Datawind has finally launched its successor to the first gen Aakash in the form of the UbiSlate 7+ and UbiSlate 7C. Also, as expected, price continues to be the strong point for the two tablet devices, at Rs 2,999 and Rs 3,999 for the UbiSlate 7+ and UbiSlate 7C respectively.
Heralding the launch as a historic moment in the country, DataWind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said, “This is not a launch, it’s a revolution.”
A version of the tablet is termed Aakash II and will be offered to students in India after being provided with price subsidies by the Indian government.
Both the tablets run Android 2.3 Gingerbread and feature 256 MB RAM along with a Cortex A8 800 Mhz processor making up its core. For delivering high definition video, the tablets come with a separate video processor. Screen resolution of the tablets stands at 800 x 480 pixels while battery life with the 3200 mAh pack is equally paltry at 3 hours. However, both the qualities should seem acceptable given the ultra low price bracket the tablet is placed at.
The main difference between the two version of the tablet is that the UbiSlate 7+ has a resistive touchscreen display while the UbiSlate 7C boasts of a capacitive screen. Also, for internal memory, the UbiSlate 7+ will have 2 GB of storage while the 7C would have 4 GB. Both sets will have built-in GPRS modem in addition to being Wi-Fi enabled. Another unique aspect of the device is that the new gen UbiSlate devices come with the new UbiSurfer browser, which is Datawind specific. The company has also tied up with mobile service provider Aircel, which will be offering 2 GB of GPRS data at a nominal Rs 100 per month.
Hyderabad based VMC System has been roped in to manufacture the low cost tablet, while Datawind further states that those who have pre-booked for the UbiSlate through the company website have started receiving their unit of the tablet. Also, both the tablet versions’ availability at retail stores can be expected by the end of May.
As for the apps, the tablet will come pre-loaded with the Get Jar app store, which plays host to about 350,000 applications. Some of the interesting applications include Intelligia, which is a finger tracing application that toddlers can use for learning letter writing. The Ubislate tablets will also come pre-loaded with Yahoo services which will surely add to the scope of the otherwise low cost tablet.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
