Tablet Comparison: LeapFrog Epic vs. nabi 2S

The LeapFrog Epic is a 7″ educational tablet and the nabi 2S is a 7″ tablet designed for children, so what are the differences between the two? Both tablets have a 7″ screen but the resolution of that of the Epic is only 1024×600 pixels compared to the nabi’s superior 1280×800 pixels. Each tablet has a protective bumper intended to reduce the chances of damage if the tablet is dropped; that on the Epic comes in green and blue whilst that on the nabi is only available in red.

Each tablet comes with 16 gigabytes (GB) of internal memory and both tablets also have a memory card slot which will take microSD cards up to 32GB in size. Each tablet is an Android tablet, with the Epic running a variant of Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box and the nabi running the older 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Epic is not a pure Android tablet however, and lacks access to Google Play, although the Amazon Appstore can be installed on it by parents.

The Epic has two cameras, one front facing and one rear, both with a 2.0 megapixel (MP) resolution whilst the 2S only has a front facing camera, again with a resolution of 2.0 MP. Each tablet has a quad-core processor but the nabi also has a fifth, battery saver, processor. The Epic has a micro USB port for connecting to other devices and charging whilst the nabi has its own custom nabi Connector which serves the same purpose but requires nabi’s own cables to use. The 2S has twin speakers, whilst the Epic only has one, and both tablets have a microphone and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Each tablet has WiFi and Bluetooth and the nabi 2S also has Near Field Communication. Both tablets come with parental controls as standard, provided by the manufacturer. Out of the box, those on the Epic are stronger but limited, as only LeapFrog approved content can be accessed. However, unlike previous LeapFrog tablets, parents can add approved sites to the list, just as can be done with the nabi, or even let the browser function normally, making them similar. Parents can also limit the amount of time spent on the tablet on both devices.

Both tablets have educational uses built-in, and indeed the Epic is an educational tablet first and foremost. Education is where LeapFrog excels, but that on the nabi is still decent. Games can also be downloaded; there are educational games available from the LeapFrog App Centre as well. The nabi has access to Google Play and the Amazon Appstore, allowing content to be downloaded from both of those by parents and approved for use by their children. The Epic only has access to the Amazon Appstore, with parents downloading and approving content, but again this is different to previous LeapFrog tablets, which only had access to LeapFrog’s, rather expensive, range of educational software.

Of the two tablets, the nabi 2S is probably a bit less chunky and a bit more technically capable. Whilst the 2S is decent for educational purposes, the Epic is probably superior at this. Both tablets are suitable for both educational and entertainment, with the 2S probably better for entertainment and the Epic better for education. However, the LeapFrog Epic is the first LeapFrog tablet that is actually usable as a general tablet as well, with access to more of the internet and non-LeapFrog content if desired, rather than simply being an educational tablet.