Samsung Reveals New Tablet for Tots: Is This the End of Civilization?
Forget the iPad Air!
Samsung's new kid-friendly Galaxy Tab 3 Kids can now be pre-ordered before it goes on sale in U.S. stores on November 10th.
The $229.99 tablet’s hardware will be identical to that of the (adult-version) ‘Galaxy Tab 3’ but the colors will be brighter and the software will be geared towards the young.
The tablet will come pre-installed with a number of apps that appeal to kids like “Fruit Ninja” and “Discovery Kids,” it will also have a simple interface and a stylus for drawing apps. Parental controls will be in place to insure that children don’t accidentally rack up large bills or stumble upon inappropriate content. The Tab 3 Kids edition will even come with a time management feature that parents can program so that the tablet locks after a specified amount of use. A simple few swipes can change the tablet back to standard mode allowing adults to use it as well.
Related: Apple On The Defensive As Samsung Prepares to Launch Huge New Phone
38% of children under two now use mobile media, according to a new report by Common Sense Media. That means tablets and other devices aimed towards children could present a huge and -- until now -- mostly untapped market.
Still, Yahoo Finance technology reporter Aaron Pressman is skeptical about Samsung's potential for success, “I’m not sure if there’s that big a market for parents who want to buy a dedicated tablet just for their toddlers."
Related: Apple, Twitter and Tech’s Middle-Aged White Guy Problem
“The American Pediatric Association recommends zero ‘Screen Time’ for all kids under two,” Pressman also points out. Does this mean that aiming tablets and other devices at toddlers will lead to a generation of misfits and mischief-makers?
Maybe, but probably not.
“66% of kids under two are watching television, which is almost twice as many as are using tablets,” says Pressman. “And [tablets are] probably better for them. If you go to the iTunes store and look at what the best apps for kids are, they’re half educational, learning fractions and stuff like that. So maybe there’s an improvement with a tablet over TV to some degree.”
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