Nowadays children spend a whole lot of time with screens, and that does have a draw back, like viewing hours of movies on finish. However what about when these gadgets assist children be taught and join with family and friends they in any other case would not be capable of attributable to lengthy distances? That is what Amazon is attempting to do with its newest product designed for teenagers. Whereas engaged on this Amazon Glow assessment, my two kids put the machine by way of many checks.
When Amazon introduced the Glow at its fall occasion, I may immediately see the potential for the product. I’ve two boys, ages six and 9, and so they like to play video games and spend time with their grandparents. Whereas some stay comparatively shut, not all do, and with busy college actions, sports activities, 4-H, and different stuff, coordinating face-to-face time with household may be powerful. The Amazon Glow has the instruments to do greater than an introductory video name because of its interactive projection display screen coupled with video chat, however does it ship?
The Amazon Glow creates an entire new approach for teenagers to work together with family and friends over lengthy distances. Its ever-growing content material library has one thing for teenagers of all ages to be taught and have enjoyable with.
Amazon Glow: Worth and availability
Amazon introduced the Glow in September 2021 throughout Amazon’s fall occasion. The machine was initially a part of the Day 1 Version which signifies that it was solely out there on Amazon and by requesting an invite. Should you received invited to purchase the Amazon Glow, it was out there for an introductory value of $249.99.
As of March 29, 2022, the Glow’s availability opened as much as conventional retail, as did the pricing. The Amazon Glow is at present out there for buy for $300 by way of Amazon, Finest Purchase, and Goal. Amazon can be providing two bundle choices. One for $330 that features the Glow and the Tangram Bits, and another choice for $380 with an Amazon Glow and a Hearth HD 10 pill.
Whereas these bundle offers are an effective way to get your baby began within the Amazon Youngsters ecosystem, the Prime Day deal that’s up and going for the Glow is even higher. Amazon has knocked $100 off the common value, making it solely $149.99. Hopefully, this deal lasts during July 13, however higher to not wait simply in case.
Amazon Glow: What’s good
In relation to making stuff for teenagers, Amazon is aware of what it is doing. Whereas the {hardware} is nice, as Amazon routinely has a number of the finest Android tablets for teenagers, the key sauce that basically makes all of it price shopping for is because of the software program. Amazon Youngsters+ brings the acquainted kid-appropriate content material that’s discovered on the Hearth Youngsters tablets just like the Amazon Hearth HD 10 Youngsters Professional and applies it to this new kind issue.
Although the Amazon Glow has an 8-inch pill on the entrance, the star of this setup is the interactive projection. Pointing downward from the highest of the machine, the Amazon Glow tasks a surprisingly clear and colourful 19.2-inch picture that reacts identical to an enormous pill. Which means that acquainted actions like pinch-to-zoom, rotation, swiping, and extra all react the way in which children anticipate them to.
| Specs | Amazon Glow |
|---|---|
| Gadget Dimensions | 5.6 x 5.4 x 14.2 inches |
| Weight | 57 ounces (1615 grams) |
| Mat Dimensions | 18.2 x 12.1 x 0.04 inches |
| Projected Show | 19.2-inch touch-sensitive projection |
| LCD Shows | 8-inch high-definition touchscreen (1280×800 decision) |
| Audio | 10W speaker, 3.3 x 1.3 inches, 4 microphones |
| Cameras | 720p HD profile and projector cameras with built-in shutter |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Glow app compatability | Android 8.0+ iOS14.0+ 2021 Hearth HD 10 |
After signing in to my Amazon account by way of the Amazon Glow app on the Samsung pill that Amazon loaned me, (extra on that later), the suitable content material from my children’ accounts was able to go. My youngest received the primary crack at attempting out the “huge paper pill factor.” It received this nickname as a result of, for the perfect expertise with the Amazon Glow, you may wish to use the included white rubber mat for the projection on a flat floor.
After discovering his profile on the LCD display screen and tapping on it, my son immediately started swiping round on the projected display screen, and after a couple of swipes of an excessive amount of strain on the mat, he had it found out. He regarded by way of a couple of guide choices, a few video games like checkers and reminiscence; he then landed on his favourite — the coloring choices.
