Archos to Launch 4G Phones and Smartwatches at CES 2014

French phone maker Archos has announced that its first 4G handsets, the 45 and 50 Helium, will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week. Both devices will run on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and feature a quad-core 1.4 GHz processor.

Las Vegas: The smartwatch and 4G Phone will be capable of transferring speeds at up to 150 Mbps using a 4G/LTE network, and will also offer Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. They support Micro SD card for easy memory expansion and can supports a variety of multimedia files including MP3, WAV, JPEG, GIF and PNG. They also offer full access to Google Play Store.

The Archos 50 Helium has a 5-inch HD 1280×730 screen, 8GB of internal storage that can be expanded using a microSD card. It is packed with an 8MP rear camera as well as a 2 MP one on the front. It has a 2000 mAh battery and costs 229.99. The Archos 45 Helium 4G features a 4.5-inch 854×480 resolution display complete with IPS, 4GB of internal storage that is also expandable with a microSD card. It has a 5 MP rear camera and there is a VGS snapper on the front with power provided by a 1700mAh battery and costs 189.99.

Archos claims that the launch of the 45 and 50 Helium 4G phones address the growth in global 4G network availability and the increasing global demand for affordable mobile technology.

Earlier this week, Archos also announced that it would be unveiling a selection of low-cost smartwatches and fitness bands at CES, as part of a new push into ‘connected objects for home and self’. The smartwatches will feature a Pebble-like design, be compatible with both iOS and Android devices, and start at under 50.

Other connected objects in Archos’ forthcoming portfolio include a weather station – which provides both indoor and outdoor information including CO2 levels, humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure and environmental noise levels – and a Smart Home App, that lets users control their home environment from anywhere in the world.

“Mobile devices have become the center of our life and our demand for instant access to information creates the need for even more interconnectivity,” says Loic Poirier, chief executive of Archos. “Archos’ new lineup of connected objects exemplifies the ability to share and access information and represents our vision of creating a universe where all devices complement and work together.”