In addition to the Fire HD 10 tablet refresh unveiled today (April 27), Amazon also announced a new Fire tablet series aimed at preteens who are too old for the company's current kids tablets, but too young for full-fledged devices.
The Amazon Fire Kids Pro tablets for kids aged six to twelve years old will offer more flexibility and freedom, while still allowing parents to monitor and limit what their children can see. Here's what we know so far about the Fire Kids Pro, which starts at $99.
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Amazon Fire Kids Pro tablet: Price and availability
The Fire Kids Pro tablet will be offered in three sizes: The 7-inch model costs $99, an 8-inch version is $139, and a 10-inch version is $199.
Regardless of the size, the Fire Kids Pro will come with a case in one of three colors: Sky Blue, Black, Doodle, and Intergalactic. The case, which is a bit thinner than the one that comes with Amazon's other kids' tablets, has an adjustable stand.
All Fire Kids Pro tablets include a one year subscription to Amazon Kids+ ($2.99/month for Prime members) and a two-year replacement guarantee if the tablet gets broken.
Amazon Fire Kids Pro: Content
The Fire Kids Pro tablet is essentially a slightly grown-up version of the Fire HD Kids tablet. While the hardware is largely the same, the content available on the tablet is tailored for children from 6 to 12 years old.
This includes Amazon Kids+ content such as Teen Titans Go and Asphalt 8, books like Keeper of the Lost Cities and Chronicles of Narnia, PG and PG-13 videos, and educational content from National Geographic, Rabbids Coding and LEGO.
In addition, a digital store lets children request apps — they can only be downloaded with a parent's approval — and a new web browser setting that provides more open access to the Internet. This is so that kids can use the tablet to better conduct research for school projects. Parents can still block specific sites.
An updated home screen gives the tablet a more mature feel, and a new "For You" tab is customized based on recommended content.
Amazon Fire Kids Pro vs. Amazon HD 10 Kids tablets
The Fire Kids Pro tablets are aimed at children from six to twelve, whereas the Fire HD Kids tablets — the Fire 7 Kids, the Fire HD 8 Kids, and the Fire HD 10 Kids — are meant for children from three to seven years of age.
As such, the Kids Pro tablets have access to more mature content, voice and video calling and a web browser that lets your child see more of the Internet. At the same time, it also allows parents control over every aspect of the experience, such as how long their kid can use specific apps.
In addition, the Kids Pro tablets allow children to make and receive voice and video calls over Wi-Fi with parent-approved contacts who have a Fire Kids tablet, Echo device or the Alexa app. Your kid can also use Alexa's intercom feature to make announcements to all the Alexa-enabled devices in your home — which may or may not be a good thing.
Amazon Fire Kids Pro tablet: Outlook
The introduction of the Fire Kids Pro tablet feels like Amazon is splitting some hairs. If this is all software-based, then why not simply let the current lineup of Fire Kids tablets change as your child grows?
Still, when it comes to kid-focused tablets, Amazon's devices are pretty good — not for the hardware, necessarily, but for the content offered through Amazon Kids+. That's where the real value comes in.
