LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum tablet for kids

LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum tablet for kids
Tablets for kids have come a long way in the past few years and are now much-improved over their low-resolution, slow and clunky predecessors. The LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum looks set to be one of the most popular tablets for children this year, so we decided to spend a bit of time with one to see whether it would make a good first tablet for your little one.  

The LeapPad Platinum doesn’t set out to rival the likes of the iPad Air 2 in the svelteness or style stakes. It’s unashamedly chunky with a big bezel. In fact, it’s sized more like the Wii U Gamepad than most modern tablets. However, prioritizing sturdiness over style with features like a rubber bumper, is a good thing in a device which is going to spend most of its time in the destructive little hands of a toddler, as all-too-many broken iPads can attest to.

In terms of specifications, the LeapPad Platinum is more powerful than its toy-like looks would suggest. It boasts a respectable 1 GHz processor, and a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with a 1024 x 600 resolution which can be controlled with a finger or the included squidgy-ended stylus. There’s also a D-pad and home button on the front. This adds up to a smooth-running set-up which doesn’t feel sluggish in the way previous generations of LeapPad and InnoTab have. In fact, our little tester, who is more used to an aging iPad 2, observed that the LeapPad Platinum felt faster.

The tablet is billed as being suitable for 3 to 9-year-olds, though we’d suggest it’s optimistic to think children older than five or six would opt for it over rival devices. However, if you have a younger child it could be a good option thanks to robust parental controls and the knowledge that everything which can be accessed on the device is kid-safe.

During the simple set-up process, parents can create user profiles for children which include details about their ages, educational levels, and what services they should each have access to. This means parents can limit access to certain apps, disable wireless connectivity, or set time restrictions, such as the tablet only being able to be used for one hour every day. Time limits can also be set each time the tablet is turned on, using a Parental Lock Code.

While the tablet comes loaded with a number of apps and games, there are over 800 more on offer as paid downloads in the LeapFrog App Center, or if you fancy going old-school many are also available on cartridges. Though you’re not going to find Candy Crush or Clash of Clans, games on offer include characters from Nickelodeon and Disney, meaning your little one’s favorites are probably represented. These LeapFrog offerings also have the benefit (for parents at least) of being designed or approved by educators.

A nice touch is also the ability to let a child browse App Center content, and add items to a wish list for a parent to (hopefully) buy them at a later time. Users of iOS and Android might be shocked by the price of some apps, which can be up to US$25, but have to remind themselves they are educational, and don’t include any nasty in-app adverts or purchases.

The LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum also comes pre-installed with the sort of apps you’d expect of a tablet, but with a kid twist. Users can take photographs with 2-megapixel cameras front and back (children are the only people with a good excuse for using a tablet as a camera) and the PhotoFun app lets them add filters, effects and masks. A music app can also be used to listen to pre-loaded songs or MP3s added via a computer, while a Pet Chat app, lets young users text chat with a friend, though only if they are in the same room and have an equally capable LeapPad tablet.

There’s also LeapFrog’s LeapSearch internet browser which gives kids access to pre-approved web content which includes kid-safe viral videos, information about perennial search term faves like Dinosaurs and Robots, and safe websites like Time Kids. In our tests this wasn’t as popular as we thought it might be, in fact our four-year-old tester was disappointed both with the content on offer (not his favorite kid websites or YouTube videos) and the clicking to browse topics. The question "Why can’t we just ask Google by talking, like on your phone?" was heard on more than one occasion.

Luckily, he’d been more impressed by the other apps on offer. In particular, an Octonautsgame was a big hit and the thing he constantly wanted to return to. This goes to show the strength of brands represented in the LeapFrog titles – he’s a big fan of these sea-faring animal explorers, and here he was able to play them in a full game not available on iOS or Android.