Aakash 2 Unveiled in UN: Low Cost Tablet Woos Everyone Despite All Recent Woes

Amidst the controversy that the Aakash tablet was being made in China, the dream tablet of the Indian government was unveiled at United Nations.

After a long wait, the highly anticipated Aakash 2 was launched in the market on November 11, 2012 and it was confirmed that the new low cost tablet will be showcased at the United Nations to highlight India's innovation by bringing about the most competitively priced tablet in the world.

On Wednesday, the tablet was showcased at the UN headquarters and the CEO of Datawind, Aakash tablet manufacturer, Suneet Singh Tuli, presented the device to the UN Chief, who appreciated that the device is small and handy.

Talking about the specification of the Aakash 2, the tablet will sport a 7 inch multi-touch capacitive touchscreen display with 800 x 480 pixel resolution, 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, front facing VGA camera, Wi-Fi connectivity and 3,000 mAh Li-ion battery. Moreover, Aakash 2 will run on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich OS.

Datawind is selling the tablet for Rs 2,263 to the government, which will be further distributed at a 50% subsidy to the students, that is Rs 1,130. For online purchase, the company has also released the commercial version of the same, namely, UbiSlate 7Ci priced at Rs 4,499.

At the launch event, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that "India is a critical player on security issues, but you are also a leader on development and technology. Indeed, India is a super-power on the information superhighway.”

He added that "Information and communications technologies are engines of economic growth and development and can help transform people's lives. They are great enablers, helping people communicate across distances, facilitating trade and commerce and providing better access to health care and education."

"We need to do more to help all children and young people make the most of the opportunities provided by information and communications technology, especially all those who are still unconnected from the digital revolution." he said.

According to PTI reports, Tuli said the tablet was a work in progress and it would go through significant improvements and innovation every six months. He said one of the major features that need to be incorporated in the device in the future is mobile connectivity.