Government is working to bring the low-cost tablet – Aakash 4 to India. For the Aakash 4 tablet, the Government has opened up the bidding process in which 18 device manufacturers are participating and it is expected to end on January 28.
Financial Express reported that the cost of the Aakash 4 tablet is expected to go beyond Rs 2,500 limit because the Government will not waive off custom duties on the components that will be imported for Aakash 4 tablet.
Apart from the previous Aakash tablet makers – DataWind, the several companies bidding for Aakash 4 Project includes Dell, Acer, HCL, HP, Microsoft, Intel, MicroMax, WishTel and ITI.
The Aakash 4 tablet is expected to be a modern day specifications bearing tablet meant for the education sector. The proposed specifications of the Aakash 4 tablet include dual-core 1 GHz mobile processor, 1 GB RAM, Bluetooth, and voice calling facility. Apart from that, the tablet will also feature support for 2G, 3G and even 4G connectivity for faster mobile web experience. It will feature 4 GB on-board storage with Memory card slot to hold up to 32 GB microSD card.
The specifications look very impressive for the Aakash 4 tablet. Indian companies such as Micromax, WishTel and ITI will compete with the frontrunner DataWind on the pricing as well as component sourcing areas as part of the bidding process.
Taking a closer look at the situation, the proposed specifications of the Aakash 4 tablet are decent but the cost price of Rs 2500 might not accommodate all of it. The objective of the Aakash tablet is to offer a subsidised learning gadget to the students and educators.
Reality check on costing and tender process norms for the Aakash 4 tablet made several International companies withdraw from the bidding process. We shall wait for the bidding process to get over on January 28 and after that the company that will make the Aakash 4 tablet will be announced.
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