There is no question that the future of our kid’s educations are closely tied up with technology. More and more computers and tablets are becoming a part of the classroom. The Tanoshi Android computer is one such device and the company wants to save you a little bit of cash. The Tanoshi Android computer is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter but they sent along a review unit for us to take a look at. While it’s certainly not a high-end flagship type of device, it is certainly a great little device for kids. Read on for our full review of the Tanoshi Android computer.
Specifications
- Display: 10.1″ HD 720×1280 touch
- CPU: Quad core processor
- Cameras:
- 2MP Front
- 5MP Rear
- Storage:
- 32GB onboard
- Expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD
- Memory: 2GB RAM
- Battery: 5,000 mAh
- Platform: Android 7.0 Nougat
- Audio Jack: 3.5mm
- USB Ports: USB and MicroUSB
- Speakers: Dual Stereo
- Bluetooth: Version 4.1
- Wi-Fi: Dual Band 802.11N
What’s In The Box
- Tanoshi Android computer
- Tablet
- Keyboard/Dock
- Power adaptor
- Quick start guide
Design
The Tanoshi Android computer is basically an all plastic build. There’s nothing here that exudes premium build but then again it is made with kids in mind and priced at $149USD on Kickstarter. The tablet portion of the computer is available in blue and pink while the keyboard only comes in white. On the back of the tablet, you’ll find the 5MP rear camera, dual stereo speakers, and Tanoshi branding.
The only ports on the Tanoshi Android computer are the USB port, Micro-USB port, microSD slot and headphone jack. There is also a volume rocker and power button. The keyboard is your basic layout, though the keys are much smaller, which makes sense for smaller hands. I had a hard typing on it but my kids did not. The keyboard allows you to control the tablet’s brightness, volume, ffw/rew, and call up Chrome. It easily detaches and reattaches via the magnetic hinge. My kids had no problem doing this on their own. The trackpad is decent, not mindblowing and it is slightly difficult to click.
Overall the design is what you would expect for a children’s device. It’s colorful and bright for kids and the build quality reflects that. For the $149USD asking price, you can’t ask for much more than what you get.
Display
The 720p display is technically HD and really, kids don’t worry about such things but as an adult, I would have liked to see a 1920×1080 panel. Again, my kids didn’t mind the regular HD resolution one bit. The colors on the display are nice and bright and have a fair amount of saturation. It’s not oversaturated but I would say vibrant enough to please little eyes and not too gaudy that adults have to turn away.
Touch responsiveness is spot on and scrolling was pretty smooth in most apps. There were a few janky moments in YouTube Kids and a few other apps but not unexpected for a device with these specs. The display does suffer from a bit of glare in very bright lighting and does have some viewing angle challenges. Overall the Tanoshi Android computer display isn’t going to win awards but it gets the job done for kids and the price is still very low.
Software/Ecosystem
This device is running Android 7.0 Nougat, which used to be the latest but now that Android 8.0 just came out, it no longer is. But that’s okay as Android 7.0 is still a great little OS and it runs really well on this tablet/hybrid. There are still many apps that have never been optimized for tablet use and those always look pretty bad. This has always been an issue for me and one of the reasons I am not fond of Android tablets. But unlike me, my kids aren’t as picky and they didn’t seem to mind the occasional app that just didn’t look quiet right.
Of course, this being Android, you have access to millions of apps on the Google Play Store. The key software feature on the Tanoshi Android computer is the pre-installed Google Family Link app. Family Link allows you to make an account for your child which you can control from another device. The settings and restrictions are pretty robust once you set it up and have the app installed on your device and the Tanoshi. The beauty of it for me is the Tanoshi Android computer has your kids account and not yours. This means they can have everything independent from your account but you still have full control over what they can do and see.
The tablet comes pre-loaded with a few apps to get you started, including Nancy Drew Codes & Clues but you can install whatever you wish. Speaking of installing games, the Family Link app gives you some great control and doesn’t allow your kids to install anything without your permission. When the child finds something of interest on the Play Store, they have to request permission from the parent device to install. Family Link also lets you set age restrictions, for example, for the Plays Store, it defaulted to “Teen” when I signed up but I changed it to “Everyone” which is far more restrictive.
Family Link also allows you to track the device and get notified when it’s being used. You can also set time usage limits and times when your kids can and cannot use the device. With the addition of the Google Play Store, which is nicely locked down with Family Link, the apps you can install for your kids is pretty robust. That doesn’t mean you might run into issues, Tanoshi has not control over what app developers do with their apps. So you may occasionally run into an app that you’ve allowed to be downloaded only to find it could serve objectionable ads or ask for too many permissions. Even Google Search and Google Chrome returned results that were not always filtered properly, Google does give a disclaimer that Safe Search isn’t always perfect.
Overall the software experience is good, especially for young kids. Some apps from the Play Store still don’t look good on tablets but that’s not Tanoshi’s issue here. The main software experience here is Google Family Link. This isn’t exclusive to this device but it’s nice to have it pre-loaded and it’s nice to have it on a tablet that’s really designed for kids.
Performance
The Tanoshi Android computer specifications aren’t going to blow you away here. Performance is on par with what hardware is onboard here. YouTube Kids played well, video games like Temple Run ran well, there were a few janky moments on some apps but nothing overbearing. Scrolling was pretty smooth in apps and browsing, again, once in a great while there were some stuttery moments. I wouldn’t expect this hardware to perform like a high-end iPad Pro or Galaxy Tab. Overall, the performance is acceptable for what most kids will use this for. If you intend on running more intensive games or apps, then you may experience rougher performance.
Speakers/Sound
The stereo speakers sound pretty decent. My main gripe here is that they’re located on the back. Having them fire away from the user diminishes their effectiveness and makes them sound distant. So while they sound pretty good for tablet speakers, they lose some of their punch from being located on the rear.
Camera
These cameras aren’t going to be used for family photo taking, that’s for certain. With a 5MP camera on the back and a 2MP camera on the front, these aren’t the best performing cameras by any means. That being said, all kids are different and our kids didn’t show much interest in taking photos and were occupied with the apps and games instead. For those kids who do like fooling around with the camera, these are probably just fine.
Battery Life
Tanoshi doesn’t make any battery life claims but the device does house a 5,000mAh battery. For our use, we never ran the battery down. We put time limits on screen time so the device was only used a few hours a day. After that, the kids plug it back into power. So battery life is going to depend on how you use the device. Heavy gaming is going to drain it much faster than light browsing, Google doc use, or the like.
Price/Value
The expected retail price of the Tanoshi Android computer is $199USD. Right now you can pick this up on Kickstarter for $149USD. That’s actually a pretty decent deal. There are other tablets on the market but this one does have a nice kid friendly design with a decent price.
Wrap Up
This tablet doesn’t offer killer performance that flagship tablets offer but as a product designed to be used by 6-12-year-olds, I think it works great. Everyone’s wants and needs are going to be different. For those who’d rather shell out more money for better specs that’s great. But for those who just need something that works well and isn’t going to swallow your wallet whole, the Tanoshi Android computer is a good option.
