VTech InnoTab 3S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet {Review}

Disclosure:  I received the product below to review in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.

VTech is a brand that we have owned and loved since my kids were born.  Just looking around my house I see three VTech toys right off the bat that my two year old plays with.  The one VTech toy though that has taken over my household is the New InnoTab 3S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet.  It is a Learning Tablet that is for ages 3 to 9 years old and all three of my kids love having turns on it.

Features:

• Includes rechargeable battery pack with AC adapter

• Kid-safe web browser with access to age-appropriate websites vetted by VTech’s educational experts.  Parents also have the ability to add additional websites, giving them complete control over what sites their child can access.  A password is required to change website access.

• Access to the VTech Learning Lodge app store to purchase more apps, although it does come with 20 free apps to get you started.  Here you can find downloads featuring popular characters such as Team Umizoomi, Dora the Explorer, Thomas & Friends, TMNT, Monsters University and More!

• 4GB of internal memory (expandable to 32 GB with a micro SD card, sold seperately)

• Access to VTech Kid Connect – kids can send text message and animated stickers to parents’ smartphones or to another InnoTab 3S tablet. (All communication must be approved by parents first.)

• Directional Pad game control button

• Updated creative camera features

• 2 megapixel 180 degree rotating camera

• 5 inch color touch screen

• Comes with Read, Play & Create cartridge (inlcudes apps such as as MP3 player and photo album)

• E-Reader – Kids can watch the story as its read or touch the words one by one to read at their own pace.  There is even an included Story Dictionary included.

So now that I listed out all the features, let me tell you what we think of the new InnoTab.  First off the design makes it look very modern with the black border and its sleek buttons.  My boys immediately wanted to play with it.  The processor speed is actually pretty fast which is a must because my kids have no patience and if it takes forever to load then they will give up.  The display is very kid-friendly and easy to use.  My boys (5 and 6) had no problem navigating the different apps and playing games.  I had downloaded some games off the Learning Lodge for them, in addition to some games we had already purchased for our VTech InnoTab 2S, and they have been set with their InnoTab.  Honestly for the price of just under $100, this is a great tablet for kids.  You can either purchase new cartridges featuring popular characters or download them off the Learning Lodge, I honestly prefer downloading them since we don’t have to worry about loosing cartridges and my kids can have more games on hand at once.

The D-pad (button on the left) is a great touch for kids to navigate games and you actually hold this tablet sideways, like you would a Nintendo DS or other video game system.  The screen though is touch screen and I had no problems tapping the screen, you do receive two plastic stylus pens also.

My favorite feature is the included rechargeable battery pack with AC Adapter.  Yeah for no more throwing out batteries!  Other tablets we have had sold those separately so it is awesome that they are included in the low price.  It offers up to 9 hours of battery life!

We haven’t down much with the Kid Connect yet but basically you download Kid Connect on your smartphone and your child can send you picture and text messages.  Its a safe and secure communication.  I just couldn’t figure out how to get them both working right, and my kids don’t let me have any time on the InnoTab to keep trying! Kids can also communicate with other kids who have an InnoTab 3S via WiFi and Kid Connect. You do need to download the Kid Connect Premium from the Learning Lodge to really do more.

The Kid-Safe Wi-Fi connection is a great touch as well.  There are pre-loaded websites for kids to explore, parents do need to approve this and set it up first, and you can add more sites!  I was able to add PBSkids.org which is one of my kids favorite sites!  It is though not really a tablet meant for web browsing, the screen is small and the websites don’t load as fast as a computer, but it is nice for a bonus for kids.  My kids feel this is more of a big-kid tablet since it has the Wi-Fi and web browsing.  Kids can also use the VTech Wish List Maker to add apps they want, perfect for rewarding kids for good deeds!

The camera is very basic at only 2 megapixels, but it does the job.  My kids love the 180 degree camera since they can easily take pictures of themselves – yep kid selfies!  The camera is also a video recorder, perfect for budding Steven Spielbergs!

Overall, while this tablet is for kids 3 to 9 years old, my 2 year old loves trying to play it but my 6 year old doesn’t play it much.  I’d say it is perfect for a 3 year old which they can grow up using.

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BUY IT:  Look for the VTech InnoTab 3S Wi-Fi Tablet at VTechKids.com for $99.99 or look for it at your local mass retailer.

WIN IT:  (1) US winner will receive a VTech InnoTab 3S Wi-Fi Tablet ($100 value)

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