Polaroid's Kids Tablet 2 started shipping toward the end of 2013, but the company has already announced a newer version of its child-friendly slate the K7. Expected to ship in Q1 2014, the 7-inch Android 4.2 device costs an affordable $129 and looks sleeker than its predecessor. We took a look at the Polaroid K7 V3.
With the same built-for-portrait-use button placement and the same colorful side bumpers, the newest K7 looks a lot like its predecessor. We liked the slate's soft touch body and colorful UI, especially the amply sized tiles on the colorful skin. Instead of having a removable bumper the K7 also sports rubbery sides and a recessed screen to prevent damage from falls. We also appreciate the SD card option at the bottom to expand the devices' 8GB of internal storage. As we flipped through home screens on the K7's custom UI, transitions were smooth, thanks to the bumped-up (from its predecessor) quad-core processor.
MORE: Kids Tablets to Buy (or Avoid)
Overall though, details were thin on parental control features in the K7 since that section was restricted (unfortunately Polaroid's rep did not know the password) so there's at least that level of security preventing a child from accessing it. We know the slate has a password-protected app store that parents can access and a curated app store with free apps that's open to the kids. You can also install the Google Play store on the tablet to install apps such as Facebook and YouTube to use your K7 as a fully-functioning Android device.
The K7's 1024 x 600 resolution is par for the course in the budget kid tablet category, but the colorful UI on its IPS display certainly appears brighter and more vivid than on some other child-appropriate tablets we've seen. Given its compelling $129 price point though, the K7 is basic, as expected. For more on how the Polaroid Kids Tablet 3 stacks up to other child-friendly apps, we'll have to wait till we get our hands on one for a full review.
