Our Review of the Orbo Jr

The Orbo Jr by Chromo is a 7″ Android tablet aimed at children. The tablet comes in a protective gel case with reinforced corners which is available in three colours, blue, pink and red. The Orbo Jr runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean as its operating system, and is in all respects a full Android tablet, if cheaper than most and with a case aimed at children.

The tablet has a 4GB internal hard drive with an additional external SD memory card slot that will take expansion cards up to 32GB. It has 512 MB of internal RAM and a 7″ TFT touch-screen display. For sound, it has stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack. For taking videos and photographs, as well as video messaging, there are two cameras, a front facing 1.3MP (MegaPixel) and a rear 2.0MP, as well as a microphone.

The Orbo Jr comes with a number of pre-loaded apps, including Skype, Netflix, YouTube and Google Chrome, as well as the Google PlayStore, from which more apps can be downloaded.

The power supply is 110V and it has built in WiFi, but no Bluetooth, and a micro-USB connector. Once charged, the battery will last for four hours of normal use.

The Orbo Jr will work outside the US, although an appropriate adapter will be required in many countries to convert the local power supply to a voltage that the Orbo Jr can use. The built in WiFi means that games, files, streaming videos and other such things can be downloaded anywhere there is a suitable WiFi connection.

The gel case helps to protect the tablet from drops and spills, especially at the corners, which are reinforced, and are where displays tend to be the most fragile. This reduces the likelihood of damage being caused to the Orbo Jr by accidentally dropping it on a hard surface,

The micro-USB connector is used to charge the tablet, but can also be used to connect it to a netbook, laptop or desktop computer, as well as to possibly plug in other external devices in order to expand the tablet’s capabilities.

The external SD card slot will expand the amount of data that can be stored, such as photos, music and videos, by a substantial amount, especially as multiple cards can be used.

The rear camera is fine for most photographic and video needs of the average child, allowing them to take their own pictures, and store them on the tablet, or share them over the internet using WiFi.

Can You Use the Orbo Jr with Skype?

The tablet comes with Skype pre-loaded and the front facing 1.3MP camera, microphone and stereo speakers will enable Skype, other VoIP services or video messaging cheaply over the internet with family and friends who aren’t local. So any grandparents will be able to vidfeo chat with their grandchildren cheaply using this tablet.

Can You Watch Films, Videos and Television Programmes on the Orbo Jr?

The tablet has a 1024×600 LCD display and comes with Netflix and YouTube pre-loaded but others can be added or watched. It has stereo sound and the ability to plug in headphones or speakers into the external 3.5mm audio jack. By plugging in headphones, your child can enjoy their programmes and music without you having to enjoy them too, if desired.

Will the Orbo Jr Play Games?

There are a host of games available from the pre-loaded Google PlayStore, as well as from the Amazon Appstore if that app is downloaded and installed. Many of these games are completely free to play; that is, as well as being free to download, there are no in-app transactions using real money. Such games and apps tend to be supported by advertising.

Does the Orbo Jr Have any Educational Uses?

Tablets can be a great way of maintaining a child’s interest in learning, as the sound, colour and interactivity available with them can make the learning process more enjoyable. There are a wide range of educational apps available from the various app stores, many of which are also games, and can help your child learn. There are even ones suitable for young children and toddlers, and can be used to help your child do maths and learn words in a fun game.

Books are another educational, and recreational, use. One of the primary apps is the Amazon Kindle app for Android, which is free, as are many Kindle ebooks. There are other books available, some in app form, which can be colourful and interactive books.

Summing up the Orbo Jr

The tablet is suitable for kids of all ages. It has the features of a full Android tablet, so is fine for children until they start wanting more expensive, and fashionable, tablets like the iPad, but far cheaper. Even young children can get benefits from or enjoy using the Orbo Jr, although supervision will be needed with very young children. To keep your children safe whilst online, installing a free parental control app is a definite recommendation.

The Orbo Jr is an inexpensive starter tablet suitable for children, even if there isn’t an upper age limit for it, as it has all the features of a normal Android tablet without the expense of some of the more advanced tablets. The expense is an important consideration when buying tablets for children as, even with a protective case, a child’s tablet is more likely to get damaged, and they are expensive to repair, to the degree that it may not even be worth doing so.

The Orbo Jr is therefore a competitively priced tablet for children to start off with, so that they get used to them, and how to treat them properly, before they graduate onto more expensive systems.