ARCHOS has announced a new range of entry-level tablets, dubbed ELEMENTS, aimed at 7, 8, and 9.7-inch form factors. The French manufacturer is kicking it off with the release of the ARCHOS 97 carbon, a low-end but relatively low-cost Android tablet equipped with what, until recently, was the latest flavor of Android.

The ARCHOS 97 carbon features a 9.7-inch 5x multi-touch screen with IPS technology capable of playing 1080p HD video, set into a “stylish design with premium aluminum finish.” Cameras grace both the front and back of the device (the resolution, however, has not been revealed), and it has ports for HDMI out, microSD, and USB. Internally, the tablet is powered by a 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. The 97 carbon’s 16GB of internal memory comes pre-loaded with apps and games, and the available storage can be expanded by up to an additional 32GB via microSD or USB. When it’s all said and done, the device comes in at 21.8 ounces and it is 0.45-inches thick.

It’s certainly not the best Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich” tablet on the market, but the $249.99 price tag might be somewhat attractive for people looking to get a relatively cheap device with a bigger screen than the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7 provide. The ARCHOS 97 carbon will be released later this month.

[BusinessWire via The Verge]