Andre Yoskowitz
5 Jan 2012 1:51
Datawind, the company behind the $40 Aakash tablet, says they have already received orders for 1.4 million units, just 15 days after launch.
The tablet, which sells in India for 2500 rupees ($40), was created to help "students in higher education and to give them the technological skills" that are needed for 2012. At $40, the tablet is affordable almost everywhere in India, where wages remain low. The Indian government subsidizes the price of the tablet, and students at eligible universities can buy it for $20.
Apple's iPads cost over $600 in India, putting it far out of reach for everyone in the nation but very few.
A Datawind spokesperson says the company will build three new factories in 2012 to cope with the huge demand. "We plan to produce 75,000 units per factory per month from around April," the spokeswoman added.
The Aakash has a 7-inch resistive display, runs on Android 2.2, has a 366 MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 2GB internal storage, Wi-Fi, USB slots, SD slot and a tiny 2100 mAh battery.
An upgraded, commercial version dubbed the UbiSlate7+ is set for release in February for $60 sporting a 700MHz processor, 3G radio and a 3200 mAh battery.