Over the past few years, budget-minded smartphones have become a lot better, and for the average user these devices do the majority of what they want them to do, at a fraction of the cost. One brand, from France, that has been selling quality budget-minded devices for a long, long time is introducing a handful of new devices this week during IFA 2016. The new 50 Saphir is a device that costs just €199 which comes with some pretty respectable specs for something of that price, as well as a rugged build that ensures the device won’t crumble like all the rest, and it’s also water-resistant as well.
Under-the-hood of the 50 Saphir packs a MediaTek MT6737 clocked up to 1.5 Ghz and also features 2GB of RAM as well as 16GB of onboard storage. Keeping the show running is Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and is often the case with Archos, the 50 Saphir will ship with a near-stock build of Android, albeit with a few custom apps thrown in. As for the rugged look and feel of this new device, Archos has achieved an IP68 rating for the 50 Saphir, which guarantees that the device will survive submersion up to 1 Meter for as long as 30-minutes, which is similar to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 7 lines of devices. In the images provided by Archos, as well as the overall look and feel, users would think that this is a device that can take a beating, and they’d be right, but the French firm is only guaranteeing it to survive drops from 1 Meter, or a little over three feet. While this isn’t a great specification listing on its own, this could be more Archos covering their back than anything else as the device does look capable of handling itself in the majority of situations.
Another major feature here is the sizeable 5,000 mAh battery that Archos has crammed in here, which is presumably why the device is almost 14mm thick. This is a large battery, and while Archos say it should last two days or so on a single charge, some users might be able to get more out of it if they turn it off overnight, for example. Coupled with a lower-resolution 720p display that’s 5.0-inches in size, the 50 Saphir should sip away at power, and with such a large reserve, should certainly offer those demanding users some good longevity when away from the charger.
For just €199, which is roughly $220, Archos have a compelling smartphone on their hands here. The French brand will be releasing the 50 Saphir sometime in October, and while it will be readily available in Europe, getting a hold of it in the US or further afield might prove a little tricky.
