Update Nov. 2014. Not much has changed since last year.

With the bright orange and yellow case, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids ($200) is easy to pick out of the crowd. It also stands at the head of the pack of current 7 inch tablets when it comes some key factors, namely ease of use and parental features and app selection, making it our leading choice for a non-Apple device for children for 2013.

This tablet offers access to just about everything Google - Google Mobile Services, Google Search, Gmail, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Maps. The most interesting feature many be the combination of access to both the Google Play Store and a new store called Samsung Apps / Kid’s Store. We liked the choice of apps. Just remember that Apple still has a 10:1 advantage in app numbers.

At it's core, this tablet is a modified mainstream Galaxy Tab 3, with a 1.2 GHz, Android 4.1 tablet with 8 GB of internal memory plus a micro SD slot, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a USB port. There are both front and rear cameras (rear is 3-megapixel, front 1.3 megapixel).

Apps: We counted 28 preloaded apps, which include Toca Train and Hair Salon 2, and several video selections.

The Application Manager includes a timer and the ability to choose which apps your child can see. When the designated use time is up, a password protected lock screen appears, requiring a parent or adult to enter the password to unlock the device.

The person overseeing the tablet is JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communication at Samsung Electronics. The tablet was announced globally on August 27, 2013. See http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/tablets/tab/SM-T2105GYABTU.