An Android tablet at less than $40? Yes, you read that right

Akash-tablet

Over the years, you’ve probably seen quite a few bargains online or at your local carrier. Remember the great $99 TouchPad firesale? Well, here is an Android tablet that sells for much less than $100, one that is surprisingly good for its declared purpose.

The story will take us to India, a country where hi-tech gadgets are becoming ever so popular, even though hundreds of millions of people have little experience (if any) in using them. That is exactly the problem that the Indian Ministry of Education is trying to tackle. The plan is to introduce Android tablets to schools in rural areas that lack access to modern technology.

Namely, the Indian government will buy a total of 100,000 tablets at a cost of 2,250 rupees (about $44) each. The tablets will be sold to local schools at the price of 1,100 rupees per tablet, which is about $22. According to a report from Wall Street Journal, some tablets will be reserved for students who wish to buy them, and they will cost around $35. The tablets will also be available at local retail outlets, for all others who are interested, where they will cost around $60.

Are the $44 Android Tablets any Good?

Perhaps, by the standards of many of us, the $44 Aakash tablets distributed by the Indian government are nothing special. But when you consider the price and the purpose of the tablets, these slates are definitely impressive.

By now, you are probably wondering about the specs that these tablets have to offer. Well, we will answer the question for you:

Processor: Conexant A8, 700MHz
RAM: 256MB
Storage: 2GB, but expandable to 32GB
Display: 7-inch resistive touch screen with 800×400 resolution
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, GPRS modem
Battery: Up to 180 minutes (3200 mAh)
Operating system: Android 2.3 Gingerbread
Other features: 2 USB ports, 3.5mm jack for audio, HD video playback and streaming

The listed specs belong to the Aakash Ubislate 7+ model (made by DataWire, in the UK), but a cheaper model will come with a weaker processor and battery.

Here’s a video of the Aakash tablet in action:

Doesn’t look that bad, right? After all, a device designed for educational use doesn’t require fancy graphics or large amounts of memory to serve its purpose! Moreover, students would still be able to keep in touch via social media, play some games, and, enjoy the whole tablet experience. On the downside, the battery is very poor (which may be a problem in areas with rolling blackouts) and the resistive screen leaves room for improvement.

But is this just a start. We can expect better specs and a beefier battery in future version of the Aakash. And really, can you find anything better out there for such a low price?

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