How to choose a tablet for a child

When choosing a tablet for a child, you should first of all start from the price and special 'children's' capabilities of the device.

How to choose a tablet for a child: what to look for

The key characteristics when choosing a tablet to be used by a child are:

1. Price;

2. The presence of special children's functions;

3. Operating system;

4. The presence of a slot for a SIM card;

5. The volume of the internal storage, the presence of a slot for a microSD memory card;

6. The amount of RAM, processor power;

7. Battery capacity.

8. The manufacturer of the device is also important.

How to determine the price of a tablet for a child

It is worth remembering that children, especially small children, are not the most accurate users of electronics. They can drop it, spill liquid on it, damage it in another way. And modern tablets, in turn, are quite sensitive to various mechanical influences.

As a result, it makes no sense to purchase an expensive tablet for a small child. There is a risk that the device will break down without the possibility of repair right on the day of purchase.

The best way to determine the right price is to see if the monthly family budget can fit the full cost of the tablet. If not, then it is advisable to pay attention to a less expensive model. Only then damage to the tablet will not bring negative emotions and will not punch a hole in the family budget. After all, this is a child, and he most likely does not understand that such electronics can be very expensive.

For an older child who already at least goes to school, you can purchase a more expensive model. But, again, buying flagship tablets like Microsoft Surface or Apple iPad is advisable only if their damage can go unnoticed for the family budget.

How to choose a tablet for a child based on age

Tablet for a child 2-4 years old

For such a tender age, special development tablets are suitable, on which various applications are preinstalled that teach counting and elementary writing, as well as reading.

Unfortunately, such tablets are mainly produced by little-known and often Chinese companies. Therefore, in the event of any breakdown, the repair may simply not be feasible due to the lack of spare parts on the market.

The main advantage of special developmental tablets lies precisely in the software filling. The simplest interface, the impossibility of breaking anything, parental control functions and the difficulty of installing third-party applications make them excellent devices for playing and learning.

Among such developmental tablets, for example:

1. SkyTiger ST-902. The device is focused on teaching reading and listening. There are sounded fairy tales, collections of riddles, written in the simple language of an encyclopedia, etc .;

2. TurboKids S4. A very simple tablet with preinstalled programs for teaching various languages, including Russian and English. In addition, there is a cartoon player and a couple of simple games. All this is complemented by a 'tiled' interface, on which even the smallest child will not 'miss', and a relatively shock-resistant body with huge plastic bumpers at the ends;

3. PlayPad 3. Another educational tablet with a huge number of educational applications. Most of them, however, will have to be downloaded from the official site. But they were developed by professional educators and psychologists. There is parental control and a colorful interface;

4. EXEQ P-1011. The main advantage of the tablet is licensing for the 'Fixies' animated series. There are also appropriate programs that will help the child explore the world around him and especially the numerous electronics in it. In addition, the tablet has a full-fledged 'adult mode' in which the device can be used for a variety of purposes, and the colorful and bright body becomes calm and discreet after removing the case.

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An important point: when buying children's tablets in Chinese or other stores, you should make sure that the pre-installed software is fully Russified. Otherwise, you will have to spend time teaching your child English or some more exotic language.

The next feature that you should pay attention to when buying a children's tablet is the amount of permanent memory. It must be above 16GB. If it is equal to this parameter, it is desirable that the tablet is equipped with a slot for microSD memory cards.

The fact is that many cartoons are not available on streaming video or online TV services. Then, to entertain the child, you will first have to download them to the computer and then transfer them to the tablet. That is why the amount of memory is very important – to be able to save as many cartoons as possible.

Tablet for a child 5-9 years old

At this age, children can already be given regular, full-fledged tablets. Unless it is worth installing parental control systems on them (the corresponding applications are available in various stores like the Play Store or the App Store, depending on the operating system used) so that the child does not sit too long in toys.

In addition, for such a tablet, it is worth creating a separate account in the App Store or Google Play Store and not linking a bank card to it. Otherwise, the child may well spend the entire family budget on in-game purchases, which are almost the standard for mobile entertainment.

Of course, for a child of primary school or preschool age, purchasing a high-end flagship tablet from Samsung, Apple or Microsoft is impractical. Such devices are expensive and have a lot of unnecessary features. A good solution would be to purchase a budget or mid-range tablet from companies Xiaomi, Wexler, Lenovo, Huawei, etc.

Ultra budget options like BQ, Archos, Texet, Irbis, etc. not recommended for purchase due to extremely limited capabilities due to 'weak hardware' and low maintainability.

