HP Pro 8 ‘made for India’ tablet launched, priced at ₹19,374

HP on Tuesday launched a new tablet, HP Pro 8, in India. The company says the tablet has been "Made for India" as it would help monitor subsidy distribution through Aadhar authentication and other related government welfare schemes.

"These devices are exclusively made for India. Fit for outdoor condition, the devices have 15 hours of battery life for field workers and are dust and water resistant. The 4G-enabled devices with strong battery ensure connectivity even in remote areas," Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director, HP Inc India, told IANS. Starting at ₹19,374, the Pro8 tablet range supports regional languages.

The Pro8 tablet range comprises an 8-inch tablet, coupled with customisable features that will allow the delivery of services, including financial inclusion and benefit schemes.

The company says the tablet is aimed at ensuring efficient delivery of subsidised food products under the Public Distribution System (PDS), comprehensive monitoring of various healthcare initiatives and several other flagship programmes run by the central and state governments.

"We have won a few big deals from state governments for delivering tens of thousands of such devices. These tablets are not just being sold purely as devices but as end-to end solutions. We will provide the devices and get partners bring their software and solutions into it," Chandra told IANS.

The device can house pre-loaded apps to support various functionalities. It was designed by HP's Digital India Unit with specific inputs from public and private sector customers.

The features include sunlight readable screen for outdoor usage, iris and fingerprint scanner for Aadhar-based authentication, thermal printer and magnetic-strip reader for financial transactions and bar code scanner for inventory management.

The tablet features Android 'Marshmallow', Quad Core Processor, 2GB RAM with 16GB on-board storage (expandable upto 64GB) and 6,000mAh high-capacity battery.

"As a long-standing partner in India's digital journey, we take this opportunity to provide solutions that can solve real life problems," Chandra added.