With LinkNYC's blazing-fast Wi-Fi already operational, the public-private consortium today activated the other innovative feature that its sleek boxes provide: a built-in Android tablet.
That's right, New York City residents and visitors now have free access to Internet-connected tablets at each one of the dozens of LinkNYC stations installed so far. Mayor Bill DeBlasio today joined other city officials and representatives from the LinkNYC consortium to declare the kiosks fully operational. But earlier this week PCMag got a hands-on preview of the tablets, which are custom-designed for the kiosks and powered by Qualcomm processors.
For now, the options are fairly simple. You can browse the Internet, access city services, get maps and directions, and make free phone calls to any U.S. number.
Each of the functions will feel familiar to anyone who's used an Android tablet. After tapping on the Internet icon at the bottom of the screen, we browsed to YouTube and started streaming a video, which loaded instantly thanks to the gigabit Wi-Fi the kiosks also provide.
For city services and maps, LinkNYC provides a link to the 311 web app (New York City's information service) and the Google Maps app. They both work the same as they would on your own tablet.
Phone calls use VOIP and are powered by Vonage in an interface that looks very similar to the Vonage Android app, minus your personal address book and Vonage credit for international calling. In addition to using the screen, you can type numbers on the keypad built into the kiosk.
A built-in speaker will broadcast the voice of whoever's on the other end of the line. It's loud enough to be heard over honking taxis and idling delivery truck engines, but that also means anyone walking by will be able to hear both sides of your conversation. A standard 35mm audio jack is provided should you want a little more privacy. There's also a one-touch 911 button placed prominently next to the keypad for emergency use.
Finally, two USB charging ports are also available next to the tablet. We can't imagine using them in the winter, but when the weather's nice, the combination of power and a tablet to use while you're waiting for a charge to revive your dead phone could be handy.
One thing we noticed about the screen was that it feels like tapping on a window pane rather than a tablet display. That's understandable, since it's tested to withstand temperatures as low as -20C, vandalism, and even a vehicle crashing into it, according to a LinkNYC spokesperson.
The toughness means that it's not quite as responsive as you'd expect from a tablet. In some instances, it took more than one tap before the tablet recognized our input.
The tablets take security seriously. After a minute or two of no inputs, the session will automatically end and all data will be erased. Users can also tap an "end session" button when they're finished to manually log out.
Though the current functionality is pretty basic, LinkNYC has big plans for the future. The consortium will roll out more apps and services, including a planned community events calendar, as more stations are installed.
To find the one nearest you (hint: all of the currently operational stations are along 3rd Avenue in Manhattan), check the map on LinkNYC's website. By July, 510 kiosks will be installed in all five boroughs, with the full 7,500-strong network planned to be finished in four years.
This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.