If you’ve ever operated your own business or held an upper-management position of any sort, you’re almost certainly familiar with the old manufacturing nugget that goes like this: “You can have it fast, cheap or good. Pick two.”
Based entirely on my own (completely unscientific) online research, the Indian tablet production industry seems to have gone with “fast” and “cheap.”
To wit: A budget Indian tablet company known as Zync has just released its latest model, the Android-powered Zync Z-909 Plus, for the almost unbelievable price of Rs.3699. In U.S. currency, that comes to about $67. (Almost makes the day-long flight to Delhi seem bearable, doesn’t it?) Running Android’s 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS, the Z-909 Plus comes complete with a 7-inch display and a 0.3 megapixel front camera that can be used for video calls. And while you’re definitely not getting 3G with a model this cheap, WiFi is supported. (3G can be supported through a USB dongle, however.)
ALSO TO THE INDIAN TABLET MARKET:
Zync Z-990 ICS Tablet: 7-inch display; runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich); 4GB of internal memory; connectivity options include USB, mini-USB, charging port, 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI port and memory-card slot. PRICE: Rs. 8999 (USD 163.50).
Karbonn Smart Tab 1: 5-point touch screen; runs Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean); Wi-Fi supported; 3G supported through a USB dongle; 2 megapixel front camera. PRICE: Rs. 6999 (USD 127.00)
- The Smart Tab 1 is said to be the second tablet in the world, after the Google Nexus 7, to operate on Jelly Bean.
- During the first week of October 2012, Karbonn Mobile (makers of the Smart Tab 1 and one of the fastest-growing mobile phone companies in the Subcontinent) plans to release an Android-powered tablet priced at Rs. 3999 (USD 73.00).
