India's $35 7-Inch Android Tablet To Hit In January

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India's $35 7-Inch Android Tablet To Hit In January

Posted by samzenpus on Saturday September 11, 2010 @11:57PM from the little-machine-little-price dept.

indogiree writes "Engadget reports that India has just awarded the manufacturing contract to HCL Technologies. The first shipment will supposedly only contain the 7-inch model and is set to arrive on January 10. It's unclear if the $35 price has stuck or whether India's been successful in plans to drive the price down to $10 eventually with the help of large orders and government subsidies. HCL Technologies plans to initially produce 100,000 units. Among the key features of this India-based tablet include 2GB of RAM, web-conferencing, PDF reader, unzip, WiFi, camera and USB connectivity."

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Production cost by iONiUM · 2010-09-12 00:00 · Score: 5, Interesting

I'd really like to know what the true production cost of this tablet is. If it's low enough that with a few subsidies from the government they can get it down to $35 or even $10, then it leads me to believe other tablets are severely overpriced for no reason.
If they are indeed overpriced, then why doesn't 1 competitor just come in with a ridiculously low price and suck up all the "cheap" market? This applies to phones as well, which are also very expensive (though we don't often notice due to hardware upgrades from the carriers).
1. Re:Production cost by Joce640k · 2010-09-12 00:06 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  India also has a $6000 car but most westerners (and especially the USA) wouldn't want it.
  
  --
  No sig today...
2. Re:Production cost by elh_inny · 2010-09-12 00:08 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Because, as Apple shows, people are not necessarily going for the cheapest thing.
  Also you're shooting yourself with low profit margins - look at Motorola and Nokia nowadays - they were selling decent phones a while ago and decided to go for the low hanging fruit of cheap phones. That didn't leave enough focus/resources on the smartphones.
  The result is the're both still in big trouble, with Motorola resuscitated by Google's Android as compared to cash rich Apple, who clearly have a strategy that brings in more money and focuses on innovation much more...
3. Re:Production cost by lxt · 2010-09-12 00:09 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Two words for you: Resistive touchscreen
4. Re:Production cost by mehrotra.akash · 2010-09-12 00:17 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The base model is $3000, its only if you want the model with AC,Airbags,etc that you pay $6000
5. Re:Production cost by gringer · 2010-09-12 00:29 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  I think most people would consider the manufacture of babies to be an industry where child labour is uncommon.
  
  --
  Ask me about repetitive DNA
6. Re:Production cost by Servaas · 2010-09-12 00:33 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I'm not up on the various numbers but what Toyota car recently had severe troubles with using the breaks? So apparently manufacturing problems don't just happen in cheap cars.
7. Re:Production cost by Whiney+Mac+Fanboy · 2010-09-12 00:54 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I believe the prices set by these chinese (post-)shanzai shops show what's practically possible...
  What would you say to a 7" touchscreen android with wifi & 2GB RAM for under $100 delivered to your door.
  I don't see any reason that price can't be halved for a large enough order & then you're only looking at a $15/unit subsidy.
  
  --
  There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
8. Re:Production cost by robably · 2010-09-12 01:13 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Give the guy a brake.
9. Re:Production cost by Jeff+DeMaagd · 2010-09-12 01:14 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  OK, maybe it's real, but maybe not necessarily in the way the Indian government claims, unless they bought/stole the design. It also looks like the Indian government is also subsidizing 25% of the manufacturing cost:
  http://androidos.in/2010/09/the-truth-about-35-android-tablet-from-indian-government/
  Someone else pointed out that it's a resistive touch screen, which is a technology that's at least a couple decades old. I wouldn't be surprised if they used the cheapest TN display they could find.
10. Re:Production cost by CharlyFoxtrot · 2010-09-12 01:21 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  If you watch the video of the guy you'll notice he doesn't say it costs $35 to produce but rather he has a contract to buy a million of them at $35. He goes on to empathically say that this wouldn't be a retail price but this is the price at which it would be delivered to educational institutions. That makes me think it's more heavily subsidized (by all parties involved) than they are letting on. It could make financial sense for the company to get these tablets in the hands of students even at a loss, like Apple also does iPod giveaways from time to time.
  
  --
  If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
11. Re:Production cost by cmdr_tofu · 2010-09-12 01:21 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Wikipedia says the Tata Nano started around $2200. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Nano
  I wouldn't want that car (or any car) in Delhi, but for rainy days when I don't feel like bicycling to work in New England, I think it would be grand. Plus the rain might help put out the spontaneous combustion hahaha.
12. Re:Production cost by nbharatvarma · 2010-09-12 01:28 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  This appears to be an initiative by the government to push technology to the masses. I doubt the tablet (if it is not vaporware) will be available at this price for everyone. They will probably subsidize these devices to certain sections of the society. We have something called a Ration Card which is given based on your economic status. You can use that to get a subsidy on food, oil etc. I am assuming that subsidy on the tablet would be based on something like that.
  
