Supercheap Sakshat Android tablet is shipping for US$49

Before you scoff, keep in mind that the Sakshat Android tablet is meant to bring Internet-connected devices into the hands of students that might otherwise not be able to afford them. And at US$49, they seem to have hit the mark.

The Sakshat tablet is a collaboration between the Indian government and their national universities, seeking to unite 25,400 educational institutions on a single e-learning platform. Their initial tablet, unveiled in 2009 for US$10, was a flop. But this unit, which was originally supposed to cost US$35, will finally see the light of mass-produced day.

The first run of 10,000 will arrive at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Rajasthan in late June. Thereafter, an additional 90,000 more will be distributed. And if the $49 price tag weren't low enough, students only pay US$24.50, as the government subsidizes the other half.

The Sakshat tablet features a 7-inch touchscreen, an unspecified iteration of Android, a front-facing camera, 2 USB ports, 2GB of RAM, a 32GB hard drive, an Ethernet port, and Wi-Fi. We don't expect the device to venture outside of India's borders, but would you be interested if it did?

source: Pluggdin via Electronista