Polaroid Debuts $150 Kids Android Tablet

[dgstorm]

Here we have the first of a wave of new Android tablets to report today, and this one is from an unusual source. Polaroid just announced their entry into the world of Android tablets with a kids tablet they call, "The Polaroid Kids Tablet." While the name may not win any creativity awards, the price to spec ratio is pretty good. The tablet will retail for $150 USD. Here's a quote that details many of the specs and features,

The kids tablet, Polaroid says, will be made extra-durable — as you can see by the illustration here, that will include an extra-large bumper/bezel. Other hardware specifics for the Ice Cream Sandwich-loaded device, made in conjunction with Polaroid licensee Southern Telecom, include 8GB of internal storage with an additional external SD card slot; a 1.0 GHz CORTEX-A8 processor, a rear-only camera, and WiFi-only connectivity.

And, like other connected devices aimed at the youth market, it will come preloaded with parent-controlled security features and links to educational and kids-specific content.

This will include a “Kids Cam”, Music Studio and Draw features, as well as a couple of customized interfaces to deliver children-friendly content. These include a filtered video-streaming app called Kids Vids, as well as an interface called Free Play that presents all the free apps available from a child-filtered Android app store, the App Shop.

This seems like a savvy move on Polaroid's part. First, they are finally branching out into newer and more competitive markets, since they basically lost their dominance in the photography world years ago. Second, they are entering into a niche Android market where there is little competition, although the primary contenders in this market, "Archos" and "Fuhu" are very good at marketing to kids. Overall, things will be an uphill battle for Polaroid, but it's always good to see competition push technology further. Do you guys think they can build a tablet you would consider buying?

Source: TechCrunch