HCL Infosystems is all set to launch its range of made-in-India tablet PCs, with prices starting from about Rs 15,000. A formal announcement is expected this week, a source familiar with the development said.
"The Android-based HCL ME Tablets will be available in 7-inch and 10-inch screen sizes and three price points" Rs 14,990, Rs 25,790, and Rs 32,990.
The entry-level HCL ME AE7 comes with 800 MHz processor, 7-inch display, memory specification of 256MB DDR2; NAND Flash 2GB (in-built), Micro SD card for expandability up to 8GB besides 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi support. The mid-level HCL ME AM7 and the top-end HCL ME AP10A are more feature-rich.
HCL is betting on a local application store to woo buyers, and is also in talks with various telecom service providers for bundled solutions. Initially, HCL ME Tablet will be launched in Delhi NCR and over the next fortnight it will be rolled out in other parts of the country.
But, in a market saturated with tablets such as Samsung Galaxy, Olive Pad and Dell Streak besides the iconic iPad, can ME tablet create a buzz? Tech expert Mr Kishore Bhargava feels that low price points alone are not enough to excite the market. It's about features, look and feel as well. A possible downside he feels is that the product is based on Android 2.2 and not Android Honeycomb, the new version of the mobile operating system designed for tablets.
"Also the base memory is low," Mr Bhargava opined.
An HCL Infosystems spokesperson, however, says, "Let us wait for the announcement. We have to be competitive in the market and we are sure that the standard globally available products will not work in India as they would need customisation for Indian users."