When choosing such a tablet, it is necessary to take into account not only the amount of internal storage (after all, cartoons at this age are still interesting), but also the amount of RAM, as well as the power of the processor. It is assumed that a child at this age will put on various educational programs and games (especially games), so that the tablet should 'pull' them.

Main selection criteria

The main selection criteria are:

1. Pre-installed children's applications or additional modes;

2. Operating system;

3. The presence of a slot for a SIM card and an Internet connection standard;

4. The volume of the internal storage, the presence of a slot for microSD memory cards;

5. The amount of RAM, processor power;

6. Battery capacity.

Children's software

Among the most important applications to be installed on a tablet are:

1. Parental control system. Limits the time of using the tablet and the sites available for visiting;

2. Simplified launcher. With large icons, easy-to-understand buttons and other features that make it easy to use. Such, for example, is found not only in special children's tablets, but also in devices from Samsung;

3. Software systems to protect against unauthorized purchases in the form of the need to enter a password or scan fingerprints.

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However, almost all such programs can be downloaded from app stores. However, if they are preinstalled, using them becomes much easier and more enjoyable.

operating system

For purchase, a child is recommended tablets running an operating system Android. And there are several very important reasons for this:

1. In the vast majority of cases, they are cheaper than iPad or OS devices Windows;

2. You can customize your desktop the way you want using third-party launchers or special modes;

3. Deep parental control can be configured;

4. To activate an account on the Google Play Store, you do not need to link a bank card, so you can completely restrict in-app purchases;

5. The learning apps are very diverse.

There are also disadvantages, of course:

1. A huge amount of advertising, often non-switchable. To get rid of it, you can contact a specialist who modifies the hosts file;

2. The risk of catching viruses. To get rid of it, you should disable the ability to install applications from unknown sources in the device security settings.

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However, it is Android that is best suited for use by children. After all, with careful use of the tablet, sooner or later you can remove all the training software – and then it will become a universal device for everyday activities.

The presence of a SIM slot and the ability to connect to the Internet

The ability to connect the tablet to the mobile Internet allows you to achieve the following goals:

1. The child will be able to watch cartoons or download data packages for educational programs even outside the home – for example, when traveling;

2. You can track the location of the child with an accuracy of several tens of meters and online through specialized software;

3. You can write messages to your child in instant messengers or social networks.

Of course, all internet access is done through the GSM module, which in turn requires a SIM card. It is desirable that the tablet supports 4G networks, then the video will be played in streaming mode without preliminary buffering. For all other purposes, 3G is sufficient.

Internal storage capacity, microSD card slot

As it is clear from the purpose of the tablet, the internal memory will be used to store cartoons, games and educational applications. All this requires, in fact, a lot of space. Therefore, the more built-in memory, the better.

The minimum required internal storage in 2017 is 16 GB. It should be borne in mind that about 2 of them will be 'deducted' by recalculation, 3 will be occupied by the operating system, about 2 more – by pre-installed applications. As a result, the user only has 9 GB. This is enough for several resource-intensive games.

Therefore, we recommend buying models with at least 32 GB of internal memory.

If there is less internal storage, make sure your tablet has a microSD card slot. They can store some user data such as photos, movies, music, etc. Of course, the USB stick will have to be purchased separately.

The amount of RAM, processor power

These two parameters determine the overall performance of the tablet.

The more RAM, the better. Now it makes no sense to buy devices with less than 2 GB of RAM – such tablets will slow down when performing the simplest tasks. It is impossible to expand the working memory, so a school-age child should take 'with a margin'.

The parameters for determining processor performance are quite complex, but a simple rule applies to them: the 'fresher' the chip, the better. The new models are equipped with high-performance, energy-efficient processors that will allow your tablet to last longer.

Well, Qualcomm processors are faster than MediaTek.

Battery capacity

This parameter determines the autonomy of the tablet. The higher the battery capacity, the longer the device will operate on battery power. There, tablets with a 4000 mAh battery are capable of 'surviving' up to four hours of active use – or a full day of mixed use.

Best Tablet Makers for Kids

The best manufacturers of specialized children's tablets are listed at the beginning of the article. But the 'universal' ones are as follows:

1. Samsung;

2. Lenovo;

3. Huawei;

4. Xiaomi.

It is not recommended to take models from Apple due to their high cost, but refuse from Microsoft, Acer, Asus, etc. – since in most cases the operating system is installed on them Windows.

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In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose a tablet for work, the secrets of choosing a tablet for the Internet, and a complete guide to choosing a 10-inch tablet.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.