Google has just announced a new smartwatch aimed at children aged 7 and over: the Fitbit Ace LTE. The watch can call and text parents via LTE service (with a data plan), and parents can track their children via GPS. There is also fun activity monitoring for children. (It’s a Fitbit, after all.)
If the idea of a child having a smartwatch seems ridiculous to you, you probably don’t have a child between the ages of 6 and 13. Many parents are looking for a way to be able to call or track their children, without saying anything. their a real phone. Smartwatches have become a popular way to avoid giving children a full phone until they are older, while still allowing them some independence to move around freely.
The Fitbit Ace LTE works on LTE and requires a data plan, but not an additional phone line. It can call and text up to 20 people entered as contacts in the device, but only to people who have the Fitbit Ace app installed on their phone. This means that children do not have the freedom to call or text anyone through the device (no calling for pizza delivery, for example). Only parents can access GPS tracking, according to specifications.
It’s a Fitbit, so there’s activity tracking and movement gamification, as well as video games that one can play for points to achieve their fitness goals. (The video game may be disabled during “School Time” mode.)
There are other smartwatches aimed at people who aren’t ready to use a phone: Verizon Gizmo 3, Garmin Bounce, and the Gabb Watch 3. Gabb is a company that only makes devices for kids – it also has a smartphone . it’s much more secure in terms of privacy and child safety than the average phone (i.e. no social media apps can be downloaded; no open internet browsing).
The Apple Watch is slightly heavier as a kids’ device because models with cellular plans are more expensive and parental controls that block social apps or Internet use are more complicated to set up.
The Fitbit Ace LTE costs $229, which is more expensive than some of its competitors. We haven’t tested it yet, but based on the features and images of the sleek, rounded design, as well as app screen images, it looks really good.
businessinsider
