Wishtel’s IRA and IRA Thing tablets have adopted the VIA (News - Alert) WonderMedia PRIZM WM8650 ARM SoC processor to bring the first native Indian language tablets to the market.

Milind Shah, CEO of Wishtel, said, “This launch is the first step in our long term vision of bringing people closer to technology by creating gadgets that truly touch their lives. By enabling support for Indian languages, we are providing the opportunity for hundreds of millions of Indians to join the tablet revolution that is sweeping the globe today. We also hope to reach out to those brilliant minds in India that are inhibited for the lack of proper resources.”

The devices, which are sleek and durable, will combine a rich computing, Internet and entertainment experience with advanced computing, connectivity and multimedia functionality, all in native Indian languages such as Hindi. In addition to these features, the tablets will carry social media, entertainment, communications and personal productivity apps. Some of the apps include a web browser, photo album, music library, email, word processor, Facebook (News - Alert), Twitter and an eBook reader.

“With the introduction of the IRA and IRA Thing, Wishtel is leading the way in driving tablet innovation in India,” commented Richard Brown, VP of International Marketing for VIA Technologies, Inc. “The potential for these devices is breathtaking, particularly in areas such as education.”

The tablets will be priced at between INR 4,000 and INR 5,500. Features will include seven-inch touch screens, 720p HD video support, 3G and Wi-Fi support, built-in camera and external microphone. The tablets will run on Google Android (News - Alert) 2.3 and on a native version of Linux. In addition, consumers can depend on the tablets to have four hours of battery life.

Designers have also created the tablets for a variety of corporate and educational uses. The eBook reader allows users to read books in both Hindi and other languages. Additional content provided through the eBook reader will include ICSE, CBSE and state boards in addition to medical, engineering and other higher education offerings.

Wishtel IRA and IRA Thing tablets are both designed and manufactured in India. VIA Technologies is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, and their x86 processor platforms drive innovation in PC, client, ultra mobile and embedded markets.