The Contixo Kids LA703 is a 7″ Android tablet designed for children, that comes with a lightweight protective case with strengthened corners, intended to reduce the likelihood of the tablet being damaged if dropped. It comes in two models, the LA703-1 and the LA703-2. The only difference between the two models is the design of the protective case. The design of the case for the LA703-2 is more featured than that of the LA703-1, but it is also generally more expensive. Each model comes in a choice of eight different colours: blue, dark blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red or yellow. The tablet runs Android 4.4 KitKat as its operating system and is in many respects a full Android tablet, although one with a mode for children and a protective case.
The tablet has 8 gigabytes (GB) of internal memory and 1GB of RAM, as well as a micro SD card slot that will take memory cards up to 32GB, potentially increasing the available memory to 40GB. It has a 7″ 1024×600 pixel resolution touch screen display and two cameras, a front facing 0.3 megapixel (MP) one and a rear facing 2.0MP. For sound, it has stereo speakers, as well as a 3.5mm standard headphone jack for plugging in external headphones, as well as a built-in microphone.
The LA703 has WiFi for connection to the internet, but does not have Bluetooth connectivity. A micro-USB connector allows it to be connected to other devices, such as desktop and laptop computers, from which it can be charged, although it also has a 9 volt DC power jack. The processor is a quad-core.
The tablet comes with a number of pre-loaded apps, including Google Play, which allows it access to many more. The built-in WiFi allows these apps, and other content, such as streaming film and television programmes, to be downloaded, as well as enabling video messaging services to work. Using an external memory card in the SD card slot will greatly expand the amount of content, including user created videos and pictures, that can be stored on the device.
The rear 2.0MP camera is fine for the photographic and video needs of most children, with the resulting pictures and videos stored on the device or on a memory card; the lower resolution front camera is mostly suited for video chatting and similar activities.
Does the Contixo LA703 have any Parental Controls?
What your child has access to online is a growing concern to parents, especially when this is on their own tablets. The parental controls on this tablet are provided via the Zoodles app. Zoodles has a child friendly interface in Kid Mode and a parent’s dashboard. Parents can customise Zoodles according to their needs, and the app rates content and allows access to only content which is age appropriate. Outside of Kid Mode, the tablet will function like a regular Android tablet. In the parental dashboard, you can set limits for each child, such as educational goals, limit the amount of time a child can spend on the tablet and make sure that only age appropriate content is accessed. You can also check and see what content and sites your child is visiting, and add sites that a child is allowed to visit.
What Ages is the Tablet Suitable For?
Although the tablet comes with a protective case, which reduces the chances of it being damaged should it be dropped, it is probably not suitable for really young children. Ages three and up are more appropriate.
There isn’t an upper end for the age limit either. Although the parental controls do limit the tablet in Kid Mode, it is a full Android tablet. If your child is old enough to be allowed more unrestricted internet access, the Kid Mode can be disabled or removed, and the tablet can then be used like a normal Android tablet can by your child.
Are There any Educational Uses for the LA703?
With access to Google Play, the tablet also has access to the entire range of Android apps that are available from the store. Many of these have educational uses, or are educational apps, designed for a wide range of ages. There are also educational games available in Zoodles Kid Mode.
Can You Watch Streaming Film and Television Programmes on the Tablet?
In the Zoodles app there are videos, both fun and educational, that can be watched. As well as that, as the LA703 is an Android tablet, it can download apps for sites such as Netflix and YouTube, although you may wish to limit access to what content they can get from those.
Are There Any Games on the LA703?
As well as downloading games from the Google Play Store, there are also games available within the Zoodles app. As well as games, both educational and entertaining, there are videos, drawing apps, storybooks and more.
Are There Many Apps Available?
As this is an Android tablet, there are literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of apps available from app stores such as Google Play and the Amazon Appstore (the latter of which will need installing) and the number of apps available is growing every day. These apps cover the entire spectrum, from educational to fun to books, although parents should vet any apps before installing them on the tablet.
Can You Use Skype with the LA703?
The LA703 has a front facing camera, and a microphone, which are suitable for video communications, such as with Skype. There is a Skype Android app available and, outside of Kid Mode, the LA703 works like a normal Android tablet. It is therefore possible to install Skype on the tablet, and use it, if there is an account set up. The Zoodles app also allows the sending of video mail from within the kid’s interface.
What is the Worry-free Guarantee?
An option that can be bought with the LA703 is the one-year Worry-free Guarantee. This guarantee, which is provided by Contixo, provides additional protection for the tablet. If the tablet is broken, it can be returned to Contixo who will either fix or replace it.
Summing up the Contixo LA703 Kids
As the LA703 is a full Android tablet, outside of Kid Mode, it therefore has access to the full range of Android content available, much of which is available for free, or cheaply. It also runs on one of the more advanced versions of Android, when compared to other similar tablets. It has parental controls, but will access the internet and any approved sites.
This is not as cheap as some of the kids tablets around, but it isn’t that much more expensive, and the tablet is one of the more powerful, with a quad core processor. The ability to expand the available memory to a total of 40GB is certainly useful.
The rear camera is at a pretty standard level; the front one is at the lower end, but the front facing cameras are rarely as good. The screen resolution is decent; it isn’t at the low end, but about media.
It is still a comparatively inexpensive tablet, which is an important consideration as, even with the protective case, children are quite likely to damage their tablets. The worry-free guarantee should therefore be considered for extra protection.
This is one of the more powerful children’s tablets currently available, and has a decent technical specification. The tablet has also been recently updated, which is probably why the Android version is higher than the average. A slightly more expensive tablet than those at the lower end, but one that is also, in general, better technically.
Find out more about the Contixo LA703 Kids.