The perfect smartwatch for kids?
Or just another expensive digital thing we don't need?
If you've been a long time reader of my work, your know that I'm mostly a fan of new tech. I've loved smart watches in particular since the early days of the Pebble.
But now as a Dad of two young kids, how much technology do they need? More specifically, what is the right age for them to have a smart phone? What about a smart watch?
Intro
The folks at Fitbit by way of Google (or Google by way of Fitbit?) have a new product that is looking to sway my decision on when my daughter needs a GPS tracker of some sort on her person at all times.
The new device is called the Fitbit Ace LTE and it really looks to be a formidable option for a kid's first taste of digital autonomy.
Let's take a look at what this product offers and if it might be a good thing to purchase for my kid, your kid, or any small wrist who wants to have some fun.
This is a smartwatch that will retail for $229.95 and also require an additional data plan cost. I lead with that statement because I totally understand that there will be a large population of parents that dismiss this product on price alone.
It's not an inexpensive toy, they're trying to position this as a legit peace of wearable technology that commands a price similar to the watches Mom & Dad are wearing. I'm not sure that's the wisest move from a marketing perspective, but this watch doesn't really skimp too much when compared to other Fitbit wearables or even the Pixel Watch 2 that I wear everyday.
Yes, with LTE in the product name, this device needs a constant data connection. And we know that those bits and bytes don't pass through the air cheaply. In an attempt to incentivize early purchases, they are cutting the cost of the data plan in half for a year which is nice. That will set you back only $59.98 for a year of data rather than the regular $119.99. If you order before the end of August, they'll also throw in a free watch band that they claim is worth $34.99.
Paying monthly or yearly data subscriptions is not fun no matter how you slice it. Especially if it's for a product on your kids' wrist that they may or may not be getting much use of. But let's put aside the price for a minute and see if this device could be a hit with kids and their parents.
Why buy this?
From my perspective, the approach here is twofold. On one hand, you have a watch equipped with GPS and LTE so you can (theoretically) always know where your kid is and can get in touch with them as needed. This seems very useful when kids are at the age when they're starting to walk or ride their bike home from school. I won't go off on a tangent about how few kids actually do this these days, but the plan is for my kids to do this everyday as the weather is generally great and we live close to some great schools.
Anyway, on the other hand, you want this product to actually be fun for kids! It should be a stealth parental tracking device that also entertains kids and because it's made by Fitbit, it should get them up off the couch as well. And this is where the Ace has a chance to really shine. The games that come pre-installed on the watch encourage kids to get moving. While it can't do all of the things that an adult smartwatch can do, it acts almost like a dedicated gaming device for the wrist.
Maybe parents can even entice kids using step counts as currency. Instead of no dessert until you finish you homework or clean your room, it can be no dessert until you hit 10,000 steps! I'm not sure how I feel about turning kids into step-junkies at a young age but if you're looking for help keeping kids active, this seems like the way.
Games, tracking, and eejie?
Aside from counting steps, these games hope to use the technology in the watch as a creative tool for engaging gameplay. One example cited is a fishing game that actually relies on wrist motions to mimic casting the line to catch fish. It all has a friendly Nintendo Wii vibe which I think kids and parents can get behind.
There is also something called eejie that acts as a digital pet that you can take care of and earn rewards for or something? Even as someone who lived through the Tamagatchi phase and recently revisited the fad when reading the book "Pure Invention" I'm still confused at how or why the eejie is a thing but kids could be into it.
I should point out that the connectivity of the watch is really controlled by an app on their parents phone. You can pre-program only certain contacts that they're able to call or text. Basically, any new friend would need to pass the parental test to gain access to the walled garden of Ace communication. You can obviously see both the benefit and potential problems with this. But no, your kid won't be able to openly access a web browser or message anyone on earth with this, you can easily control the flow of information.
The internals of the watch are actually pretty similar to the Pixel Watch 2 except with a more square screen. It even shares the same charger as the Pixel Watch 2 which is a nice little perk for parents like me who already wear one. Of course, one of my biggest gripes with the Pixel Watch 2 is the battery life, so what happens when your kid forgets to charge the thing and you can no longer track their walk home from school or call them after band practice? My hope is that the battery life will be better without all of the features of a full-blown smartwatch but I'm not so sure.
Personally, I think it's a pretty nice looking device and the different color watch bands would be a huge hit with my daughter. They've even figured out a way to unlock special features and add-ons that are tied to the physical bands. That sounds cool, but it also ensures that parents will be asked to shell out $34.99 on a regular basis until all watch bands have been collected, which doesn't sound cool.
Conclusion
What's my conclusion here? This thing is certainly overpriced and by no means necessary for your kid. BUT! If you're into nerdy wearable tech and you think that something like this may delay buying your kid a real smart phone for a year or two, it could be worth it. There are less expensive alternatives out there if you're just looking to count steps or track your kids location. However, I'm not sure anyone else has done this before with innovative games that get your kid moving in a really attractive design that kids should love.
My daughter received a digital watch for Christmas that promised games and other fun things, and it stopped working nearly as soon as she got it. Let’s be real, there are plenty of crappy wrist toys for kids. Maybe it's worth paying for one that's actually been well-engineered by Fitbit and should be durable enough to survive a few years. Of course, kids are bound to lose things, but you may be able to hunt this down in the sandbox via GPS or pinpoint the backpack of that school bully who swiped it.
This product could be one of those things that is heavily discounted this holiday season and totally forgotten about by this time next year. Or it could actually be a hit and spur some follow up devices that build on its success. I actually think both options are equally plausible.
My daughter does have a birthday coming up, and while she may be on the younger side of the age range for a product like this, I'm almost more inclined to get it for her and ease her into the connectivity and maybe even (gasp!) turn off a lot of the features and use it as a cute dumb watch for a few months to see how she likes it. She won't be calling friends on it from day one, but it also may be a better purchase than one of the other kids watches out there that likely won’t survive the rigors of childhood for more than a month or two.
Anyone else out there ready to buy one of these for their kids?
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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