BSNL Low Cost Tablet

BSNL, working with "Pantel Technologies" in Noida has come up with three low-cost tablet alternatives providing tethered data plans.

The lowest cost is a 7-inch tablet priced at Rs 3,250 whose most tardy feature is a Resistive Touchscreen. All models have relatively lower RAM than the glitterati tablets that vie with the likes of iPad.

These are nowhere close and are strictly meant to be affordable. They are not meant to be positioned against the Samsung Galaxy Tab or Motorola Xoom or Acer Iconia. The iPad is way out of league in comparison.

For those who would be interested in getting heavier tablets for a more affordable budget, you could take a look at the specifications. All the Tablets are named 'Penta T-PAD' and the interesting part is the number of ports they come with.


The model names beginning T-PAD IS are Student Editions which come with only 2G/Data plans with free 3 month unlimited usage. The ones beginning with WS are Business Editions which come with 2G Voice and 3G Data plans.

Feature	T-PAD IS701R	T-PAD WS704C	T-PAD WS802C
Screen Size	7-inch	7-inch	8-inch*
Screen Resolution	800 x 600 pixels	800 x 600 pixels	800 x 600 pixels
Touch Screen	Resistive	Capacitive Multi	Capacitive Multi
Processor	IMAP210 @ 1GHz	IMAP210 @ 1GHz	Cortex A8 1.2GHz
Volatile Memory (RAM)	256 MB	512 MB DDR3	512 MB DDR3
Internal Storage	2 GB	4 GB	4 GB
TransFlash/MicroSD Card	32 GB expansion	32 GB expansion	32 GB expansion
2G SIM / Data	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phone Call	No (Data only)	Yes	Yes
WiFi Support	802.11b/g	802.11b/g	802.11b/g
Bluetooth	( NA )	2.1 (+EDR)	2.1 (+EDR)
3G Connectivity	( NA )	CDMA/EVDO	CDMA/EVDO
GPS	( NA )	Yes	Yes
Accelerometer	( NA )	Yes	Yes
Front Camera	0.3 MegaPixel	0.3 MegaPixel	0.3 MegaPixel
Rear Camera	( NA )	2.0 MegaPixel	2.0 MegaPixel
Operating System	Android 2.3	Android 2.3	Android 2.3
External Audio	( NA )	3.5mm stereo	3.5mm stereo
HDMI	( NA )	720p/1080p	720p/1080p
microUSB Port	( NA )	1	1
USB 2.0 Port	( NA )	1	1
Battery	3000mAH	4000mAH	4000mAH
Battery Type	Lithium Ion	Polymer	Polymer
AC/DC Accessory	( NA )	9V/2A output	9V/2A output
Color	Black	Black	White
Price	Rs 3,250	Rs 10,990	Rs 13,500

The data available has been put together for comparison as their site has pictures scaled improperly, with a lot of information scattered everywhere. Pantel talks about buying it online from them but is unclear about payment.

There are also rumors of Android 4.0 being ported to these platforms, although Android 5.0 Jelly Bean is also available at present and may present a higher-stake alternative.

BSNL assures that they would make it available through retailers and have already started advertising it. So, while the Information and Broadcasting Ministry may be talking about Aakash, this looks like a realistic solution. The only doubts are whether it is already manufactured and tested.

Packaging, Servicing details, Weight and some certification details are completely missing. This is indicative that the whole hardware is still vaporware. I'll be covering more on this tablet when I get details.