GadgetGeek – Archos 5g – Better than the iPhone ?
Sunday, December 28th, 2008
As we move into 2009, I see the battle for the best mobile internet and mobile media device will continue to develop. Here are some of my thoughts on a couple of the leaders.
In the past couple of months Archos have released their 5 series of PMP’s (Portable Media Players). They are calling them ‘Internet Media Tablets’ due to their wi-fi integration and built in internet browser. They are marketing a few standard machines with storage ranging from 60 to 250GB. These all allow video, picture and music storage – all pretty standard stuff. What appeals in this new range is the 5g version. This is due out sometime in the next couple of months and integrates 3G (HSDPA) capability. This is nothing new, but at present there are not a lot of portable devices out there (apart from phones) that have this built in. We are seeing a few netbooks starting to build this in and it is something that I expect all similar devices to have as standard in the next year or two. We are seeing most (if not all) mobile phone manufacturers selling internet SIM cards wrapped in a USB stick. While great for mobile computing, you do need a computer and it does stick out ready to be knocked off. The beauty of inbuilt 3G is that these machines have the SIM card slot hidden away inside and when you turn them on, you can be online straight away. The Archos5g is small and portable and allows quick portable access to all your media and the internet. It does suffer with only having 30 GB of storage, but if you only keep your favorite stuff on it, it should be more than enough.
Now comparing to the iPhone. Clearly the Archos 5g is not a phone and hence this is not an exact comparison. However, I’m looking at both machines as quick, portable internet access devices. They both do music, video, pictures and games, so not a great deal to take either way on these abilities. Now the differences depend on what you want from a device. The iPhone is smaller and lighter, but the Archos has abigger screen (4.8″ vs 3.5″). If you are looking for a portable easy way to access the internet then the bigger screen is going to be a big bonus.
For me the Archos sits between the iPhone and a netbook. It is aimed at the person who likes the iPhone but wants that ‘bigger’ internet experience without having to carry a laptop or notebook and USB stick. That person is me, so I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on one and having a good play.
If I’m convinced and I do buy one, I will give you a full review.
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So, we are really comparing this with the iPod Touch? That would be the iPhone minus the phone :)
The problem with the iPod Touch is that it can’t access the internet unless you have a wi-fi hot spot, so it’s not the perfect ‘anywhere’ internet option. If you already have a phone and are in the market for a small device for mobile internet browsing, these are probably the best two options.
So wait, can the 5g access the internet without a wi-fi hotspot? Because it still seems to me that the wifi-only iPod Touch, and what I assume to be wifi only 5g are still a better comparison than the iPhone.
The 5g has a SIM card slot and hence can access the internet through the 3G network. At present there are not many non phone gadgets that can do this.
Interesting. Is this a monthly fee? Or free? Or how does that work? It sounds like the device you can get for laptops to access the internet, which is generally vastly overpriced.
Yes, you do need a monthly contract SIM card to use this. These can be expensive depending upon what phone contract you have. For example in the UK an iPhone contract (with unlimited internet) starts at £35/month. I have a phone contract at £20/month (no internet) and an internet SIM account at £15/month. So, it’s the same price, but I can also use by internet SIM on my laptop as well as phone.
what about a prepaid sim card? would that work?
I have bought two of archos’ amazing little devices. I first had the AV500, but that broke after I dropped it a bit too many times. :(
After that I decided to go with the Archos 604 wifi.
They are both awesome little devices. They play most types of music and video files and have a built in speaker. The speaker is pretty crappy though. The sound quality is poor and it’s often drowned out by your surroundings.
Mine both came with cases/protective sleeves but for the AV500 you couldn’t have it in the case while the headphones were plugged in. As for the 605, it’s sleeve was way too loose and it would often just slip right out.
Besides those two flaws these two Archos devices that I’ve had were definitely worth my money.
There is no phone greater than the iPhone, period
lol who was talking about phones? yes I agree the iphone is a better ‘phone’ than the archos 5g… noob
I have also had 2 Archos devices, most recently the 605 WiFi, which I have dropped a few times & now the WiFi is broken. With the new Archos 5g regarding the sim card slot, I have a vodaphone sim card for my internet, can I just stick it in the Archos slot & start browsing?
Yes, provided the software is compatible (and there is no reason it shouldn’t be).
Well, I went and got the 5g – the bloody thing does not work !!
After lots of contact with Support, they finally confirm it’s faulty. I’ll now have to wait for a repair.
My first purchase from Archos is not going well !
Hi,
Any update on your 5G experience?
I’m toying with the idea of getting one, but not sure whether or not the 3G aspect is worthe the extra – what, realistically would you use it for, other than browsing?
Can it stream video (e.g. youtube)? Will it play BBC iPlayer?
Cheers