A tablet for the price of a cell phone case? For the value of a two pies of pizza (one Sicilian)? For the same fee one inserts in exchange for a $20 lottery ticket?
One day, Datawind could offer the Aakash Tablet 2 as low as $20, according to The Washington Post. For now, consumers will have to settle for the $38 (or 30 Euro) version available in both the United Stated and the United Kingdom beginning Monday.
"My customer says, 'I want something that's good enough and functional enough and gives me a good experience; I don't have to pay an arm and a leg for it,' " Datawind CEO Suneet Singh Tuli said of a device he categorizes as the "innovation of good enough," according to the Post.
Tuli's goal is for profit as well as to spread technology to the world's poorest countries. The first Aakash was designed specifically for the Indian government in 2012 and dispersed to universities and colleges, according to ITProPortal. He now envisions retailers one day selling a $20 version and making just a few bucks profit per sale.
"Where do I see this in a year or two? I think it's $19.99. I think you'll be able to get a reasonable 7-inch tablet for sub-20 where the guy selling will make a couple bucks," Tuli told the Post.
Though Datawind offers two upgraded versions for $80 and $100, it's not as if one is buying a new Mercedes advertised for $25,000, but really costs $5,000 to $10,000 more when all features are considered. The Aakash 2's good enough specifications are geared toward content-heavy pages and low storage, but also come with a wide range of apps focused on education, entertainment, gaming, and productivity, and a year of Wi Fi connectivity, according to ITProPortal.
Tuli is consumed with keeping the price low.
"In the Indian market, we could've gotten away with prices 30 percent higher, could've done the same in the United States. Would we sell any less at $49.99? Maybe not? But to break that price barrier and drive it down is very important," Tuli said.
