We purchased the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids (Check latest price on Amazon) so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.
It’s difficult to find a kids tablet that strikes a balance between a parent’s desire for good parental controls and a child’s desire for content freedom, but Amazon attempts to do so with its Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet. The Fire Tab 10 HD Kids Edition appears to offer a lot of value, with a powerful processor, a year of Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited, a two-year worry-free guarantee, and a parental dashboard. How well does it work with kids? To find out, I put the tablet to the test with my 12-year-old daughter.
Design: Removable bumper case
I was reminded of the Nabi tablet my son had years ago when I first saw the tablet. It has a whimsical appearance due to the large foam-like case. It appears to be a toy. However, the case does a good job of protecting the tablet. I dropped it from a standing position on a concrete surface, and it didn’t break. The case also includes a stand, allowing the child to watch content without having to hold the tablet. There’s also a small handle so that a child can hold on to their tablet and carry it around with them.
The case is removable, but your child won’t need to because it has cutouts for the buttons, camera, speakers, and USB-C connector. Only the case must be removed to gain access to the MicroSD slot, which a child would not be likely to tamper with.
Related: The 6 Best Turntables of 2021
Display: A 10-inch HD screen
The bright 10.1-inch HD display is large enough to view content from a distance. It has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels per inch and a pixel density of 224 pixels per inch. The animation is crisp and immersive, and the shows are visually appealing. The display impressed me for a tablet of this size and in such an affordable price range.
Performance: An octa-core processor
The tablet is powered by an ARM 8183 octa-core processor that runs at 2 GHz. The tablet comes with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, which can be expanded with a microSD card. The Kids Tab 10 is actually quite quick, whizzing from one task to the next. My daughter could quickly move from one book to the next.
The parent profile loads almost instantly when I switch to it. I was able to run email, videos, and the browser all at the same time without any lag. Because the App Store is limited, I wasn’t able to download many benchmarking tools. The Kid’s Fire Tab had Geekbench 3, and it did well, with a single-core score of 1604 and a multi-core score of 5121. I also ran 3DMark, which maxed out Ice Storm Extreme, so I ran Ice Storm Unlimited, which yielded a score of 17786 for the tablet.
One thing I don’t like about the Fire Tablet is how strongly it promotes Amazon content, including shows, movies, music, and even the Amazon Silk browser. The Fire Tab is probably not for you if you aren’t a Prime Member (kids or regular edition).
Your child will have access to over 20,000 books, games, apps, and videos through FreeTime Unlimited. Although the content is geared toward children under the age of ten, my daughter did find a few things to enjoy.
Productivity: Frustrating for homework
There are many learning apps that are extremely useful for a young child who is not yet in school. The Fire Tab 10 HD Kids Edition may not be ideal for a school-aged child who needs to access their school email, school site, Google’s suite, and conduct web research on a regular basis. On several occasions, my 12-year-old daughter approached me and asked, “How do I get to Google Drive?” “How do I check my school email?” or “How do I check my school email?” I’d have to include everything she required.
You usually block content or types of content that you don’t want your child to see. With this tablet, it felt as if I had to add everything I wanted my child to have access to. It was a little tedious and time-consuming.
Don’t get me wrong: the tablet’s parental controls are outstanding. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had complete control over everything my daughter did on her tablet. However, in today’s world, where many parts of the country have virtual schools, this may be a more difficult approach, albeit one that is effective once you get past the arduous initial setup required to make this a school-appropriate productivity device for a child.
You usually block content or types of content that you don’t want your child to see. With this tablet, it felt as if I had to add everything I wanted my child to have access to. It was a little time-consuming and tedious.
Related: HP Zbook Firefly 15 G8 Review
Audio: Good sound quality
Because the tablet has two speakers, the audio quality is quite good. From a long distance, you can clearly hear shows, movies, and music. A 3.5 mm headphone jack allows your child to listen to music through third-party headphones or a separate speaker.
Because the microphone is so sensitive, Alexa will hear you from across the room if you turn it on. She might also hear people on TV saying the “A-word” and then responding.
Network: No Wi-Fi 6
Dual-band networks are supported by the Fire HD Tab 10 Kids Edition. It works with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac networks and the security protocols WEP, WPA, and WPA2. Wi-Fi 6 compatibility is currently unavailable. My home’s Wi-Fi has a maximum speed of 400 Mbps, but I was able to get average download and upload speeds of 280 Mbps and 36 Mbps indoors. If the tablet meets the compatibility requirements, you can connect it to a hotspot or a public network.
Camera: Poor camera quality
This tablet’s camera is subpar. It has a front-facing 2MP camera and a rear-facing 2MP camera. The photos aren’t crisp or high-definition, and there aren’t many software options for customizing your photo-taking experience. Although the video is recorded in 720p, it does not appear sharp or clean. On the plus side, you have the option of granting or denying your child access to the camera.
Related: The Best Streaming Setup in 2021
Battery: Up to 12 hours of use
Up to 12 hours of use is possible thanks to the battery life (reading, web searching, listening to music, watching shows). The battery life of the tablet is dependent on how you use it, but I was able to get about 10 hours of consistent use out of it. With heavy use, a child can easily get a full day out of the device. The battery should last three days under normal conditions. The tablet takes about 4 hours to charge.
Software: FireOs and Alexa
Amazon’s FireOS is an Amazon-centric version of Android. At first, I found it clumsy and difficult to navigate, but it grew on me once I got used to it. The Fire Tab HD 10 Kids Edition doesn’t have biometrics like face recognition or a fingerprint reader, so it’s secured with a passcode. Alexa is built into the tablet, and you can use voice control to navigate the tablet’s features.
FreeTime and the parental control dashboard are the true stars of the show. There is a lot of content available for a young child, and you have complete control over what your child consumes.
Price: An excellent value
The Fire Tab 10 HD Kids Edition is priced at $200, but it is frequently on sale for $150 (Check latest price on Amazon). When you consider the year of FreeTime Unlimited and the two-year worry-free guarantee, which provides additional coverage for the tablet, this is an incredible deal.
Amazon Fire Tab 10 HD Kids vs. Apple iPad (2019)
For a teen who needs a tablet for school, the iPad is a better choice. Apple’s screen time allows you to keep track of your child’s usage and set parental controls right in the family settings. There are plenty of third-party applications available in the App Store if you need more comprehensive parental controls. The Fire Tab is a better choice for younger children, and it costs less than the iPad (which starts at $329).
Related: Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Review
The Final Word
The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition gives parents peace of mind, but it may not be the best device for kids who need to do their homework.
No Responses