Amazon.com Inc. plans to announce
Wednesday that the Kindle FreeTime Unlimited service will be available in the
next few weeks as part of an automatic software update.
Amazon said subscribers will have
access to “thousands” of pieces of content, though the company did not give a
specific number. Kids will be able to watch, play and read any of the content
available to them as many times as they want. Parents can set time limits,
however.
The service, aimed at kids aged 3 to
8, will cost $4.99 per month for one child. It’ll cost $2.99 per child for
members of Amazon Prime, the company’s premium shipping service. Amazon Prime
costs $79 per year for free shipping of merchandise purchased in the company’s
online store.
Family plans for up to six kids will
cost $9.99 per month and $6.99 for Prime members.
The Kindle already allows for
parental controls through its FreeTime service. Parents can set up profiles for
up to six children and add time limits to control how long kids can spend
reading, watching videos or using the Kindle altogether. With the content
subscription service, kids can browse age-appropriate videos, games and books and
pick what they want to see. They won’t be shown ads and will be prevented from
accessing the Web or social media. Kids also won’t be able to make payments
within applications.
Amazon is launching the service as
competition heats up in the tablet market among Apple, Barnes & Noble,
Microsoft and Samsung. Amazon’s strategy is to offer the Kindle at a relatively
low price and make money selling the content.
Offering a subscription service
aimed at kids helps set the Kindle apart from its many competitors.
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