Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program HOW ARE INNOTAB 2 AND INNOTAB 2S THE SAME?
If you're already familiar with InnoTab 2 you're basically looking at the same tablet. The design stays the same, with all of the keys in the same place. The only addition is the WiFi key, which tells you if the tablet is connected to the internet, and how strong your connection is (a four bar display).
Included Apps are the same.
VTech still decided not to include the rope for the stylus. In the manual they call it a "Wrist Strap Fastener" (Note: not included). But it's clearly not a wrist strap fastener, because the stylus has a rope loop hole in it, and the tablet has a hole in it right beside the stylus. The website even states it has a "stylus with hole for string." My husband thinks VTech doesn't want the liability of a child wrapping their neck in the rope, and put the responsibility on the parent to get the strap themselves; it certainly seems that way.
HOW ARE INNOTAB 2 AND INNOTAB 2S DIFFERENT?
Some people like to creatively take the tablets out of the box for setup before handing to a child as a gift. InnoTab 2 is a bit of a challenge; just use sharp scissors to break the tape and foldout the box carefully. InnoTab 2S, I am happy to report, is the easiest of them all! The tablet just slides out the top in a plastic covering; no tape, or attachments cut into the box. You simply pop the tablet out of the molded plastic, and there you have it! I feel like someone at VTech heard parent's frustration and decided to fix this... thank you!
The big difference with InnoTab 2S is the new wireless capability, but don't imagine browser capability. The WiFi is simply used for downloading apps from VTech's website. Your child can make wish lists with the Wish List app on their tablet; my son is only 3, so he's not using that feature . . . yet. Downloading apps is easy, but you don't purchase them off the tablet itself (that's good new, otherwise imagine all the apps your child might "accidently" buy). You purchase them off your computer, tablet, or phone (I haven't used that feature yet).
The look of InnoTab 2S is basically the same, but I enjoy the bold black inlay over the previous grey and pink choices. I think this way it looks more like quality hardware and less of a toy (that's just my preference, my son doesn't care). Oddly, this one is considered blue because of the color of the back, not the front, which is white. Even the rubber sides are grey, unlike the pink one which actually has more pink on it. I think the "blue" is less gender specific because the back looks more dark purple; something to think about for parents who need to share this tablet between genders.
Finger swiping on the InnoTab 2, my son was having problems with the tablet thinking he was selecting an app, which would cause it to load. With InnoTab 2S the opposite has occurred; now the tablet wants to swipe to the next page and not open the app. At 3, my son prefers using his finger, but the InnoTab 2S works best with a stylus and opens apps perfectly that way. This is a bit of a downer, but workable.
OVERALL REVIEW?
It pains me, because I really want to like the InnoTab 2S, but it has one big flaw that hasn't been fixed it's *still* s-l-o-w. InnoTab 2S takes 43 seconds to reach the app home screen. The InnoTab 2 took 37 seconds; we shouldn't be regressing here (I should mention, the LeapPad2 takes 21 seconds!). It takes InnoTab 2S a solid 8 seconds to open an app. I said it before, and I'll say it again, there's a lot of "loading" (read: waiting) going on with the InnoTab 2S, and it makes a difference to me.
Another thing I had a bit of an issue with is videos. The InnoTab 2S comes with the same memory as the InnoTab 2 (2GB). You can add an SD card to expand up to 32GB; that's a big plus, but I've never needed it with my son. This time I wanted to upload videos for him to watch. So I put a 16MB SD Card, that came with an old camera we purchased, into the tablet. Putting the SD Card in was easy. The slot is in the battery compartment; you'll need to remove the batteries. This is a nice touch, in a way, because my son can't get to it and loose it. But can I just say that getting the SD Card out is a pain!!!! Horrible design. My son can probably get it out easier than I can. My husband? No chance. It doesn't have the push-eject feature, so you have to extract it out with small fingers, or tweezers! VTech if you're reading this, please fix this.
Afterwards I plugged in the InnoTab using the USB cord to my PC, and pulled up an LLL file on the card. In that file you transfer your converted video, photos, music (supports JPEG formatted photos, and MJPEG/H.264 videos (avi)). Sadly, there wasn't much I could put on a 16 MB disk. BUT, it was really easy to transfer everything and find them on the tablet. The video was of decent quality with playback options. Unfortunately, I'm not willing (read: lack the time) to convert movies for use on the InnoTab when I already have them converted for the iPad. But, if this is a feature you like and want to use, you'll enjoy it! Also, as an MP3 player the sound quality is decent, not a lot of distortion.
So which do I recommend?
