Outstanding Updates for Tweens and Teens - The Next Kindle Fire Generation

Tween Tablets - The Latest Kindle Fire Family of Products

If you haven't yet invested in a tablet for your tween or teenage child, this may be the best year yet to get into the market.  Pricing continues to become more manageable while quality improves.  Last year's Kindle Fire HD was priced at $200, making it a great alternative to the iPod touch family.  Today, the newest versions carry significantly lower pricing at just $139 for that same HD product.  Meanwhile, the larger Kindle tablets have also become more affordable, ensuring more access for those who have been thrown by the costs of these portable computer/entertainment devices.

My adult daughter received her Kindle e-reader while she was in her teens, and she loves it.  The Fire is a great option for upgrading if your young person loves reading as this is factored into the design of the Kindle Fire Tablet interface.  Pricing is so close that I can see the Fire as the better choice if you are looking for a great gift for the avid reader in your family.

My teenage daughter has a basic Kindle ereader as well, and she loves to use it.  If you need a cheaper holiday gift, the basic version (Kindle, 6" E Ink Display, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers (Black)) is only $69 and provides lots of free and cheap content.  As a parent with children who love to use a smartphone when an adult shares, the Kindle Fire provides a more soothing option for the eyes.  My own eyes struggle with the limited font sizes of a phone, and I'm thinking about the sensibility of the new Kindle tablets for my own needs.  Pricing makes this a great possibility for many during the coming holiday season.  Preordering begins in October, making it the perfect time to start working on your holiday shopping list.  Compare the Kindle Family here.

Cheap Tablets for Preteens and Kids in 2013

Cheap Tablets for Tweens 2013

I tend to wait on some tech products for my kids until the newness in the market wears off.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  First, competition from various manufacturers goes to work, leading to better features, greater reliability and often, lower prices.  Secondly, the availability of cool gadgets doesn't always match my budget.  While the tablet craze is perhaps not as exciting as it was at the introduction of the iPad, it's definitely a medium that seems like it will stick around.  The good news is that there are some much better options in the lower pricing ranges today.  In fact, I won't be surprised if the 2013 Black Friday tablet deals are some of the best yet.  Right now, you can find some low end options in the $50 to $60 range, and I expect that this will continue.

I also won't be surprised if there are important updates to existing options in the fall.  I learned my lesson last year when I couldn't get the model of Kindle my daughter wanted for her October birthday because of problems with supplies.  A couple of search tips worth noting, especially if you are looking for new but cheap tablet options during the year.  If you begin with a basic Amazon search in electronics, make sure you use the refinement tools on the side of the page to denote price range.  While it's easy to leave the low end set at $0, you should bump it up to something a little more reasonable.  Otherwise, you'll wade through a lot of accessories and things that aren't tablets.  You can also limit your search by tablet size (in this result for Tween Tablets, I limited the search to tablets from $30 to $100 and selected 6 to 7 inch results).  You can refine further to check out your faves by how many GB, etc.

Best Tablets for Tweens in 2013

The 2012 tablet season was rather exciting, especially with the expansion of the Kindle Fire family and the development of the iPad mini.  As 2013 unfolds, it will be interesting to see how the big players in the tablet market continue in their struggle for dominance.

My observations based on 2012 trends include the fact that the Kindle family really makes the touchscreen technology accessible to the family.  I find friends and their children using various elements of the collection for everything from reading to game playing.  I love Amazon's content, and the ability to take that material with me to different devices.  Child's play is a smart concept for managing use, and will save lots of frustration in keeping track of whose turn it is.

For the tween, the low-cost tablet market is expanding with a host of under $100 options.  My teenagers talk about a cheap tablet being a doorprize at a holiday party they attended.  The winner of the prize put his tablet quickly to use.  I fully expect to see more options in the low-cost range by the time the holidays arrive.

Expect to see some of the same tendencies of recent years continue with major tablet and ereader models.  I can't imagine the Kindle family not having major advances, probably announcing their plans in late August or early September.  That's just intuition speaking, of course.  iPad will no doubt see some updates as well.  Also, watch for more combinations of laptops and tablets.

Which of these will be the best tablet for your tween in 2013?  If budget is your main constraint, look at ratings in the below $100 category.  If you want a more upscale model, look for both iPad and Kindle Fire options to be some of the best tween-friendly tablets.  Regardless of the model you select, keep in mind the tendency of a tween toward mishaps.  One of my husband's coworkers is dealing with the need to replace a tablet damaged by his son.  It was used to block a football.  Don't skip the protection plan!

Benefits of a tablet for a tween?  I love the hands on interaction and the availability of so many types of apps.    The access to a huge library of reading material is a plus, and Kindle has really expanded the reading opportunities for my teens and tweens in a small town with a limited library.




Check out these tablets that are less than $100 as examples of some quality and trendy choices:

Chromo Inc. 4GB 7" Tablet

Zeepad 7.0 4GB Tablet

Zeepad Pink

Coby Kyros 7-Inch Tablet 4GB