Archos Mines Two New 'Diamond' Smartphones With Better Than Expected Features

Following the success of its 50 Diamond smartphone, Archos unveiled two new devices in its Diamond product line.

Diamond 2 Plus

Although the phone is relatively inexpensive with an MSRP of $229, it packs in many features we would expect to see on a higher-end smartphone. The Diamond 2 Plus uses MediaTek’s Helio P10 SoC with a total of eight Cortex-A53 64-bit CPU cores, half of which are clocked at 2 GHz, with the other four limited to 1.2 GHz. The SoC also contains a Mali-T860MP2 GPU clocked at 700 MHz.

The Diamond 2 Plus is quite feature rich with 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage space and a 4G CAT 6 modem. The 5.5-inch display has a max resolution of 1920x1080, with a high pixel density of 400 ppi. Archos opted to use a 20MP Sony image sensor for the rear camera, which is capable of recording video at 1080p. The front camera also has a decent 8 MP resolution.

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Some of the more advanced features present on the phone include a fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking your phone and a USB Type-C connector that enables ultra-fast charging and data transfers.

Diamond 2 Note

The slightly higher performer of the two phones Archos announced is the Diamond 2 Note, but to keep the phone budget-friendly, Archos had to pull back on a few features compared to the Diamond 2 Plus. The Diamond 2 Note has less RAM and less storage space, and the rear camera has a lower resolution, but other aspects of the phone are actually better than some of the Diamond 2 Plus'.

Although the rear camera is limited to 16 MP, it is capable of recording video at 4K resolutions, whereas the Diamond 2 Plus can only record at 1080p. The display is better too, as it has a 6-inch borderless 2K screen.

Archos also opted to go with a more powerful MediaTek MT6795 (X10) SoC, with eight Cortex-A53 64-bit cores, all of which are capable of running at 2 GHz. The X10 SoC also has a more powerful PowerVR G6200 GPU. The Diamond 2 Note also loses the USB Type-C connector, though.

Both smartphones are scheduled to be released in May.

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Archos Diamond 2 Smartphones
Model Diamond 2 Plus Diamond 2 Note
OS Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
SoC MediaTek MT6755 (P10) MediaTek MT6795 (X10)
CPU 4 x Cortex-A53 64-bit Cores @ 2 GHz4 x Cortex-A53 64-bit Cores @ 1.2 GHz 8 x Cortex-A53 64-bit Cores @ 2 GHz
GPU Mali-T860MP2 700 MHz PowerVR G6200
Display 5.5-inch 1920x1080 (400 PPI) 6-inch 2560x1440 (490 PPI)
RAM 4 GB 3 GB
Storage Space 64 GB 32 GB
Rear Camera 20 MP Black (Sony) 16 MP PD-AF Fast Focus + Dual LED Flash / F2.0
Video recording Ability 1080p 3840x2160 30 Hz
Front Camera 8 MP 8 MP Wide Angle 84-Degrees BSI Sensor F2.2
Modem 4G CAT 6 (300/50 Mbps) 4G Cat 4 (150/50 Mbps)
LTE Frequencies 800/1800/2600 MHz 800/1800/2600 MHz
GSM/GPRS/EDGE Frequencies 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Battery Li-ion 3000 mAh 3610 mAh
Dimensions (L x W x H) 148.3 x 73.8 x 8.3 mm 158.35 x 82.7 x 8.7 mm
Weight 130 g 150 g
Special  Features Fingerprint, Fast Charger, Micro USB Type-C Remote Control, Smart PA (Sound Amplification Support) Fast Charge
MSRP $229 $269

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Michael Justin Allen Sexton is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He covers hardware component news, specializing in CPUs and motherboards.