Earlier this year, EE unveiled their new kids tablet – the EE Robin, which is the first kids tablet with 4G (you can read our review of the original EE Robin here) Now the next generation of the Robin tablet has been launched, and we were sent one of the new and improved versions to try out with the kids.
Like the original Robin tablet, the new version is a kid friendly Android tablet that comes with 4G so kids can access online content such as Hopster from anywhere, but it also comes with..
- New single player and multiplayer motion gaming
- A new and improved Hopster learning and entertainment app
- Additional kickstand making it easier for children to take the device with them and watch their favourite shows with their friends and family
- More storage capacity
The new stand is the difference that we noticed straight away, as it’s the most visible difference with the tablet. It makes it easy to stand up the tablet and watch video content easily, wherever you are. This makes it especially easy when you have siblings wanting to watch together as they can all see well. The stand also works as a handle to carry the tablet, and it’s in built into the rubber casing.
The rubber case gives the tablet extra protection and makes it sturdy and hardwearing for kids, protecting it against knocks and bumps.
The kids felt that the new version of the EE Robin runs more quickly, and they appreciated the extra storage capacity.
The device comes with pre-loaded content, including a subscription to Hopster which allows kids to access video content, including over 1500 episodes of kids TV shows with no adverts. The standard EE Robin plan comes with 3 months free access to Hopster, or if you go for the Extra plan then you get 24 months.
In addition to the video content, Hopster also comes with loads of games for the kids to explore, and you can add in their own favourite content from outside the Hopster app too, like my kids were keen to add Dragon City.
The new motion games that are included are also really good. I’ve never seen motion games on a tablet before, so was really impressed with these! To play, you stand up the EE Robin on the kickstand and place it on a flat surface like a table, then you can stand in front of it and activate the games by moving your body – like one of the games is a racing game where you lean to control your space ship. This is a great way to include physical play along with the screen based activities, so I love this idea and it’s really fun for the kids. There are 6 motion games included with this version of the EE Robin.
All of the kids content is easy to access and clearly organised within the Hopster app, and when you put your child’s details in to their profile, the content will be adapted so that it’s more suitable for their age and gender. You can easily recognise the motion games by the special motion logo in the corner of their icons.
With the parental settings, you can restrict the kids activity on the EE Robin for peace of mind. We’ve set it up so that the kids can’t add any extra apps without permission, and also so that the tablet can only be used between 7am-8pm. You could even restrict it so that there’s only a certain amount of hours per day it can be played, like 2 hours or 3 hours total within the day – but since we have three kids sharing it, I’ve left it open for now as long as they don’t play it after bedtime or too early in the morning! The settings are easy to change as and when needed, so you can adapt it if you need different timings in the school holidays for example.
You get 24 GB of data included with the tablet, and can top this up as needed if you’re out a lot and find that you need extra as time goes on.
The new EE Robin kids tablet is a great all round entertainment device for kids, especially if you’re planning to use it for travelling then the 4G aspect is a major plus. We were impressed with the quality of the included content, and can definitely see an improvement in this new version and the features that have been added.
Visit the EE website to get the full tech specs, and find out the details of the different plans.
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
Kids will really love this tablet. It looks very meant for kids and looks safe for them.
Looks like a great tablet for kids, easy to use with fun games. I think more child friendly tablets are important nowadays as more children are interested in technology and it’s good for learning.