So you’ve recently bought a top-of-the-line tablet, but even before your fingers begin to get comfortable with the new device, your child takes it away from you to play (whatelse but) Candy Crush. When you do get your device back, most likely only after your child goes to bed, chances are it will look nothing like the sleek new gadget you had purchased only hours ago.
Like adults, children these days are gadget crazy. Most get their first tablet/smartphone even before their teens and as with every tech-freak, want to own the latest in the market. Keeping this in mind, Samsung recently released a children’s version of their popular Galaxy Tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition that is tailored to keep both the parents and their children happy.
Despite its brightly coloured exterior, the kids edition, is essentially the same device as the Tab 3. However, there are a few tweaks. The Kids Edition comes with a rubbery surround case which protects it from low-level drops. There is also an additional case which includes a carry handle that can be converted into a stand (see pic) and a large stylus on a string.
The 7-inch screen offers a decent resolution of 1,024 pixels x 600 pixels, and although the video quality fails to qualify as HD, it produces bright and vibrant pictures. There are two cameras on board, a 3 MP one on the rear and a 1.3 MP version on the front, both of which can be used with the kids’ apps.
The Tab 3 Kids Edition is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, and is backed by 1GB Ram, which keep most of the kids’ apps running at optimum speed, although the speed gets sluggish while playing more advanced games. Two modes of video display are available: standard Android screen and the Kids Mode, a simple colourful interface, which makes it easy for your little ones to find their way around.
With 8GB of on-board memory, the tab offers a plenty of room for apps, videos, and music but if your child has a large appetite, then you can always expand the memory up to 32GB via a microSD card. But if you are worried about your child spending too much time on this new purchase, relax. The built-in parental controls and time limit settings ensure that parents get to regulate web and Google Play access and manage the time usage.
Your little ones are guaranteed to have a ball of time accessing a wide range of games and apps on this one. And, you are never too old to hold one yourself. If people do see you playing with one, just switch to normal mode and claim you are checking emails. At Rs 20,000 it is also much more wallet friendly than many of other tabs on sale.
Yantrick’s verdict: The Tab 3 Kids Edition might just be the best gadget in the market for children today.