New Delhi, July 3: The fourth edition of the low-cost Aakash tablet is under development. As per the specifications released by the government, the upcoming Aakash 4 will possess calling facility and high speed 4G services support.
In a public note posted on the website of the department of electronics and information technology, the government said, "A sub-committee comprising of technical experts has prepared the proposed vendor neutral Technical Specifications of Aakash IV. These specifications have been developed with a view to have a device at a low cost."
Before announcing the manufacturer of the tablet, the government first wants to decide on specifications of the tablet. Reports suggest that Aakash 4 could be manufactured by multiple hardware vendors instead of one company.
According to reports, the Aakash 4 will have a 7-inch screen with a minimum resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. To ensure decent sensitivity in the tablet, government wants manufacturers to use panels with at least 5 touch points. "LCD brightness should be a minimum of 290 cd/m2, and its contrast ratio should be a minimum of 500," states the note.
In terms of processor, the government wants the chip to score at least 1469 points in Antutu, a popular Android benchmarking app. At the same time it also wants the tablet to play 720P videos with ease. The government note also wants the tablet to have a minimum of 1GB DDR3 RAM. The tablet is likely to come with at least 4GB internal storage and support for up to a 32GB micro SD card. The proposal also includes support for external USB storage devices, keyboard, mouse, popular 3G/4G data dongles, USB to ethernet adapters and USB printers.
Regarding the software, the government wants the tablet to run at least Android Jelly Bean.
Government says "all interested stakeholders may examine the proposed specifications and provide their comments especially from the point of vendor neutrality, usability and functionality." The comments and suggestions can be sent to the office of Rajat Moona, who is director general of C-DAC headquartered in the Pune University campus.
Almost on the verge of being buried after a series of faux pas and controversies, the government is working hard to salvage its low-cost tablet project, Aakash.
The Aakash project was the brainchild of the then Union minister of human resource development (HRD) Kapil Sibal as the world's cheapest tablet costing $35 (Rs 2,060 today) in 2010. This was to be indigenously developed as an educational tool for students. However, several controversies relating to the quality of the product and the delay in its delivery came up soon after the first Aakash tablet was unveiled in October 2011.
