Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Review of Best Tablets For Kids Buying Guide: InnoTab 3S vs LeapPad Ultra vs Fuhu Nabi 2 vs Kindle Fire HD

This review will look at some of the best tablets for kids in 2014, including the VTech InnoTab 3S, the LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra, and the Fuhu Nabi 2. We'll also compare these tablets to the Amazon Kindle Fire HD, as an alternative to a purely kid tablet that your children are less likely to outgrow quickly. If these, tablets still don't fit your needs, others you might want to look at include the Kurio Kids Tablet or the Tabeo 7 Inch Kids Tablet.





VTech InnoTab 3S



The VTech InnoTab 3S is an affordable kid's tablet that starts out with 4GB of storage that is expandable to 16GB and a 4.3 inch screen (about the size of many smartphones) and wireless access (an important note: the slightly cheaper InnoTab 3 does not come with wireless). The VTech InnoTab 3S features a kid-safe browser will only let your children browse educational websites for kids. In comparison to the Kindle, the device has a smaller screen and less storage, but it does come with a stylus, which is a nice feature for when your kids begin writing. What you get with this device is 19 apps geared towards kids and learning and access to the Learning Lodge app store of over 350 kid-friendly learning apps and games, like Alphabet Ocean and Super Kid Chef; you'll get a number of free InnoTab game and app downloads with the purchase of this tablet. Learning games, such as SpongeBob SquarePants: A Busy Day in Bikini Bottom, are available for the InnoTab 3S for $15 to $20 dollars that comes fun math games for kids and an ebook to read that includes a built-in speaking dictionary. The InnoTab apps help teach math and science concepts, as well as help teach your child their ABC's as well as start building their vocabulary. VTech also provides a service Kid Connect that allows you to share text messages that include sound and photos with your child using iPhone or Android smartphones.

LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra Learning Tablet



Compared to the VTech InnoTab 3S, the LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra comes with twice the stoarge, 8GB. The device comes with a rechargeable battery and includes several built-in apps like Art Studio Ultra, and Pet Chat. The LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra comes with both front and back cameras, while the InnoTab 3S has a rotatable camera. Out of the box, the LeapPad Ultra comes with fewer apps than the VTech InnoTab 3S, but the LeapFrog App Center has over 800 apps and additional educational games and apps can also be bought using app cartridges. The LeapPad has its own fun math games available, like Roly Poly 2: Treasure Hunt, that includes multiplication games for kids aged 5-8. LeapFrog sells app bundles that that includes preschool games to teach letter sounds, word building, and counting. One nice included accessory is the stylus for writing apps that is attached to the device so that it is not easily lost. The LeapPad Ultra has an updated and faster processor than the older LeapPad2 and the battery pack of the LeapPad Ultra cannot be replaced like the InnoTab 3S. The LeapPad Ultra does come with a larger screen that is clearer and brighter than the InnoTab 3S. The apps for the InnoTab tend to be cheaper, but the cheaper apps don't have the familiar characters that your child might recognize; the better known games will be available for either device.

Fuhu Nabi 2



The Fuhu Nabi 2 is a powerful kid's tablet featuring a NVIDIA Tegra 3, 1.3 GHz quad-core processor that can beat some non-kid's tablets in performance. The tablet also features a wireless connection and is set up so that kids only go to appropriate websites. Versus the Kindle, the Fuhu Nabi 2 has a slightly lower resolution, the Kindle Fire HD features a high (1280x800) resolution, but does have an equivalent amount of storage, 8 GB, which is the base amount for the Kindle Fire HD. This tablet comes with a full-featured set of parental controls allowing the addition of new programs or removal of features like the internet. This feature allows you to install apps like Netflix on the Fuhu Nabi 2 from the Amazon App Store. The device comes with the App Zone that quickly allows you to search for age-specific games for children and apps from a library of over 500 apps, such as Cut the Rope that can be downloaded using the Amazon App Store. The Fuhu Nabi 2 allows you to stream cartoons from the internet, and comes with an HDMI port that allows you to watch videos on your TV. The storage of the tablet can be increased using the micro SD card slot on the side of the device. On the back of the device are raised squares; a Kinabi Letter Pack can be bought for the device allowing your child to customize the back of the device with their name or a message. The Fuhu Nabi 2 also comes with a bumper that fits around the device that keeps it from breaking when dropped.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD



Lastly, we'll quickly review the Amazon Kindle Fire HD as an alternative comparison; parents should consider how quickly your child will outgrow a purely kid's tablet and its capabilities, so there's no question about whether you can install Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus for watching videos or any other app on the Kindle Fire. The 7 inch Kindle Fire HD comes with 8 or 16 GB of storage and a fast processor for a tablet: a 1.5 GHz, dual-core processor. For parents, the device comes with the FreeTime app that includes parental controls allow parents set time limits for Kindle usage; the video shows the features of FreeTime. Also, the Kindle has its own set of kids learning apps and videos featuring characters from Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, Curious George, SpongeBob, etc. Since you have access to the Amazon App Store with the Kindle Fire or Fuhu Nabi, you'll have access to more free tablet apps and games for children than you would with the LeapPad Ultra or InnoTab 3S. One nice feature of the kid's tablets reviewed here are the design features that help protect the device from those almost guaranteed drops. While the Kindle HD doesn't come with a nice gel case to protect it from drops, cases like the Casebot Kiddie case do exactly that while providing a sturdy and stand for watching videos.

1 comment:

Nancy Jackson said...

Nice post on tablet. You have very well given the valuable information regarding how to buy tablet for kids. Your post is very useful for those people those who will newly go to purchase the gadgets.