Tabeo is a tablet for kids who are old enough to turn their noses at more limited kids’ tablets that completely restrict web access, but young enough to not be trusted with full access to the Internet just yet.
The 7” capacitive multitouch tablet runs on a 1 GHz processor and a full version of Android 4.0. Tabeo is really a full tablet with an enhanced suite or parental controls and a more kid-friendly exterior. It even manages to include a front-facing camera and HDMI out, which are pretty impressive for something branded as a child’s tablet.
The 4 GB of on-board storage is bolstered by a microSD slot compatible with up to 32 GB microSD cards. There’s also a solid helping of free content coming with the tablet – over 50 games, books, and educational apps are included. Tabeo supports both Flash and Wi-Fi.
There are a couple of restrictions on use that make this a kid’s tablet. First, kids won’t have access to the full Google Play store. Instead, they’ll go shopping on the Tabeo store, which includes 6,000 apps. All of those apps are free, so parents won’t need to worry about surprise app shopping sprees popping up on their credit card statements. Second, parental controls are automatically installed on the web browser, filtering out unsavory content. Of course, those controls can be completely customized to suit your own unique situation.
Tabeo is selling now exclusively from Toys ‘R’ Us for about $150.