That's not iPad 4, it's the new Archos 97 Titanium HD

Apple's newest iPad and mainstream Android tablets couldn't be more different in the display department -- the former embraces a more conservative 4:3 format while the latter prefer the multimedia-oriented widescreen panels. However, French consumer electronics company Archos deviates from the norm with the 97 Titanium HD, an Android tablet with an iPad 4-like display.

The 97 Titanium HD tablet features a 9.7-inch IPS display with 10 point multitouch and a resolution of up to 2048 x 1536. Power comes from a 1.6GHz dual-core processor based on the A9 architecture, a quad-core Mali 400 MP4 graphics card and 1GB of RAM, a combination similar to the one found in the original Samsung Galaxy Note. The tablet also sports 8GB of internal memory, alongside a microSD card slot that can extend the storage capacity by a further 64GB. What about the software?

The 97 Titanium HD ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean alongside OfficeSuite Viewer 6 and Archos-branded Media Center suite. The latter comprises of audio and video apps that include features such as metadata scraping or auto-subtitles. Samba and uPnP are also supported for multimedia streaming, as well as DNLA for use with a compatible TV.

The Androd tablet also features a 5MP back-facing camera with autofocus and a 2MP front-facing shooter. Other noteworthy features include Wi-Fi 802.11, two built-in speakers as well as an accelerometer. Archos kept quiet when it comes to the internal battery and does not specify the actual capacity and only mentiones the Li-Po (Lithium Polymer) technology.

Archos employs a rather modest processor and graphics card combination, at a time when high-end Android tablet manufacturers opt for quad-core solutions paired with more powerful graphic units when coupled with high-resolution displays.

Had the French manufacturer used a less demanding panel sporting a lower resolution, the choice of hardware would not be much of a reason for interest. Archos did not provide any pricing information at the time of writing this article, but if appropriate to the specification sheet it could level the balance.