Either. The WiFi is a nice touch, but not necessary. And there are no big changes between the two, except the InnoTab 2S appears slower, and the color change.
In case you don't want to go looking for the reviews on the VTech InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet White, which is the same, here are some things you might find helpful:
Screen size (2 ½" x 4 ½"), or 5" if you're measuring diagonally.
Require 4 AA batteries (not included).
Uses a stylus (comes with two).
Has a cartridge port for additional games and uses purchased apps.
3-9 year age requirement.
Swivel camera.
Can buy additional accessories like screen guard, cases, rechargeable batteries, ac adapters, and headphones.
Personalize for up to 4 players, plus 1 guest.
Has an eReader, MP3 Players, art studio, calculator, calendar, notes, clock, and most of your basic themed books and games.
Has a mic and volume control.
Parent tracker that allows parents to track their child's progress and success playing a game.
Rubber corners to help protect it from a fall.
Battery compartment is easily accessible, just slide a switch and it opens the compartment. This is where the SD Card slot is found.
2GB of memory, but can add an additional 32GB of memory with SD Card (not included). I've found 2GB is more than enough for our needs.
Can be played right away (just add batteries, not included). Need to spend less than 5 minutes setting up the tablet date, time, and personalization.
InnoTab has a tilt sensor like an iPad or iPhone and will tilt the screen if held horizontal or vertical.
Has buttons for brightening or dimming the screen, but don't expect much, there's only four bars and it doesn't make a lot of difference.
Has a "?" button that allows you to hear instructions again, or find out more information about an app (nice touch!). The InnoTab itself tends to repeat things all the time (it's a bit annoying). The tablet doesn't ever sit quietly when turned on and not touched, it constantly wants to talk to you; you'll need to turn the volume off.
Comes with manual.
Internal "kickstand" for standing the tablet up vertically or horizontal.
Plays converted videos. Quality isn't like an iPad or iPhone, but little kids won't mind.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
HOW ARE INNOTAB 2 AND INNOTAB 2S THE SAME?
If you're already familiar with InnoTab 2 you're basically looking at the same tablet. The design stays the same, with all of the keys in the same place. The only addition is the WiFi key, which tells you if the tablet is connected to the internet, and how strong your connection is (a four bar display).
Included Apps are the same.
VTech still decided not to include the rope for the stylus. In the manual they call it a "Wrist Strap Fastener" (Note: not included). But it's clearly not a wrist strap fastener, because the stylus has a rope loop hole in it, and the tablet has a hole in it right beside the stylus. The website even states it has a "stylus with hole for string." My husband thinks VTech doesn't want the liability of a child wrapping their neck in the rope, and put the responsibility on the parent to get the strap themselves; it certainly seems that way.
HOW ARE INNOTAB 2 AND INNOTAB 2S DIFFERENT?
Some people like to creatively take the tablets out of the box for setup before handing to a child as a gift. InnoTab 2 is a bit of a challenge; just use sharp scissors to break the tape and foldout the box carefully. InnoTab 2S, I am happy to report, is the easiest of them all! The tablet just slides out the top in a plastic covering; no tape, or attachments cut into the box. You simply pop the tablet out of the molded plastic, and there you have it! I feel like someone at VTech heard parent's frustration and decided to fix this... thank you!
The big difference with InnoTab 2S is the new wireless capability; but don't imagine browser capability. The WiFi is simply used for downloading apps from VTech's website. Your child can make wish lists with the Wish List app on their tablet; my son is only 3, so he's not using that feature... yet. Downloading apps is easy, but you don't purchase them off the tablet itself (that's good new, otherwise imagine all the apps your child might "accidently" buy). You purchase them off your computer, tablet, or phone (I haven't used that feature yet).
The look of InnoTab 2S is basically the same, but I enjoy the bold black inlay over the previous grey and pink choices. I think this way it looks more like quality hardware and less of a toy (that's just my preference, my son doesn't care). Oddly, the one I have is considered blue because of the color of the back, not the front, which is white. Even the rubber sides are grey, unlike the pink one which actually has more pink on it. I think the "blue" is less gender specific because the back looks more dark purple; something to think about for parents who need to share this tablet between genders.
Finger swiping on the InnoTab 2, my son was having problems with the tablet thinking he was selecting an app, which would cause it to load. With InnoTab 2S the opposite has occurred; now the tablet wants to swipe to the next page and not open the app. At 3, my son prefers using his finger, but the InnoTab 2S works best with a stylus and opens apps perfectly that way. This is a bit of a downer, but workable.
OVERALL REVIEW?
