Datawind releases what it claims is the cheapest tablet in the world-- the UbiSlate 7Ci, an Android number with a £30 price tag, less than even the more budget-minded of retailer-branded options.
Admittedly one gets what they pay for, since it carries a 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU (identical to the one inside the iPhone 3GS and the Samsung Galaxy S), 512MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable via microSD slot) and a 7-inch 800x400 display.
However the device was not created with tech-savvy customers in mind. As Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli tells the Wall Street Journal, the company's aim is to bring computing and internet connectivity to schools and low-income communities.
“Affordability shouldn't be the reason people can’t get on the internet,” Tuli says. “We want to specifically reach a customer base that right now is not on the internet.”
The Ubislate 7Ci has a pretty interesting origin story. Originally project to create a $35 table by the Indian government, it was announced in 2010 with the name "Aakash." Datawind emerged as the manufacturer (and a bill of $45 per tablet) in 2011.
Datawind also sells a couple of more capable tablets-- the UbiSlate 7C+ (features Edge connectivity) and 3G7 (with 3G connectivity).
In these cash-strapped, austere days it is not difficult to imagine Datawind finding customers for an ultra-low-cost tablet. So much so, it already sold all pre-Christmas stock, and any orders placed now will only ship from Q1 2014.
