iBall has announced an uiltra low-cost Windows 8.1 tablet called the iBall Slide i701. The tablet is upgradable to Windows 10 when it is launched later this year. The tablet has a 7-inch HD IPS display and is powered by an quad-core Intel Atom processor with 1GB RAM. The tablet is priced at Rs. 4,999 and will be available through retail stores and e-commerce sites starting tomorrow.
Touted as the world’s most economical Windows device, the tablet sports 2-megapixel rear camera and VGA front-facing camera. It comes with 16GB of internal storage, expandable up to 32GB with micro-SD slot. Connectivity options include 3G (via dongle), WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, micro HDMI, and microUSB. A 3200 mAh battery powers the tablet.
Sandeep Parasrampuria, Director iBall, said: “We are extremely elated to announce our latest Tablet iBall Slide i701 with the Industry giants Intel and Microsoft. It’s the World’s most economical Windows Tablet ever with price tag of Rs 4,999. We are sure every customer will be delighted with this offering!” Amit Gupta, Director Business Development, Intel South Asia, said: “We are pleased to partner with iBall for the launch of the most affordable Windows tablet till date. Increasingly users want devices that are lightweight, affordable and easy to use while on-the-go, with no compromise in experience. The Tablet iBall Slide i701 allows multiple user accounts and comes with in-built anti- virus software. With this, we are literally re-imagining the personal computing segment and expect that consumer will find value in this product.
iBall’s new tablet is likely to create a lot of buzz mainly because of its price point. The company has been aggressively chasing the tablet segment for a long time. iBall earlier this year was adjudged top tablet brand in India. According to an IDC report, iBall topped the Indian tablet market in the fourth quarter (October-December) of 2014 surpassing South Korean giant Samsung. The company had market share rose from 4.5 pc to 15.6 pc, while Samsung’s share dropped from 17.9 pc to 12.9 pc.
Prior to the ultra low-cost Windows 8.1 Slide i701, iBall had launched a Windows tablet, the WQ149, for Rs. 24,999. The new 2-in-1 hybrid tablet comes with a magnetic pogo pin keyboard which has an integrated touchpad. The WQ149 is available for around Rs. 24,999. Another Windows iBall tablet available in the market is the Slide WQ32, priced around Rs. 9,290.
