The much awaited $35 $45 tablet has been launched in India. The tablet is named “Aakash” and is an initiative of the Ministry for Human Resources headed by minister Kapil Sibal. The reports coming in till yesterday, spoke about the tablet selling for a price tag of $35 (Rs. 1700) will be available for a price tag of $45 (Rs. 2,200).
The above image shows HRD minister Kapil Dev with the $45 tablet.
Technical Specifications of Aakash
The $45 tablet will sport a 7-inch display touchscreen. It will come loaded with 256 MB RAM & Android 2.2 operating system. It has 2 GB inbuilt storage & also supports upto 32GB of expandable memory. Camera with video recording capabilities is also included in “Aakash”. The tablet will also support video conferencing.
Also, two USB ports are provided in the $45 tablet.
The manufacturing contract is with Canadian based company Datawind.
Pricing & Availability
Aakash will cost about $45 or Rs. 2,200. The first batch of 500 tablets will be handed over to students after the release.
“Initially, 700 Akash tablets will be made every day and we expect the production to pick up when more companies join in to manufacture the device,” ministry spokeswoman Mamata Varma told AFP.
There’s no word on marketing strategy of Aakash yet. The tablet will likely be sold in schools, colleges & universities rather than in shops.
Aakash goes on sale from October 5 this year.
The other cheapest tablets available globally are $99 HP TouchPad and $199 Amazon’s Kindle Tablet. Only time will tell how much success this $45 tablet gets. Let’s wait & see.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I am hoping the Sakshat history doesn’t repeat itself.
I wish not, tablet at 1500.
I just cnnnot wait!
I am eagerly waiting for this tablet, when it arrives?