It pains me, because I really want to like the InnoTab 2S, but it has one big flaw that hasn't been fixed it's *still* s-l-o-w. InnoTab 2S takes 43 seconds to reach the app home screen. The InnoTab 2 took 37 seconds; we shouldn't be regressing here (I should mention, the LeapPad2 takes 21 seconds!). It takes InnoTab 2S a solid 8 seconds to open an app. I said it before, and I'll say it again, there's a lot of "loading" (read: waiting) going on with the InnoTab 2S, and it makes a difference to me.
Another thing I had a bit of an issue with is videos. The InnoTab 2S comes with the same memory as the InnoTab 2 (2GB). You can add an SD card to expand up to 32GB; that's a big plus, but I've never needed it with my son. This time I wanted to upload videos for him to watch. So I put a 16MB SD Card, that came with an old camera we purchased, into the tablet. Putting the SD Card in was easy. The slot is in the battery compartment; you'll need to remove the batteries. This is a nice touch, in a way, because my son can't get to it and loose it. But can I just say that getting the SD Card out is a pain!!!! Horrible design. My son can probably get it out easier than I can. My husband? No chance. It doesn't have the push-eject feature, so you have to extract it out with small fingers, or tweezers! VTech if you're reading this, please fix this.
Afterwards I plugged in the InnoTab using the USB cord to my PC, and pulled up an LLL file on the card. In that file you transfer your converted video, photos, music (supports JPEG formatted photos, and MJPEG/H.264 videos (avi)). Sadly, there wasn't much I could put on a 16 MB disk. BUT, it was really easy to transfer everything and find them on the tablet. The video was of decent quality with playback options. Unfortunately, I'm not willing (read: lack the time) to convert movies for use on the InnoTab when I already have them converted for the iPad. But, if this is a feature you like and want to use, you'll enjoy it! Also, as an MP3 player the sound quality is decent, not a lot of distortion.
So which do I recommend?
Either. The WiFi is a nice touch, but not necessary. And there are no big changes between the two, except the InnoTab 2S appears slower, and the color change.
In case you don't want to go looking for the reviews on the VTech InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet White, which is the same, here are some things you might find helpful:
Screen size (2 ½" x 4 ½"), or 5" if you're measuring diagonally.
Require 4 AA batteries (not included).
Uses a stylus (comes with two).
Has a cartridge port for additional games and uses purchased apps.
3-9 year age requirement.
Swivel camera.
Can buy additional accessories like screen guard, cases, rechargeable batteries, ac adapters, and headphones.
Personalize for up to 4 players, plus 1 guest.
Has an eReader, MP3 Players, art studio, calculator, calendar, notes, clock, and most of your basic themed books and games.
Has a mic and volume control.
Parent tracker that allows parents to track their child's progress and success playing a game.
Rubber corners to help protect it from a fall.
Battery compartment is easily accessible, just slide a switch and it opens the compartment. This is where the SD Card slot is found.
2GB of memory, but can add an additional 32GB of memory with SD Card (not included). I've found 2GB is more than enough for our needs.
Can be played right away (just add batteries, not included). Need to spend less than 5 minutes setting up the tablet date, time, and personalization.
InnoTab has a tilt sensor like an iPad or iPhone and will tilt the screen if held horizontal or vertical.
Has buttons for brightening or dimming the screen, but don't expect much, there's only four bars and it doesn't make a lot of difference.
Has a "?" button that allows you to hear instructions again, or find out more information about an app (nice touch!). The InnoTab itself tends to repeat things all the time (it's a bit annoying). The tablet doesn't ever sit quietly when turned on and not touched, it constantly wants to talk to you; you'll need to turn the volume off.
Comes with manual.
Internal "kickstand" for standing the tablet up vertically or horizontal.
Plays converted videos. Quality isn't like an iPad or iPhone, but little kids won't mind.
Best Deals for VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Last year I had the opportunity to review the original InnoTab, so I was eager to see if they had greatly improved things this year with the InnoTab 2S. My kids always love playing with my iPad, so the idea of a little tablet with some kids games that I didn't have to monitor was quite appealing. I was not pleased with the InnoTab overall, but I had high hopes for the InnoTab 2S. The InnoTab 2S has many improvements over the InnoTab, but also has taken a big step backwards.
The first thing I noticed is that the new InnoTab is smaller. It still has a kick-stand on the back and a stylus sleeve, but there is now a hole in the stylus and a small attach point for a string to hold the stylus. Oddly enough, InnoTab doesn't give you the string, so you need to get one yourself. There is also now a camera on the top that pivots for both self portraits and photos of other people and a microphone for recording sound.
