Archos unveils new Platinum line of tablets with high-res display and quad-core CPU

Archos may not be a main competitor in the tablet marketplace, but they're doing whatever they can to become more relevant. Case in point: the company just outed three new tablets, all of which come with Retina-quality, high-resolution IPS displays and quad-core processors. The tablets come in 8-inch, 9.7-inch, and 11.6-inch flavors.

Archos is calling these tablets the Platinum line, and the company says that they "are amongst the first Android tablets to offer a super high resolution IPS screen combined with the performance of a Quad-Core CPU." The tablets come with a 1.2 GHz quad-core chip, 2GB of RAM, front and rear cameras, microSD card slot, HDMI-out, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean to run the show.

However, not all three of these tablets quite match the pixel density of the full-size iPad. The 8-inch Platinum rocks a 1024x768 resolution, the 11.6-inch model has a 1920x1080 resolution, and the 9.7-inch variant has 2048x1536 resolution, which is right on par with the iPad's own Retina display — no more, no less.

Of course, this isn't the first high-resolution tablet that Archos has put together. Back in December, the company outed the 97 Titanium HD, which comes with a 9.7-inch screen with a 2048x1536 resolution. However, that model only had a measly dual-core on the inside, while the new Platinum slates are rocking quad-core chips.

The Archos 80 Platinum will begin shipping later this month for $199, while the 97 Platinum HD will be available around the same time for $299. The larger 116 Platinum will begin shipping in April at a cost $349. These tablets are definitely less expensive than competing tablets, so it'll be interesting to see how they hold up against the competition.