Archos 5 Internet Tablet

Connections, Battery Life and Heat

The 802.11b/g/n wireless radio showed two out of three bars when we were up to 50 feet away from our access point, which is good. The Archos 5 also comes with Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, and allows tethering to phones with data plans so you can get connectivity when you’re out of Wi-Fi range; an app assists users in connecting to the Internet via cell phone.

The rated battery life for music and video playback is up to 22 and 7 hours, respectively. That trails media players like the Zune HD (33 and 8.5 hours) and iPod touch (30 and 6 hours). Plus, with all of the available services and apps, the battery can sometimes drain very quickly. While using the tablet periodically to surf the Web, check Twitter, watch downloaded and streamed videos, and listen to music, we found that the tablet lasted around 4 hours with Wi-Fi turned on. This beats the Clarion MiND’s 1.5 hours, but still trails when compared to some other MIDs, like the Viliv S5 (6:49).

Like a smart phone, this tablet continues to search for connections, run apps, and access data even when the screen is off. When connected to Wi-Fi, apps such as twidroid and e-mail checked for updates every few minutes, even in suspend mode.

After 20 minutes of constant use, the Archos 5’s underside became very warm. The temperature measured between 90 and 100 degrees on the bottom left side of the device (near the USB port), which was uncomfortable.

Verdict

We like the Archos 5 Internet Tablet’s wide array of features and the fact that you can access a growing array of Android apps. As a media device, it offers more screen size than its closest competitors, and a decent array of content options. However, we wouldn’t recommend this gadget as a GPS navigator or gaming device. If you’re willing to live with these drawbacks, the Archos 5’s excellent display, media playback, and surfing speed will satisfy.