The InnoTab 2S is still a USB device controlled by software you install on your PC, but it now has WiFi for downloading apps. This permits your child to "shop" in the online store, put apps on a wish list, and then allows the parent to buy them later. The act of your child shopping sends you an e-mail with their "wishes". Sadly, the WiFi interface didn't work with my home network since I don't have SSID broadcast turned on. Even entering the name manually like I do on my iPad would not work, so I had to adjust my security settings down for the InnoTab to work.
Once I turned it on, I was also surprised because normally new hardware runs faster, but this one runs slower. For the original InnoTab, it tooks 16 seconds to get to the login screen and a total of 42 seconds to get through both power-up and login. The new InnoTab 2S takes 33 seconds to get to the login screen and 49 seconds to go from off to the home screen. Pathetic! This is for a little kid who will get impatient and mash the power button wondering why it won't turn on. Why can't they implement a sleep mode or similar? Taking almost a minute to turn on just is not acceptable today.
I was also hoping that there would be some improvement to the actual device games itself, but they are still fairly low resolution and slow. Most of them are not very educational, and repeat the same basic tasks over and over. A few accelerometer based games are fun, as are the silly camera applications. My kids had a great time playing with them, but there is a limit to what you can do with the device. My kids tried one of the eBooks that came with the tablet (there is a free cartridge included), but navigation was hard because the interface was so slow. This screen seems less sensitive to a finger than the original, so you really need the stylus. Many times my kids were not sure if they had clicked a button and it was "thinking", or if their click had not registered. Sometimes it took several taps with the stylus for anything to happen. It was a frustrating experience compounded by the fact they still play with the InnoTab 1 and that one runs faster!
Let's talk cost of ownership. The InnoTab 2S costs $100. InnoTab rechargeable batteries plus AC adapter will set you back $30. Add another $20 for an SD card (not included). You're up to $150 when you can get a Kindle Fire for $159. Each game cartridge is $25 and the downloadable apps range in price from $3-$7. In other words, you can hit $200 really quickly. But $200 will get you a Kindle Fire HD which comes with rechargeable batteries, more memory, far more free apps, and many apps that cost $1 (and turns on in a second).
My conclusion? I received this to evaluate, but I can't see myself wanting to even spend an additional $25 for a game cartridge when I know I can get better games on an inexpensive Android tablet that will run faster and smoother (and for less money). The only advantage of the InnoTab is durability, but other than that, I can't really recommend this device in today's world of inexpensive real tablets. The low quality applications and limited capabilities might have warranted 3-4 stars if the device weren't so mind-numbingly slow. Every button you click requires a 10-15 second lag while it loads the next screen. This hardware is well past its expiration date. The durable plastic shell and form factor are great, but InnoTab needs to update their processor to make a kids tablet to compete in the modern world.
Honest reviews on VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I love this. It helps the little ones to learn and play so easily with the big buttons to decide what they want to do and the touchscreen is fantastic. the stylus is not attached so it will probably get lost but otherwise the touch screen works very good. My grandaughter played with this and I believe she would have played thru the night if I had let her.One thing about this is you can put learning games on it and they think they are just playing games while they are really learning :)
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet
Pre-ordered this for my soon to be 3 year old for his upcoming birthday. He hasn't seen it yet but I have already unpackaged it to check it out and set it up. It seems good quality to me and should be easy for him to use as he is quite familiar with operating my iphone and kindle. The apps are a little on the expensive side, but I was lucky to find the $20 download cards here on Amazon for $12.54 (which are still currently available as of the writing of this review) so I bought a couple of those to use for purchasing games/ebooks/videos. I very much like the ability to download the apps over wifi (though they still have to be purchased on my computer), we have a tag pen from leap frog and I have never been more frustrated than trying to download a book to that thing with it connected to my computer and my kiddo standing there whining to read his new book. From what I can tell so far this will be far easier. I can buy the stuff and just download it straight from the tablet without having to drag out my laptop. I don't know how fast it's going to go through batteries but I did purchase some rechargeable batteries specifically for use with this device and also the wall and car chargers. I decided if I was going to spend $100 on something for my kiddo I was going to have all the accessories to make it work when I need it to. The downloading can run kind of slow if you're downloading several things as once (especially video) and also stops if you enter an app, so I'd recommend doing that while the kids are asleep or otherwise occupied. The only thing I've found that I don't particularly like is that it seems to turn on at the same volume every time which can be quite loud if you're pulling it out to amuse your kid some place that's quiet and also it repeats itself a lot (while I was downloading several apps it kept telling me to click on the tabs to see what else I could do, I finally just turned the volume all the way down). Over all I'm happy with the purchase and I'm sure it'll only be better once my kiddo gets to enjoy it.
