Amazon Expands FreeTime Unlimited: New Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet Bundle Now Available in Germany
In the USA, Amazon has been offering special deals for parents with children for quite some time. Last fall, Amazon launched the Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet (a Fire HD 6 bundled), which not only comes with a special protective case to guard against harmful impacts but is also easily replaceable in case of damage.
The offer was apparently a success because a few days ago, Amazon also launched a suitable bundle for the eReader basic model Kindle Touch in the USA. The Kindle is now sold with a matching colored cover and device insurance, just like the Kids Edition Tablet.
Amazon’s Offers for Kids Coming to Germany
Amazon is not only pushing its offers for kids in the land of unlimited possibilities, but they are also launching in Germany starting today. Amazon.de is now offering the Fire HD Kids Edition Tablet for pre-order. The device, available from June 18th, will be sold for 149 euros with a 2-year “Worry-Free” guarantee and one year of FreeTime Unlimited.
FreeTime Unlimited is a new service that provides unlimited access to child-friendly eBooks, movies, series, and apps/games. Amazon explicitly points out that there are neither ads displayed in the apps nor in-app purchases activated. So, there’s no need to worry about unexpectedly high bills.
If you already own a Fire tablet, you can also use the FreeTime Unlimited offer – non-Prime members will pay 4.99 euros per month, while Prime members pay only 2.99 euros per month. If you want to use the service for several children, you can also pay a flat rate of 9.99 euros (without Prime) or 6.99 euros (with Prime) (for up to four children).
FreeTime as a Meaningful Extension of Device Functionality
It’s not surprising that Amazon is expanding its offers for parents with children – the retail giant has long offered built-in limitations in the FreeTime software (Kindle and Fire) to restrict device functions and make them child-friendly. At the same time, the Kindle eBook reader also offers the ability to track reading progress and set reading goals.
The tablet software offers similar features: Screen times can be limited depending on the content type (e.g., for videos or games) and automatically extended upon reaching a learning goal.
While it’s certainly more pedagogically valuable to instill learning motivation in children without such incentives, there’s no doubt that in today’s multimedia, technology-heavy world, other tools can also be appropriate and beneficial.
FreeTime Unlimited is Worth the Money
The FreeTime Unlimited service offer sensibly extends device functionality and provides a wide range of content at a very fair price. Whether you pay around 5 euros without a Prime membership or 3 euros with Prime, at the end of the month, the FreeTime Unlimited subscription will likely be worthwhile for most parents whose children have already discovered the tablet world. Because a single regular app purchase can potentially cost as much as the entire monthly subscription price.
This time, there’s an extensive selection without price restrictions
Another benefit of the new offer is that Amazon doesn’t have to heed price restriction regulations. Unlike Kindle Unlimited, where Amazon mainly has independent authors on board and can’t set eBook prices at will, the situation with apps, games, series, and movies is different. As a result, the selection is generally more extensive and varied than with Kindle Unlimited.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how well the offer will establish itself in Germany. Here, Amazon’s Fire tablets face a tough market. The devices have apparently only sold well with significant and repeated price reductions, likely because the user interface is heavily customized and significantly restricted in some areas compared to most other Android devices.
Amazon has taken this step to strengthen its multimedia ecosystem and retain customers within it. While this may be annoying for the average consumer who already owns an Android smartphone or tablet, the focus on the Amazon system is very sensible for FreeTime Unlimited, allowing for better classification of content and restriction of functionality.
For this reason, FreeTime Unlimited is only usable with a (Kindle) Fire tablet. Regular Android devices are not supported, nor are Apple iOS tablets and smartphones.
The subscription is now available with a 1-month trial period and can be activated (and optionally canceled monthly) through the FreeTime function directly on the tablet. The Fire HD Kids Edition tablet bundle is, as mentioned, available for pre-order now and will be shipped starting June 18.
