Tool Reviews

Before choosing, decide on your budget and goals.

If the list of tasks includes typing, reading educational materials and watching video lessons, budget models in the price category from 10 to 15 thousand UAH are suitable for this.

Vinga Spirit S141 Black – laptop with a 14-inch display, Windows 11 Pro, 128 GB SSD and 4 GB RAM

If a student plans to play on a laptop, the budget should be increased to 25-30 thousand. The final price depends on the demands of the games, but whatever the budget, there are certain parameters that will make work comfortable and productive.

• Display size. The child should not overstrain the eyes, so the best option would be a medium format – 14-15 inches with FullHD. 12-13 inches is objectively small.
• Display type. Pay attention to the IPS matrix – now it is the best offer in terms of image quality. Choose models with TN or VA matrices only if the budget is very limited.
• SSD drive. This type of disc has long ceased to be a luxury and has become a must-have. Compared to a regular hard disk, SSD increases system response and every application will start much faster.
• Video card. If you plan to run games on a laptop, choose only models with a discrete video card. An alternative is laptops with an AMD Ryzen processor and a Vega video chip. For modern games, it is better to buy a model with a video card starting from NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, but even it will not pull the maximum graphics with Full HD resolution. If you need to play without compromises, pay attention to video cards starting with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.

Read more about how to choose a laptop in our special article.

And if a tablet?

A tablet is a relatively inexpensive alternative to a laptop. If the student does not need to constantly type, the tablet is suitable for reading electronic textbooks and other materials, as well as for playing games and videos.

As in the case of a laptop, when choosing a tablet, you need to decide on a budget and start from it.

With an average budget of UAH 15,000, the main contender for purchase is the iPad.

In the Apple tablet line, it occupies a starting position, costs less than other devices, but at the same time provides a real tablet user experience.

Its Android competitors are presented in more affordable price ranges, but you should not look at the cheapest tablets. The minimum price of the gadget, which we advise you to focus on, is 5-8 thousand hryvnias.

For this amount, you can pick up a tablet from Lenovo or Samsung, on which it is convenient to play games, read books and watch videos.

Read more about how to choose a tablet in our special article.

Apple iPad is a balanced tablet that is perfect for content consumption, and if you have a keyboard cover or a wireless external one, you can also write on it

Smartphone or mobile phone

If it is too early for a child to have a modern smartphone, a standard push-button mobile phone is suitable for calls and SMS.

The recipe is old, but proven – classic Nokia for minimal money. The models of this manufacturer are inexpensive, work long and well.

Does a young user need a full-fledged smartphone for messengers, games, photography, music and surfing the Internet? A good quality smartphone can be purchased for 4-8 thousand hryvnias.

Xiaomi, realme, Samsung and Nokia models perform their tasks well.

When choosing a smartphone, pay attention to the standard parameters, thanks to which the device will be relevant for several years.

Xiaomi Redmi 10 4/64GB Carbon Gray

Smartphone; 2 SIM + memory card; screen: 6.5″; IPS; 2400×1080; built-in memory: 64 GB; RAM: 4 GB; processor: MediaTek Helio G88; OS: Android 11, MIUI 12.5; battery: 5000; camera: 50 (f / 1.8, wide-angle) + 8 (f / 2.4, ultra-wide-angle) + 2 (f / 2.4, macro) + 2 (f / 2.4, depth) MP; color: gray; NFC: + … unfold roll up

• Display diagonal. In the modern world, smartphones with a diagonal of 6.4-7 inches have already become the norm.
• The amount of RAM. More is better, but that doesn’t mean you need 8, 10, or even 12 GB of RAM. For comfort, 4-6 GB is enough if we are talking about an Android smartphone.
• Volume of permanent memory. 64-128 GB is the golden mean. In addition, many models support memory expansion with cards.
• Processor. If the child likes to play games, pay attention to the chipsets of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7xx or MediaTek G series. They can easily play any modern games, and other programs will “fly” on them.
• Battery. The same principle as with RAM – the more, the better.

Xiaomi Redmi 10 4/64GB Carbon Gray is a smartphone that has a 6.5-inch display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, a fast processor, a 5000 mAh battery, NFC and a USB Type C charging port

Smart watch and fitness bracelet

A few years ago, such an item was not mandatory at all, but now gadgets that help monitor activity and health are important.

Children’s smartwatches will come in handy for preschoolers and students of grades 1-4. They are distinguished from adults not only by design, but also by functionality, which makes life easier for parents.

Often, in such models, you can remotely, from an adult’s smartphone, turn on the microphone or GPS receiver, which will show the location of the child.

Another useful option is the “electronic fence”. Virtual borders are set on the map, for example, the school square and the yard, and if the child crosses them, parents will receive a signal on their smartphone.

An “adult” fitness bracelet with the necessary functionality, for example, Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 NFC or Honor Band 6, is suitable for a schoolboy in grades 5-11.

These are inexpensive gadgets that measure the number of steps, monitor sleep and remind you to move more.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 Black (BHR6008GL, BHR6007CN)

Fitness bracelet • compatibility • iOS • Android • notifications: + • heart rate monitor: + • working time: up to 14 days • display: AMOLED • 1.62 • strap: elastomer • case color: black • strap color: black … unfold roll up

They also display messages from the smartphone on the screen – it is convenient to quickly transfer information to the child, if the school does not allow the use of phones during lessons.

Some fitness bracelets support the function of monitoring the content of oxygen in the blood.

And although they should not be perceived as a medical device, they can show an approximate condition.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 Black is a functional fitness bracelet with a bright screen and a comfortable strap. The model has a built-in heart rate monitor and pulse oximeter, there is a function of counting steps, heart rate and sleep monitoring

Printer or MFP

Homework, essays and projects are part of the educational process. That’s just the fact that you need to bring some printed sheets to class tomorrow, children usually remember the night before, when their parents have come home from work, and all copy centers are closed.

A home printer will help you get out of any emergency situation with honor.

If you do not print often, choose a laser printer. The resource of one cartridge is enough for a long time, but usually such models are not colored (color ones are also available, but they are quite expensive) and only text can be printed.

Xerox Phaser 3020

Printer • printing technology and palette: laser black and white • A4 • 1200×1200 dpi • Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b / g / n) … unfold roll up

Inkjet color printers are cheaper, but they need to be used regularly, otherwise the nozzles from which the ink comes will dry out. Such models are perfect for printing photos and bright illustrations.

And if you have to scan textbooks or other materials, a multifunction device or MFP will come in handy.

The Xerox Phaser 3020 printer can print 15,000 pages per month. It has a Wi-Fi module, thanks to which it can be easily connected to a smartphone, tablet or laptop

Read more information about choosing a home printer in our special material.

We hope that this buyer’s guide helped you navigate the choice of gadgets for a schoolboy, and we wish you successful purchases from Hotline!

Author: Vitaly Bohdanov