Because the preliminary launch of the Glow, Amazon has continued to increase the content material library for the machine. New video games like Whac-A-Mole, Chip Drop, Cake Monsters, and Rocket Racers have been added alongside to enhance the 1000’s of books. Maybe one in every of my favourite new additions is the choice to take pleasure in most of the apps on the Amazon Glow domestically with my children quite than the earlier requirement of getting out a pill to play video games with them.
There are completely different themes to select from within the coloring books which have coordinating stickers that your baby can place in a scene or clean web page. There are completely different brushes and colours, after which in the event that they wish to erase one thing, they choose a vacuum to suck up the mess to start out over. However each of my children’ favourite issues in regards to the artwork part is the thing scanning characteristic.
This lets children place real-world gadgets on the mat and switch them into digital objects to make use of with the Amazon Glow. My children beloved discovering completely different toys, issues that they had coloured, and different random issues round the home to place into their creations. Nonetheless, the Amazon Glow does include a real-world object that provides much more interactivity to play, and that is the Tangram Bits.
These are completely different shapes which might be used for puzzle-solving video games. After selecting the Tangram Bits app on the Amazon Glow, children will choose a customized theme similar to underwater, unicorns, dinosaurs, and extra. Then they’ve to decide on only some of the bodily shapes that may assist inform what digital shapes can be found to finish the puzzle. This sport is finest when enjoying it with another person related by way of video chat — as is the case with most of the different apps on Amazon Glow.
The Amazon Glow’s front-facing 720p digicam, together with the 4 microphones, helps to attach your baby with a parent-approved beloved one for enjoyable, interactive video calls. To not fear dad and mom, there’s a bodily shutter that covers the digicam up and disables the microphones. Mother and father can invite folks by way of the companion Glow app to attach with their kids. Contacts must use an iPad, Android pill, or the 2021 Amazon Hearth HD 10 pill, to arrange and use the Glow app.
As soon as the member of the family or pal has completed establishing their Glow profile, your baby can provoke video calls by way of the 8-inch LCD display screen by tapping on the individual they wish to name or from the contact connecting with the Glow. Youngsters will see the individual on the opposite finish’s video feed on the display screen, and the contact will see what the kid is seeing projected and an insert of the video feed.
My children may play checkers, Tangram Bits, and reminiscence video games with their grandfather that lives a few hours away. It was enjoyable listening to them snort, play, and for a quick time suppose that they could truly beat grandpa at checkers. However in true Amazon Youngsters+ kind, the checker video games even have completely different themes and animations to make them much more enjoyable — my children picked the pirate theme.
The Amazon Glow did an exquisite job of connecting household in a second that in any other case would not have occurred. My children had enjoyable enjoying video games amongst themselves on an enormous interactive projection display screen. Nonetheless, that enjoyable expanded even additional when the chance to play and discuss with somebody who cannot merely pop by for a go to enters the equation.
Amazon Glow: What’s not good
As this can be a first-generation product, there are sure to be some glitches, and whereas that was the case with utilizing the Amazon Glow — there weren’t any so vital that it deterred my children from wanting to make use of it. The product is for kids ages three and up, and most youthful children are way more affected person than many adults I do know. There was actually just one factor that pissed off my boys when utilizing it: projection errors.
If the Amazon Glow is on a floor that is not strong or utterly flat, it should give an error telling you to maneuver the machine to appropriate the issue. We might have this error pop up even when on a desk with a clear projection mat and every little thing secure. Getting this error whereas in the course of a sport or making a murals would elicit grumbles from my children. Generally it may very well be resolved by shifting the machine a bit of or ensuring the projection lens was clear. Different occasions it took a reboot.
Younger children are affected person and can typically put up with sluggish efficiency, however when errors start interrupting a sport or artwork, it turns into an issue.
The opposite factor that might come up on occasion is unintentional touches. This may primarily occur if my children had on a long-sleeved shirt. The Amazon Glow would typically suppose that the top of their sleeve was meant to be learn as a contact, and this might trigger false enter on the display screen. This may very well be solved by pulling the sleeve up, however one thing to contemplate.
One other factor to recollect is that the Amazon Glow is projecting a 19.2-inch picture, which suggests it takes up a whole lot of desk area. I do not know many individuals with an space massive sufficient to be devoted to leaving the machine all the time arrange. Plus, at $300, the Amazon Glow will not be one thing you wish to depart out there to be messed with on the whim of a younger baby by leaving it out on a regular basis.
