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Samsung has a new version of its 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 on the way, but this one’s not for you. With its colourful shell and rugged plastic case, this model is aimed squarely at the kids.
The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids, as it’s called, is basically the same as the standard Galaxy Tab 3 — due to be unveiled at IFA next week — but replaces the normal TouchWiz software with a child-friendly interface. As well as pre-loaded educational software, games and apps, the slate will have access to a dedicated kids app store, presumably overseen by the parents to avoid the kids racking up huge app bills.
It’ll also have a time-management feature that locks the tablet after a certain amount of time. Samsung reckons this is to ensure parents can properly monitor how much time their nippers are spent staring at a device screen.
The tablet comes with a chunky plastic case with a combined handle and stand to make it much more hardwearing against toddler’s attacks. At the time of writing, Samsung wasn’t able to tell me if the tablet’s body has been made bigger, or if you’ll have to use a separate case to stop your little ‘un smashing it to bits. I’ll update this article when I get more information. A stylus will also be available, allowing your kids to draw and paint without the terror of you finding your new wallpaper coated in new colours.
It has roughly the same specifications as its adult-orientated counterpart. The 7-inch screen has a 1,024×600-pixel resolution and it’s powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It’ll be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, rather than the more recent version 4.3, although with the child-friendly software over the top, you’re unlikely to tell much difference.
The tablet will be launching in Korea first in September, with a UK release to follow towards the end of the year. Samsung couldn’t give me specific dates or indeed UK pricing so stay tuned for more info.
Are you sick of your kids bashing your pricey iPad around? Want to keep them entertained with a slate but worried about them blowing thousands in app stores? Let me know your thoughts on kids with tablets in the comments below and over on our Facebook page.
