Tablets
Time has not run out for you to purchase one of the best tablets on the tech market this winter. The following article aims to outline your options at certain price points and will include tablets or tablet-like devices: wireless hardware with big screens for adults and children. The first part will focus on devices for mature individuals, meaning they cost too much to place in the hands of someone too thoughtless to care for them or too young to appreciate their value. The second part will discuss items made specifically for elementary-aged children.
Just a Few Tablets and iPads
Featured below are 4 tablets priced between roughly $230 and $650 (there are others out there too.) I will be looking at the Samsung Galaxy Tablet 4, HTC Nexus 9, Apple iPad Mini 3, and the iPad Air. All of them are portable, wireless, yet with screens suited to watching video and playing games or for individuals who find a tiny iPod or Galaxy screen too small to read comfortably.
Best Price: Samsung 8″ Galaxy Tablet 4
This Android-powered device can be used one-handed for reading books or viewing videos, but you will want two hands when it comes to playing games. It is a relatively inexpensive unit (around $230 and up) which features an LCD screen, 16GB built-in storage with the option to add a card and increase storage to 64GB. With back and front cameras, there are loads of photographic options and the means of shooting video footage as well. The Tab 4 is Bluetooth-enabled, streams movies and games onto the TV remotely, and comes with loads of apps.
Excellent Alternative: HTC Nexus 9
Pay around $530 for a bigger HD screen (8.9″) and 32GB storage already built in. It’s got front-loaded BoomSound speakers, Bluetooth capability, and allows owners to use voice controls for texting, etc. Add a keyboard if you want to (sold separately). The power on this device is equal to that of a desktop computer, yet it can be carried around in a messenger bag. Android updates will keep coming as they are released to update your device regularly. The Nexus 9 comes with Google Play games and over 1 million apps.
Always Excellent: Apple iPad Mini 3
While the HTC Nexus 9 is not huge at 8.9″, the 7.9″ iPad Mini with retina display will feel more compact. Use fingerprint recognition security software to keep out anyone but you. Share libraries full of your favorite music, videos, and e-books with friends and family. Continue a project (writing, creating a photo album, etc.) on the iPad Mini 3 that you started on another Apple device or vice versa. The battery holds its charge for up to 10 hours. Your price is roughly $430.
Apple iPad Air: Light but Loaded
Apple makes a larger version of the iPad Mini with a 9.7″ LCD touch screen, 65GB storage, and WiFi video calling enabled. There are cameras back and front which take photos and video: 8 MP/1080p at the back and 1.2 MP/720p in the front (camera/video). Speakers, Bluetooth, and a microphone are built in. The price is around $620, but Apple’s full-sized device has received some of the best reviews around. So if you can afford it, this could be the best product around.
Tablets for Children
Let’s look at 3 tablets children will enjoy and parents can feel comfortable about, all of them loaded with parental controls and fun, child-friendly learning games. They are colorful, light, and designed to withstand impact at least better than the more expensive examples above.
Playing LeapFrog
The LeapFrog LeapPad 3 comes in green or pink and costs around $110, making it an affordable introduction to the kind of technology children will inevitably be using in the future. It features 4GB of memory, 40+ carefully chosen websites, and even some specially selected YouTube videos. Children can learn to take pictures and record videos too.
VTech for Photo Bugs
The VTech Innotab 3S for children comes in white with blue or pink and is the cheapest item listed here for around $90. A color touch screen invites little hands to interact with 20 apps. The VTech Innotab is an e-reader and camera loaded with over 55 photo editing features which teach kids to become photo editors.
Nabi: Hardly a Toy
Try the Nabi 2 Tablet PC for around $200. It is Android-powered with a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor: a lot of power and technology for a young person, so think carefully about the needs of a 9 year-old before spending your money. This is more like a computer than a tablet. The tech-savvy child, however, will appreciate the 2,500 available learning programs (as will her parents), access to music, movies, and games. It comes with a built-in battery lasting up to 6 hours and a protective bumper to prevent damage if a child drops his expensive Christmas present.