Aakash 2 vs Micromax Funbook Tablet Smart Comparison

Aakash 2 was developed to address the issues its predecessor, the Aakash. The tablet was part of the vision of India’s government to provide the students in every school in India the capability to have access to online academic materials anytime and anywhere. The initial plan was to come up with laptop that was worth $10 then it evolved to a $35 tablet and finally to a more feasible $60 tablet that is able to meet the government requirement in both its features as well as with the price. Aakash 2 was released a few weeks ago and became available through Datawind’s online website and was also sold recently on retails stores across the country.

The market of entry level affordable tablets has been increasingly growing in India. Another consumer electronics company has released a budget tablet that can perform well in supporting the academic needs of students in India. Micromax funbook was released just a few days ago and it is packed with an array of features and apps that provides top notch utilities and content for students. This smart comparison aims to help consumers decide on what choosing the right budget tablet that will fit their needs.
Design
Aakash 2 and Micromax funbook are almost similar in terms of its design. The Aakash 2, however, provides a more attractive design than the funbook. Aakash 2 has a length of 190.5 mm and width of 118.5 mm, the thickness of the tab is approximately 15.7 mm. On the other hand, theMicromax funbook has a height of 192 mm, width of 122 mm and a thickness of approximately 10 mm. Aakash 2 might be smaller by a fraction of an inch that the funbook, but the difference in thickness of both tablets makes the great difference. The Micromax funbook offers its users a slimmer tablet with only 10 mm of thickness with a similar weight of 350 grams.
Micromax funbook also offers three physical buttons on the front face of the tablet, specifically for Back, Menu, and Home function. It can also be availed in two color different colors, Slate Grey and Midnight Black whereas the boxy designed Aakash 2 is only available in its Black color casing. Taking the thickness of the funbook, its three dedicated physical buttons, and the availability of two color choices, the winner for the round is the Micromax funbook.
Processor
The Aakash 2 is powered by an ARM Cortex A8 processor that has a clock speed of 700 MHz, which is twice the speed of its predecessor. Aakash 2 also has 256 mb of RAM installed that manages to let the tablet execute most apps smoothly.
On the other hand, the Micromax funbook houses a 1.2 GHz Cortex A8 processor with a Dual Mali 400 2D/3D GPU and an installed 512 mb RAM. By merely looking at the specification sheet of both entry level tablets, we can see that the Micromax funbook for almost 60% faster chipset and twice the installed RAM compared to the Aakash 2. This round goes to the Micromax funbook.
Display
Both tablets are in the 7-inch tablet classification. The Aakash 2 features a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen display that has a resolution of 800 x 600p, which is fine for tablets with smaller screens. On the other hand, the Micromax funbook also has a 7 inch capacitve touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480p which a bit lower than the Aakash 2. The funbook supports multi-touch input compared to its competitors. Funbook also has a 16:9 aspect ratios and little has been said about the exact specifications of the Aakash 2 display specs. For this round, we take Micromax funbook as the winner due to its advantage in having a multi-touch input support to itstouchscreen display.
Camera
The Aakash 2, which is a student version, lacks a rear and front camera. Front VGA camera is only available for its commercial version, the UbiSlate 7+. Some other features were also slashed off from the commercial version such as the phone capabilities of the tablet. The VGA camera that is included in the UbiSlate 7+ can be used for video calls and conference. It can also take pictures and video but in a very low quality.
On the other hand, the Micromax funbook has a 0.3 megapixel VGA camera located at the top of the screen that makes it more convenient over the Aakash 2 since it can support video chatting and can be integrated with the Skype App for Android to make calls and for video chatting. Micromax Funbook wins this round since Aakash 2 has no installed camera.
Software
Aakash 2 was released running the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, which a relatively old Android OS for tablets. Over-the-Air (OTA) updates for the Aakash 2 to the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has not yet been announced and there might be performance issues that hurdles the release of an update. The tablet can also support a vast array of file types such as DOD, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODP, and PDF. It also supports image files such as PNG, JPG, BMP, and GIF. For its audio file support, it manages to play mp3, AAC, AC3, WAV, and WMA. Lastly, for its video file support, the Aakash 2 can play MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, and FLV files. Youtube videos can also be easily played in the Aakash 2 with its pre-install android app.
Datawind has also created a special web browser for the Aakash 2, which features the advance data compression technology of the company. Datawind claims that with the data compression on the tablet, the browsing speed at normal data can be 6 times faster than other browsers. Moreover, if the data is combined with the server side compression browsing speeds can reach to almost 30 times faster than other installed web browsers on tablet devices. The commercial version of the Aakash 2, the UbiSlate 7+ is capable of downloading apps from the Google Android market, however, it is still uncertain if the Aakash 2 will have the permission to access the said app market. Though the Aakash 2 can connect to a specially designed government apps portal that allow Aakash 2 users to download apps and content that are specifically designed for the device.
On the other hand, Micromax funbook runs on the latest Android 4.0 ICS OS right from the box. The Android ICS is the latest OS on the market today, thus consumers will have the opportunity to experience the latest android OS at a very reasonable price. Having the Android ICS also saves the users time and ensures them that the tablet will perform faster and less bugs and issues can be encountered. In addition, the Micromax funbook is also capable of supporting every single types of files that the user can encounter due to the latest OS that is installed in the tab. A picture browser and web browser is also pre-loaded in the tablet with the option of installing other browsers for android such as Opera. The funbook also does not fall short on pre-installed apps since it already has Adobe PDF, Flash, Office, ZIP archives, youtube app, among many more apps.
Micromax funbook also boasts of its freebies such as the Tata Photon+ 3G dongle that comes bundled with the tablet. Users will also get a month of free subscription on Bigflix, a website that allows HD video streaming. The tablet includes a pre-installed Bigflix app that connects directly to its website, wherein the video processor of the funbook comes into action to provide its users the capability of playing 1080p HD videos on the tablet. The only draw with this feature is the availability of high speed connections in the other country. A month of free subscription to Bigflix translates to a Rs. 249 savings. In instances that the user in connected to a high speed Wi-Fi, the Zenga TV apps that is also pre-installed in the funbook can be used to watch live TV from the tablet.
Micromax funbook also offers several edutainment apps. The company believes that education and entertainment are two most important things in a student’s life. Micomax has partnered with Pearson, Everonn, Vriti, and other educational content publishers to provide students with HD lectures and presentations. For the entertainment part, Zynga, Bigflix, and indiagames will provide the necessary apps to fit the users need. However, the following features are not free. Partner companies will charge Rs 700 to get full access any of the study materials.
Though Aakash 2 will have a dedicated app portal and has loads of pre-installed apps, the Micromax funbook still overs several advantages primarily due to the Android 4.0 ICS OS and its capability of downloading apps directly from the app market. This round goes to Micromax funbook.

