Toys R Us will compete against the iPad, Kindle, and LeapPad with its own Android-based tablet created specifically for children, which will feature games and its own app store.
Set to be sold exclusively through Toys R Us starting October 21, the Tabeo tablet is a 7-inch, multi-touch tablet featuring a built-in camera, extensive parental controls, WiFi, motion control capabilities, HDMI output, and 4GB storage plus a microSDHC slot.
Tabeo offers developers another tablet platform that they can release their titles to, as it features a special app store with thousands of kids-safe applications and games curated by the Toys R Us team.
It also comes with pre-installed books, educational apps, and nearly 20 games, including some from popular mobile franchises like
Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Cut the Rope, and
Temple Run.
The retailer has priced Tabeo at $150, positioning it as a cheaper alternative to existing tablets like Apple's iPad (starting price of $499 for the newest model), Amazon's Kindle ($159 for non-HD model), and various other Android-based devices. LeapFrog's LeapPad2, though, is only $100.
Toys R Us previously dipped its toes in the tablet market last year by partnering with Fuhu to release a $200 Android-based tablet for kids. Other retailers,
like GameStop, are making similar efforts to push into the tablet market by selling branded devices.
