The LeapFrog LeapPad 3 is a newly released tablet. Actually, as newly released as this summer with one of the fastest processors available at 1000MHz.
This brand new tablet from LeapFrog comes with wifi access which allows children to surf the web in an environment that is kid safe and parents can be assured that their child’s first tablet is durable and will offer hours of fun with the camera, video recorder, apps, games, ebooks, videos and games.
Rating-LeapFrog LeapPad 3
4 out 5, this rating was given a 4 only because of the pricing of some of the games for the LeapFrog LeapPad 3.
Age
The recommended age for the LeapFrog LeapPad 3 is 3-9 years old.
This seems to be a good age for kids to be able to play a lot of the games and are more interested in sitting and playing on a device for longer periods of time. After that age they want to play older games and even if they are not allowed they’re not going to want to keep playing the “baby” games provided.
Affordability
The price of the tablet retails around $99, but as I previously mentioned the prices for the games are why it did not get a complete 5 stars from me.
For all that the tablet offers it is reasonably priced, however something you have to consider is the price of the apps and games and will your child be changing their minds frequently or wanting to play something new, if so, this could become costly.
If you have previously owned a LeapPad those games and apps can be transferred to the new system. Games can range anywhere from $20 to $25 for the cartridges. If you stick to just the app store the cheapest game I saw on there was around $6. They average about $10 and up.
It is very durable just like anything you can expect from LeapPad. It was designed with kids in mind and kids are known to drop and lose things and that is why it is perfect for kids. It has a hard case and shatter-safe screen so that it can be dropped and thrown around without breaking.
Warranty
LeapPad has a 12 month manufacturers warranty, which isn’t ideal since kids have many accidents.
The customer service is just what you would expect from LeapPad and that is the best. They answer all your questions without hesitation and if needed they can send a refurbished LeapPad if it is within the guidelines set in the warranty.
I have called the LeapFrog customer service center and have only had to wait five to seven minutes to speak to a live person. The options were easily navigated in order to speak with someone and while I was waiting, there was a recording offering assistance with basic issues, such as password resets which could certainly cut down on wait time if you called for one of these reasons.
Battery Life
The LeapPad 3 comes with a built in lithium ion battery. The battery life is great, it lasts 6 hours and is able to be charged with an everyday USB cable. No special cable required which is a plus. With so many items using an USB cable to charge you are bound to have extra’s lying around if the original gets lost thanks to the kids or if the AC adapter is misplaced. It does take longer to charge via the USB cable though instead of the AC adapter. I saw that you could purchase a replacement pack for the LeapPad 2 but I couldn’t find one for the LeapFrog LeapPad 3.
Educational Value
Parents love the parental settings on the LeapPad for several reasons. Since it is designed for children, everything is child approved on it and it can only do so much even with Wi-Fi access to the LeapSearch browsing tool. If it is not safe it cannot be done. Everything is 100 percent educational in one form or another. They have several different ways to challenge your child to use their mind and learn new things.
Growth Potential
It can grow with your child with its automatic adjustable settings. The games change as the child’s age changes. It is 100 percent educator approved for the apps that are available. You can do other things on this than play games.
YouTube is available for instance with videos already chosen for children for their appropriate age. Even though it does have web access available it is only for certain things, so no other form of entertainment can be used on this system. Netflix is not able to be watched on this device since the design is to have everything already set up for the age guidance for children.
Games and Entertainment
It comes with a few games already loaded onto it, along with 10 apps and 1,000s more in the app store that you can purchase. As well as the game cartridges you can buy online and in stores.
The LeapFrog LeapPad 3 also offers a front and back 2MP camera and a video recorder, which offers kids a lot of fun.
Another fun option is the peer to peer capability to play games with other nearby friends or family with LeapPads.
Please note, as mentioned above that even though the LeapFrog LeapPad 3 has wifi, children will not have access to things like Netflix.
Memory and Storage
There have been no complaints on screen size unless you are using it for video’s. Then it is a little hard because it is a small screen, but its’ designed with small children in mind so it’s perfect for little hands.
The actual size of the screen is a 5.0 which is a good size for children within this age range but can get annoying when you’re wanting to watch YouTube. One thing that has been noted is the games freeze a lot and you have to reboot the system.
Power, Speed, and Screen Quality
It has more than 6 hours of game time, 4 GB of memory, is faster than any other LeapPad currently out on the market with a 1000MHz processor.
Aesthetics and Customization
LeapFrog LeapPad 3 comes in a few different colors and more are said to be releasing soon. Also, children get their own avatars, so you can set a different one for each user.
There are matching carrying cases available as accessories and the LeapFrog earphones work with the LeapFrog LeapPad 3.
The LeapFrog LeapPad 3 Pros and Cons
Overall this device is excellent for kids. Because of LeapSearch, limited parental supervision is required. It is perfect for tiny hands and it grows with your child. For the actual price of the tablet, it offers all of the bells and whistles that the LeapPad Ultra and the LeapPad Ultra Xdi for less money.
However some of the cons are that even though the processor speed is fast, I have some concerns about the size of the 5 inch screen and the resolution. If you aren’t planning to watch a lot of videos than the screen size won’t be an issue.