Damage:
Roughly R2000
What you need to know:
- Runs on Android
- 8GB Built in memory with a Micro SD slot
- WiFi & 3G enabled
- Makes calls, receives SMSes and MMS as well
- 1024×600 pixels & 7″ Display
- Rear 3 megapixel camera
What we think you should know:
My friend purchased an iPad for her son for Christmas. He dropped it during the course of Christmas day and shattered the screen. She decided to replace the screen and replace his shiny new iPad with her iPad mini – which she was hoping would be a bit more durable. On New Year’s Day he dropped the mini and she’s now forking out for two shattered screens.
The benefits (and downfalls) of kids using tablets and smartphones has been well documented. However, in a world overrun with technology it makes sense to introduce your little one to tablets and smartphones. There are also a host of educational apps that can only benefit them. I spent a few days playing with the Huawei MediaPad 7 Youth 2. During that time it didn’t disappoint BUT (and maybe I was led on a bit by the name) I kept thinking how this is a great tablet for kids and an ideal way to introduce your little one to the world of gadgets.
For starters, the tablet is a bit more “solid” then some of its competition. It sits firmly in the hand and has a strong metal backing with rounded plastic edges. If they drop it the screen will likely still shatter, but at its current sale price that might not bug you as much as say dropping a 10k tablet.
The MediaPad 7 Youth 2 is a little bit smaller than a page in a notebook and slightly bigger than your phablet. It’s ideal for a little one’s tiny hands and chubby fingers. The apps preloaded are the basics only so you won’t have to spend time removing the things you don’t want him to have access to. In fact, you can pull it out the box and start loading the educational apps you’d like him to have access to straight away without too much of a fuss.
If the holidays just ended you’re probably well aware what a headache bored kids can be in the back of a car on the way home from that family lunch. The Youth 2 has 8 GB of memory, which means you can load one or two movies onto the MediaPad to keep them entertained.
It’s the battery life on the MediaPad Youth 2 that really makes it a great tablet for kids. I got a solid 11 hours out of it despite grabbing some pictures and having social media running. This means you can have your kids play with it for their monitored time and get it charged up at night. No temper tantrums when the tablet has run out of juice! There’s also a great feature that notifies you when an app is draining too much power too quickly.
There is one downfall, depending on how you look at it, and that is that this little offering from Huawei has the option for a sim card and is able to make and receive calls as well as send SMSes and MMS messages. Great for you and me but you don’t want your child having unlimited ability to phone out. If you go with this Android offering from Huawei you may also need to have “that” gadget discussion with the kids to make sure they understand the safety implications and need for responsible use.
The camera isn’t great but the display is rather decent for a tablet in this price range. With a market overrun by Android offerings I don’t think you’ll go wrong with this little gadget. It’s affordabe, durable and does have a certain quality that I think others in the price range are lacking. It’s also has the tiny cute thing going for it, which helps.
So rad:
- Packs a bigger punch than the price suggests
- Fabulous battery life
Makes us sad:
- It doesn’t come with earphones so you’ll need to grab a pair for your little one
- Can be rather warm to the touch if used for a long period of time
