MWC 2018 was full of mobile-related products and announcements although one of the more novel ones came from ARCHOS with its Citee Connect. As this is one of those products that is not only mobile in the sense it connects to a mobile smartphone, but also in the sense that it is actually a form of mobility. As the ARCHOS Citee Connect is actually a scooter.
Technically speaking, it is less of a product that connects to a smartphone (although it can as there is a dedicated and compatible Android app), than one which comes equipped with its own smartphone. Or at least that is the idea. As the ARCHOS Citee Connect boasts a display along with all of the main features you would expect from a smartphone. In other words, the ARCHOS Citee Connect is an Android-powered scooter. On passing, though, you might be forgiven for not really noticing this, as the ARCHOS Citee Connect does look like a typical scooter. That is until you take a closer look at the handlebars as here is where the smartphone-like aspect comes into play. One of the most obvious deviations from a standard Android phone is the depth of the box the phone is housed within. As needless to say, this phone has been designed to be protected from any falls or bangs the scooter might encounter and this has resulted in the display having been encased within a deeply recessed box.
The main display comes in at 5-inches and is said to sport a HD resolution. According to ARCHOS, hidden beneath the display is 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, and a quad-core processor. The operating system in play is Android 8.0 (Oreo) and a 3G connection has also been included to further heighten the experience. While there are multiple benefits to having a display on the handlebars, the most obvious one is the use of Google Maps for navigation. With the screen the size it is, its use as a turn-by-turn display is ideal for the size of the bike. As you can see from the image above, it does also allow control of various other features, such as music playback and calls. It is also worth noting the scooter has been designed with security in mind. Specifically, this scooter comes equipped with its own reel lock included which is master controlled by an app on the master display. Something which the company states make the ARCHOS Citee Connect secure enough to park and leave anywhere.
For scooter-enthusiasts, the ARCHOS Citee Connect is largely an aluminum affair bolstered by two 8.5-inch wheels, and weighing in at 13 kg. This scooter is powered by a 6,000 mAh battery and is capable of reaching a top speed of 25 km/h. When it does need to be recharged, expect a downtime of between two to three hours. While the ARCHOS Citee Connect was on show at MWC 2018, it is not expected to hit the market until the summer of this year and at which point it is expected to become available priced at €499.99 (a little over $600) in Europe. With currently no word on whether it will become available in the US.
