Fuhu is becoming more well-known for its lineup of kid-oriented tablets, all of which feature a dedicated, locked-down virtual playspace for young children. Fuhu has partnered with brands like Nick Jr.and Disney to develop branded versions of the tablets featuring their respective characters and TV shows, but also plans to develop their own animated series, along with Skylanders-like collectibles, for young girls.
Fuhu’s new tablet lineup includes models starting up at 32 inches and going up to a whopping 65-inch unit with 43-inch and 55-inch variations in the middle.
The concept of tabletop gaming on a large touchscreen monitor isn’t new; Microsoft’s original Surface concept did this.
The 55-inch and 65-inch versions will take advantage of NVIDIA’s newly launched impressive powerhouse, the Octa-core Tegra X1 chip with 256-core Maxwell GPU fitted together with 4GB of RAM. The 32-inch and 43-inch models both benefit from 1920 x 1080 pixel displays, NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 processor, and 2GB of RAM. On top of that, users will find a 2MP camera for video-conferencing, connectivity options, HDMI slot, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC.
Running Android 4.4 KitKat, but Fuhu says the Big Tabs will run Lollipop at launch. It will have 16GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via SD card slots on its edges. The BigTab also offers connectivity options such as NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and HDMI, so you can use it as a TV. Fuhu is working with Google to make sure the interface is optimized for such a big screen, and you can download apps via the Play store.
The two models boast 4K resolution displays, so kids and their parents can easily hook up the tablet with controllers, a mouse and keyboard combo.
Also features a “parent mode” that essentially unlocks its capabilities as a standard Android tablet. Here, the parent can set time limits or apply virtual Fuhu credits to allow the child to buy virtual goodies or, after the kids have gone to bed, watch Netflix and play games on these new BigTabs.
As with other Fuhu Nabi products, the tablet comes with the Nabi portal, whose kid-friendly Nabi mode restricts Junior’s activity on the tablet. This way, you can activate Nabi mode on the Big Tab and leave your child in front of it without worrying that he or she will watch or play inappropriate content. In order to avoid kids becoming reclusive and anti-social due to tablet overuse, they could be taught to share the slate.
Fuhu will also offer four other sizes of the BigTab: a 55-inch UHD (4K) for $2,999, a 43-inch full HD,32-inch full HD slate for $800 and the 20-inch model is priced at $399. Fuhu is effectively selling a touch-enabled HDTV that can double as an electronic play table or even a second monitor for the office. Furniture and wall mounts will also be available. Fuhu senior vice-president Lisa Lee said the company plans to sell furniture designed around the larger tablets, so they can serve as electronic play spaces.
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