14 DAY TRIAL // Startup Amplify has announced that it is releasing its next-generation tablet, after experiencing a serious failure with the last model.
Some of you might recall the Amplify tablet, an educational product that was launched last year. You might not remember it because of its specs or anything related to that, but due to something else entirely.
Amplify’s first educational tablet was unlucky enough to make it to the top of the most spectacular tech fiascoes of 2013. The company had to recall 15,000 product units after only a few months since the slate launched, because the devices reportedly “broke.”
As you can imagine, a lot of students were left feeling disappointed and frustrated, and Amplify itself wasn't sure it was going to survive this horrible failure.
Well, apparently, the 2-year-old startup hasn't given up hope, as it continues to persist in its belief it too has a place on the tablet market, so the company has unveiled its second-generation tablet.
This time, it has teamed up with Intel which, as we know, has introduced an educational tablet of its own not so long ago. Actually, the new Amplify slate is based on the same reference design and adds some improvements to it, which certainly seem encouraging.
Let’s take a look at the specs and see what the next-gen tablet has to offer. Like Intel’s tablet, the Amplify boasts a rugged shell that safeguards the product against accidental damages. Running the show is Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Intel’s reference design.
But Amplify has upped things in the CPU department, where we now have a 2GHz dual-core Z2580 processor combined with twice the RAM and backed up by 16GB of internal storage.
More than that, there’s a microSD card slot and Bluetooth, dual cameras (5MP on the back and 1.3MP on the front), Mimo Wi-Fi antennas, stereo speakers, and a microphone.
The screen boasts a pretty average resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, but at least the display is coated with a protective layer of Gorilla Glass. Amplify says the battery life should amount to 8 hours of continuous use, which should be enough for students.
The Amplify will also come equipped with an integrated stylus, headphones, and a keyboard companion. Compared to its predecessor, the new tablet will be much faster and also rugged. The first slate was based on an ASUS consumer tablet design which was believed to be quite sturdy and suited for kids.
The new tablets will be rented for $200 / €145 per year for 3 years. They will come pre-installed with content from Khan Academy, Core Knowledge, CK-12 Foundation, and more.