I’ve just noticed Liliputing posted an article about Datawind UbiSlate 7Ci tablet, the commercial version of Aakash2 tablet, that sells for $37.99. There are two caveats however: it’s only available in the U.S., and the price does not include a $9.99 shipping charge which brings the total price to $47.98. That’s still dirt cheap, but I’ve decided to look for the cheapest 7″ tablet that ships internationally. I did so on Chinese websites, including Aliexpress, where you can find such tablets for as low as $12 including shipping from sellers without feedback. These are obvious scams, so I filtered the products sold from sellers with decent feedback, and products with reviews. Based on these criteria, the cheapest Android tablet I could find is SF-M703A, or just called 703A. It goes for $43.99 including shipping via Swiss Post.
Let’s compare the specifications of SF-M703A with Datawind UbiSlate 7Ci.
| SF-M703A | Datawind UbiSlate 7Ci / AAKASH-2 | |
| SoC | AllWinner A13 @ 1.0 GHz with Mali-400 GPU | |
| System memory | 512 MB RAM | |
| Storage | 4GB NAND Flash + micro SD card | |
| Display | 7” capacitive touchscreen – Resolution: 800×480 | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | |
| I/O | mini USB + 3.5mm audio jack | |
| Camera | 0.3MP front camera | |
| Sensors | G-Sensor | |
| Battery | 1800 mAh | 2100 mAh (AAKASH-2). Up to 180 minutes on battery |
| Dimensions | 183x120x10mm | 190.5×118.5×15.7mm |
| Weight | 320 g. | |
| Android Version | Android 4.0.3 | |
| Price (inc. shipping) | $43.99 | $47.98 |
Both tablets have basically the same specifications, with the only real difference being a battery with a slightly larger capacity on Ubislate 7Ci. Both devices are sold with a power adapter, and a USB cable.
Such tablets could be given to kids, although many games may not play smoothly, used as a remote control using apps such as Droidmote, or as a Chromecast remote, a digital photo frame, and possibly some projects where you need a cheap Android console (3D printer, home automation, etc…). For 10 to 15 dollars extra, you could also upgrade to a tablet with a dual core SoC including a more powerful GPU.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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