Whereas it did not trouble my children a lot, the thing scanning accuracy was very a lot a characteristic that works typically. I do not imply that typically it flat-out would not work. I imply that some objects would find yourself wanting like a bizarre blob quite than even remotely resembling what my children have been attempting to scan. We seen that darker gadgets would extra usually scan poorly, so for finest outcomes, use primary objects which might be lighter coloured.
The opposite factor that did not make a lot sense once I started establishing the Amazon Glow was that the Glow app is not out there on the Amazon Hearth App Retailer — what?! Okay, there’s an exception to that rule and it’s out there solely on the 2021 Hearth HD 10 pill. When requested if I had a pill to make use of with the Amazon Glow, I responded sure as a result of I’ve a few Hearth tablets. Although not an entire deal-breaker for some, as a result of iPads are extraordinarily in style and there are some wonderful Android tablets, I discovered it very odd that Amazon would not supply the companion app for the Glow on all of its tablets.
Within the March 2022 replace, Amazon has expanded the companion app compatibility. Whereas it’s nonetheless at present solely out there on the 2021 Amazon Hearth HD 10 tablets, the Glow app does work for smartphones. The inclusion of extra gadgets vastly opens up the supply to attach with relations. Nonetheless, the lack to make use of the app on all Amazon Hearth tablets remains to be puzzling.
Amazon Glow: Competitors
A tool that tasks a big interactive show, with a whole lot of age-appropriate content material, affords two-way video chat and nice parental controls — yeah, there aren’t actually different choices on the market. The Amazon Glow is a singular machine trying to create a wholly new class. Nonetheless, there’s no less than one viable possibility to select from, and it is from an unlikely supply: Fb.
If you have not heard of it, the Fb Portal gadgets supply easy-to-use video calling in quite a lot of kind components. Whereas these merchandise do not supply the identical library of content material, parental controls, or interactivity, they’ve wonderful video calling performance that includes some apps to attach children and family members.
The Story Time app brings books to life with enjoyable animations, AR, and music that provides a dimension to studying from afar. There’s additionally Watch Collectively, which lets children watch films, movies, and reveals in real-time with others whereas on video calls. Fb has even added a enjoyable Harry Potter and the Cursed Baby Curtain Name expertise to the Portal. The Amazon Glow has much more to supply in some ways, although the Fb Portal may be had for lots much less cash and with out an invite.
Amazon Glow: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase this if …
- Your baby has family members that they do not get to see usually.
- Your baby enjoys interactive video games and books.
- You will have an area that may accommodate the projection space.
- You desire a machine with wonderful parental controls and kid-appropriate content material that’s tailored for interactive video calling.
You should not purchase this if …
- You wish to get it straight away.
- You and your family members haven’t got a 2021 Amazon Hearth HD 10 pill and do not wish to buy one other pill model.
- You will have restricted area to set the machine up.
For a product aimed toward connecting children to family and friends from afar by permitting them to video name with one another and work together in enjoyable methods — the Amazon Glow is in a category of its personal. It could deliver children nearer to folks they do not get to see as usually. There may be additionally a rising library of content material that children love and oldsters belief. However the restricted pill compatibility can restrict some customers from utilizing the Amazon Glow, in addition to the area wanted to set it up.
Lengthy distance interactivity
The Amazon Glow is certainly not excellent, however it is a wonderful machine, particularly for trying to outline a brand new class. There are some quirks when utilizing an interactive projected display screen, just like syncing a video name and an interactive sport. However as a first-generation product attempting to take action many alternative issues, it largely succeeds and reveals a whole lot of potential.
Because the Amazon Glow turns into extra out there and utilized by extra folks, I anticipate many software program quirks to clean out. I additionally hope that Amazon rolls the Glow app out to all of its pill lineup. The chance to let my children work together with relations, whom they do not get to see in individual that usually, whereas my spouse and I cook dinner dinner or assist our oldest son with homework, is a superb factor. The Amazon Glow is in a singular place to assist many households in comparable conditions, however for a hefty value.
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The Amazon Glow provides a brand new twist to connecting children with family members from a distance with enjoyable actions that each folks can take part in from inside a parent-controlled surroundings — though it would not come low-cost.
Changelog
This assessment was initially revealed in December 2021. It was up to date March 2022 with the next modifications.
- Up to date pricing and availability.
- Revised the gadgets that the Glow is suitable with.
- Famous the expanded content material library.
- Added a changelog.