Features

Data Connectivity
The Aakash 2 and the Micromax funbook both support Wi-Fi connectivity. Both devices also does not have phone capabilities and thus would require a 3G stick or modem to connect to data networks across the country. Miromax provides a Tata Photon+ 3G dongle with its funbook tablet, though it cannot be considered as a direct advantage if we consider the price difference of the two. The large savings that can be made with the Aakash 2 will be more that enough to purchase a 3G stick or modem. We score this round as tie.
Memory
Aakash 2 has an internal storage of 2 GB and a RAM of 256 mb while the Micromax funbook has a 4 GB internal memory and 512 mb of RAM. However, both devices are expandable up to 32 GB through an SD card slot. So technically, the internal storage is not considered as strong decision criteria but the difference in the installed RAM can make a big difference in terms of the performance of the tablet in running apps and during playing videos. So, by considering the RAM of both devices, this round goes to Micromax funbook.
Battery
The Aakash 2 has a battery life of 3 to 4 hours depending on usage that is a great upgrade compared to its predecessor. It is installed with a 3200 mAh battery that allows it to last longer. On the other hand, the Micromax funbook uses a 2800 mAh battery which only provides a 2 hour backup battery life to the tablet. With the added battery life, Aakash 2 wins this round in sheer numbers.
Price
Aakash 2 is among the cheapest tablets in market today, with a selling price that falls between Rs 2000 and Rs 2500 for this student version. While the commercial version sells for only Rs 2,999 and includes several improved features such as connection to Google Android Market and has phone capabilities as well as data network connectivity.
On the other hand, Micromax funbook sells about twice the amount of the commercial version and almost three times the price of Aakash 2. The funbook sells for about Rs 6,500 including all its freebies such as the Rs 249 worth Bigflix one month subscription and the Tata Photon+ 3G dongle.
Price becomes really a big consideration especially if the price difference is twice or three times than the other. Though both devices are on the entry-level affordable tablet category, the price margin is still large that the specifications may only come second in coming up with a justified decision. Judging based on economical reasons, we call Aakash 2 as the winner in this round.
Conclusion
The old Adage that ‘says you get what you pay for’ seems to be applicable in this comparison. Since the Micromax funbook is three times more expensive than the Aakash 2, it is expected that the later can provide more commendable performance and features. However, the needs and usage for the tablet can also be considered and it can surpass the specification requirements. If the user will be grade school students, the Aakash 2 can be a good tablet to start with since at this age, children will tend to be more careless with their belongings and their needs are relatively less demanding. For highschool and collegiate students, the Micromax funbook may come handy with its performance advantage and its features and apps provides better support for the needs of the above said students.