The Aakash 4 which is to be priced at Rs 4000 may sound like an impending failure on paper, just like its previous versions. But mostly due to the Indian government’s efforts to make it widely available to all classes of people by pegging it at a low cost and publicizing it well, the tablet series has enjoyed runaway success so far.
Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, has revealed that the device will be hitting the market within one and a half months or so. While referring to the fourth generation Aakash as a ‘modern tablet,’ he also said that the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGSD) has floated tenders inviting manufacturers to name their price of production and other details.
Back in December 2013, Sibal had declared that the device would hit mass production by January 2014. It’s clearly been delayed. But then again, it hasn’t been a smooth ride – last month, domestic vendors complained about the Rs 2500 final cost expectation being too low even though Datawind appeared happy to oblige. Also, an issue with IIT Jodhpur has forced the government to charge the C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) with the task of testing the tablet.
Aakash 4 specs run-through:
– 7-inch capacitive touchscreen
– 4GB internal space
– 32GB memory expandability
– Front and back cameras
– 2G, 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi support
The Aakash 4 is expected to carry an exact price of Rs 3999, says The Times of India (via PTI). It may reach consumers in early April, if all goes according to plan.