Aakash, the world’s cheapest tablet computer was first launched in New Delhi on 5 October 2011.

It will be available for purchase in markets till November 20, 2011 at a price of Rs. 2,999 ($66.88). It is expected that the price may come down when its bulk production starts. Initially, a hundred thousand pieces are planned to be distributed among the students in 416 Universities and 20,000 colleges at a subsidized rate of Rs. 1,300 ($28.99). Even 500 Aakash Tablets were distributed by Govt. of India to the students who attended the launch event at October 5.

Akash World's Cheapest Tablet Complete Review

In this post, we are looking into Aakash Tablet features, specifications, pros and cons, and more different aspects regarding this tablet.

Aakash Tablet: Review, Pros, Cons

Akash Worlds Cheapest Tablet Full ReviewAlthough Aakash is the cheapest of all Tablet PCs available till date, however it can’t satisfy technocrats and advance users, in fact, it is not built for them. Multitasking, good design, GPS, Camera and a number of inbuilt features are missing in this cheapest Tablet device. So, the people who are using / have used the top Tablets like iPad, Samsung, Blackberry Playbook already, have nothing to discover with it. On the other hand, the first experience users who are looking to enjoy Tablet PC in a low price should go for it.

Configuration, Features and Specifications


Manufacturer		DataWind (Britain)

Processor		366 MHz

Graphic Accelerator		On chip Graphics and Media accelerator / HD Video processor

Primary Memory (RAM)		256 MB LP-DDR2 / DDR2

Secondary Memory / Physical Storage (HDD)		2 GB Internal Flash, Expandable to 32 GB (Micro SD)

Operating System		Google Android 2.2 (Froyo)

Screen & Resolution		7 inch Resistive Touch Screen with 800×480 resolution

USB Ports		2

Headphones Jack		3.5 mm

Battery & Backup		2100mAh Lithium-Polymer battery, back up to 3 hours

Internet & Network		Inbuilt cellular modem and SIM to access internet, supports GPRS, Wi-Fi EEE 802.11 a/b/g

Weight		350 grams

Formats supported		 DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP, JPG, BMP, GIF, MP3, AAC, AC3, WAV, WMA, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, FLV

Web Standards		xHTML 1.1 compliant, JavaScript 1.8 compliant

Warranty		1 year

Feature Summary

Have a quick look at the main features of Aakash Tablet PC:

  1. Works as a phone when SIM card and headphone are inserted
  2. GPRS and Wi-Fi enabled
  3. Can also work as 3G Tab by enabling dongle
  4. Supports USB Connectivity
  5. Supports Document Rendering with several supported formats
  6. PDF viewer, Text editor
  7. Supports Multimedia (Audio/Video/Image Display)
  8. Web Standards Compliance
  9. Provide separate application to view YouTube videos
  10. Safety and other standards compliance
  11. CE / RoHS certification
  • Things that are severely MISSING:
    1. Multitasking (366 MHz processor won’t be able to provide Multitasking)
    2. GPS
    3. Camera
    4. Android Marketplace (Contains GetJar App store instead)
    5. No calling capabilities for now
    6. Stylus is not included in the price bracket

    • Pros:

    • Easily affordable due to low cost
    • Provides GSM as well as Wi-Fi connectivity

    Cons:

    • Tablet is not Multitasking powered due to a weak Processor.
    • Android upgrades will not be available for such a low configuration Tablet.

    World’s Cheapest Tablet Aakash Price and Availability

    Price:

    • Subsidized Rate for Students: Rs. 1,300 (US$ 28.99)
    • Total Govt. Cost: Rs. 2,250 (US$ 50.18)
    • Maximum Retail Price: Rs 2,999 (US$ 66.88)

    Availability:

    The Tablet will be available in markets till November 20, 2011. As Govt. of India is offering the Tablet to the students of different university and institutions at a subsidiary price all over the country, you can avail this opportunity if you are a student. You should contact the concerned department of your college / institute about the programme and get an Aakash Tablet before its availability for masses in the market.

    Also see our Tablet PC buying guide and Aakash Tablet Video Review.

    Update: After receiving many complaints about defects and problems in Aakash, the Central Govt. of India has announced the next version of Aakash to be launched till April this year. The demand of this cheapest Tablet is very high, and people haven’t received their booked quotes due to the limited stock. The manufacturer Datawind has supplied only 30,000 Tablets till now in place of the actual quotation of 100,000.

    BSNL Tablets emerged as another cheapest alternatives to Aakash, but as of now, I recommend you to go for Lava E-tab Xtron which serves the best value for money.