Several years ago, we broke the news that French portable media player peddler Archos was working on an Android smartphone. That never went on sale, but it has emerged in another form today: as a home phone running Google’s OS. Oh yeah, and there’s a mental web radio to go with it, that looks like a right Chumby basher.
The Archos Smart Phone will plug in like any regular home DECT phone, but just so happens to have a touchscreen you can muck around with, and Android for running apps. It’ll give you photo ID for when people call you, and will allow for video calls – Archos says the front facing camera can also be used for CCTV and baby monitoring.
The Archos 35 Home Phone is on sale in September for £119, though it is unlikely to support Google’s own apps, such as the Android Market and Gmail.
The same is true of the Archos 35 Home Connect,a Wi-Fi connected device that’s designed toi show web content, tune into internet radio stations, and also carry out video calls. Yes, it’s a French Chumby.
It’s also on sale in September, priced at £119, though if it’s a choice between a small box and Archos’ impressive sounding Honeycomb tablets, we know which we’d choose.
