Aakash 2 Launched In India

Proponents of making technological devices, such as tablets, readily available to everyone in the world were thrilled when the world’s cheapest tablet, the Aakash, was announced in India last year. Produced by UK-based company DataWind, the Android-based tablet was the first in a planned series of very affordable tablets meant to be used primarily by students. While the intentions were all very noble, the reception of the first Aakash was not very positive, mainly due to low technical specifications. More so, issues were encountered with the distribution, resulting in limited schools receiving the device.

This month, however, DataWind has launched a new and improved version, the Aakash 2. It still is the world’s cheapest tablet in its range, but the Aakash 2 boasts of better performance as compared to its predecessor.

The makers of the Aakash 2 have focused on making its users more satisfied with the following improvements.

1. A faster processor (1GHz Cortex A8)
2. 512 MB of RAM
3. 4 GB storage, which can be expanded up to 32 GB using a microSD card
4. Longer battery life

Additionally, the Aakash 2 runs on Android 4.0, which is definitely something to look forward to since the first model only had Android 2.2, And we know just how poor an experience that offers.

The brilliant thing about the Aakash 2 is that it is backed by the Indian government, with the goal of enabling students in colleges and universities to own a tablet for educational purposes. Of course, we know that the tablet will also be used for entertainment, but the mere thought of students having access to a USD20 tablet is mind-blowing!

That price is obviously due to subsidies offering by the government, and it will only apply to the first 100 units of the Aakash 2. Subsequent units will be sold for around USD40, which still makes the tablet a very viable option for students.

Here’s a video providing a glimpse of the Aakash 2.

Now for the million dollar question. Will the Aakash 2 make it to students in other parts of the world?

[Image via skspark & androidauthority]