to create a data management area: deletion of all or part, repair, formatting...


Navigation within the OS is definitely not the most fluid on the market. The fact that there's only 512 MB of RAM definitely plays a part. The two most fluid Honeycomb tablets, which are the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Sony Tablet S (particularly good), both have 1 GB of RAM. You'll have to take care not to do too much multitasking. Using the mini-HDMI doesn't pose a problem however and the tablet's level of performance isn't affected, unlike on the old generation.


When it comes to the 3G connection, you have to wait a minute or two to establish your connection. You can switch it on in the settings menu or the rapid menu on the desktop. Generally speaking the network connection is satisfactory. Archos advises you to pull the key slightly out of its slot to get optimum reception and has even designed a notch to this effect. In practice, we hardly ever needed to resort to this technique.

Multimedia

Mobile Internet on Android 3.x tablets is pretty good on the whole. The 1 GHz OMAP 4 processor doesn't perform any miracles but is on the right side of average compared with what's on the market right now. It loads pages fast enough. Note however that when several tabs with high Flash content are open at the same time, the tablet struggles somewhat.
Playback is nice and precise, whether in portrait or landscape mode. The zoom is effective but not as fluid or responsive as those on the Sony, Samsung or even Asus tablets.

As usual, the video playback software is the real plus on this Archos product. Along with Samsung, Archos is alone in offering a veritable all-round media player, or almost. To gain access to any format whatsoever, you need to pay a small some (£12) to download the film plug-in, the AC3 audio format being particularly widespread in the world of digitalised video.

For the rest, the 101 G9 supports a whole host of video, audio and photo formats: MPEG4, MPEG4 HD, H.264 (up to 1080p high profile), AVI, MP4, MOV, 3GP, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, MKV, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, MP3, OGG, FLAC, WAV, AAC, JPEG, GIF, BMP. The processor does well, even with HD 1080p (film and HD video from camcorders). There's sometimes the odd hitch on big files but that's all.

The audio section won't go down in history. It's certainly powerful but there's a lack of detail and the so-called "bass" sounds depend on the vibration of the casing for their effect! The speakers, previously at the front, are now at the back and are often covered by your hands as a result.

Listening through headphones doesn't work out much better, although the raw power of the various outs may be enough to convince a good number of users.

When it comes to the camera, you only get a 1.3 megapixel webcam sensor. While nothing to write home about, the results are better than on the old Internet Tablet generation.

Battery life

Archos had announced better battery life and things have certainly improved on this score. The 101 G9 gives 5h15 of video playback time. If you turn the wi-fi off, it'll give you an extra twenty five minutes.
During mixed usage (Internet, video, games, editing, downloads), expect about the same. As is often the case on products at this level, the standby mode is disappointing with a 20 to 25% drop in energy after a handful of hours of inactivity.

Note, Archos haven't included a brightness sensor on the front of the tablet. This is a mistake, both on the design side and when it comes to battery life, especially as there's plenty of space for it This means you have to go into the settings menu to change it, which is obviously a bit laborious and you'll find that the battery life is seriously affected if you leave the panel on maximum brightness all the time.

Using the 3G key also uses a lot of energy, both for accessing the network and powering the key itself.