LeapFrog is releasing a new tablet for kids, called the LeapFrog Epic tablet. Its design is based on the results of a survey: LeapFrog found that 91% of parents with kids ages 3 to 8 say their child uses a mobile device. Furthermore, 64% say their kids use a tablet designed for an adult, while 57% say they use a tablet designed for a kid (presumably some kids use more than one tablet). In addition, 66% of parents said they want a tablet with a child-friendly interface, with 61% asking for something easy for small hands to use. Another 61% were looking for a experience that can be personalized based on their child’s age.
The new 7-inch tablet costs $140 and includes wifi, a camera, and 16 gigabytes of memory. It has a battery life of more than six hours. It runs Android 4.4 and comes with 20 apps pre-installed. LeapFrog says that the tablet will boast about 500 games, ebooks, videos, music apps, and other pieces of content by the end of this year. (It cannot, however, run LeapFrog cartridges.)
The apps on the new tablet are all LeapFrog-certified—there are no in-app purchases or third-party ads. The tablet also has a kid-friendly LeapFrog browser with LeapSearch, with the option to unlock an unrestricted browser when your child is ready.
One cool extra feature is that the tablet’s homescreen is interactive; it features a town with day and night cycles and changes in weather. Kids can visit and find something new every day, according to LeapFrog. The art style of the homescreen can also be altered to match the age of the child.
A few months back LeapFrog announced they were making a series of toys-to-life educational cards called “Imagicards” that work with LeapFrog products that accept game cartridges.
Last year, they also launched LeapTV, a video game console featuring games approved by teachers. The LeapTV, like the tablet, is aimed at kids ages 3 to 8.
