On paper, Eddy looks good. It seems to have decent hardware and usable software. But still, creating a tablet specifically for kids is not an easy task. In fact, considering kids are not going to troubleshoot problems it has to work flawlessly. So does Eddy meet and handle challenge well? We find out.
Design and build quality

Considering the fact that the tablet is built for children, the design could have been better. However, the device comes with a bumper case made of rubber. This is colorful and sturdy. The cover, without a doubt, makes the tablet look attractive and many grades stronger, but it also makes the tablet somewhat difficult to hold. Also, don't forget that the tablet is going to be used by kids and they don't have very big hands.
Display

Inside a room it's perfectly usable, but under sunlight it's just a black screen to stare and squint at. The colors are dull and even with the 1200 X 600 resolution the screen doesn't appear sharp. You can see the pixels in contrasting colors. We think with Eddy's screen, Metis missed a chance to make its tablet attractive. For a tablet meant for kids, the screen has to be really good. It has to be colourful and bright with fantastic touch response because that would hold the attention of a kid.
Software

The software is the highlight of the Eddy. Metis claims that the customised interface has been designed keeping in mind the requirements of children and we agree. It provides a software that is developed completely with a sole purpose, for kids.
Eddy is full of pre-installed apps. Most of these are educational apps. More than 160 apps come pre-installed in the tablet, a majority of which is for kids in 2-6 years age group.
So what is your role as a parent? Well, the team behind Athena has been very thoughtful in that area. Parents can set up their kids' accounts in 'Eddy Zone', and decide which apps to provide access to, among several other things such as controlling the time of usage, monitoring the usage, and manage apps. You can also put password so that your kids can't access the normal tablet features and can access only the things that you have allowed.
It becomes apparent that the team has put plenty of thoughts into the software for the tablet. Sadly, in other areas the tablet doesn't work that well. This means the full potential of the software is not utilised.
Performance

Several Android services stop every now and then, and for no apparent reason. The tablet is mostly full of light games and apps, which can be uninstalled. But it doesn't handle these apps well. Even with light apps the back cover gets hot after 10 to 15 minutes of use.
The Eddy Zone is an inspiring addition. But touch is not quite receptive all the time, something that may frustrate you or your kid or both.
The tablet packs in Intel Atom Z2520, which is almost comparable to Snapdragon 400. This is not a bad processor. But it seems software has not been optimised properly.
Camera
The tablet has 2-megapixel front and back cameras. The image quality is bad. It is shockingly bad (see the image sample). Even in full light the pictures are grainy, blurry, and unevenly exposed.

Battery life
Eddy has a 2800mAh battery. The battery life is bad. It can retain battery for almost 3 days on standby, but you will need to charge it after continuous use of 3-4 hours.
As we mentioned earlier, the back panel heats up on prolonged use. So it's not advisable to use the tablet for 3-4 hours straight.
Should you buy it?

But how do you make it usable for your kid? The Play Store is full of apps which let you restrict any app on your tablet, and not only that you can even lock your tablet's settings, making it inaccessible to your kids. The Play Store is also full of educational apps, so again you won't miss much. Bottomline: If you want a tablet for kids, get something that works better and then customise it with help of several apps. Eddy could have been an option if performance and hardware were better. it has good software. Unfortunately, currently it is also frustratingly difficult to use.
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