  India probably has the highest growth in terms of mobile devices purchased. The cheapest Nokia mobile set here costs USD 25 and we have Indian mobile companies now (Lava, MicroMax, Karbonn) who are aiming to provide mobiles for USD 10 in 2011. I have seen beggars with mobile phones. That's how low the entry-barrier is, in India. These mobiles do their job well.
  
  India also has a very good mobile coverage. The areas which are not covered by private providers are covered by the state-owned BSNL. 3G services are going to get rolled out sometime towards the end of 2010.
  
  The government wishes to push technology to masses. This is a good step in that direction.
  
  --
  ... and I shall strike upon thee with great vegeance, furious anger and a slightly positive karma.
13. Re:Production cost by PopeRatzo · 2010-09-12 01:44 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  The ability for a US corp to make a healthy profit and spend the cash on next gen R and D or to ensure US legislation is well written.
  Boy, are you crazy.
  Any idea how long it's been since a "US corp" (whatever that is) has spent cash on R & D? And you believe that corporations worry about whether legislation is "well-written"?
  All I can say is that India better hope like hell that Apple doesn't have nukes yet.
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
14. Re:Production cost by yakatz · 2010-09-12 01:56 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Wasn't a problem with the brakes. Was a problem with the floor mats.
  Wasn't a problem with either. Was a problem with the driver
  
  As anyone in computer support knows, the most common error code is "ID-10T".
  If you prefer, a "layer-8" problem.
  Could be known in this case as "PICNIC" (here meaning Problem In Chair, Not In Car).
  The automotive technician version: "loose nut between the steering wheel and the seat"
  I could almost go on about this all day.
15. Re:Production cost by pipatron · 2010-09-12 02:15 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Of course they use the cheapest technology, when they want to produce the cheapest product. The point they want to make is that the consumer doesn't necessarily want to pay the extra money to get the extra expensive parts when they are not necessary for the functionality. You don't need the glossy shiny polished glass surface to check the bus timetable on your smartphone, for example.
  
  --
  c++; /* this makes c bigger but returns the old value */
16. Re:Production cost by sensationull · 2010-09-12 02:59 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Also you're shooting yourself with low profit margins - look at Motorola and Nokia nowadays - they were selling decent phones a while ago and decided to go for the low hanging fruit of cheap phones. That didn't leave enough focus/resources on the smartphones.
  And thats why Nokia has large market penitration in "the rest of the world", the US is the only one where they skipped out on because of wanting to many rights for the end users when it came to carrier deals. All of Apples 'inovation' is based on other peoples work (Nokia and others for the actual ability to work as a phone), they are really just skilled collage makers pasting together technologies that other people have made into their own product.
17. Re:Production cost by david+duncan+scott · 2010-09-12 03:29 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Apple should remember that India does, in fact, have nukes.
  
  --
  This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander
18. Re:Production cost by Arceliar · 2010-09-12 03:31 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  All I can say is that India better hope like hell that Apple doesn't have nukes yet.
  Think about it. The mark of the beast. Something placed upon the hand or the head. Impossible to do business without it. Wrought by one who is worshiped as a demigod, but is in fact the antichrist.
  
  If Apple has nukes, it won't just be the end of India.
  
  What we're witnessing here could be the beginning of the end. The iPocalypse itself.
19. Re:Production cost by laederkeps · 2010-09-12 06:19 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I believe the prices set by these chinese (post-)shanzai shops show what's practically possible...
  What would you say to a 7" touchscreen android with wifi & 2GB RAM for under $100 delivered to your door.
  I don't see any reason that price can't be halved for a large enough order & then you're only looking at a $15/unit subsidy.
  No, it's got 2GB of NAND flash, only 128MB of RAM. Whoever modded you insightful apparently didn't bother clicking that link.
  
  The $35 tablet described in TFS supposedly comes with 2GB of RAM.
20. Re:Production cost by freedom_india · 2010-09-12 12:27 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  and this from a country that bought Yugo by the thousands...
  
  --
  "Doing what i can, with what i have." ~ Burt Gummer
21. Re:Production cost by freedom_india · 2010-09-12 16:14 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  It actually passed the EU standards http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/video-nano-passes-european-crash-test/ which are slightly more stringent than US standards. Oh BTW, the Yugo did pass those pesky US standards, LOL
  
  --
  "Doing what i can, with what i have." ~ Burt Gummer
2GB Ram? by drerwk · 2010-09-12 00:07 · Score: 2, Informative

I can not find 2GB RAM retail for less than $35. So the summary is truly amazing, or RAM is not a global market.
1. Re:2GB Ram? by lxt · 2010-09-12 00:10 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  The submission is wrong. It's flash memory, not RAM. The TFA even says so.
2. Re:2GB Ram? by bfree · 2010-09-12 00:14 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Any Android tablet with 2GB of ram would be very interesting, but of course this this has 2GB of storage not ram.
  
