Aakash 2 with Android 4.0 coming in August

An upgraded version of the low cost tablet Aakash was recently unveiled at an event in Mumbai by IIT Mumbai and Datawind. Aakash 2 it will have Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and Datawind will start its production in July or August.

Aakash 2 tablet has seen other upgrades as well, including a more powerful 800 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, a 7 inch capacitive multi-touch screen. However, RAM remains the same at 256 MB and it will have 2 GB of internal storage, both of which looks inadequate for Android 4.0 based device.

Aakash 2 tablet will run on Li-Ion Polymer 3200 mAH battery that will give the tablet a working time of 3 hours. Aakash 2 tablet will boast Wi-Fi and GPRS features (with SIM and mobile functionality), though it will not have 3G capability.

Aakash 2 to be better and costly

The newer version of the tab will have a faster processor, capacitive touch screen and lot more better features than Aakash. The second version of Aakash tablet would not be that cheap. Government of India is now mulling to bring a newer Aakash tablet with much better features but would be priced around $50 or approximately.  Though hailed as the cheapest tablet in the world, Aakash tablet has been criticised for its poor battery life, poor processor that is unable to do multi-tasking and below par display quality. The government, which is unhappy with DataWind for starting the online sales, has also in the past said to come out with an upgraded version of the tablet.

There are two versions of the tablet. The original Aakash tablet comes with much lower specifications and is priced at Rs 2,500. Its cousin - named UbiSlate, is more powerful and is priced at Rs 2,999. UbiSlate will be powered by Android 2.3 and will have a resistive touch screen, Cortex A8 700MHzprocessor and graphics accelerator HD video processor, 256 MB of RAM and 2 GB of internal memory. Other specifications are one standard USB port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, a 7 inch display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution, resistive touchscreen, GPRS and Wi-Fi support.

On the other hand, the 7 inch Aakash tablet has Android 2.2 operating system; Arm 11366 MHz processor, 2100 battery, Wi-Fi and support for a 3G modem. The price difference between Aakash and UbiSlate is because the commercially available products will include a cellular modem, allowing them to access the web from anywhere. There is cellular connectivity and the device can also function as a mobile phone. Notably, internet access on both tablets across mobile networks will be priced at Rs 99 for 2 GB. Datawind, the current manufacturer of Aakash tablet, has also come out with a newer version of the tab - UbiSlate7+. 

As its earlier version, UbiSlate7+ will come with Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, Cortex A8 700 Mhz processor, 256 MB RAM, 32 GB expandable memory, 3.5 mm jack for headset connection, and USB port. The 7 inch resistive touch screen display bearing tablet will also be able to stream HD quality videos and will support Wi-Fi, GPRS, besides the SIM calling function. The new tablet has same specification as UbiSlate7/Aakash but comes with added SIM and phone functionality.

Aakash Tablet Price in India

Aakash Tablet is available in two variants like UbiSlate7 & UbiSlate 7+ Upgraded version of Aakash Tablet. UbiSlate7 has Android 2.2 OS with Wi-Fi support and 2100 mAh Battery as well. UbiSlate7 ha Arm11 - 366 Mhz Processor. while UbiSlate 7+ is the upgraded version of UbiSlate7. UbiSlate 7+ has Android 2.3 OS, 3200 mAh Battery power, Cortex A8 - 700 MhZ processor as well. UbiSlate 7+ can be used as a mobile phone. It supports Wi-Fi, GPRS and SIM+Phone Functionality as well. Lets talk about Aakash Tablets pricing, features & booking as well.

Aakash Tablet Price in India:
Aakash Tablet (UbiSlate7) Price in India: Rs. 2499
Upgraded Aakash Tablet (UbiSlate 7+) Price in India: Rs. 2999

Book Your Aakash Tablet Online:
If you want to book your Aakash Tablet Online just go the below websites and get your Aakash Tablet at your doorstep.
http://www.ubislate.com/
http://aakashtablet.com/

UbiSlate7 Key Features:
- Microprocessor: Arm11 – 366Mhz
- Battery: 2100 mAh
- OS: Android 2.2
- Network: WiFi

UbiSlate 7+ Key Features:
- Microprocessor: Cortex A8 – 700 Mhz
- Battery: 3200 mAh
- OS: Android 2.3
- Network: WiFi & GPRS (SIM & Phone functionality)
 
Aakash Tablet Features & Specifications: 

- Display and Resolution: 7 display with 800x480 pixel resolution
- HD Video processor
- Memory : 256MB RAM / Storage (Internal): 2GB Flash
- Storage (External): 2GB to 32GB Supported
- Peripherals: 2 Standard USB ports
- Supports up to 150,000 apps
- Perfect for anytime anywhere web access
- Connect to social networking sites like Facebook, twitter etc
- multimedia options with high definition quality videos
- Watching movies and listening to songs
- play games
- make notes and presentations
- Document Rendering
- Supported Document formats: DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP
- PDF viewer, Text editor
- Multimedia and Image Display
- Image viewer supported formats: PNG, JPG, BMP and GIF
- Supported audio formats: MP3, AAC, AC3, WAV, WMA
- Supported video formats: MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, FLV
- Communication and Internet
- Web browser - Standards Compliance: xHTML 1.1 compliant, JavaScript 1.8 compliant
- Separate application for online YouTube video
- Safety and other standards compliance
- CE certification / RoHS certification

Aakash gets company:

The low cost tablet for students is costlier than Aakash tablet but said to have better features.

