ARCHOS, a French company popular for its budget-friendly smartphones, has announced the 50 Cesium handset which comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Mobile (via Windows Central), alongside the Android-based ARCHOS 50e Helium. The handset is expected to launch in November carrying an extremely affordable £99 price tag. The CEO of ARCHOS, Loic Poirier, complimented both Windows and Android while discussing the hardware announcement
“By providing a choice between two almost identical hardware models, we allow the customer to focus on what they like on the inside: the user interface. Android and Windows are both fantastic and provide varied software experiences.”
The ARCHOS 50 Cesium isn’t a high-end device by any means, rather a budget-friendly offering. The device boasts a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1,280 by 720 pixels. The processing power comes from a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor clocked at 1.1GHz. The device also features 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage coupled with a microSD card slot which supports up to 32GB of memory.
Other notable features includes an 8MP camera for photos and videos, 2 MP front-facing camera, a 2100 mAh battery, dual-SIM support, 4G LTE connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Ready, 3.5mm audio jack and shipping with Windows 10 Mobile.
Microsoft has already released the Windows 10 operating system, but its mobile version, Windows 10 Mobile, is still a few months away. The operating system is currently available in preview form for Windows Insiders to try out and provide feedback. The announced November release of the ARCHOS 50 Cesium lines up well with what’s been reported regarding the release date of Windows 10 Mobile.
The French company didn’t reveal an exact availability date for the handsets except that it will go on sale in November carrying a £99 price tag. There’s no word if it will make its debut in other global markets or not. Users interested in trying out the handsets will be able to try them at IFA 2015 in Berlin, starting September 4th, 2015.