  --
  Never underestimate the dark side of the Source
3. Re:2GB Ram? by mprinkey · 2010-09-12 00:27 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  1 Gb is 1 gigaBIT. 2 GB is 2 gigaBYTES. So, to make 2 GBs, you need 16 of those $2 chips, not two. So, ~$32 for 2 GB of RAM, just for the chips. 2 GB DIMMs/SoDIMMs are in $35-$40 range on the site you posted.
4. Re:2GB Ram? by Goaway · 2010-09-12 00:45 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Flash most definitely is not "RAM". It can not be arbitrarily written.
5. Re:2GB Ram? by james_a_craig · 2010-09-12 00:54 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Actually, no it's not. Flash can't be written to randomly; it needs a block erase cycle first (and generally a block is fairly large; we're not talking one or two bytes here). Technically you can zero bits without an erase, but not set them to 1 (erasing sets everything to 1).
  This is why there's a distinction between EEPROM, FLASH, and RAM.
6. Re:2GB Ram? by james_a_craig · 2010-09-12 02:40 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Actually, no, it's exactly the functionally descriptive term I'm challenging.
  The normal definition is a memory with flat access times - i.e. it doesn't matter what part of the memory you access, you can do it equally quickly. This doesn't apply for things like tapes or HDDs, which are respectively either sequential or semi-sequential (sequential per cylinder) access.
  In the case of flash the time to perform a write is strongly dependent on the preexisting erase state of the block - if it's cleared already, it's much faster than if you need to clear it. That means that the time to access a given block of memory isn't constant (or even nearly so) so it's not really random-access.
  (If you want to be really nit-picky, it's random access on reads but not on writes. It can even end up being more complicated since you can have a read queued behind a erase on some flash devices)
7. Re:2GB Ram? by wayward_bruce · 2010-09-12 02:46 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Thanks for clarifying and setting me straight on the meaning of "random" in RAM.
8. Re:2GB Ram? by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-12 05:36 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Another person stupid enough to not comprehend the difference between stupidity and ignorance. Who are you trying to impress with that comment? Insecure fuck.
The Truth about $35 Android Tablet from Indian Gov by jigsawhacker · 2010-09-12 00:44 · Score: 5, Informative

http://androidos.in/2010/09/the-truth-about-35-android-tablet-from-indian-government/
Re:Wow! by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-12 00:49 · Score: 2, Insightful

Anything can be made not only "affordable", but even "free" with sufficient amount of subsidies.
It's not honest to advertise subsidized prices as the true expense. Someone is paying the subsidies, although it might not be the student or his school. Yet especially in India, they want to express nationalistic pride for this achievement, while comparing subsidized price with unsubsidized free-market prices. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find out that this device is fair amount more expensive in total cost than the tablets Chinese manufacturers have been pushing out now for a while. For instance, one can find "Android tablet PCs" from AliExpress for tad over $60. I wouldn't buy one, but I highly suspect that the Indians would have beaten the Chinese in costs...
Re:Sometimes Apple is cheaper by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-12 01:11 · Score: 3, Informative

You are comparing an mp3 player to a phone.
Re:Sometimes Apple is cheaper by obarthelemy · 2010-09-12 01:23 · Score: 2, Interesting

Congratz, you're snap bang at the core of Apple's market: people who can't tell a phone from an MP3 player.
It comes with peach-colored sleeves, too !

--
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
Re:The Truth about $35 Android Tablet from Indian by notaspy · 2010-09-12 02:29 · Score: 2, Informative

and
http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/jaimonjoseph/326/62006/is-indias--35-laptop-really-indian.html

--
hi!
Re:Sometimes Apple is cheaper by cmdr_tofu · 2010-09-12 03:07 · Score: 2, Informative

KMart is still advertising these as having full access to Android market:
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_020W023705190001P?keyword=tablet&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
And other reviews say 2-3 hours video playback:
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_020W023705190001P?keyword=tablet&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1#reviewsWrap
I'm not saying you're wrong. Some javascript can be wasteful of CPU and power (although not less than bad Flash!). But if they took away Android Market, KMART should stop advertising it a device which has Android Market access.
Re:Sometimes Apple is cheaper by Idiomatick · 2010-09-12 03:18 · Score: 2, Informative

Apple has an mp3 player cheaper than any Android phone that I'm aware of + an arbitrary app store limitation.

Colour me unimpressed.
Re:Outship It to Me by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-12 05:47 · Score: 2, Insightful

Those Indian friends of yours seem to be the typical armchair experts who enjoy giving opinions over a glass of beer. It really isn't that easy.
Why don't you try it? It's an open challenge. Once this product is released, I want to see you smuggle a dozen of these tablets to the USA - just a dozen. I will reimburse the costs of all 12 tablets if you manage to do it.