Tablet Comparison: Contixo Kids Q102 vs LeapPad Platinum

The Contixo Kids Q102 is a tablet designed for children, and the LeapPad Platinum is a children’s educational tablet made by LeapFrog. The Contixo tablet is larger, having a 10.1″ screen – larger than standard – with a 1024×600 pixel resolution. The Platinum is a more standard 7″ tablet and also has a resolution of 1024×600 pixels. The Q102 has a protective silicone gel bumper with strengthened corners to protect it, whilst the Platinum has a specifically designed protective case, not just a protective bumper.

The Q102 is an Android tablet, running 4.4 KitKat, and has access to the full Android ecosystem. The LeapPad is not an Android tablet, but uses LeapFrog’s own operating system, and therefore only has access to apps and content from LeapFrog’s App Center that have been specifically created for children. The LeapFrog tablet also has a cartridge slot for taking suitable LeapFrog cartridges. The Q102 is a faster quad core tablet.

Each tablet has a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the Q102 has stereo speakers whilst the Platinum only has a single speaker. Each tablet has both a front and a rear facing camera; both cameras on the Platinum are 2.0 megapixel (MP), whilst the front facing camera on the Q102 is only 0.3 MP whilst the rear is 2.0 MP. The Q102 has 16 gigabytes (GB) of internal memory, compared to the Platinum’s 8GB, and the Q102 also has a memory card slot, allowing the available memory to be expanded by another 32 GB. The Q102 also has an HDMI port and 2 micro-USB ports, allowing connection to external devices, including suitable televisions.

Both tablets have WiFi, allowing internet access, but the Q102 has Bluetooth as well. Both tablets have parental controls; the Q102 via Zoodles, whilst the Platinum’s are stronger, only allowing the tablet’s user to visit LeapFrog approved content, but more inflexible. The Q102 has the ability to be used like a regular Android tablet; the Platinum does not.

The main difference between the two tablets, apart from the Q102 being larger, is their intended use. The Q102 is a standard tablet that is intended to be used by children, whilst the Platinum is an educational tablet. If education is going to be the primary use of the tablet, then the Platinum is most suitable, but if a more normal tablet is desired, and one that can also be used by adults, then the Q102 is a better choice.