Close on the heels of launch of low-cost Aakash tablet, another such tablet for students has been announced in India. The Android tablet, named Classpad, has been announced by Delhi-based Classteacher Learning Systems, an education solution provider. Classpad tablet, which is meant for students between 3 and 12, comes with a capacitive touchscreen, 1.3 Ghz processor, Android 2.2 operating system and a built-in memory of 4 GB which is expandable up to 8 GB. 

Classpad, priced in the range of Rs 7,500-14,000, will be available for students through their schools in three models - Classpad 7, Classpad 8 and Classpad 10. "Classpad's user friendly interface makes it convenient for the students and teachers to get acquainted with the application. It is equipped with software that is designed to integrate smoothly with an existing school platform. Classpad tablet provides the content in a 'school friendly' manner by supporting commonly used school applications,” said the company in a press release.

"Classpad can save, edit and transfer files back to server. Teacher can use white board to display data transmitted by Classpad on White Board,” added the release. Classpad has claimed to have better touchscreen compared to that of Aakash and has a better battery life of more than six hours. So far it has been made available to 1,500 students across different schools and the company can readily make arrangement for delivery of 2,000 more tablets.

The Classpad which is build up in Android platform boasts of some special features. This device has a touch screen; powered by a 1.3 Ghz processor, build in memory of 4 GB which can be extended up to 8 GB using a microSD card slot. The Classpad has a powerful battery and is expected to work for more than 7 hours with a single charge. This device would boost up the performance of the students in their class room activities.  

he tablet would reach the market in two models; the Trolley model and the 'one tablet per child' (OTPC) model. As in the Trolley model one device is being shared among students as one child has to pay Rs 100. In the 'one tablet per child' (OPTC) model, one unit can be bought by paying the price. The Classpad tablet would come at different price tags depending upon the model. The classpad comes in three models. It would be Classpad 7, Classpad 8 and Claspad 10. The tablet would come at a price ranging from Rs 7,500 to 14,000 and will be soon available in parts of India.  

Comparison between Aakash tablet and Ubislate 7 (Aakash 2)

Microprocessor:
Aakash Tablet, the student version is made up of processor with Arm11 – 366 MHz only. But the upgraded version, DataWind Ubislate 7 has Cortex A8 – 700 Mhz processor which is much better when compared with Aakash tablet.

Battery:
On comparing the battery between the Aakash tablet and the Ubislate 7, the Aakash tablet has 2100 mAh battery whereas the UbiSlate 7 has 3200 mAh battery. So from this you can understand that Ubislate 7 has the larger stand up time for your use.

Operating System (OS):
Both th Aakash tablet and the Ubislate 7 are designed with Android OS. But the version of the Android OS installed differ as the Aakash tablet is based on Android 2.2 Froyo OS whereas the UbiSlate 7 tablet is based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread which is the lastest and upgraded version of Android 2.2.

Network, SIM, Web and Internet Connectivity (WiFi, GPRS, SIM):
On talking about the Network, SIm and web connectivity of these world's cheapest tablets, the Aakash tablet which is at a subsidized rate for students has only WiFi for web access. This Aakash tablet does have GPRS facility. But the upgraded version of Aakash tablet, UbiSlate 7 tablet has both the WiFi and GPRS for web access and internet connectivity. DataWind UbiSlate 7 Tablet also has the SIM and mobile phone functionality where you can make calls and sent messages, which is just like your mobile phone.

3G Connectivity (Aakash vs UbiSlate 7 Tablet Comparison):
Aakash tablet does not 3G connectivity. But the DataWind Ubislate 7 has 3G connectivity which can be done external 3G dongle. So as we are in the 3rd generation of the technology many would opt to choose Ubislate 7 as it has 3G connectivity.

Front Facing Camera:
As said above, since Ubislate 7 has the 3G connectivity, which is main purpose of having video calls. So this Ubislate 7 has the front camera for having video calls and chat while the Aakash tablet does not have this camera. The main reason may that our Indian Government might have thought students do no need it just video calls and the reason for giving it at low cost cutting all these functions.

Screen and RAM Size:
There is not much clarity among these two tablets. Since they are manufactured at low cost, they didn' focus on giving you the best pixel for display. Both the tablets are with 7inch touch screen. The RAM size of Ubislate 7 is comparatively better and high when compared with Aakash tablet. Since Ubislate 7 is for commercial purpose, they would have higher RAM.

Pricing Comparison between Aakash Tablet and UbiSlate 7 Tablet:
Aakash tablet is available at a price of Rs. 2500. And this is given at a subsidized rate for students at Rs. 1750. The DataWind UbiSlate 7 tablet is now available for pre-booking at a price of Rs 2999 which little bit high when compared to Aakash tablet.

Availability /Selling /Retailing:
Aakash tablet is now available online for booking and ready for sale. You can book it now online and it will reach you by 7 working days. You have to pay the cash on delivery. But the DataWind Ubislate 7 is just under manufacturing which is expected to release by January 2012. This Ubislate 7 is now available online for pre-booking.