 "Datawind to supply next-gen Aakash tablet at Rs 2,500 per unit")
Datawind has announced that it is ready to offer the next version of the Aakash tablet “at a tentative price of Rs 2,500 per unit”. In his statement to reporters, Suneet Singh Tuli, the CEO of the Canada-based firm, said, “As per my information, the committee on Aakash tablets is looking to higher version of the device at Rs 2,500 a piece and we are ready to match the price on order for every 10 lakh units.”
Those keenly following the developments pertaining to this low-cost tablet would know that only a couple of days ago, the company announced the completion of the delivery of 1 lakh units of Aakash 2 tablet. The total delivery included 98,000 Aakash 2 devices and 2,000 units of tablets with DataWind’s recommendations for Aakash 3. One of the world’s cheapest tablets, it is spec’d competitively in comparison to other low-cost slates and is said to cost half the price of a similarly-outfitted tablet in the market.
Better price. Better specs?
As for the next version of the Aakash tablet, the supplier reportedly has put in a word for higher specifications. These include a SIM slot to give the tablet calling capabilities. Tuli was further quoted as saying, “We have set up an LCD touchscreen unit in Amritsar. Therefore, Datawind will comply with the norms of 30 per cent value addition in the product from India. I would like government to strictly implement it. It is good for the country and will encourage electronics manufacturing in the country.”
As reported earlier, Datawind’s official website states that the Aakash 3 is expected to be launched in mid-2013.
Datawind has recommended the following specifications for the Aakash 3 tablet: embedded cellular modem to accommodate a regular SIM card and offer Internet connectivity. Interestingly, as per the company, its new tablet, the UbiSlate 7C+, was based on the recommended specifications for Aakash 3. Also included are a Cortex A8 CPU clocked at 1GHz, 512MB of RAM, 4GB storage, a multi-touch capacitive screen, a front-facing VGA camera, Wi-Fi and GPRS.
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