LeapFrog® Unveils Revolutionary New Android-based Kids Tablet, LeapFrog Epic™, Offering Unique Play and Learning Experiences Designed to Adapt as a Child Grows

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Aug. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:LF), the leader in innovative learning solutions for children, today unveiled the new LeapFrog Epic (www.leapfrog.com/epic) Android-based kids tablet, which marks the first time LeapFrog has offered a vast, award-winning selection of learning content on a tablet made specifically for sale in the consumer electronics section of stores. The LeapFrog Epic tablet was built from the ground up to adapt as a child grows, offering endless possibilities for children to explore safely, play, imagine and create. The full-featured tablet delivers access to unique personalized learning experiences that auto-level with a child's progress; an amazing first-of-its-kind, customizable, interactive, playable home screen; kid-safe browsing right out of the box that can adjust accessibility as a child is ready; and easy-to-use parental controls that help define the play experience for each individual child.   

"We create tablets for parents that are looking for the perfect introduction to tablet play for their child, with the best safety features available today and access to a vast selection of our award-winning content that not only provides a breadth of entertainment, but delivers life-changing learning and development," said John Barbour, LeapFrog CEO.  "The LeapFrog Epic tablet is age-appropriate right out of the box, but grows with a child. Children expect technology that's more like their parents' – sleeker and faster, whereas parents want technology that has been designed with kids in mind and safely delivers educational and development benefits, not just another TV screen. The LeapFrog Epic tablet is a perfect balance – a unique, full-featured kid's tablet experience with the learning content and controls that parents can trust and all the play, creativity, and exploration children will love."

LeapFrog and Kelton (www.keltonglobal.com), a leading global insights company, recently conducted a survey of 1,000 U.S. parents with children ages three to eight years old, asking for their perspective on their children's use of technology. According to the results, almost universally parents want the mobile device their child uses to be a great educational tool (98%), yet they admit that just half (50%) of the content their child experiences on these devices is actually educational. And, 66 percent of parents say the mobile device their child uses does not contain content that has been curated by educational experts, but 57 percent wish it did. 

"Part of addressing the needs of a growing child includes providing educational content that continues to inspire a love of learning," said Dr. Jody Sherman LeVos, director of LeapFrog's Learning Team. "With the LeapFrog Epic tablet, we expanded the learning and personalization in our tablet offering, while also offering parents the ability to monitor and customize their child's experience.

First-of-Its-Kind Interactive, Customizable, and Playable Homescreen

According to the survey, 66 percent of parents would like a tablet with a child friendly interface and 61 percent ask for a personalized experience that's right for their child's age. The LeapFrog Epic tablet provides a perfect solution with a revolutionary new homescreen* where children can personalize, create, and interact with innovative features that provide a world of discovery while it grows and changes as they do. 

Grow with Your Child Kid-Safe Browsing and Expandable Parent Controls

Seventy-five percent of parents say it's very important that their child does not see inappropriate content, such as on the Internet or TV shows; however, less than half of parents (43%) have set controls on their devices. In fact, almost 1 in 5 parents (17%) say their child has stumbled upon inappropriate content on a mobile device.

Out of the box, the LeapFrog Epic tablet provides children a kid-safe browsing experience through its proprietary LeapSearch browser only allowing access to pre-selected, kid-safe web content from over 5,000+ videos, images, websites and games all reviewed and approved by LeapFrog learning experts. Through the LeapSearch browser on the tablet, parents can feel confident that the content their child sees is age appropriate. As their child's interests change and grow, parents can simply add new websites to the LeapSearch browser, yet still feel secure in knowing exactly the types of content and websites their child can access through the tablet. As the ultimate "grow with your child" feature, parents can unlock an unrestricted, open browser, but at the time when they believe their child is ready.

In addition, with new, easy-to-use control settings, parents can adjust the amount of time their child spends on the tablet by total time, hours of the day and by app category for up to three different user profiles – providing the opportunity to customize the control settings for the differing needs of each child using the tablet.

The Power and Design of a Parent Tablet Made For Kids

Built with unique features made just for kids, the LeapFrog Epic tablet comes with all the features expected from a full-featured adult tablet. Using an operating system based on Android™ 4.4, the LeapFrog Epic tablet features a quad-core processor, brilliant seven-inch multi-touch capacitive LCD screen, front and back camera, video recorder, 16 GB of memory and six plus hours of battery life, to deliver amazing performance perfect for a child's every adventure.

For a sleeker look, children can also remove the included kid-safe bumper and untether the stylus for the ultimate cool factor that looks more like their parents' tablet.

Award-winning LeapFrog Content and Kid Favorite Android Apps

The LeapFrog Epic tablet will include LeapFrog games, apps, ebooks and more that draw from 2,600 skills, including creativity, STEM and problem solving. LeapFrog games and apps cover all the basics including math and reading, but go beyond to spark imagination and logic, support social-emotional learning, inspire scientific thinking and more. LeapFrog's exclusive Just for Me™ learning technology personalizes select games up to 10 unique ways from remembering curricular progress across games to automatically adjusting learning levels and providing tutorials on demand with a touch of the hint button. In addition, parents can expand the fun with other kid favorite Android-based games from some of the top children's app developers. Every piece of content included in the LeapFrog Epic App Center is LeapFrog approved to ensure there are no in-app purchases, no harmful third party ads, and only age-appropriate experiences.

Share Your Epic Story and Win the LeapFrog Epic Sweepstakes!

Today through September 27, 2015, parents are invited to tell us why their child is epic with #LeapFrogEpicSweepstakes on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Parents can share their epic story along with their contact information on the sweepstakes page at www.leapfrog.com/epic-sweeps for the chance to win one of six prize packs worth $500 each with one winner each week. Prize packs include a LeapFrog Epic tablet, LeapFrog app card, gift card to use for an epic adventure, LeapFrog tote bag and a LeapFrog water bottle.

LeapFrog Epic Availability

The LeapFrog Epic tablet (MSRP $139.99, for children three to nine years old) will be available online and at major retail locations in the consumer electronics aisle in September 2015.

About LeapFrog

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. is the leader in innovative solutions that encourage a child's curiosity and love of learning throughout their early developmental journey. For 20 years, LeapFrog has helped children expand their knowledge and imagination through award-winning products that combine state-of-the-art educational expertise led by the LeapFrog Learning Team, innovative technology, and engaging play – turning playtime into quality time that helps children LeapFrog Ahead^®.  LeapFrog's proprietary learning tablets and ground-breaking developmental games, learn to read and write systems, interactive learning toys and more are designed to create personalized experiences that encourage, excite and build confidence in children.  LeapFrog is based in Emeryville, California, and was founded in 1995 by a father who revolutionized technology-based learning solutions to help his child learn how to read. Learn more at www.leapfrog.com.

TM & © 2015 LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

*Based on a 2015 LeapFrog survey of major U.S. children's tablet brands.

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SOURCE LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.

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